CRMC Donington Park Race Report
Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 9:36 pm
BIGGS BIGGER AND BETTER ABOARD HIS BM AT DONINGTON PARK
The one day meeting at Donington Park wasn’t a Championship round but still the programme showed a healthy grid of twenty outfits ready to take on the GP circuit. Team Gristwood was down in numbers – just the main man himself, Dave Gristwood, and his throttle man Simon Smith. No big truck just a Transit van and a couple of comfy chairs for the team to use between races to soak up some of the spring sunshine.
Whilst Team Gristwood was down in numbers, parked alongside was Team Hyperian. This team was back to full strength, well possibly full strength was a bit optimistic. Hyperian I was on the immaculate Imp whilst Hyperian II was back on track for the first time since “The Boss” had his little thing at Mallory Park; alongside was his trusty old chair man, the CRMC Chairman Mr Brian Robson. Once again we have to thank “The Boss” for organising the Slidie Hospitality suite above Redgate – it would have been so much warmer if the balcony had been on the other side but it would have impaired the view of the circuit!
Along with the old teams were new teams – Tim Chapman with another passenger, James Cannon, and Tony Sawyer and Carl Adams, who left Mallory thinking this old sidecar racing is a breeze, had a character-building weekend at Pembrey where they not only broke their Honda but then borrowed Nick George’s BM and broke that for him, and were about to find Donington just as painful.
However, new to the tarmac was Kevin Hunt and his passenger Gary Waylen, the bike still in primer gray but he was here giving it some for a first time out and pretty good!!
So, no practice for us – timed qualifying no less; also no P1, P2, P3 etc., just sidecars. I never have been any good at qualifying – it’s a head thing – still I thought we had done OK, so I was mortified to discover “The Boss” had out-qualified us by 0.1 second. Heading the sheet was Vince and Phil Biggs with a 1.56.8. The only other crew under 2 minutes was Nick Houghton and Paul Thomas, their qualifying being brought to a premature end when the immaculate Chris Latham owned and prepared BMW started some heavy breathing. Brian Gray’s Honda was next up with a far more sensible time of 2.05 minutes.
13.03 p.m. First race for the slidies. Without Nick and Paul Team Biggs always looked odds on favourites but as the outfits powered over the line to complete lap 1 it was the green machine of Simon and Dave leading the chasing pack with Hyperian I and Matt Kingsmill and Alan Bedford, Brian having a terrible first lap. By lap 2 the blue Honda was back on song, coming over the line in second place. Another man on the move after a fairly rubbish start was Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight.
Donington is a fantastic circuit and the Melbourne Loop a blast, but Goddards! What are you supposed to do? No, I, and several others, couldn’t get the hang of that. At the end of lap 2 we were about to pass “The Boss” when his chair man’s hand shot up – mechanical failure – no, physical failure! By lap 4 Rod and Geoff were ahead of Hyperian I but the Imp of Clint and Ben was failing and they would pull off at The Esses into retirement. The last lap saw Simon and Dave pass Brian’s Honda to take second place, a definite result for the green machine albeit just in front of Brian and Rod Bellas one second behind Brian.
So that was it for Race One – an emphatic victory for Vince and Phil but a major battle for second place.
Race Two – Due to the qualifying situation race 2 was as per qualifying and not as you finished race 1. So, we were again behind “The Boss” – OK I know it was his first time back but I still had to beat him. A very slick start, we rolled into our start positions, the flag man pointed to Mr Starter and we were off – no messing. Vince and Phil were once again off into the distance leaving, for the second time this weekend, Simon and Dave to head the chasing pack. Brian’s start was not his best and by lap 2 the Honda was out. Another outfit that didn’t seem to leave the start line in haste was the BMW of Rod and Geoff; however they again were making their way to the front, sliding past Simon and Dave on lap 2 to lead the chasing pack. Once again Vince and Phil were lapping 6 seconds a lap quicker than the rest of the field.
We were in our own little battle with “The Boss” and on lap 3 we passed the Honda on the entry to the Old Hairpin – to my shock the black fairing appeared on my inside at Goddards; his exit speed was compromised mainly by the run-off kerbing and grass that Clive chose to visit.
So at the flag Vince and Phil had another comfortable win ahead of Rod and Geoff and Simon and Dave in third.
A fantastic circuit, perfect weather and great grids giving some awesome racing. Hopefully Roger Bennett will be able to fix Matt’s engine after it ate a valve, and Tony Sawyer and Carl can fix the Honda for Anglesey. Rodwell Motorsport has promised to have the Hyperian I boys back on track ready to be joined by the rest of the Slidie family for another weekend of fun.
Ian Johnson
The one day meeting at Donington Park wasn’t a Championship round but still the programme showed a healthy grid of twenty outfits ready to take on the GP circuit. Team Gristwood was down in numbers – just the main man himself, Dave Gristwood, and his throttle man Simon Smith. No big truck just a Transit van and a couple of comfy chairs for the team to use between races to soak up some of the spring sunshine.
Whilst Team Gristwood was down in numbers, parked alongside was Team Hyperian. This team was back to full strength, well possibly full strength was a bit optimistic. Hyperian I was on the immaculate Imp whilst Hyperian II was back on track for the first time since “The Boss” had his little thing at Mallory Park; alongside was his trusty old chair man, the CRMC Chairman Mr Brian Robson. Once again we have to thank “The Boss” for organising the Slidie Hospitality suite above Redgate – it would have been so much warmer if the balcony had been on the other side but it would have impaired the view of the circuit!
Along with the old teams were new teams – Tim Chapman with another passenger, James Cannon, and Tony Sawyer and Carl Adams, who left Mallory thinking this old sidecar racing is a breeze, had a character-building weekend at Pembrey where they not only broke their Honda but then borrowed Nick George’s BM and broke that for him, and were about to find Donington just as painful.
However, new to the tarmac was Kevin Hunt and his passenger Gary Waylen, the bike still in primer gray but he was here giving it some for a first time out and pretty good!!
So, no practice for us – timed qualifying no less; also no P1, P2, P3 etc., just sidecars. I never have been any good at qualifying – it’s a head thing – still I thought we had done OK, so I was mortified to discover “The Boss” had out-qualified us by 0.1 second. Heading the sheet was Vince and Phil Biggs with a 1.56.8. The only other crew under 2 minutes was Nick Houghton and Paul Thomas, their qualifying being brought to a premature end when the immaculate Chris Latham owned and prepared BMW started some heavy breathing. Brian Gray’s Honda was next up with a far more sensible time of 2.05 minutes.
13.03 p.m. First race for the slidies. Without Nick and Paul Team Biggs always looked odds on favourites but as the outfits powered over the line to complete lap 1 it was the green machine of Simon and Dave leading the chasing pack with Hyperian I and Matt Kingsmill and Alan Bedford, Brian having a terrible first lap. By lap 2 the blue Honda was back on song, coming over the line in second place. Another man on the move after a fairly rubbish start was Rod Bellas and Geoff Knight.
Donington is a fantastic circuit and the Melbourne Loop a blast, but Goddards! What are you supposed to do? No, I, and several others, couldn’t get the hang of that. At the end of lap 2 we were about to pass “The Boss” when his chair man’s hand shot up – mechanical failure – no, physical failure! By lap 4 Rod and Geoff were ahead of Hyperian I but the Imp of Clint and Ben was failing and they would pull off at The Esses into retirement. The last lap saw Simon and Dave pass Brian’s Honda to take second place, a definite result for the green machine albeit just in front of Brian and Rod Bellas one second behind Brian.
So that was it for Race One – an emphatic victory for Vince and Phil but a major battle for second place.
Race Two – Due to the qualifying situation race 2 was as per qualifying and not as you finished race 1. So, we were again behind “The Boss” – OK I know it was his first time back but I still had to beat him. A very slick start, we rolled into our start positions, the flag man pointed to Mr Starter and we were off – no messing. Vince and Phil were once again off into the distance leaving, for the second time this weekend, Simon and Dave to head the chasing pack. Brian’s start was not his best and by lap 2 the Honda was out. Another outfit that didn’t seem to leave the start line in haste was the BMW of Rod and Geoff; however they again were making their way to the front, sliding past Simon and Dave on lap 2 to lead the chasing pack. Once again Vince and Phil were lapping 6 seconds a lap quicker than the rest of the field.
We were in our own little battle with “The Boss” and on lap 3 we passed the Honda on the entry to the Old Hairpin – to my shock the black fairing appeared on my inside at Goddards; his exit speed was compromised mainly by the run-off kerbing and grass that Clive chose to visit.
So at the flag Vince and Phil had another comfortable win ahead of Rod and Geoff and Simon and Dave in third.
A fantastic circuit, perfect weather and great grids giving some awesome racing. Hopefully Roger Bennett will be able to fix Matt’s engine after it ate a valve, and Tony Sawyer and Carl can fix the Honda for Anglesey. Rodwell Motorsport has promised to have the Hyperian I boys back on track ready to be joined by the rest of the Slidie family for another weekend of fun.
Ian Johnson