The View from the
Back - Reports 2004 N°8
First
championship podium, lucky day
Brands Hatch (Indy),
Powertrain Clubmans Cup
in association with MG
XPower and Ricardo
Sunday 8th August 2004
Back to Motor
Racing fixtures
Sample
photos from Derek Binsted. Pretty neat. Email him at <dj.bin3@ntlworld.com>
if you'd like to commission him.
Qualifying
The high down force nose cone
was the choice for today, first time at Brands. Although my qualifying
lap time was a bit disappointing (51.528 seconds was nearly a second slower
than my qualifying when guesting here with the Classic Clubmans earlier
this year) it was good enough for 8th on the grid. The choice of set up
probably proved the right one during the race because the car was stable
when pushed hard! Poor Peter Burnham picked up enough dry grass in an off-track
excursion at Surtees to start a fire in the left side pod. His qualifying
(and his day's racing) ended in a pall of smoke at Graham Hill bend.
Statistics: Qualifying
|
Circuit
|
Brands Hatch (Indy)
|
Fastest test lap
|
no testing
|
|
Conditions
|
Dry, 25°
|
Previous personal best
|
50.506 at Classic
Clubmans in May 2004
|
|
Fastest qualifying lap
|
51.528
|
Qualified in position
|
8 out of 20
|
Race
I was 8th
on the grid behind Guy Woodward and alongside sparring partner Dave Madgwick.
I was late on the throttle but kept up with the gang into Paddock. I thought
of driving round the outside of Guy but decided against... luckily, because
he swept to the outside just missing my nose. However a got a good drive
out of Paddock and as the pack slowed for Druids I had a clear run up the
inside. Just then Howard tipped Adrian into a spin, Madge and Pete came
together (all of this hear-say, forgive me if it's wrong) and I kept driving
round the inside, straight past the bow of Adrian's car at right angles.
4th place from 8th! What a stroke of luck. Stefan Mumm had got away and
Russell Munns was hounding Howard Payne. Within a lap it was apparent that
Howard was spraying fluid on the circuit. I became fearful of throwing
away my 4th place on his oil or water. A moment's hesitation and Guy Woodward
was through! That's what did it. A bit of anger. Why the hell should he
get past me? Caution to the wind, I got a good run through Paddock next
time and outbraked him into Druids. Yes! Back to fourth. The car felt stable
and I could control the movement when I hit Howard's fluids. It turned
out to be mostly water from where his nose had smacked Adrian? As I came
up behind Russell Munns, Howard engine let go at Graham Hill with a cloud
of smoke like Sato at Monaco this year. I closed further on Russell as
Howard made for the pits. Third. As quickly as possible, before Russell
got going properly, I got my drive through Paddock and repeated my Druids
manoeuvre, all four tyres locked up and smoking. Russell hardly protested,
it was over so quickly. Third. Apparently he had picked up more Howard
fluids than me, so sure enough he had a mega spin out of Surtees, two corners
later.
After
that, it was a case of keeping it smooth and preventing the chasing pack,
led by Dave Madgwick) from getting on my tale. Stefan slowed near
the end and my heart leapt. The enthusiasm was such that I had two immense
tank-slappers at Clearways, with a second of each other. Held them. The
laps clicked slowly down, and there I was, finishing second, when I had
never been higher than sixth in a championship race.
Statistics: Race
|
Finishing position
|
2 out of 17
|
Number of cars at start
|
19
|
|
Average speed
|
84.2 mph
|
Fastest race lap
|
51.252
|
|
Conditions
|
Dry, 26°
|
same lap
|
Good battles with Guy Woodward and
Russell Munns
|
Paddock chat
Should I complain about the press coverage
or be diplomatic and shut it? Dud Chandler in Autosport was dismissive
of the whole race and of Clubmans. Brian Philips in Motorsport News wrote
"Stefan Mumm had an easy run to the finish after a first lap clash at Druids
delayed the opposition. Howard Payne's car retired in smoke, releasing
Russell Munns into second, but he promptly spun". Protest! I had overtaken
Russell before he spun, but the prawn sandwichers would not have seen it
because I got him at Druids and he spun at Surtees on the same lap before
we had passed the pits! But then even the excellent Paul Laurence, our
own PR man, missed it (report below). I'll just have to get more consistent
up there!
Race Report
News from the Powertrain Clubmans Cup
Race report: Round 8, Brands Hatch: 8 August
2004
Mumm on top at Brands
Stefan Mumm had a clear run to the
chequered flag in round eight of the Powertrain Clubmans Cup at Brands
Hatch on Sunday (8 August).
Fastest in qualifying, the Swedish commuter
posted a 50.483s lap, 0.129s faster than fellow front row man Russell Munns.
With just over one second blanketing the top nine, a close race was surely
on the cards, but Mumm had other ideas.
As the lights went out, he leapt into an
immediate lead that he would hold throughout the next 16 laps. Soon easing
clear of the field, his task was further simplified by the opening lap
spin of second row qualifier Adrian Lester at Druids. Lester and fellow
second row man Howard Payne appeared to make contact.
Peter Richings was another early spinner,
the third row qualifier rotating on the exit of Graham Hill Bend on lap
two. The pattern of the race soon emerged and successive lap dramas that
befell second place incumbent, allowed Mumm to go further clear. "I have
petrol running through my blood!" said the race winner on the famous Brands
Hatch podium.
Payne was the first to suffer, his Mallock
issuing a huge cloud of smoke on the approach to Surtees on lap five. He
immediately pulled off. His demise left Munns as the closest chaser, but
he spun off the track on lap six through the Surtees to McLaren section.
He resumed down in eighth place.
That left Marcus Bicknell in a career-best
second with a gap to Dave Madgwick who grabbed the opportunity to jump
Guy Woodward for third spot. Paul Freeman raced his unique Ardmore to an
equi-distant fifth with a similar margin back to Arthur Dickens.
Munns, Richings, Tony Pouyanne and Lester
completed the top 10, Lester posting the fastest race lap as he tigered
back from his time consuming first lap mishap.
Results - 16 laps:
1 Stefan Mumm (Mallock Mk28/30) 13m54.256s
(84.74mph); 2 Marcus Bicknell (Mallock Mk26/27SG) 13m59.585s; 3 Dave Madgwick
(Mallock Mk27 EBX); 4 Guy Woodward (Mallock Mk27 EBX); 5 Paul Freeman (Ardmore
FR95B); 6 Arthur Dickens (Mallock Mk29); 7 Russell Munns (Mallock Mk28/30);
8 Peter Richings (Mallock Mk27SG-EBX); 9 Tony Pouyanne (Silver Phantom);
10 Adrian Lester (Mallock Mk35K). Fastest lap: Lester 50.734s (87.00mph).
Next round: Cadwell Park, 15 August.
Issued on behalf of the Clubmans Register
by Paul Lawrence (01952 510382).
9 August 2004