2013 Welsh Sports & Saloon Car Championship Round 3 & 4 by Rob Allender

Pembrey June 30^th

Endaf Owens' Mini truimph on his debut!

Before reporting on the weekends races it is worth noting the success of Jan Mardenborough & Lucas Ordonez at this years’ Le Mans 24 Hrs race.  Lucas raced with us in 2008 and Jan, from Cardiff, raced with us in 2011 with the RJ Racing Nissans. This was part of their training, after winning the Nissan Playstation Academy, to get some experience and signatures as they tried to upgrade to an International license. Jan & Lucas drove a Zytek with a Nissan engine and were 3^rd in the LMP2 class for a long time. After late race dramas they finished 4^th in class, however this was later upgraded to 3^rd in class and 9^th overall, after the car in front of them failed post-race scrutinering. So very well done lads!

WSSCC Rounds 3 & 4 Pembrey 30^th June 2013

Entry & Practice

There was a mixture of regulars and returnees, new cars & new drivers. Early morning practice was on a damp but drying track. On a Pole position with a time of 61.01538, that was as much a surprise to his team as it was to the rest of the grid, was Jason Davies, in his new 2 wheel drive Ford Sierra Sapphire, with his dad Martins’ engine. Even so Martin was moved to say ‘You could have knocked us down with a feather!’ Alongside Jason was the red Ginetta G50 of Keith Butcher. On the second row was 2012 joint Champion Mike Cond and his Sylva Riot, with Neil Watts 4^th.

Dave Coe was 5^th with his Subaru, with new boy Endaf Owens 6^th ,  in his space-frame Mini. The super special had a 1400cc engine with a 16 valve head! Endaf has been racing for years and was the Mini Miglia Champion in 2011, before taking time off to build this car. ‘That’s what I do’ David Jones was 7^th in his Caterham with Keith White alongside him, surprisingly far back in 8^th place. In 9^th place, Andy Williams was having his first race of the year and he had joint points leader David Lawrence alongside him, in the 2^nd Sylva Riot. In 11^th place was returnee Jonathon Vamplew with a Westfield that he described as ‘an EBay special! It’s a big soft at the rear so we’ll need some stiffer springs’. Invitee Will Moore was 12^th with a white Ginetta G40.

13^th was Glynne Jones in his BMW, with Mike Edgell alongside in his Mini. Actually there was a Mini ‘Mini’ class with Mike’s traditional example, joined by Craig Freemans modern BMW re-make, and Endafs’ and Mellissas’ Spaceframes specials! Mellissa should have been 15^th, but would miss the race after damaging her car when a front wishbone snapped. However the Luffarelli family crew were working flat out to fix it.

Giles Beck headed Class BT in 16^th with his self-constructed Big Massive Wing! Andy Long was 19^th with his Sylva Pheonix and had Joint Points Leader Chris Morris, alongside. Chris was moving up to Class BT to try to keep his championship challenge on course. Roger Dowden was 16^th in the Swansea Mets Locost as his usual Davrian lunched it’s engine last time out. “The engine is from the 60s’ Hillman Imp and the parts a quite difficult to find, and then you need a specialist engine builder to get the best out of them’ New driver Ken Self was 21^st in his Renault Clio with Huw Morgan and his 'drive to the circuit' Honda Civic 22^nd.

Race 1 - 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Rolling Start

Jason leader No.1!  photo Steve Williams

The day was overcast but dry with a slightly chilly breeze, as the grid set off behind the pace car, as the lights changed, Jason Davies when into the lead, but Keith Butcher caused some confusion by spinning in front of the pack at Hatchets! So Jason lead on the first lap followed by a fast starting Endaf Owens, Neil Watts and a fast starting Keith White. Keith Butcher began a fight back from the back, as did Roger Dowden, who pitted on pace car lap when he found the bonnet on the Locost was not secure!

At the front Endaf was soon demoted by Dave Coe, Michael Cond and Neil Watts. Jason lead for 4 glorious laps until demoted by Michael Cond, who had passed Dave Coe, leaving the heavy metal duo to scrap over 2^nd place. Indeed Mike looked at ease and the Sylva Riot began to stretch away to build a handy lead of over 1 minute until; when seeming as if he had the race at his mercy and with the chequered flag almost in sight, the car stopped! Afterwards the ever smiling Michael revealed the simple explanation ‘I ran out of petrol!’

Mike Cond - Leader No2   photo Steve Williams

In the meantime Dave Coe was monstering Jason, until the Blue Subaru drifted into the pits to retire with a mystery loss of power. Pre-race Joint points leader Dave Lawrence also retired at the same time, trailing a cloud of tyre smoke after a touch from behind pushed his rear mudguard onto the tyre. (The white Ginetta of Will Moore looked bashful with a lot of damaged front bodywork.) The other Joint points leader Chris Morris was having a happier time, having jumped Giles Beck at the start. ‘I tried to work on a getting a really fast start as Giles was quicker than me in practice, and I got him with a demon start!’ Giles found himself boxed in at the start and then was stuck behind Ken Self and his Clio, until Ken pulled off to retire after 10 laps, but by that time Chris was long gone! ‘Ken drove well, but he was very defensive which made us slower and slower. After he pulled off, Chris was just too far away’ There were  tremendous battles a-plenty throughout the field, of which more later.

Back at the front Keith White, Dave Jones, Endaf Owens and Neil Watts were having their own battle, until in the closing laps Endaf slipped past Keith to run 3^rd behind Jason and Mike Cond.

As Mike was stopping, Endaf had Jason in his sights, but by this time Jasons’ tyres and brakes were beginning to fade, and a grassy moment by the big Sierra gave Endaf the spur he needed and he passed Jason for what became the lead;  pulling out to win by over half a second from Jason, with Keith White some way back in 3^rd place. Dave Jones was 4^th with Neil Watts 5^th. Keith Butcher was able to carve his way up to finish 6^th, having passed Andy Williams for the place at half distance.  Rounding off the top ten, Glynne Jones was 8^th, and the last un-lapped runner.

Endaf Owens  - Leader No.3 and the winner!   photo Steve Williams

Jonathon Vamplew was 9^th and was winner of Class BS. Craig Freeman was 10^th on his debut with his new style Mini Cooper S and winner of Class AS after an early struggle with Mike Edgell and Andy Long who was 12^th. 13^th but not unlucky for him, was Chris Morris, who won his class and set fastest lap in the class; so all that winter work, as posted on Facebook, wasn’t wasted!    Will Moore, Giles Beck, Huw Morgan and Roger Dowden rounded up the finishers.

So after a tremendous race with plenty of twist and turns,  it was Endaf in the Duckhams livered Mini, who took the winners garland, and Class D Honours, although both Endaf and almost everyone else were under the impression that Micheal Cond was still running and had crossed the line first! 'It was only a shake down, but what a shakedown!’ Hear his winners’ interview here. However there was plenty of his sponsors product all over his car, the cause of which would involve some head scratching before the 2^nd race!  

Endaf Owens - Big smile from the man of the moment! photo Rob Allender

Jason Davies was 2^nd overall, & winner of Class CS and as the cars completed the slowing down lap, I asked Jasons, dad Martin, for his reaction ‘ Well pleased with that. Couldn’t have expected more I don’t think. Pole and 3rd (he was actually 2^nd ) place on the first race, cant knock that’ Hear the full interview here. Jason confirmed after climbing out of the car,‘That was hard work! What a race!’ His car bore the scars of the fight, as his off-course action had bent the left hand front wing inside itself, to rub on the tyre! There was also an ominous cloud as the car was re-started to go back to the paddock!  Indeed Keith Whites’ 3^rd place BMW silhouette looked like the only healthy looking car!

 Race 2 report

N.b Class winners and midfield gallery by Steve Williams to follow - Awards gallery & others by Michelle Beverley-Jones later