Cadwell Park, 10 June 2007

This is becoming an unwanted habit. We have made absolutely zero progress since we broke the kappa at Brands Hatch. We still have not investigated the problem, the engine sounds very poorly and that's about as far as it goes so far. Hopefully we'll know later this week and can then we'll know what our chances are of making Anglesey (or even another race this season!).

So Cadwell Park went on without us, although we did attend to watch. For the first time in LMA Euro Saloons history, the grid was split. With Cadwell having a smaller grid capacity, we just had too many cars to all play together. This didn't do much for the grid sizes but did a few drivers a chance of an outright win where they wouldn't normally have one.

Shades of Anglesey last season - but without the rain. A fog bound circuit meant qualifying for the Class A and B race was delayed, and then took the form of three laps behind a pace car. Some discussion took place about grid formations but all was resolved with the grid forming up in championship positions leaving Nick Williamson and John Hammersley on the front row, and some very fast cars a lot further back than they are used too.

Race - A/B:
Williamson's Ford Escort Cosworth was always going to be favourite to get the better of Hammersley's Vauxhall Cavalier from the start, but Hammersley made it difficult by going round the outside of Williamson into the first corner. But power told, and Williamson completed the first lap in the lead from Mal Davison (Noble M400) who started 5th and Peter Challis (Nissan Primera) from 4th with Hammersley holding on gamely in 4th place. Challis got by Davison's Noble on the second lap but only stayed there for a couple of laps. By lap 4 Joss Ronchetti's Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was up to 4th (from 10th) and closing in on the front three. Richard Hawken (Nissan Primera) on his first ever visit to Cadwell Park was up to 6th but about to lose a place to Steven Taylor's Lotus Exige.

The front two were closing back up on Williamson when the black and orange flag was displayed - to Williamson. Pulled into the pits because he had overfilled the fuel tank, by the time Nick had convinced the marshalls no more fuel was sloshing out, his race was all but over - he rejoined in 17th place, just 2 from the back. Davison took over the race lead and maintained this position from Challis and Ronchetti until the race was red flagged on lap 8, with positions being taken at the end of lap 7. Richard Gould's Noble M400 had been getting faster and faster, on lap 7 he put in a lap 4 seconds faster than any previous lap, unfortunately the Noble got away on lap 8 at Coppice and ended in the tyre wall, bringing out the red flags.

Further back in Class A, Tony Soper was somewhat fortuitous. His Harrier LR9 had coasted to a halt before completing the 8th lap, but was classified 8th, and 4th in class A.

Finishing 3rd and 4th overall, Class B 1st and 2nd went to the Lotus cars of Ronchetti and Taylor, with Hammersley holding on for 3rd in class from Douglas Ellwood's Marcos Mantis which had come through from 15th on the grid. David Pierce had managed to progress through the pack to get the better of the other Clios in the race and take the Mark Fish Renault Clio Cup from Fergus Trenholme and Anthony Allitt.

Qualifying C/D/E:
The fog had lifted by the time the second LMA Euro Saloons grid of the day was ready for qualifying. Simon Taylor (Honda Civic Type R) showed why he is the championship leader overall by storming to pole position over a second clear of David Hinde (Class C Vauxhall Vectra) and fully 3,2 seconds clear of his nearest Class D competitor, Alan Wilshire (Honda Integra). David Hinde was a second clear of nearest Class C competitor Ian Craig (BMW M3) but ended the session with a broken stub axle and looked unlikely to race.

Simon Jackson's Vauxhall Nova finally had some competition in Class E with Mark Hammersley throwing down the gauntlet in his Ford Fiesta qualifying 2 seconds ahead of Jackson. The returning Chris Brogden's Fiat Uno proved that his reliability problems have yet to be resolved, expiring in a cloud of steam on the third lap.

Race C/D/E:
Predictably Simon Taylor launched into the lead with Ian Craig getting through to end lap 1 in second place. David Hinde had repaired the Vectra and finished lap 1 in 3rd place with David Roberts (Rover Tomcat) and Alan Wilshire following in 4th and 5th. Jim Mepham was on the move in his Renault Megane and climbed from 6th up to 3rd before losing power on the final lap. At first this was thought to be lack of fuel, but then found to be a broken throttle linkage, the last lap was done "on idle".

In Class E, Jackson started fast and got the better of Hammersley. This pair were in close formation for the first half of the race before finally touching with Hammersley spinning. After he rejoined the track, he was black flagged for oil smoke ending the Class E battle and leaving Jackson to take the Class E win.

Taylor was leading comfortably at the front from Hinde, the pair going on to win Classes D and C respectively. On lap 10 the battle between Craig's M3 and Wilshire's Integra which had been raging for 6 or 7 laps finally ended with the Integra coming off worst as both cars outbraked themselves at Park. Roberts took full advantage of this and the slowing Mepham to take the final podium place and his first, from Craig and a fast finishing Stephen Pearcy (Rover 220Gti). Just when Jackson thought he could take it easy to the finish, Jason Newman appeared in his mirrors, staying in front required Jackson to set his fastest lap of the race on the final lap.

The upshot for the day is that Simon Taylor extends his lead in the championship to 20 points from Hammersley with Williamson falling further back into 3rd.

Will we make the next round at Anglesey - watch this space!

See what the other drivers had to say.

Visit the LMA site for details of the LMA Euro Saloons championship and standings so far.

Check out the current points standing.

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