*CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship – Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – ANGLESEY *

THREE MORE FOR WOOLFITT, BUT ACTION DOWN THE FIELD!!

QUALIFYING

There was little competition for Jon Woolfitt’s Spire GTR as he marched on to another three victories at Anglesey. But there was plenty of action down the order with battles down to the wire. After qualifying Woolfitt was over six seconds up on second placed Arron Armiger. “No problems at all, beat my personal best here, but the clutch is still sticking a bit,” he said.

Armiger was in the family Vauxhall Tigra raced last year by elder brother Luke. Before arriving at Anglesey, he had never driven the car before and his only motorsport experience was a few Ninja Kart races as a child. “I only did my ARDS four weeks again and tried the car for the first time in Friday’s pre-race test,” he added. But less than a second covered the next five drivers, with Rob Wakelin’s Honda powered Peugeot 205 heading the quintet. “My tyre pressure gauge was broken, so I had to just guess and go with what we had. The back end played around a little though, as the pressure was a bit high and we were bedding in new tyres and brakes,” he explained.

Jamie Cryer’s Ginetta G20 was just 0.108 secs off Wakelin, now sporting an orange front following his collision with Wakelin at Donington. “It seems to be handling OK now, but we have made a few slight set up changes,” he said. Connor Modro’s Ginetta G40 was next up, heading the third row from Steven Parker’s BMW Compact. “No dramas, my rear suspension was a bit hard, so it was bouncing, I came into the pits to soften it and it was much better,” Parker explained.

Ian Bamber was another to have tyre pressure issues. “They were far too high and the breather was throwing oil out the breather too,” he said. Although he had raced bikes at the North Wales Circuit, it was his first car race.

Tim Foxlow was back after missing Donington, and his Ford Escort RSR was another 0.5 secs off Bamber. “Not my best after spinning at Peel on my out lap. I was just too quick going in on cold tyres. I thought I had done better until I saw the other times,” he explained.

Ninth best was another race debutant, Connor Harvey, son of former Locosaki racer David. “I have no motorsport history at all apart from watching my Dad. I tested the car at Blyton and again here pre-race, but spun at the Bus Stop in qualifying,” said the young Caterham driver. Bod Buckby made it an all Caterham fifth row on his return to the Championship, but 11th placed David Green had a little excursion. “I did a bit of lawn mowing through Target while I was bedding in new brakes in,” said the Honda Civic driver.

Graeme Smith had gone for treaded tyres on his Mazda MX5. “It was sliding a bit at the rear but it’s what I’m used to. It was my quickest lap around here though,” he added. Next up was Riccy Walker’s BMW JCW R56. “There’s definitely more time to come. It’s understeering a bit so we will make a set up change for the first race,” he said.

Matt Jones managed two spins in his Ford Focus. “I went exploring at Target and the Bus Stop, just pushing too hard, but no damage,” he explained. Peter Koukoulas’ Toyota headed the rest of the Class F battlers, which was led by Helen Allen’s Ford Fiesta Zetec S. Husband Brian was just behind, “I caught Helen, but once I went past she just stayed right behind me and got her fastest time,” he said. David Bird’s Toyota MR2 completed the line-up. “Wrong tyres, I was on full wets, but the car was absolutely fine,” he confirmed.

RACE ONE

As the lights went out Woolfitt rocketed away into the distance, with Armiger bogged down on the grid, Cryer was second through Target, from Wakelin, Foxlow, Bamber and Modro.

Wakelin soon started to hunt down Cryer for second, with Foxlow, Bamber and Modro line astern for fourth, while Smith was under pressure from Parker for seventh, as Harvey and Green completed the initial top 10. Parker had ousted Smith on lap two and Armiger’s recovery had him back in ninth by the end of lap two.

Into Target for the third time Wakelin took a look down Cryer’s inside, but had to back out, while Foxlow was still under pressure too, unable to shake off the attentions of Modro and Bamber, as Armiger closed on them all after ousting Parker.

Harvey had also latched onto Smith for ninth place, while behind them Green and Walker had an entertaining duel. Having caught Modro, Armiger went by into Rocket on lap four and a lap later ousted Bamber through Church too, followed by Foxlow before the end of the lap.

Foxlow was now in fifth behind Armiger, but the pressure was off after Bamber spun on lap five. “I had an excursion at Peel on the out lap and then spun there again. It was awesome battling with Tim, but we nearly had a coming together,” Bamber explained, after his spin allowed Modro through too.

Wakelin had kept the pressure on Cryer and finally got by through Banking on lap seven, only for Cryer to take it back into Rocket. But Armiger was closing in on their duel from fourth. Into Target a lap later Wakelin was back ahead, but Armiger soon split the duel, before taking Wakelin for second through Church on lap 10.

But there were still dramas to come however, none affecting Woolfitt, who took his win by over 26 seconds, as red flags brought an early end with Wakelin pulling off at Rocket. “The steering column had sheared but I managed to pull off,” said Wakelin.

“I had slicks on and it started to drizzle, but the grip was Ok and the car was fine,” said Woolfitt. But Armiger was no longer in second either, “I was on slicks which were OK, but I choked it at the start and was lucky not to get hit. I hadn’t expected such a successful comeback after that start and I enjoyed passing all of those cars, then I spun onto the grass at Rocket,” he explained.

So Armiger came home third as Cryer reclaimed second place. “It had been a great battle with Rob, but then I started to lose ground among the backmarkers,” Cryer added.

Modro and Bamber had started to close on Foxlow again, until Modro became another casualty. “I was coming back well after losing ground and then just lost drive,” said Modro. “It had been a good race for me after a really good start. I had stayed with Jamie and Rob briefly, then decided to hold place and fight Ian off,” Foxlow added after retaining fourth despite a couple of late exchanges with Bamber.

Bamber was still close fifth at the flag, with Parker clear in sixth. “I was in the middle, so no one to fight with later into the race,” said Parker.

Green had also broken away to settle in seventh, “I got beaten up at the start, it briefly went into limp mode, but still fun though,” he said. Walker had managed to stick with Green for a while, “the car went well and the light rain didn’t affect me. I had a touch with Dave when he cut across me, but I felt competitive and have something to aim for,” added eighth placed Walker.

The battling Caterham’s of Harvey and Buckby completed the top 10. “Great dice with Bod, I was on a semi tyre and it suited the conditions. I had grip and the rain didn’t bother me,” said Harvey. “Loved it and the battle with Connor was brilliant. I just went a bit steadier in the drizzle and he got away,” Buckby replied.

Jones and Koukoulas had fairly solitary races, “a good race and the car was great,” said Jones. “Uneventful and everything Ok until we got into parc ferme, then there was heavy knocking noise from the engine and my weekend was over,” Koukoulas added. Bird managed to go clear of the Allen’s. “Just like in qualifying she snook past again in traffic but I caught her up again,” said Brian after losing out to Helen by just under six seconds.

RACE TWO

Both Modro and Koukoulas were missing from the grid for race two, but from the start it was Woolfitt in command from the word go, from Cryer and Bamber, before Armiger stormed into third through Church and Wakelin began to attack Bamber.

“It was too much wheelspin this time, but better,” said Armiger. He had already taken Wakelin and ousted Cryer through for second on lap two, while Foxlow was also on the move taking Bamber for fourth. As the lead extended rapidly, Wakelin was soon poised to challenge Cryer for third. He made it through Church on lap five, but Cryer took it back into Rocket. “I thought I had him until he came back at me, so I had to be patient,” said Wakelin. They swapped again Peel and the Corkscrew before finally making it decisive through Church, enabling his escape.

Woolfitt succeeded in lapping the whole field on this occasion, “I tried to get my fastest lap early on, but I still couldn’t match my qualifying time, so I tried to look after my tyres for the final race,” Woolfitt explained. Armiger retained a solid second, “I was on new tyres and my confidence has started to grow now,” he added. Wakelin managed to build a sizeable gap over Cryer for third, “it got interesting as I think a front CV joint had gone, I could here it clunking,” said Wakelin. “I really had to try hard to stay with Rob, it was all good but I didn’t really have enough pace,” fourth placed Cryer added.

Parker had started to close on Foxlow for fifth from lap six and had his first attempt to pass repelled a lap later, but into Rocket on lap eight he had more success. Foxlow had started to lose ground on Parker but was still a safe sixth, as their early rival Bamber was struggling. “That was a good battle with Steven, he was quicker in some places and me in others,” said Foxlow. “I think my radiator had gone, but I tried to back Tim up so he couldn’t get the power on for the straights to repass,” Parker added.

Bamber finally came home a solitary seventh, “I was having to hold it in third gear from about the fourth lap or it would jump out. So I tried short shifting and the handling was off too, oversteer and understeer,” he said. Harvey was another solitary runner in eighth for most of the race, “I could see them in the distance and see some behind in my mirrors, but no one to race with this time,” he said.

Buckby and Green spent most the race duelling, with Smith not far behind too. But although Buckby retained a solid 10th, he had lost ground on Green. “I nearly went off at Target trying to hold him off, but I just kept seeing this blue car in my mirrors,” said Green. “That was another great battle with Dave, but I went off onto the grass at the Banking and couldn’t get back to him,” Buckby replied.

Smith’s challenge faded during the second half of the race, with Walker getting by on lap 10 and Jones three laps later. “Graeme was all over the place so hard to pass. I knew if I got nearer I could out drag him, but had to have a couple of goes,” Walker explained after he finally got by through Church. “Riccy and Graeme’s battle helped me close on them,” said Jones. “I put slicks on and went slower and they caught me. Riccy couldn’t get close enough at first, until I started sliding,” Smith replied.

Smith had easily won Class F again, but second place went down to the final lap. “My tyres weren’t at their best, but Helen just got faster,” said Bird after losing his place to Helen Allen on the final lap. “I just had extra determination after I had past Brian, then went side by side with David until I got by,” she explained.

RACE THREE

Both Helen Allen and Bamber were absent from the grid as lined up for the final race of the weekend, Allen having encountered last minute clutch problems.

It was a familiar look at the start with Woolfitt heading Cryer, but a much better start from Armiger saw him third through Target. Though Church, Armiger made his challenge for second, but Cryer fought back and it was nose to tail onto the second lap, with Wakelin and Foxlow having joining in too. Armiger finally made it by through School, with Wakelin soon following as Cryer slipped to fourth.

Parker had been sixth at the end of the opening lap, “then I spun at Peel, got sideways, couldn’t catch it but finished up in the right direction and off I went again,” he explained. Green had moved up to sixth, from Buckby, Harvey, Walker and Smith as Parker recovered in 11th.

As the top six had started to spread out, Parker’s recovery had soon taken him past Smith, before charging ahead of the duelling Caterham’s through Church on lap four. Smith had lost out to Walker too but they stayed close, as Jones closed in again. Once Parker had taken Green a lap later, the Honda driver became busy as the Harvey v Buckby reeled him in. But Parker had started to close on Foxlow’s fifth too.

Back at the front it was all too easy for Woolfitt, but he didn’t lap the whole field on this occasion as he took the flag to complete his weekends hattrick over a minute clear of Armiger. “I think that’s nine wins in a row, but Arron was too quick for me to lap everyone this time. I did a fast lap and a slower lap to look after my tyres,” said Woolfitt. “I am definitely getting better at the start. If I was in a Championship battle I might have taken more chances, but not to spoil others races,” Armiger added.

Wakelin and Cryer were well spread in third and fourth. “I had quite bad understeer with no front splitter, but on the last lap was running low on fuel, it did cut out once, but I had just enough to get to the flag,” said Wakelin. “I had a good early scrap but then it was a bit lonely as I couldn’t stay with them,” Cryer added. Foxlow had to fend off a determined Parker again to retain his fifth place. “Tim just had the legs on me as I tried everything,” said Parker after losing out by just 0.256 secs at the flag.

The battle for the rest of the top 10 was to continue to the flag too, with numerous exchanges along the way. Green had lost out to Buckby on lap nine, but Harvey had taken them both a couple of laps later, but as Green started to lose touch, the Caterham pair had multiple swaps and changes before Harvey clinched it a lap from home.

“Really enjoyed that, the best race of the weekend. We seemed to know each other’s limits and with Dave in there too it made more opportunities,” Harvey explained after sealing seventh. “My best race ever,” Buckby added.

Green had to settle for ninth, “it killed my front tyres though, pushing too hard to get away and they still kept catching me,” he replied. Walker had to work hard to fend off Smith until the end too, with Jones watching from close by. “He was all over me, but when Matt closed in it gave me a gap,” said Walker. “I was caught in a sandwich, a good battle but I just couldn’t get Ric,” Smith added.

Bird and Brian Allen completed the finishers, “I was hoping for another battle with Helen until I knew she had non-started,” Bird concluded.

The final rounds of the Championship are at Oulton Park on October 15th.

    OVERALL      

1 Jon Woolfitt 96 J 2 Graeme Smith 90 J 3 Jamie Cryer 69 J 4 Ric Walker 52
5 Ian Bamber 50
6 Tim Foxlow 42 J 7 Helen Allen 38 J Robert Wakelin 29
9 Brian Allen 28 J Guy Carter 25
Richard Rudd 25

Published by Peter Scherer for BARC North West, September 5th 2022