by Steve Wilkinson
With 121 entries plus the Top Twelve Run Off to fit in the MAC had a lot on their organisational plate. The 21 registered Sprint Championship runners also had a lot on their plates - firstly they had the not inconsiderable task of qualifying.
Carole Torkington and Dick Hulbert were back on track for the first time since the championship opener at Lydden. However when confronted by the awesome John Sampson in the Quantum there was little they could do. The Xtreme took the Mod Prod class as Hulbert and Torkington trailed home in second and third. The two runners in the 1100 Racing Car class had varying tales of woe. Tony Ellis and Hamish Lindsay had both suffered mechanical problems, Tony at Sprint Championship rounds whilst Hamish had his problems on the hills which ruled him out of Llandow and Angelsey. However both were overshadowed by Rodney Barbour who had not registered with the championship this year as there was no planned trip to his home land - Northern Ireland. Barbour slung the Marengo round to the class win whilst newcomer Richard Gittings in the ex-Ian Scott/Dave Brewis Megapin, now with Yamaha R1 power, took second. Lindsay and Ellis, who were both on their first trips to MIRA, came home in third and fourth respectively. The 1600 Racing Car class went to SBD's MD Steve Broughton in the highly developed OMS-Suzuki. However the win was not without its problems. The new suspension had still not been set-up to Steve's satisfaction and with Team OMS in the Channel Islands it was down to the SBD Team to try to resolve. Broughton's class win was emphatic as he was over a second clear of Martin Baker. MIRA's Chief Exec, John Wood, brought his Ralt RT3 home in third (John having spent some time closely viewing the Platt Dallara, time to update?) whilst Kim Kingham trailed home in fourth.All the over 1600 Racing Cars were amalgamated into a single class and it was from the massed ranks of Sprint Championship runners plus the Dallara debutante Andrew Platt that the main battle for FTD came. Tony Eyles had brought along elder brother Rodney's hillclimb Lola as the engine from his car was back at Connaught Engineering for a rebuild, however he was on top form in qualifying blasting through the speed trap at 166mph! His time of 41.94 was equally impressive! On his second run there was a slight misfire which cast a doubt over the run-off - only time would tell. Meanwhile Tony Wiltshire was setting about the rest. His two 42 second runs were the next fastest despite being so much slower through the speed trap. Stewart Robb was down from Aberdeen and his trip yielded third in class with the MP58. Fourth fastest was the ex-Megashed man Andrew Platt in the ex-Warburton Dallara. His acclimatisation to single seaters was swift as was the methanol fuelled two-litre.
The remaining classes of Westfields, Ginettas, Morgans and Porsches also contained another Championship contender. Mark Smith recovered from second spot in the None Road Going Westfield opposition demoting Adrian Clinton-Watkins to second just ahead of David Oldale. The ever enthusiastic Porsche Speed competitors provided the best of the 'action' with countless spins and cone-bashing encounters providing an ideal support to the Sprint Championship.
Top Twelve Run Off
First to the line was Tracey Ashby in the Tramway Forge Reynard. The current leader of the Ladies Championship was in steely mood and promptly chopped half a second off her Q-time. Graham Porrett then put the Team Tegra Reynard into the top spot as the second and last of the shared drives. Mark Smith then commenced the Mod Prod battle but was down on his Q-time, John Sampson quickly followed and despite a brake locking moment at the Control Tower bend he slipped past Mark to kept ahead. Stephen Miles was next and he was at a disadvantage. Not being able to video his practice runs due to the sensitive nature of the work at MIRA he had been unable to review his qualifying performances. However he did clip a few tenths off to lead the field. Simon Ashby then brought the 883 back to the line. With Stephen Miles' time on the board the pressure was on and in a restrained run he posted his personal fastest time but found himself behind the Van Diemen. Phil Lynch, who is revelling in his first year in the Sprint Championship, then brought the white RT30 forward. He too went slightly faster than his Q-time but fell behind Stephen Miles. Terry Holmes then put in a barn storming run in the Team Tegra Reynard to oust Miles from top spot. No sooner had the Chichester Chippy got to the head of the leader board than he was knocked off top spot. Steve Broughton clipped over eight tenths off his best time in qualifying to oust Holmes and plant the OMS at the head of the field. However with just three runners all of whom had been quicker in qualifying it was but a temporary lead. Stewart Robb flew round the first curve and was through Control Tower in a burble of exhaust noise. 42.13 was his best time of the day and set a stiff task for the remaining runners. Wilt then brought the Flymo Orange Ralt to the line and with the Peugeot engine blaring out he set off at a cracking pace. It was the sheer speed he carried through the curves at MIRA that were the key to his performance but unaccountably he was slower than in qualifying and had to sit back in second. Tony Eyles then brought the 'hillclimb' Lola to the line. As he went through the speed trap he was over 10mph slower and as he accelerated away from Control Tower the misfire was getting worse. His time of 43.41 left him in third and with little time to resolve the problem. So as the second runs were about to commence it was Robb in the lead from Wiltshire - could either of the two register their first ever British Sprint Championship win?
The second runs got off to a staggering start as Tracey Ashby bogged the car off the line. However Tracey is renowned for her determination and she bullied the car round to her fastest time of the day - if only she had gotten the start right! Graham Porrett was a hundredth slower on his second run whilst Mark Smith improved his time in the bewinged Westie and moved ahead of John Sampson by just two hundredths. John Sampson came back from his run complaining about a cone on the track and before the organisers could get him to the line the cone had been replaced and Stephen Miles had set-off. Miles failed to improve and would have to rely on his first run time. Then Sampson had another go and as the temperatures rose and the wind died down so the times started to stretch out. Sampson was another to post a slower time and he fell back to twelfth. Simon Ashby then put in a typical second run. Late braking and monstering the car round he bucked the trend and not only lowered his time but also beat Miles in the process. Phil Lynch then took his second run and like others before failed to improve. Terry Holmes continued the trend as he took fifth. Steve Broughton did improve but by just one hundredth and took fourth. Stewart Robb was slower so had to nervously await the results of the remaining two runs. As Tony Wiltshire set off it soon became apparent that the time spent at the Goulds had improved the handling as the car was nailed to the road round the first high speed curve. Through Control Tower it was as if on rails and when it came to the last big 180 degree corner the car seemed to go round at unabated speed. As all eyes at Control Tower looked to the digital read out it stood at 42.12. Wiltshire had snatched the lead by just one hundredth of a second. However could Tony Eyles repeat his form of the morning? As he came into view from the Control Tower balcony it was obvious that there was a problem as he was just cruising round to third place.
Tony Wiltshire was somewhat pleased. The grin broader than usual and the trip home to Devon somewhat less daunting; 'I really like MIRA and winning has helped that view!' was the quote elicited from the British Sprint Championship's sixty fifth winner. Roll on Northern Ireland!
Rd 6 British Sprint Championship: 1 Tony Wiltshire (2.0 Ralt-Peugeot RT34) 43.02s; 2 Stewart Robb (3.5 Pilbeam-Cosworth/Connaught DFR MP58/05) 42.13s; 3 Tony Eyles (3.5 Lola-Judd/Connaught CV ERH) 43.41s; 4 Steve Broughton (1.5 OMS-Suzuki/SBD 2000M) 44.12s; 5 Terry Holmes (2.0 Reynard-Ford/Tegra SF84) 44.28s; 6 Simon Ashby (2.0 Reynard-Millington 883) 45.49s; 7 Stephen Miles (2.0 Van Diemen-Ford/Dunnell RF96M) 45.99s; 8 Phil Lynch (2.0 Ralt-Alfa Romeo/Connaught RT30) 46.15s; 9 Graham Porrett (2.0 Reynard-Ford/Tegra SF84) 46.90s; 10 Tracey Ashby (2.0 Reynard-Millington 883) 47.79S; 11 Mark Smith (2.0 Westfield-Vauxhall/SBD SEiW) 48.57s; 12 John Sampson (5.0 Quantum-Rover Xtreme) 48.59s
FTD: Tony Eyles 41.94s
Class Winners: Jeff Stokes (2.0t Mitsubishi EVO 5RS) 53.03s; Mike Simpson (2.0 Westfield-Opel SEi) 53.96s; Sampson 47.71s; Rodney Barbour (1.1 Marengo-Suzuki) 45.01s; Keith Sollis (1.6 Van Diemen-Ford RF86) 51.20s; Broughton 44.96s; Eyles 41.94s; Alan Wood (1.6 Westfield SEi) 54.12s; Nick Algar (1.2s Westfield Megabusa) 51.13s; Mark Smith 48.28s; Tony Luxton (4.4 Ginetta -Chevrolet G27) 53.76s; David Frow (2.0 Morgan +4) 61.15s - Handicap; Colin Belton 3.8 Porsche 993 RSR) 50.63s.