The OULTON PARK GOLD CUP
This was my first visit to Oulton, and was mightily impressed with the circuit. I would be racing here for the first time too, so it was a bit of a steep learning curve to say the least. We pitched up at about 9am on the Monday and immediately got stuck into scrutineering, which we passed with flying colours. My first practice was at 10.30, so not a lot of time to get ready. However, I did manage a short stroll around the paddock to take a few photographs, and here are a couple of them.
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Williams FW06. |
F5000 Surtees. |
After a successful qualifying session (last again!!), I was able to relax and chat with a few of the guys from the AtlasF1 Nostalgia Forum who had made the journey for the meeting. It was good to put faces to names at last!
In fact, Barry Boor was kind enough to take my camera and take a few race photos for me, as I was busy with the car.
Here's some of them.
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Martin Stretton inAlan Minshaw's Birdcage Maserati. |
Chevron B24. |
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John Harper's Cooper Monaco. |
An ex-Henri Pescarolo / Ronnie Peterson March 711. |
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The 50's Sportscars were good fun. |
F2 Tecno of Chris Lillingstone-Price. |
My Formula Ford race was scheduled for twenty minutes around the full Oulton Park circuit. Good fun too, a great track, it certainly rivals Brands Hatch for its' undulations!
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In the paddock. |
Me being strapped in by helper Steve, with Barry Boor looking on. |
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Courtesy of Barry Boor, this is me at Lodge Corner. |
Courtesy of another TNF member, David Beard. |
Unfortunately, in four outings with the car, this was my first DNF of the season. About half way through the race I took the last corner a little two fast, executed a superb 180 degree pirouette on the grass and ended up against the tyre barriers! Thankfully, the car wasn't damaged at all apart from one of the lower body panels being torn (easily rectified). I jumped out of the car and watched the rest of the race with the friendly marshalls. I drove the car back to the pits afterwards, so there couldn't have been much wrong with it. POSTSCRIPT : Jonathan, my mechanic, has looked over the car since and has pronounced it sound, which is good!!
So, it was a bit of an early finish in that regard, but never mind it was a fun weekend (which is what it's all about anyway).
My thanks go to Steve Collins for helping out with the car, Barry Boor and David Beard for supplying the racing photos too.
The last two outings of the year are within a week of each other in October; Silverstone for the final HSCC of the year and then a race during the Formula Ford Festival on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, which should be good fun.
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Please feel free to e-mail me : gary@yesterdaysracers.com