BHR Mallory Park 28th/29th August
The 6th and final round of the Morgan Three Wheeler Club Challenge Series. Challenging for some competitors, successful for others. Two days of great racing.
From Pete Clews, MTWC Comp Sec.
After a deluge of biblical proportions on Saturday teatime Sunday dawned blue skyed and sunny. The Challenge Race was Race 10 and 10 Morgans lined up to take part in the final round for this season. Nigel Challis had been a very early casualty in the previous B3 race with a gearbox problem which destroyed the rear of the box. The second retirement of the day was Greg Bibby on lap 3. Things then settled down a little with Pete Clews having a battle with Austin Smith’s 5 Speeder passing Austin on the outside around Gerrard’s then holding him at bay down the straight before Danny Hodgson came into the battle. The three continued to battle going 3 abreast round Gerrard’s with Pete leading into Shaw’s Hairpin, Danny inches from his tail and Austin just a car adrift. As they came out of the Bus Stop Pete’s car jumped out of second gear and Danny clipped the tail but still managed to keep ahead of Austin to finish one hundredth of a second ahead in third place with Pete trailing 3 seconds behind. While all this was going on Hamish Bibby having passed most of the field off the start took the chequered flag ahead of Tom Cowley. John Scruton in only his second circuit race finished 6th some 5 seconds behind Austin Smith. The TM class was led by David Poplar in his F2 who was well ahead of Tony Pearson passengered by Rob Pike with Cathy Quinn finishing a mere half second behind.
The Morgan Race on Sunday was not for Challenge Points but to the competitors it was just as important. Nine cars lined up for the start and Pete Clews followed Tom Cowley round Gerrard’s both having made excellent starts. By lap 3 Hamish and Greg Bibby had moved into 1st and 2nd places. On lap 4 Pete’s Gearbox refused to find anything but neutral and he retired from the fray leaving Danny Hodgson and Austin Smith to battle for 4th. This time Austin was victorious finishing 5 tenths ahead of Danny with John Scruton almost 25 seconds behind. The TM cars were led home by Tony Pearson with Cathy Quinn just over a minute behind.
The B3 races were very exciting with the BEARS outfits mixed into the equation. Bill Tuer was still bedding in new brakes but still put in the fastest lap at 73.85 mph only 4 tenths of a second behind the MRE BMW. Bill got his revenge in the second B3 race coming home 1st after passing the outfit through Edwina’s chicane!
