On the way to a win in the final of the Pickups at Arena Essex 13 September4th at Rockingham in the wet, 2nd meeting of the year in ClubmansHome Page    -  2001  - 2002  - 2003   - 2004  -  2005  -  2006 -  2007

Marcus: motor racing in 2008
 

One of my best campaigns ever, having got my old Mallock Mk26 SG back (Official Clubmans reports at  http://www.clubmans.org.uk). Superstox 2 litre sold because it took so much time to rebuild between meetings and set-up settings got lost each time. Started winning in stock car Pickups in August, see below.

Here is the  list of events in 2008 and after each race a short report from my point of view.

 Clubmans Championship Races numbered
 Date Circuit
   19 March Morning testing at Mallory Park in the newly re-acquired Mallock Mk26 SG. Martin Wood has had it for two years and has done a nice job of the set up (springs 500 front 550 rear, anti-droop at the front with no pre-load, floor under the nose cone joins the main floor which reinforces the nose cone) and his son Rees won a Clubmans Cup race in 2007. Feels lovely. Steve Everson drove a session, quick and competent.
 1
  29 March Clubmans Cup at Oulton Park International. Q 9th 1'52.167 R 7th 2'08.975 in the wet. Could not see much. Car great.
 2
 19-20 April Clubmans Cup at Rockingham International. Q 13th 1'28.703 R 4th 1'41.973 (third fastest) in the wet. Came off the track twice from 4th place, gathered it up from 8th or 9th and got back to 4th each time. Car fantastic in quite heavy rain with plenty of down force. Most enjoyable racing for years. Awarded Driver of the Day.
 3 & 4
 25-26 May Clubmans Cup at Snetterton. Q 5th 1'26.396 in the wet. Great handling again including four wheel drift controlled on the throttle round Coram, the right hander before the pit straight chicane. Race 1 7th 1'21.868, slightly damp on slicks, exhaust broke. Race 2 4th 1'23.182 after great start, slightly damp on wets. 4th on championship.
 5 & 6
 7-8 June Clubmans Cup at Brands Hatch Indy. Q12th 50.087 Race 1 8th 49.611 (6th fastest) after great first lap from 12th to 7th. Paul Gibson and I got past Guy Parr on the last lap but Sideshow Bob had us both. Race 2 7th best 49.981 (5th fastest): started 13th and got to 9 on lap 1, then trailed Barry Webb till I got by him at the entry to Clearways on lap 7. On lap 10 Sideshow Bob got past but clogged up at Graham Hill and Paul Gibson and I overhauled him on the back straight. Bob left me no room on the right and I went grass cutting until the car spat me out in a spin to the left, just missing Barry Webb mid track. I missed the left barrier and gathered it up in 17th place. Bob mean time had thrown it up the road at the exit of Clearways and the race was red flagged. On the countback to the lap before the red flag I was awarded 7th in the results. Phew. Equal third in the championship with Paul Gibson.
7 & 8 
 21 June Clubmans Cup at Silverstone National. Q 13th 1'13.051 in the wet, slid off at Luffield avoiding 2 slower cars who went 2 abreast all of a sudden. Race 1 15th after a good run up the field in the wet. My position on successive laps 13, 12 12, 11, 10, 10 then played with Jamie for a while till lap 12 when I got a ding from the back at Luffield and knocked off into the kitty litter for the second time in a day. Got pushed out and managed to finish, unhappy. Damage to the rear venturi to repair. Race 2 10th; I went on wets when many others were on slicks. Wrong choice. Great start from 12th on the grid to 6th on lap one. Nabbed by Paul Gibson on lap 3, Adrian Langridge on lap 6, Reece Wood on lap 9, then by Sideshow Bob and Jason Money on the last lap as the tyres went off. Moment of glory short lived.
 9 & 10
 19-20 July  Clubmans Cup at Croft. I'll miss because of family holiday in the USA. Have fun.
9 Aug Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex. Borrowed Tony Everson's dark green pickup for fun. R1 spin. R2 won it. R3 final, won it. All from white tops (front of the grid), untroubled. Promoted to yellow tops for next race due to two wins. Grid order, from front, is white, yellow, blue, red, championship leader and champions.
   23-24 August Mallock Club 50th anniversary races at Silverstone
6 September BARC short circuit at Lydden Hill. Borrowed Tony Everson's dark green pickup again, running alongside Lighting Rods (same engine, lighter). 3 races, good fun, results unclear!
 11
 7 September Clubmans Cup at Thruxton. Q15 R13. Was up to 8th after complex but engine problems slowed me. Probably oil pump not scavenging completely due to long throttle opening and higher engine speed due to Dunlops being smaller diameter to last year's Avons, like Barry Webb and Howard Payne.
13 Sept Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex. Debut of my own Rainwater Harvesting blue and green liveried Ford Sierra based pickup truck No.17. Bought for Ben Warren and rebuilt and painted by Steve Everson and me. New tyres after testing all afternoon. R1 2nd R2 2nd R3 final, won it, from yellows.  Click for triumphant award photo!  Smashed the barrier in R2 but got it out again for final. Body damage only, unlike Armco incidents in the Superstox.
 12
 27 September  Clubmans Cup at Oulton Park Island. Didn't enter. Premonition of a difficult weekend. Indeed, Clubmans Cup race suffered 3 red flags due to multiple shunts. ONly 9 cars finished. Happy not to have been there.
27 September Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups. Won R1 first heat, alomst by accident, starting voluntarily from blues. R2 5th R3 final 8th having spunb on 2nd laps with tyres cold. Having won another two races, prmoted from yellows to blues for next race. Click for action photo
 13 and 14
 11-12 October Clubmans Cup at Pembrey. Missed it due to being on Grand Designs LIVE fair at NEC Birmingham Friday Sunday.
 
  11 October Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups.
 
  25 October Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups.
 
  8 November Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups. Will miss it due to Clubmans Dinner Dance
 
  22 November Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups.
   29 November Rolling Thunder Show at Arena Essex, Pickups.
     
 
    
 
    
 
    
 
    
     
     
     
     
     

DNF: did not finish or not classified, i.e. no championship points  Powertrain Clubmans Cup round in bold
Note: (Championship Sporting Regulation 1.5.1) In accordance with MSA regulation B.8.4 the organisers reserve the right to amend the published list of dates and rounds, in which case, all registered competitors will be informed of the amendments by Official Bulletins posted to the address specified on the Official Registration Form.
 
 
 
 

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This page updated 22nd June 2008

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