JEC 2 Driver Non Championship Race 2 - Anglesey 3^nd June 2007:

With so many more cars having now run on the track much of the "green" feel to the tarmac was gone, and the race pace was much hotter than quali, on average 2 seconds per lap faster.

Davis from pole set off as usual like he’d been fired from a cannon, closely pursued by Palmer. Hill's 6 stayed ahead of Lyddall's 12, the Dunlop cars using the extra grip to launch well. Dave Ball used the same grip advantage to slip past Harrison into the hairpin.

Big winner was Ingham, the V12 passing Webster, Taylor and Harrison on lap 1 alone, but throwing it off at the tricky left hander in the middle of the start/finish straight and falling back behind Harrison on lap 2.

Taylor’s Aristocat slipped past Webster on lap 3, before the race settled down to a lap-time chase to the first stops, essentially a case of the Toyo cars trying to match the Dunlops, they might not be the same class, but tell that to the Toyo driver who can see himself gaining a fraction on the Dunlop-wearer ahead, too bloody right we’re all racing, tyre difference or not!

Lydall was first to blink for the stops, the slightly hilly nature of the far end of the track playing havoc with his motion sickness, therefore handing off slightly early to Clark on lap 9, catching the crew by surprise and again dropping nearly 20 seconds to the next Toyo driver, Harrison.

Lap 9 also saw the unfortunate retirements of both Bradford to a burst radiator hose and Felgenhaur to a blown head gasket

Lap 10 saw further attrition as the V12 of Russell/Ingham dropped off the screens, the new circuit taking absolutely no prisoners!

John Slater had an initial play with Brian George, until the latter’s enthusiasm for whacking roadcones took over. Scores differ, but he added at least one to the Saturday total, 9 for the weekend easily defeating Harrison’s tally of only 6 to handily win the road cone challenge.

Ball and Harrison both pitted lap 11, another fast change for Harrison before a moment of confusion and farce in the pitlane that would end in Harrison’s later retirement. Dave Ball lost some extra 40 seconds in the changeover, emerging from the stop in 7th place.

Palmer and Davis both pitted lap 12, Palmer had obviously been practising and gained 9 seconds in the changeover, but it wasn’t to be enough, as Doyle would stretch the legs of his 6 litre to now pull away at around 2 seconds a lap to the finish despite an overpowering smell of diff oil that led most onlookers to fear for his car’s longevity. Nothing more than a breather problem as it eventually transpired, who says you don’t make your own luck? 28 seconds clear at race end, and he probably didn’t even break a sweat.

Gail Hill/Chris Boon were briefly promoted into the lead by the pit stops, dropping back into a solid third with their own lightning-fast changeover on lap 13 and comfortably clear of the next Dunlop car and the lead Toyo car of Lydall/Clark.

Clark was now under pressure from Harrison, whose much faster stop had eaten Lydall’s hard-earned lead. The straight 6 was in dire trouble however, the coolant light had been on since lap 3, the engine was smoking heavily and was not likely to last much longer. With a sniff of an actual passing chance on a V12 however Harrison demanded a swansong from the ailing engine, and got it, passing Clark on lap 13 at the end of Church and looking around for the Candid Camera crew, now finding himself in class lead for the first time in his short race career and not quite sure what to do next.

Inevitable disaster then struck, a stop-go penalty for Harrison for the pitlane incident that required speaking to no fewer than three officials, a formal apology for “scaring” a marshall with excess wheelspin, and after being stationary for over a minute with soaring temperatures and falling pressures Harrison retired the car with 8 minutes remaining.

Clark therefore resumed in 4th position, first of the Toyo cars, and the position ahead had also stabilised, but into an incredibly close fight between Hill and Palmer, who emerged from their driver changes only 5 seconds apart. Hill closed that margin down lap by lap, and hooked onto the back by lap 15, a fiercely close 7-lap chase that would end in Palmer’s victory from our reigning champion by only 0.4 seconds at the flag, incredible after 30 minutes! Full marks to Chris for holding Gail off, that was no mean feat, excellent, close, clean racing from both.

Davis/Doyle a handy win, Palmer 2nd, Hill 3rd, David Clark bringing the Lydall car home in 4th, and into a Toyo class win, to the delight of the green-faced Lydall, who was seen to dance in celebration on the pit wall.

Roger Webster’s long pursuit of Taylor’s Aristocat was largely ended by a slower stop, the 120 replica finishing well clear in a superb 6th behind Dave/Loz ball’s XJS, Webster in 7th, but still second in the Toyo class.

Slater brought it home in 8th, trailed by Woods/George in 9th, no doubt slowed by extra weight of cones or the Cliff Richard CD he claimed to be playing throughout.

General approval of the new circuit, and worth noting that from the limited sample available the class D cars were actually closer than usual to the Gs on similar tyres, which will be very interesting if the championship ever ventures to Anglesey and some of the missing fast D class drivers get a chance to chase the boys at the front on the same rubber.