CLASSIC CLUBMANS ENJOYED IT’S SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR AS IT ALSO CELEBRATED 50 YEARS OF CLUBMANS RACING, MIKE SALES REPORTS.
The season started at Thruxton, in April. Mark Chartris won ‘A’ Class but only after a close tussle with Michael Mallock, guesting in dad Ray’s Mallock MK18. Clive Wood in a Mallock MK20 had a superb win in ‘B’ Class after starting from the back of the grid – a sign of things to come. Sadly the race was red flagged after Mike Lane destroyed his Mallock at Church and was lucky to only sustain a broken leg. However, at our last championship race at Brands Hatch he returned to take a fine 4th place, receiving the warmest of receptions.
In between we had 10 other races with many new faces joining us.
Mark Chartris was again ‘A’ Class champion but this year we saw Ray Mallock defeat him at Silverstone and John Harrison, in his Mallock MK21, at Snetterton. John finished 2nd in ‘A’ Class even after missing the first 3 rounds and secured 3 wins through the season. The ever improving MallockSport run duo of Alan Cook and Californian Rob Manson finished 3rd and 5th respectively. Ray finished 4th overall and Peter Carter in his Phantom completed the top 6.
This seasons ‘B’ Class championship was a much closer affair between Clive and 2014 champion Adam Patterson Mallock Mk18 and not decided until the last round at Brands Hatch. Sadly Adam crashed in Friday testing at Brands but contested both races in a Centaur car kindly loaned by Gavin Childs.
Clive though was unstoppable in the later races and secured the championship with 2 more wins. Clive and Adam’s battles were a feature of the season, joined at earlier rounds by Barry Webb, Mallock MK16. John Muirhead Mallock MK18, enjoying his first full championship, finished 3rd.
Barry secured 4th overall and had 3 wins out of just 5 races. Mike Sales Phantom and Trish Hunter Mallock Mk16 tied for 5th place.
Season Highlights :
Classic Clubmans celebrated 50th years of Clubmans racing at Snetterton in June with paddock area featuring static displays and archive material which attracted lots of attention. The evening featured a BBQ and highly competitive games in pouring rain !
You can’t defeat historic racers !
The weekend produced a brilliant ‘A’ Class race between John, Mark and Ray in their Mallocks. John and Mark raced a couple of meters apart at lap record pace for the whole 20 minutes with Ray keeping a watching brief. John won but admitted he had never had a race that intense !
Oulton Park Gold Cup
This much enjoyed meeting again lived up to expectations, the race produced one of the best ‘B’ sport performances with a super dice between Clive and Adam which Clive won. There was further close racing throughout the whole ‘B’ Class. The weekend was crowned with the performance of the ‘A’ Class cars in the wet Derek Bell Trophy race. Mark Chartris winning overall, three others in the top six and Ray Mallock retiring with electrical problems while leading.
What a weekend !
It was a pleasure to have Mark Hales out again guesting in David Childs’ ‘A’ Class Centaur. Mark flew to Brands Hatch and was collected and delivered to and from the local airstrip – Classic Clubmans becoming almost ‘International’.
Hospitality
A major feature of our season has been the ‘Classic awning’ where Sheila and Kerry performed miracles of catering for everybody. It was great to see all the drivers, mechanics and friends enjoying themselves. Well done girls, brilliant job.
Special thanks go to all the other helpers and people who contributed to our funds. Also to Alan and the HSCC team for all their hard work in making the meetings such a success .
