Team Capri push the car into Scriuitineering	Falcon Triallers Jonathan Baggott and Mike Hinman were there. Mike was driving a Van Diemen in the Monoposto Race.
Neil on the Pit Straight during practice.	Tony Crudgingtons Dolomite after hitting the pit wall.

A cold, windy and damp Silverstone greeted competitors for the first Post Historic Touring Car Race of the season. The Capri was in good shape, all straight after its post-season roll at Snetterton. Neil wasn’t in such good condition, suffering from a collar bone broken a few weeks before.

The track was still damp for qualifying making the track very slippery in places. Not only were times slow but there was a red flag delay when Tony Crudgington spun off at Woodcote, whacking the front of the Dolomite hard against the pit wall and prematurely terminating his days sport.

There were only two starters in Class B, Neil and Ian Clark. Last year Neil had been much faster, but Ian had made many improvements to his car over the winter, including shedding a lot of weight. The two were setting similar lap times until just after the red flag delay when Ian put in a real flyer to post a time more than a second and a half faster than Neil.

Come the race Neil made a flying start, making up several places and getting in front on Ian. At the end of the first lap David Howard had established a big lead that he was to retain to the end of the race. Behind came 2005 champion Stephen Primett (Escort), series sponsor Pete Halford in his Camero, Mark Lucock (Escort), Mark Osborne (Dolomite), Dave Nixon (Mazda RX3), Neil, Jason Christie (Escort), Steven Young (Mini), Ian Clark, John Wright in the Escort re-built after last years Brands Start line incident, and the rest.

By the second lap Jason Christie had got in front of Neil, although this wasn’t to last as first blue smoke started to appear from the exhaust and by lap five Jason had retired. Neil pulled away from Steven Young who was holding all the right lines, keeping Ian Clark behind him until lap six when Ian finally got by. By this time, Neil was more than 4 seconds ahead. That doesn’t sound much but it was along way on the track.

Ian started to pull Neil in at about a second a lap and by lap 10 was right behind. They went round nose to tail until the 12th and final lap when Ian put two wheels on the grass to overtake in the complex before Woodcote to start the final lap in front. This really bought out the racer in Neil who then out braked Ian into Copse to regain the lead to the end of the race, setting fastest lap in the process.

Up in front Pete Halford dropped out half way through the race and Dave Nixon made his way up through the field, getting past Stephen Primett on lap six. This puts Dave Nixon in the championship lead with 11 points, ahead of Neil and Steven Young, both with ten as they had only two starters in their class.

Race Result
1. David Howard (Jaguar XJ12) Class A
2. Dave Nixon (Mazda RX3) Class C
3. Stephen Primett (Ford Escort) Class C
4. Mark Osbourne (Dolomite) Class C
5. Mark Lucock (Escort) Class C
6. John Wright (Escort) Class C
7. Neil Bray (Ford Capri) Class B
8. Ian Clark (Ford Capri) Class B
9. Steven Young (Mini Clubman) Class E
10. James Christie (Avanger) Class D
11. Keith Calver (Mini) Class E
12. Scott Gelsthorpe (Dolomite) Class C

Not Classified

Jason Christie (Escort) Class C
Pete Halford (Camero) Class A
David Hall (Firenza) Class C

Page added 27 March 2006

 
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