HONOURS EVEN FOR CRISPIN & TOVEY
It was non stop action all the way through both sprint races, in the 2CV Championships annual visit to Pembrey.
Dilligaf’s Nick Crispin led race one into Hatchetts, from KTR’s Kris Tovey, 2CV Lion’s David O’Keeffe, Tete Rouge’s Andy Bull and a side by side Nick Roads and Sandro Proietti.
O’Keefe fell back at the Senna Esses, as Bull moved up, but there was a huge scrap behind with the pack constantly reshuffling.
Tovey went ahead into Hatchetts on the second lap, with Bull trying to follow, before Crispin reclaimed the place through Dibeni.
The lead quartet had a slight gap to fifth placed Martin Riman, but it all closed up again when the safety car appeared for a couple of laps, as Richard Plyer’s three-wheel 2CV was recovered.
From the green flag Proietti led into Brooklands, before Crispin retook, but Julie Walford joined them to go three a breast through Honda, with Tovey, Roads and O’Keeffe three abreast for fourth too. Bull had dropped to eighth though behind Ainslie Bousfield.
Exiting Hatchetts it was anyone from six, but both Walford and O’Keeffe had shaken off Tovey.
Back at the front Proietti was alongside Crispin as they started the penultimate lap, but Crispin was back in front as Walford closed in too.
Nothing was settled andProietti was back in front once more, as Tovey lost ground after being forced onto the grass, but Crispin was ahead when it counted. Taking his first win of the season by 0.53 secs, with Walford a close third, after further exchanges with O’Keeffe.
Max Wyer finished strongly, taking five places on the last lap for fifth, closely followed by Bousfield and Bull. Riman, Roads and Chris Yates completed the top 10, with Championship leader Tovey falling to 12th on the last lap. “There was water in my fuel,” he explained.
“I had to work very hard for that. There was a bit of touching and rubbing, but a clean race, spent looking for who was going to dive bomb me next,” said the victorious Crispin.
“My best race for a while, but my plan failed, I led but he passed me again,” said second placed Proietti.
“Thrilled with that, my car was really good through Honda in particular,” added Julie Walford in third.
Crispin led into Hatchetts again at the start of race two favouring the outside line, to lead Bull, Tovey, Luca Proietti, Roads and Riman.
But Riman and Steve Walford were both off at Brooklands, with the cars appeared to be stuck together, their race was over.
The top three started to edge away, as Proietti hit the front through Dibeni, from Crispin and Tovey, as Bull started to lose ground again.
As Crispin went back ahead it was five for second place, with Bull diving down the inside into Hatchetts, emerging second after a great recovery, only to lose it back to Proietti through Dibeni.
Proietti then led with Crispin down to fourth, as Bull and Tovey went by, then for a brief moment the top three began to escape once more, as five cars were contesting fourth place.
Tovey was back in front again on lap six and started to build a slight lead, as O’Keeffe came through, after taking Proietti and Bull, while Crispin was down to sixth with a front mudguard rubbing.
Almost akin to a cycling peleton, lap eight arrived and Tovey though still ahead, leading an eight car train, from O’Keeffe, Crispin, Proietti, Bull, Roads, Matthew Hollis and Chris Yates.
Proietti then took O’Keeffe again through Dibeni, before Bull then unsuccessfully tried to split them, before O’Keeffe retook the place into the Senna Esses.
As O’Keeffe tried to push for the lead, Crispin managed to jump both Bull and Proietti, as the penultimate lap approached.
Into Hatchetts O’Keeffe had the inside and led out, but Tovey retook at Dibeni, with Proetti second as they went onto the last lap.
It was still anyone’s race, but in the final sort out Tovey just held on for his third win of the season, with 0.380 secs in hand.
But Crispin had snatched second place at the Crossing, as Bull, O’Keeffe, Roads and Hollis finished line astern, with Proeitti dropping to sixth, after taking Honda for the final time on the grass.
Yates, Wyer and Nicholas Home completed the top 10 finishers.
With the Sprint races completed on Saturday, there was a 100 minutes Enduro on Sunday. It came down to a duel between Crispin/Pete Sparrow in the Dilligaf car and Baycon Racing’s Sandro and Luca Proietti.
Dilligaf had led most of the first half, but they swapped and changed on almost every lap in the second half, with the Proeitti’s finally taking the spoils on the last lap by only 0.477 secs.
Tete Rouge’s Andy Bull had Alec Graham sharing as they came home third, with Wyer/Louis Tyson and Bousfield/Home fourth for 2CV Lion and Team Gadget respectively, and last of the runners to remain unlapped.
Tovey went solo in the KTR car to complete the top six, while Team Toyshed were unopposed in the Mini Grand Class, with Michael Dryden and Robert Selley, sharing with Chris and Andy Slade.
The next round of the Championship is at Oulton Park on July 8th.