JEC XJS Championship - Oulton Park 14^th May 2005:

A beautiful sun shiningat Cheshire's Oulton Park was the setting for a spectacular days racing, with the XJS's, Sallons and Miller Oils all taking part.

First off was the XJS's. In qualifying everyone survived but not before a few drivers had some hairy moments including Gail Hill spinning at the Hairpin, Dave Eyles touching the tyre wall at Deer Lodge, Lawrence Coppock suffering a slow puncture and Lawrence Ball, whose crankshaft sensor was ripped out by his ripped fan belt.

In the afternoon the 20 car grid saw Derek Pearce on pole, Gary Davis 2nd, Sean Collin 3rd and William Lynch 4th. When the red lights went out Gary caught Derek cat-napping and took the lead. These two chopped and changed positions until lap 4 when Gary, in his Jaguar World Monthly car, spun off at Cascades, he got himself together and rejoined the race. Derek now had a good lead and no-one in his rear view mirror. However he became to complacent and on the last lap spun at the same place Gary had, when he righted himself and got back on the track Derek now found himself in a 3 way battle to the finish line with Gary and Sean Collin. Once again there was nothing between all three and with half a lap left every-one was on tender hooks. At the flag Davis took Class G and race, Pearce 2nd by 0.1 seconds and Sean Collin 3rd and Class E winner.

Elsewhere in the race more great battles were taking place. Class D winner Gail Hill holding off 'Driver of the race' Gary Hastings to finish 6th and 7th with only 0.5 seconds separating them. Class D cars of Lawrence Coppock 10th and Wayne Ulph 11th had a battle of wits and Lawrence Ball 13th and John Griffin 14th crossed the line with 0.8 seconds the gap.

David Weaver of Horsham was the only non-finisher as on lap 5 his machine called it a day. Gordon Bobic was the Class F winner.

Report by STEVE GOREY (JEC)

Steve Davis still out with a blown engine. But will be back for Donington in June.