IT’S TWO WINS FOR CRISPIN
The racing proved to be as close as ever as the Classic Racing 2CV Championship headed north of the border to Knockhill for the first time in around 20 years.
Qualifying once again gave an indication that the racing was going to be close, when 0.703 secs covered Andrew Bull, Seb Jones-White and Nick Crispin, while George Broadhurst, Ethan Sparrow and Chris Yates completed the top six of the 20 car grid. “I was really pleased to get a double pole, but my car suited the wet conditions,” said Bull.
RACE ONE
Crispin was having to play catch up from the start, as he started the race from the pitlane after a pre-race drama. “It was choking a bit on the green flag as there was dust in the carburettor,” he explained. Out in front it was poleman Bull, from Jones-White, Sparrow, Broadhurst, Yates and Sam Archer.
As the leaders began to stretch the field it became a two-horse race with Bull and Jones-White nose to tail throughout. Jones-White managed to nose ahead just the once, but at the flag it was Bull’s race by just 0.422 secs. “I was clinging on to Bully for dear life, making sure I didn’t make a mistake. But I didn’t have a timer in the car so didn’t know when it was the end, so I went too early two laps from the end and he just drove past me again,” said Jones-White.
“It was the first time I have ever been clear out in front for a whole race, but it was difficult to know where Seb was some of the time. But he showed his hand too early and I was able to plan my response,” Bull replied.
Sparrow had tried to stay with the lead pair, but gradually lost ground. He retained a comfortable third, well clear of Archer, but couldn’t match the lead duo’s pace. “It was fairly eventful for me, as I didn’t have the pace to stay with the pack and lost the tow on the first lap, after that Bully and Seb worked together,” Sparrow explained.
Archer had ousted Yates on lap three and then set about closing the gap to Broadhurst for fourth. He made it on lap 10 but couldn’t shake his rival off, with Broadhurst’s determination leaving him just 0.096 secs behind at the flag.
“Me and George had tried to catch Ethan as he was on his own, but when we couldn’t we just had some fun together,” said Archer.
Crispin’s battle through the field and was soon into the top 10, but his charge became a dual with Brian Heerey also making up for a five-place grid penalty after qualifying and struggling with an intermittent misfire.
They both saw off Yates in the closing laps, who was having his own duel with Julie Walford. Crispin finally finished sixth, with 0.21 secs to spare over Heerey, but still closely followed by Walford and Yates, who swapped again on the last lap, but 0.303 secs covered all four! “It was great fun coming through the field, racing everyone except the ones I couldn’t catch,” said Crispin.
“I was battling with Julie for much of the race, but I thought it was a 15-minute race and made my move too early. She obviously read the regs properly and just drove past me on the straight on the last lap,” Yates explained.
Simon Turner held 10th from lap 11 after seeing off Nicholas Home. Howard Wright followed Home in 11th, with Robert Dawson the final unlapped runner.
Roy Eastwood was next, but Matthew Hollis’s hold on 15th had already slipped, and by the flag he had lost out to Nick Clarke and Chris Hall too.
Matthew Arrowsmith-Brown, Colin Etchells and Simon Clarke completed the field. “Three laps had already gone before I got out as we had a problem with the fuel feed and a faulty quick release clip, so it wouldn’t start. Had some fun when I did get out though,” said Clarke.
RACE TWO
A terrific four-car battle raged for most of the second race. Bull had led after the opening lap, from Crispin, Jones-White and Sparrow, with Archer and Walford trying to hang on.
Crispin then led with Bull down to third, as both he and Jones-White lost out to Sparrow. “I had a good start , but the track was drying and didn’t suit my car as much,” said Bull.
These four continued to reshuffle their pack lap after lap, until Crispin went back ahead on lap eight. With Sparrow, Jones-White and Bull continuing their fight, Crispin managed to escape and at the flag he was 3.162 secs clear. “It had been swap and change until I got lucky with backmarkers and got a gap,” said Crispin.
For the rest it was down to the wire, with Sparrow and Jones-White completing the podium as Bull lost out on the final lap, but just 0.027 covered all three at the flag. “I had a good start and didn’t want to lose the pack this time. I was happy sitting with them, but Nick got ahead and we stayed with him for few laps then he’d gone. But me, Seb and Bully took the flag almost three abreast again,” said Sparrow.
“I had been watching the lead battle, but I could keep up with them one at a time but not when they worked together. But with Bully and Ethan fighting to the end, I managed to dive between them on the last lap to snatch third in a very close finish,” added Jones-White.
“It got very busy and once Nick had got away it was our fight for second. I swapped twice with Ethan, but my car started to cough exiting the hairpin and they got me,” Bull replied.
Archer had taken Walford on lap 11 to secure a solitary fifth, but Walford was a last lap casualty, which promoted Nick Roads into the top six. “Steve was still close and I went into the corner too hard, I went off but he went off worse and when I looked in my mirror he had gone,” said Archer. “I had hoped to get Sam back, he had a moment into the corner, I had a bigger one nearly rolled it,” Walford admitted.
Home and Yates took their dual for seventh down to the wire, after a number of exchanges Home finally clinched it, while Oliver Grantham and Giles Owen rounded off the top 10. “Nick and I were working together, his car wasn’t good in the corners but better on the straights. But he got me in the end,” said Yates.
Wright was next home, from Glenn Oswin, Laurence Broadhurst and Roy Eastwood, with Richard Hollis, Etchells, Sunderland and Tom Perry the final finishers, after Turner was a first lap casualty. Perry had been 10th early on but he had to make an early stop with more fuel feed issues.
ENDURANCE
Sean Sidley and Nick Crispin dominated the second half of the 90-minute race, having led from the 40th lap of the 70 lap encounter.
Sidley took the first stint as Crispin had started the race in Sam Archer’s car. Bull and Alec Graham teamed up to and proved to be the closest rivals, along with Seb Jones-White/Oscar Proietti who led much of the early laps.
“Sean came in to change under the safety car, but went out again as he wasn’t sure I had pitted in Sam’s car. So we lost track position for a while, I did the last 40 minutes,” said Crispin.
“I had hoped for rain but it didn’t happen. Alec had started but his stint was cut short by the early safety car. He had led but we made both of our stops and the Tete Rouge crew were great, but there was no way we could match Nick’s pace in the dry,” Bull explained.
“I don’t think I have driven better in my life. George had a fantastic start and led, as I was busy watching Sean. Then I thought sorry George I am going to have to pass you and we got away. But when Oscar took over he was delayed rejoining as a marshal thought his belt weren’t fastened, but still happy with third,” Jones-White added.
Crispin was nearly on two steps of the podium though, Archer came home fourth and was the final unlapped runner. “Nick had started my car and I did the last hour, put my foot down and tried for podium,” Archer added.
Heerey/Roads were next home from and Perry/Clarke, while the Walford’s snatched a late seventh from Grantham and Dawson. The Broadhurst’s were ninth, while Tovey/Sparrow rounded off the top 10, after clutch issues in the closing laps. “Kris had a gravel moment in the first stint, but came back from that. But I was fifth onto the last lap and the clutch went and I coasted home,” Sparrow added.
“It was fabulous, we changed the fuel feed after the sprint races, did both stops under the safety car and were in the top six,” said Clarke.
“Maybe we should have done both stops behind the safety car, but we did a driver change halfway. Good result though and I got Rob near the end,” said Steve Walford.
Home/Ian Gibbon were 11th, from Eastwood, Yates, Hall/Owen, while the Hollis’s, Arrowsmith/Brown and Etchells completed the finishers, after Wright/Sunderland retired in the gravel after 24 laps.
“I had an Ok start and stayed with the pack, made both of my stops behind the safety car but then the fan sheared and I had to stop again,” Yates explained.
So the sprint season is over and now we look forward to the finale at the Snetterton 24hrs and the Champion being crowned.
IMAGES BY MARIA COOKE
