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Mallory Park, 28 September 2008

Geri was racing at Whilton Mill this weekend so we didn't get to watch our fellow competitors.

Mallory Park was the venue of the penultimate round of the 2008 LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car championship and uniquely provides both the fastest average lap speed and the slowest corner of all circuits visited during the season.

Qualifying:
Steven Taylor (Lotus Exige) set the pace in qualifying with an astounding 103.56mph average speed to lap Mallory Park in just 46.926 seconds. Richard Gould (Noble M12) was just 0.3 seconds adrift and also averaged over 100mph at 102.88. Both lap times comfortably beat Simon Blanckley's LMA Euro Saloon lap record of 48.248. Class A shut out the front 7 places on the grid, places 3 to 7 being filled by Rex Stamp (Lotus Exige), Nick Williamson (Escort Cosworth), Peter Challis (Nissan Primera), Mal Davison (Noble M400) and John Hammersley (Honda Accord).

Championship leader Rhys Lloyd had his worst position of the season, 3rd in class B behind local driver Joss Ronchetti (Talbot Lotus Sunbeam) and Douglas Ellwood (Marcos Mantis), with Ronchetti and Ellwood also dipping below 50 seconds for the lap. Andrew Neal (Honda Integra) headed class D by 0.4 seconds from class and championship rival Jim Mepham (Renault Megane) while Lee Reynolds took his first Class C pole in the little Citroen Saxo from David Roberts (Rover Tomcat) and Ian Craig (BMW M3).

Race:
With the cars in the assembly area, light rain started to fall, just enough to slow the cars a little and make track conditions "interesting" for the opening laps. Steven Taylor, the pole man was unable to take up his position due to a supercharger problem with the Lotus Exige leaving Richard Gould to take over pole with Rex Stamp joining him on the front row. The start was not one of the series' better rolling starts, the cars being very strung out. Williamson outbraked himself and went off at Gerrards from the start, seriously damaging his title hopes. Stamp followed suit at the Esses, limping round to complete the lap before retiring. The first four across the line were Gould, Challis, Hammersley and Davison, but Gould had a 3 second lead after lap 1 which had extended to 7 seconds by lap 4.

Slowly but surely Challis started to narrow the gap as the leaders lapped the slower cars (twice) but Gould held on to record his first LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car win by three seconds from Challis, with Hammersley another 15 seconds further back. Hammersley had to work hard for the final podium spot, first defending from Davison (who briefly got by), then from the battling Class B cars of Ellwood and Ronchetti. Ellwood had led Ronchetti for the first 17 laps before the Sunbeam got past the Marcos, but Ronchetti's joy was brief as the Sunbeam ingested a spark plug on lap 19 leaving Ellwood to take the Class B win and fight with Hammersley for 3rd overall. Rhys Lloyd moved up to second in Class B but was 10 seconds adrift of Ellwood at the finish. His 18 point haul was still enough to extend his championship lead with the demise of Williamson.

David Roberts made the better start in Class C to lead Lee Reynolds and Ian Craig, Craig then got past Reynolds on lap 2. The three drivers stayed in close contact with occasionally other class drivers slotting between them. On lap 8 Reynolds repassed Craig, then on lap 9 Reynolds got by Roberts to lead Class C. Craig moved up into 2nd on lap 13 but neither he or Roberts were able to live with Reynolds' pace, Reynolds taking his first LMA win. In class D Andrew Neal was in a class of his own as he pulled away from Jim Mepham at a couple of seconds per lap, to take an easy class win. Mepham was looking comfortable for second place, but a last lap coming together with Mark Crook (Renault Clio) at Shaws dented both his Renault Megane and his title aspirations.

Rhys Lloyd (254) now leads the championship by 22 points from Andrew Neal (232). Nick Williamson (222) and Jim Mepham (216) both failed to score at Mallory, but all four can still win the title. Rhys Lloyd is the first confirmed class winner (Class B) and needs just 22 points from the final two races at Donington to win the championship.

Visit the LMA site for details of the LMA Euro Saloon and Sports Car championship and standings so far.

Check out the current points standing.

Send comments to: webmaster@nyssaracing.com

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