As the competitors gathered at the circuit there were several additions to the Usual Suspects. Firstly the Sims were back after resolving their engine problems, Kevin Lealan was making his 2008 Championship debut with the last of the Pilbeam MP62s and Steve Broughton was making his first appearance of 2008 with his new heavily modified OMS. Also seen for the first time was the rather tatty but highly practical coach that Simon Bainbridge was now using to transport his awesome Audi – apparently Mrs B will be joining him once he has tidied it up a lot!The double lap format was on offer for Saturday and despite the best efforts of the organisers there were a lot of incidents which inevitably slowed the through-put of cars. However more of that later.
The classes were to the usual format however the running order was massaged to allow more time after the single seaters before the run-off. Leading off were the TVR Speed contenders with Matthew Oakley first on track. His first run time was good enough for second and despite lowering his time on the second run he couldn’t dislodge Paul Edwards in the T350 from the lead. Steve Dennis won the battle of the Vixens with Stewart Lobley, Mike Roe, Geoff Stallard & Alan Bankhurst in hot pursuit. The Lotus 7 Club runners were next with Simon Rogers in the R400 being too quick for the rest. Adrian Williams and Paul Gibbs were next with Mark Durrant fourth just ahead of Shaun Elwell & Neil Cavanagh.
We then moved into Mod Prod territory and in the 1400 class Martin Depper finished well clear of Alan Cox in the battle of the Minis. Aaron Perrot managed to roll his Corsa at Brooklands which caused a lengthy delay; the driver was OK however the Vauxhall was decidedly second-hand. In the Two Litre class Gary Thomas was well clear of the rest in his basically road going Elise which was on List 1B rubber; Gavin Rogers in the Escort was second with Nic Meakin (309) in third. The Over 2 litre class had Adrian Flagg in the Impreza running out a convincing winner whilst Pete Sadler (Celica) and David Kirk (BMW) were placed. The Up to 1800 Mod Prod Kit Car class went to the Welsh Wizard Brian Jones as he cruised home ahead of Matt Jones. In the Over 1800 class the battle was intense as Derek Hodder just edged out Dick Hulbert with Carole Torkington third. Simon Bainbridge ran-out a solo winner in Sports Libre as he bedded in new brake discs.
Into the Racing Car classes and in the 1100 division Jonathan Toulmin put in two super runs to keep the combined Force of the Tudors behind him. Tim Tudor had multiple spins on his first effort (Dibeni, Honda & Paddock) so had to fight back to grab second from father Peter who for once didn’t go slower as the day wore on. Trevor Hartland had been in the mix but retired when the crank sensor packed up. The Formula Fords were next and what a battle this provided. In practice Martin Pickles & Andrew Henson had set identical times after the first runs Pickles led by 8 one hundredths; Henson then took the lead with his second run only for Pickles to counterattack and snatch the lead. While this battle for the lead ran its course Tony Jarvis was closing in for third with Martin Webb less than two seconds back in fourth. In the 1600 Racing Car class Nick Algar was super smooth and carried so much speed through the corners he won with ease. Steve Broughton was back and with his new OMS he held station in second. The new car features a full OMS tub and front suspension however the rear of the car has been redesigned and built by Jade. The engine is set further back whilst the rear suspension and wing mounts are totally different. Broughton suffered a lot of ‘new car’ problems especially with the gear change which sometimes went down the box rather than up! Coming home in third was Scott Pillinger, also know known as the Qashqai Kid, who eased out father Dave in the battle Royale – the Pillingers were disappointed as they finished 13th & 14th in the top 12 qualifying order. Fyrth Crosse took fifth in the ex-David Franklin Ensign which looked stunning in its original Dempster Racing livery.
11 two litres made it to Pembrey and in the lead throughout was Mark Smith in Orville. Smith’s pace and super-smooth approach almost matched that of Nick Algar in the Firehawk. David Sims was some five seconds off the pace but held onto second as he was challenged by Kevin Lealan, who stripped a gear in practice, and father Roy. Steve Miles won the Van Diemen battle as he came home fifth ahead of Bill Gouldthorpe whilst the Sheffield Mafia came home in seventh & eighth in the portly shapes of Peter Howgate & Brian Woffenden. Bob and Anne Adams came home in 9th & 10th whilst poor George Harris had another day to forget with the Dallara and retired with recalcitrant gears.
In the Over 2 litre class young Stewart Robb was in amazing form; on his first ever visit to Pembrey he rewrote the record book with a new outright course record on only his fourth run round the track! Matt Oliver took second, despite being hampered with the car initially jumping out of gear, whilst Stewart Robb Senior was in third. Terry Holmes was next as he recovered from a broken 3rd gear dog-ring on his first run. The Chichester chippy was followed by Phil Lynch, Graham Porrett, Bill Oliver and John Payne.
The class for Stage Rally Cars followed the big bangers and local hotshot Mike Griffiths was back in third after the first runs however he slipped through to take the win ahead of Matt Downer & Graham ‘Dusty’ Miller in an Escort clean sweep. Roger Turner then took a Classic solo win in his pretty Austin 7 Monoposto before the Road Modifieds came to the line.
In the Up to 1400 class Gordon Hick was out in his Seat towcar and took a Platoesque win with the turbo diesel. In the 2 litre class David Marshall was on top form leading throughout – it’s about time he got his butt into a single seater! Pete Goodman was second in the Elise whilst Fred Currell and Dave West were next. One retirement of note was Paul Waters who disastrously blew the engine in his quickening Fiesta during practice. In the Over two litre class Kim Adams sledge hammered his way to the win in his Evo 9 ahead of Andrew Meek (Impreza), Eifion Jones (Lotus Excel) and Leighton Hughes (Vectra). The delays during the day meant that the three Road Modified Kit Car classes were not completed on Saturday but were on Sunday morning when the totally dominant Westfields again took to the track. The up to 1700 class went to the perennially sideways Chris Jones with Stuart Hill second from Tim Pennington and John Loudon. In the Over 1700s the win went to Matt Hillam, who is making a habit of this! Second was Peter Goulding with Paul Drew, Andy Dunbar et al in hot pursuit. Just two motorcycle engined Westies made it to Pembrey and Andrew Rushworth ran out an easy winner over Stuart Pickles.
Another to suffer late on Saturday was Bill Oliver. Bill initially thought he was qualified for the run-off however when Paul Parker told he was not the team pushed the GR37 down to the start. The Clerk informed Bill he was late and would have to run last. In the event the curfew prevented him from running. Bill was then presented with the opportunity to qualify first thing Sunday but it would have meant the GR37 having to run too frequently and overheating would have been a problem so he sat it out.
TOP TWELVE Run-Off - Round 6
After the Road Modified Kit Cars had finished the Top 12 Runners took to the track. Kev Lealan initially held ninth but another transmission problem on his second run saw him tumble to 12th. Roy Sims was another to slip back after being in eighth he was slower on the second run and fell down to 11th. Graham Porrett was glad to have qualified and despite making improvements remained 10th throughout the run-off. Steve Broughton had overnight tricked the engine management system into thinking second was neutral and the gear change problems were behind him. Despite this he was slowest after the first runs but bucked his ideas up and moved up to ninth as a result. David Sims was carving chunks off his Q-time and after lying seventh slipped to eighth despite going sub 100 seconds for the first time. Phil Lynch put in a steady first run to hold eighth but just edged out Dave Sims by just over three tenths.
Nick Algar & Mark Smith had a ding-dong battle for fifth & sixth. Algar initially led and despite clipping nearly two tenths off his first run time slipped back to sixth as the Welshman slipped past. In fact both Algar and Smith set new championship records for their respective classes on each successive run. Terry Holmes is now fully at home in the Lola and put in a steady first run to hold fourth however on his second run the Judd engine died at Brooklands second time round due to a failed fuel pump. Stewart Robb Snr was initially third and within striking distance of Matt Oliver but declined his second run as the Judd engine was getting hot and he wanted young Stewart to be able to attack the leader if required. Matt Oliver was really pushing the GR37 as it porpoised round Paddock and his initial second place had him poised to take the lead. However his second run fell short by just over a tenth of a second. Stewart Robb Jnr set an amazingly high standard on his first run as he again demolished the outright record. His smooth effortless style belied the speed involved and the Pilbeam was unstoppable. When Matt Oliver failed to move into the lead young Stewart was clued-up enough to know there was no point in potentially damaging his chances of a second win and declined the run. The run-off ended with something of an anti-climax but there was no time to dwell on things as the single lapper was underway with practice almost immediately.
Results
1 Stewart Robb Jnr (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd MP88) 91.53secs; 2 Matt Oliver (4.0 Gould-Judd GR37) 91.66secs; 3 Stewart Robb Snr (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd MP88) 92.96secs; 4 Terry Holmes (3.5 Lola-Judd ERH) 93.57secs; 5 Mark Smith (2.0 Reynard-Vauxhall 903) 95.68secs; 6 Nick Algar (1.6 DJ Firehawk-Suzuki) 96.09secs; 7 Phil Lynch (3.2 Ralt-Judd RT37) 99.60secs; 8 David Sims (2.0 Ralt-Duratec RT33/34) 99.91secs; 9 Steve Broughton (1.4 OMS/Jade-Suzuki CF08) 101.32secs; 10 Graham Porrett (3.5 Lola-Judd ERH) 101.56secs; 11 Roy Sims (2.0 Ralt-Duratec RT33/34) 102.72secs; 12 Kevin Lealan (2.0 Pilbeam-Vauxhall MP62) 103.61secs.
Class Winners: Gordon Hick (1.9t Seat Ibiza TDi) 141.59secs; David Marshall (1.9 Peugeot 205 GTi) 126.20secs; Kim Adams (2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9) 124.14secs; Chris Jones (1.7 Westfield SE) 118.24secs; Matt Hillam (2.0 Westfield SEi) 114.39secs; Andrew Rushworth (1.1 Westfield Megabird) 116.67secs; Martin Depper (1.4 Rover Mini Cooper) 123.17secs; Gary Thomas (1.8 Lotus Elise) 122.32secs; Adrian Flagg (2.0t Subaru Impreza) 121.41secs; Brian Jones (1.6 Westfield SEiW) 121.73secs; Derek Hodder (2.0 Westfield SEiW) 110.24secs; Simon Bainbridge (4.2t Audi TT Replica) 107.60secs; Jonathan Toulmin (1.1 Marengo-Suzuki 2) 104.08secs; Martin Pickles (1.6 Van Diemen RF87) 119.13secs; Nick Algar 94.95secs – Record; Mark Smith 96.61 – Record; Stewart Robb Jnr 91.98secs – Record; Mike Griffiths (2.0 Ford Escort Mk1) 123.03secs; Paul Edwards (4.0 TVR T350) 120.13secs; Simon Rogers (1.8 Caterham R400) 111.67secs; Roger Turner (0.8 Austin 7 Monoposto) 185.85secs.
SUNDAY
The class running order for the one lap sprint was the same as before so the TVRs again led off. Again Paul Edwards won the class but not before Jez Firth had initially led in the Cerbera. Edwards second run took him into the lead whilst Firth spun & continued. Third spot went to Matthew Oakley whilst the Vixens were led home by Steve Dennis. In the Lotus 7 class Simon Rogers & Adrian Williams finished 1-2 whilst Mark Durrant bagged third.
Into the Mod Prods and the 1400 class was initially led by Martin Depper however despite an improved time on his second run it was Alan Cox who slipped through for the class win. In the two litre class Gary Thomas again won in the Elise whilst Gavin Rogers took second clear of Paul Davis (Clio) and Robert Wheeler (Golf). Adrian Flagg again took the Over 2 litre class in the Impreza with Pete Sadler in the Celica second. In the Kit Cars it was another Jones 1-2 within the 1800 class as Brian again beat Matt. In the Over 1800 class the previous day’s battle was rejoined and initially Derek Hodder had the upper hand. However on his second run Dick Hulbert pulled out all the stops and won by over a second. Once again Carole Torkington took third but on the shorter course finished a lot closer. Once again Simon Bainbridge rumbled to a solo class win in the crowds' favourite Audi.
Into the Racing Car classes and Jonathan Toulmin once again proved how good he & the Marengo are as they again vanquished the Tudor Dynasty. Today Tim managed two runs without spinning taking second whilst Peter reverted to type and went slower and slower in third! If you had thought the previous day’s Formula ford class was close today’s proved even closer. Tony Jarvis, who admits he prefers the shorter courses, led initially from Henson, Pickles and Webb. However for some reason Jarvis was slower on his second run which left the door ajar! Andrew Henson slipped through despite some opposite-locking moments. Martin Pickles closed to within one hundredth of Jarvis whilst Martin Webb was just 0.92 further adrift!
Again in the 1600 class Nick Algar was the class act as he smoothly set new records en route to the class win. Steve Broughton was still tinkering with the new car in second whilst Dave Pillinger beat the Qashqai Kid for third with Fyrth Crosse fifth again. In the two litre class Mark Smith followed Algar’s lead and set a new record on his way to the class win. David Sims took second from Steve Miles despite having to stop with dropping oil pressure on his second run. Kev Lealan suffered more transmission problems dropping to fourth just ahead of Roy Sims & the Sheffield Mafia!
In the Over Two Litre class young Stewart was again the man to beat. He lowered the class record on each run leaving it at 40 seconds dead. Matt Oliver was second with Stewart Robb third and Terry Holmes fourth.
The Stage Rally Car class was again closely fought but today Matt Downer just held off the challenge of Mike Griffiths and Graham Miller as the three finished within 0.693 seconds apart whilst Eurig Howells very smart Talbot Sunbeam finished five seconds adrift. In the Road Modified classes Gordon Hick took the 1400 class with the turbo diesel Seat; David Marshall led the two litre class with Fred Currell & David West breathing down his neck; Kim Adams again was top dog in the Over 2 litre class but only just as Andrew Meek closed to within 0.16 seconds. Into the Westfield dominated Road Modified Kit Cars where Chris Jones again held sway in the up to 1700 class with John Loudon and Stuart Hill the closest opposition. In the Over 1700 class Matt Hillam, no surprise there, took an easy win over Paul Dew and Andy Dunbar whilst Andy’s daughter Debbie was making her Pembrey debut in seventh. The final class for the motorcycle engined cars again went to Andrew Rushworth with Stuart Pickles second.
TOP TWELVE Run-Off - Round 7
Before the run-off got underway we ‘lost’ Dave Sims as the oil leak could not be corrected and he retired for want of a 50p seal. First to the line was Dave Pillinger – twelfth fastest qualifier – and despite improving on his Q-time in each run he remained stuck in 11th. Graham Porrett was next and despite two runs slower than his Q-time he would finish 9th. Steve Broughton was slowly getting to grips with the new car but he also was slower on both runs than in qualifying and finished in 10th. Phil Lynch put in a banker for his first run which left him anchored in 10th then on his second run he went for it & despite a wild ride round Debeni and Paddock he clipped nearly a second and a half off his first run time to move up to 7th. Bill Oliver’s first run was slightly slower than his Q-time but he remained seventh however despite an improvement he slipped behind Lynch into 8th. Stewart Robb Snr was next and he put in a superb first effort just 8 hundredths off his Q-time but his second was slower but it would keep him in 3rd. Terry Holmes was looking smoother with each successive run as he made up for his earlier spin in qualifying. His first effort took him to fifth. On his second run he dug deep and put in a superb run that initially took him up to fourth but would ultimately see him slip back down to 5th. Nick Algar was certainly more at home on the shorter distance and on his first run matched his new class record to hold sixth. His second run was brilliant and he rewrote the 1600 Championship Record going sub 42 for the first time and finishing a superb 4th. Mark Smith’s first run saw him reset the 2 litre Championship record – just but on his second run he was slower and tumbled from fourth to 6th. Matt Oliver had to pull something special out of the bag. On his first run he was 9 tenths shy of Robb Jnr’s new course record despite the car still handling badly; this would leave him in second. Then on his second run he failed to match the young Scot’s pace he had to settle for 2nd. Stewart Robb Jnr was again in imperious form and what is most pleasing he looked so smooth and in control. His first run was absolutely wonderful and he slipped inside the 40 second mark to set a new Outright Course record of 39.95. When Matt couldn’t beat this again young Stewart declined his second run and accepted the plaudits for a wonderful back to back win.
Results
1 Stewart Robb Jnr 39.95secs; 2 Matt Oliver 40.01secs; 3 Stewart Robb Snr 41.48secs; 4 Nick Algar 41.52secs; 5 Terry Holmes 41.80secs; 6 Mark Smith 42.19secs; 7 Phil Lynch 43.32secs; 8 Bill Oliver (4.0 Gould-Judd GR37) 43.65secs; 9 Graham Porrett 44.52secs; 10 Steve Broughton 44.58secs; 11 Dave Pillinger (1.3 Royale-Suzuki RP37) 44.70secs; David Sims (Did not start).
Class Winners: Gordon Hick (1.9t Seat Ibiza TDi) 62.08secs; David Marshall (1.9 Peugeot 205 GTi) 56.16secs; Kim Adams (2.0t Mitsubishi Evo 9) 55.07secs; Chris Jones (1.7 Westfield SE) 52.72secs; Matt Hillam (2.0 Westfield SEi) 51.25secs; Andrew Rushworth (1.1 Westfield Megabird) 51.47secs; Alan Cox (1.4 Rover Mini) 52.69secs; Gary Thomas (1.8 Lotus Elise) 53.91secs; Adrian Flagg (2.0t Subaru Impreza) 53.46secs; Brian Jones (1.6 Westfield SEiW) 53.96secs; Dick Hulbert (2.0 Westfield S2000) 47.97secs; Simon Bainbridge (4.2t Audi TT Replica) 48.23secs; Jonathan Toulmin (1.1 Marengo-Suzuki 2) 45.30secs; Andrew Henson (1.6 Swift SC93) 52.83secs; Nick Algar 42.39secs – Record; Mark Smith 42.20secs – Record; Stewart Robb Jnr 40.00secs – Record; Matt Downer (2.0 Ford Escort Mk2) 53.88secs; Paul Edwards (4.0 TVR T350) 53.09secs; Simon Rogers (1.8 Caterham R400) 50.30secs.