HSCC Cadwell. 20/21 April 2013.
Saturday HFF Practice & Race 1 in the Wolds.
Benn Simms headed the practice times with a dominant 1:35.167, flying in
front of Sam Mitchell, Simon Toyne, David Wild and Pertii Kiiveri, close to a whole
second clear. Come the race he stamped that time & position lap after lap. Sam
kept up with Benn brilliantly, just, but you could see he was losing a fraction each
time he came around.
David was ahead of Simon and 5th placed Josh West got in front of Pertii
and that's how they fought for most of the race. A small change around lap 5
occurred when Louis Hanjoul decided to give up his best position yet to drop from
8th to 14th in one easy movement... Noting that one starts race 2 where one
finishes race 1, he wasn't best pleased. He then started to battle with Roland
Svennson, Andrew Mansell and Kevin Stanzl.
The race was tight, fair, and exciting and great to watch throughout.
Then it all started to happen, a drop-out of two of our stalwarts livened things up
near the rear, when Farmer Phillip (Walker) decided to go ploughing before
Gooseneck. His immediate return to the black stuff frightened the hell out of our
Mike Wales and also took Roger Arnold off with a big kiss. Early bath for Phillip.
At the front, Benn was half-a-dozen lengths ahead of Sam when he met David
Innes, Alistair Littlewood (who also dropped from a fine 4th row position) and the
above-mentioned threesome. Sam was able to close in to 0.3 sec. and with a lap
and a half to go suddenly the race was back on, 6 seconds back Simon was
shadowing David with another possible surprise in the making. Josh 3 seconds
behind them.
We thought anything could happen now. But not what actually did... Benn had it,
last lap, last bends...except the very last. Complete electrical cut-out! Sam sailed
past, a very surprised maiden winner! Benn, still in 2nd place and coasting at
almost race speed meanwhile, had a view of the finish, but could see no sign of a
flag man. He decided it couldn't be the last lap so took to the pit lane - just as a
figure appeared and gave Sam the chequered flag! Life is so unfair at times....
David Wild took a happy and hard-worked-for 2nd with third place going to Simon
0.3 seconds alongside!
On timing Benn was fourth, with a distributor to fix, Josh 5th, Pertii 6th and the
front-engined Mallock, driven by creator’s son, Ray Mallock in 8th, Stuart Baird,
Alex Meek and Roland Svennson followed. Great sight to see all through the race.
Sat eve/Sunday morn.
Apart from the odd bottle of wine, live music in the clubhouse, banter,
coffee, tea and soup in the HFF hospitality tent, discussions over gearing, whether
our new man Paul Summerville can fix his Ginetta FF for race 2 ("they made 6,
this is the only one left" says he) and generally appreciating the new phenomenon
of heat from the Sun...all was at peace with the world. Until...
Sunday, HFF Race 2. The Wild West Show comes to Toyne!
Historic Formula Ford
Newsletter # 5
2013
After race 1 results Benn Simms, possible favourite, was 4th on the grid
behind Sam Mitchell, David Wild and Simon Toyne. We knew he was out to win
after his previous disappointment; we were in for a good race.
Within the first few hundred yards he was past Simon then David and on young
Sam's tail. He was glued there until his move (a seemingly gentle and quite
decisive one) at the end of Park Straight, which belied a very tactical run two
bends before. He was away, with Sam on his tail.
This was going to be a chase.
Except suddenly Benn’s little electrical gremlin returned with a vengeance, he was
out, Sam was free to lead. And he did, lap after lap until he spun! I'm sure in the
privacy of his cockpit he described his disappointment as well as Benn did at the
time... Which left a chasing David Wild to gladly take up the baton and lead except
for one person... Simon Toyne was master of all before him, his car was good, he
was good, and after his losing battle with Tiff Needell (by a fraction) at Thruxton
was in no mood to be bridesmaid to anyone and took control within a couple of
laps.
The fight was fair between them and the chase did not stop.
Meanwhile, young Josh West was being harried by the experienced Stuart Baird
who had the legs on him at most corners - until (and not for the first time for our
Stuart!) he stuck his nose out too far on Josh’s gearbox (he must go to
SpecSavers).
And then..... - hang on - there's someone else before them!
I'm forgetting a certain Finnish gentleman sage, driving like Kauko the
Finnish demon who, according to Legend, suffered from too much Testosterone
ruining his love life... Pertii Kiiveri was running third! He too, was harrying Mr West
but bided his time until Josh made a mistake before the Mountain and he was
through! Remembering his over exuberance at a certain northern track when he
was in the lead - Kvantti and driver kept hormones in order and stayed calm, this
was one podium conquest he wasn't going to climax early from...
see him here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RjTD13-tNs
A recovering Sam was coming back though! The 17 year-old managed to get past
Josh to 4th, after seeing Stuart drop away with missing nose and a steaming rad
leak, and with enough laps, maybe get his position back. He fought, he drove his
heart out, but 4 seconds to a controlled but ecstatic 3rd placed 60 year-old Pertii
was as close as 'the yoof' could get.
Another Scandinavian racer taking a brilliant 6th to lead the rest of the
'middle-agers' was Roland Svensson. A position the quiet, reserved Swede was
pretty happy about at the HFF 'tent' afterwards.
Back to the Brits and next up were Kevin Stanzl and Alex Meek, an order
they had been all tightly 'negotiating over' for most of the race along with ex-Kart
champ Derek Rodgers, Alan Fairbrother and Alistair Littlewood (this young man
brilliantly catching up from the rear) until a certain Andrew Mansell's Merlyn rear
spring decided to settle half-way up the fast hill that is Coppice. The resultant spin
created a Red Arrows-like Breakaway reaction with different coloured cars going
in so many directions it was dizzy to watch. These made the top ten but behind
them were battles as good as the rest. Well done to Daniel Pickett for bagging
another couple of novice trophies – he is turning out as the man to beat amongst
the novices!
A good weekends racing.
Scrutineers declared a clean bill of health for our cars on the weighbridge and will
no doubt be watching for ride heights on the expensive tarmac that is Silverstone
next up...
As well as Paul Summerville (who by the way didn't make his repairs stick for race
2) another new man soon to join us in a Jamun is Chris Helliwell. He mechanics
for Will Nuthall on occasions and will be with us later in the year when he finishes
its build. Welcome to our band you guys. Try and make it for the Silverstone
Classic maybe? The grid will be 54 and there WILL be a rolling start!
Now the boring stuff……..
Silverstone Classic: Don’t forget to get your entries in (and others who have
HFFs gathering dust) - there are already nearly 40 confirmed for the grid. Entry
forms are available on:
http://www.hscc.org.uk/images/Race_Entry_Form_HFF.pdf
We will be printing up special commemorative HFF shirts to mark the occasion.
Prices will be about £15. They will be polo shirts in a neutral colour with the
Silverstone classic and the HFF logos on the chest/lapel. There will be a form
sent out with the next newsletter for you to place your order. The print run will be
limited so be sure to get your order in early.
Scrutineering: There are a couple of cars yet to finalise their HSCC papers,
and then we will also have a clean bill of health in that department. There is likely
to be a sample of camshafts checked at Silverstone, with the option of using a
new gauge which can measure cam profiles with the need only to remove the
rocker shaft - much easier!
Driving Standards: We have had one red flag in the past 6 races – this
(hopefully) indicates some improvement on our average of one red flag for every
three races for the previous 2 seasons. The first lap is always critical (the cause
of our red flag at Thruxton), so please remember the old adage “to finish first, first
you have to finish!
Social Events: Silverstone - again there will tea/coffee and biscuits available in
the HFF Marquee and hot soup at lunchtime. There will be no BBQ at Silverstone
as there is an HSCC dinner in the BRDC suite – have you booked your place on
the HFF tables – the booking form is available here:
http://www.hscc.org.uk/images/Dinner...oking_Form.pdf . There will be a
BBQ at Snetterton – so watch out for further announcements.
.
Drivers meeting at Snetterton: There will be a “half term” drivers meeting
at Snetterton. It will have an open agenda with the purpose of giving all drivers
and partners the opportunity to suggest possible improvements to our HFF
Championship. If you would like to raise a (polite!) suggestion – please email
Andrew your suggestion on a.mansellatbtinternet.com .
Paddock arrangements: A gentle reminder to try to keep to the allocated
HFF areas for parking. We will always put up the HFF flag and Marquee in the
allocated area.
Championship Points: The HSCC office will soon be updating the
Championship table on the website with the Thruxton & Cadwell results.
Drive Couplings: The subject of our rubber drive couplings came up at
Cadwell, Pertii found a chunk of his missing after practice and someone else had
to change theirs double-quick. The Mountain is a killer for our 'Doughnuts' as is
Paddock Hill at Brands. Best check yours at both, but with the demise of parts
supplier Quinton Hazell the good old QL 7000 seems to be a rare item stocked.
Anyone got a good source we can advertise through this newsletter? Contact Dick
Dixon on jane.dikko at virgin.net.
For Sale: From ex HFF racer Marc Selzer. New, unused and un-machined Xflow
1600 GT cylinder head for sale; ideal for someone building up a Kent
Formula Ford engine. Original Ford part (still in its Ford box!), with valves and
springs fitted. He also has a used rocker assembly and set of push rods - no idea
how useable they are but no point in keeping them. £250
Call Marc on 07747 806178 or email him at marc.selzeratgmail.com
Dick Dixon: Drivers rep.