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Fifteen competitors entered the Knockhill meeting on 5th April. Up to ten additional drivers were unable to join the event due to holidays and last-minute car problems. Several of those who attended encountered
mechanical difficulties, leading to a depleted grid.
Qualifying was cancelled due to thick fog – replaced by a three lap track familiarisation procession
behind the safety car. Thankfully, the weather improved rapidly after midday, with sunny conditions throughout the afternoon. Distances were all shortened in order to allow completion of racing
at a reasonable time.
Harry Simpson, Ginetta G4, had a comfortable victory in race one. It didn’t look as if it would be easy during lap one, when he was followed closely by Mike Connon, Lotus 7 S4. The Lotus slowed noticeably with engine
problems and retired soon afterwards. Jimmy Crow, Ford Escort RS2000, took second place, ten seconds ahead of Alasdair Coates, Ford Mustang. Race two saw the same finishing order with Simpson again winning easily. Second place was keenly contested for many laps – Coates a fraction of a second ahead on the road – but demoted to third by a jumped-start penalty.
Grant Allan, Porsche 911, in his eight year in the championship, had two lonely fourth places.
Newcomer Ian Baines, Mini Cooper S and Tim Reid, Lola Mk1, had a great battle in race one.
Reid was a second ahead in fifth place at the finish. Baines was fifth in race two.
Another newcomer, Howard Gordon, Ashley Midget, won his class in both races and is the unofficial championship leader.
Last year’s champion, Raymond Boyd, had his first races in a recently built Datsun 1200.
The car will be developed in the coming months.
Photographs:
# 39 Harry Simpson ahead of # 7 Mike Connon, race one
#32 Coates and # 21 Crow on the last lap of race two
#41 Grant Allan leads # 68 Rodger Motherwell – Alfasud Sprint
#53 Tim Reid and # 24 Ian Baines
# 54Howard Gordon
#49 Raymond Boyd
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