Tel's Tales Issue 031- Prescott 2014
Entry posted by Terry Everall
3,095 views
Report by James Alexander
Apologies for the delay in preparing this blog but I have been on a Site Supervisors Health and Safety Course all week.... enough to drive any one insane!
Prescott Hill is owned by the Bugatti Owners Club and as such is one of the old classics in the Hillclimb world. Situated in gorgeous woodland on the edge of the Winchcombe hills it really is typically Cotswold's (£4.50 a pint and £12 quid for a burger but more of that later). The weather was set fair for the weekend and the entries for this 2 day event were pretty good with the slick organisation of the Longton and District Motor Club there were over 15 for class 2B and over 9 for class 2A. Paul Morcom was there in his magnificent Merlyn historic Formula Ford with a mighty cross flow in the back end.
David Birch (XTR2 turbo) was on a maiden run in his new Busa which was finished with great attention to detail at the 11th hour. Indeed, David had a 14 hour day running in the engine and setting it up on the dyno just a few hours before the start of practice on Saturday.
"Rain God" Martin Harvey (Marto) arrived in his sliver bullet SEiw with well sorted Zetec towed behind the lovely VW camper (Silver again) and parked in the shadow of Phil Nichol's magnificently original chip fat burning Landrover LWB. The camp site was filling up quick with Stu Hill joining the parking zone next to me.
Dinner was a few ciders and a chat round the barbeque on Friday night before I called it a day to sleep on my "air free" air bed.
Conditions were near perfect on Saturday for racing and practice saw some early runs with slow times as we all had a look at the hill. For many of us it was our first time at Prescott and I can only say it is a technical hill that really requires some good car control. Bacon sandwiches were consumed early in the day and then followed scrutineering and drivers briefing. This gave us all a flavor of the day when Longton Officials asked for quick getaways from the line to maximize running time.
My first impression of the hill as I drove up it in practice was surprise in how smooth the tarmac was an how much of a hill it acutally was. I fluffed gears on all the hairpins and posted a 58 second run in practice.
James Thatcher in his lovely BEC whilst going fats under the bridge just touched the grass and ended up hitting the ARMC and we hope the repairs go well.
Saturday Results -
Class 2A Road Modified Series & Specialist Kit Replica & Spaceframed Cars with car derived engines up to 1700cc
No. Name Car c.c. Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Award
66 E Chris Jones Westfield SE Vauxhall 1600 58.09 45.58 1st
63 E John Bradshaw HS Sylva Striker 1600 47.38 47.21 2nd
72 E Emma Bennison Sylva Striker 1600 48.18 48.14 48.47 3rd
65 E George Newrick SW Westfield SEiW 1699 51.46 51.06 51.95 4th
67 N James Alexander W Westfield SE 1700 51.57 51.99 51.28
71 E John Clarke Caterham 7 1600 51.72 51.78 51.50
70 E Colin Way H Westfield SEiW 1600 54.74 55.01 56.24
68 N Steve Wilson W Westfield SEiW 1700 59.39 59.92 57.83
64 E Angus Buchan S Jeffrey JS5 1498 68.18 97.60
62 E Michael Bellerby L Sylva Striker 1600
Key: L = Longton's Northern Speed Championship & Longton's Sprint Series P = BOC Cheltenham Porsche B Licence A = Austin Healey Club Healeysport Speed Championship K = L&CCC / Keyline Speed Championship
Key: R = Revington TR / TR Register Sprint & Hillclimb Championship H = SBD HSA Speed Championship S = ServiceHydraulics Speed Championship W = Westfield Sports Car CluSCC) Speed Series
Credit must be payed to Chris Jones in his Vauxhall engined car as he hadn’t been out in anger for 4 years. He simply tore up the hill like a terrier after a rat on his first run and posted a winning time of 45.58. Great skill to be so quick so early in the day.
Chris Jones – car 66
John Bradshaw and Emma Bennison took second and third on the day with their well sorted and very fast Sylva Strikers – impressive drives in impressive cars. I always try and use Emma’s time as a target as she is consistently quick.
4th in class was pick up by George Newrick in his superbly detailed all steel, all singing and dancing Mighty Cross Flow. This cas is just stunning with swept wings and half tonneau and piloted very well indeed.
12 hundredths of a second behind Newrick was myself in the Henry Westons sponsored / Vidal Sasson “wash and go” Mighty Cross flow. I should have laid off the bacon sandwiches in the morning and I might have caught him!
James Alexander / Car 67
John Clarke, Colin Way, and Steve Wilson drove consistently through the day with Wilson knocking off 2.2 seconds on his last run of Saturday – great skills.
Steve Wilson – Car 68
Colin Way – Car 70
The class structures here mean that all the experts and novices are amalgamated.
Class 2B 1700 – 2000 CC results below
Class 2B Road Modified Series & Specialist Kit Replica & Spaceframed Cars with car derived engines over 1701cc
No. Name Car c.c. Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Award
775 E Chris Howard-Harris H S Caterham Superlight 1795 47.63 46.56 46.93 1st
84 E Howard Gaskin W Westfield SEiW 1998 47.57 47.92 48.06 2nd
82 E Keith Adams W Westfield SEi 1998 47.90 47.80 49.25 3rd
789 E Chris Ford W Westfield SEiW 2000 49.94 49.24 48.98 4th
87 E Philip Nicholls W Westfield SEiW 1988 49.11 49.62 50.55
89 N Sean Baker W Westfield SEiW 2000 49.97 49.71 49.12 Best Novice
80 E Stephen Herbert W Westfield Sport 2000 2000 50.70 49.91 49.61
90 E Chris Bennett H Caterham 7 Roadsport 1800 49.71 49.71
75 E Lynn Gilbert HS Caterham Superlight 1795 50.67 49.93 51.24
85 N Mark Schlanker Westfield SEiW 1998 50.65 51.72 50.26
81 N Craig Spooner W Westfield SEiW 1796 52.16 51.38 50.98
79 N Martin Harvey W Westfield SEW 2000 51.86 51.53 52.35
77 E Michael Skidmore Westfield SEiW 2000 52.80 FAIL
86 N Christian James W Westfield SEiW 1988 53.26 55.04 60.60
76 N Dave Reed W Westfield SEiW 1800 55.28 53.59 54.23
83 N Simon Rossinelli W Westfield Wei 2000
88 N J im Henshaw W Westfield SEiW 2000
Class 2B was very competitive with awards going to Chris Howard-Harris in the super light Caterham – well done Chris.
Howard Gaskin and Keith “the teeth” Adams weew in the 47’s all day with Phil Nicholls bringing up the rear in 4th.
Stephen Herbert was committed as usual in his patched up Sport 2000 whilst Mark Schlanker was fastest novice in his SEiW.
DAVE REED –Car 76
Sunday Results:
Class 2A
Class 2A Road Modified Series & Specialist Kit Replica & Spaceframed Cars with car derived engines up to 1700cc
No. Name Car c.c. Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4 Award
66 E Chris Jones Westfield SE Vauxhall 1600 46.03 45.81 1st
63 E John Bradshaw H S Sylva Striker 1600 47.06 46.26 46.84 47.69 2nd
67 N James Alexander W Westfield SE 1700 51.02 51.09 53.47 51.40 3rd
65 E George Newrick S W Westfield SEiW 1699 52.42 52.08 51.52 51.03
70 E Colin Way H Westfield SEiW 1600 55.47 53.27 55.93
68 N Steve Wilson W Westfield SEiW 1700 5 57.68 58.22 56.42 56.98
62 E Michael Bellerby L Sylva Striker 1600
64 E Angus Buchan S Jeffrey JS5 1498
71 E Tim Richardson S Caterham Superlight 1600
Sunday at Prescott was suny and dry with slight mist in the air mid morning but many of the fastest times were posted early in the running order. In a class full of experts Chris Jones was very quick in a sickly car – winning the class with one run!
John Bradshaw was very consistent in the Sylva to take second. I was happy with my runs, even fluffing a gear on run 3, but keeping 3rd in class.
George Newrick was consistent all day in his lovely car and both Steve and Colin got quicker from first runs.
CLASS 2B Sunday
Class 2B Road Modified Series & Specialist Kit Replica & Spaceframed Cars with car derived engines over 1701cc
No. Name Car c.c. Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4 Award
775 E Chris Howard-Harris H S Caterham Superlight 1795 47.23 47.04 1st
82 E Keith Adams W Westfield SEi 1998 47.95 47.47 47.75 47.63 2nd
84 E Howard Gaskin W Westfield SEiW 1998 48.32 47.92 47.59 47.89 3rd
87 E Philip Nicholls W Westfield SEiW 1988 49.08 48.60 48.40 47.65 4th
78 E David Birch W Westfield SEiW 1800 49.29 47.99 48.99 48.11
75 E Lynn Gilbert H S Caterham Superlight 1795 50.03 49.98 48.53
85 N Mark Schlanker W Westfield SEiW 1998 48.97 48.79 49.49 48.81 Best Novice
80 E Stephen Herbert W Westfield Sport 2000 2000 50.17 50.00 49.25 49.09
89 N Sean Baker W Westfield SEiW 2000 49.59 FAIL
81 N Craig Spooner W Westfield SEiW 1796 50.57 51.07 50.87 50.91
79 N Martin Harvey W Westfield SEW 2000 52.27 51.30 51.29 50.81
86 N Christian James W Westfield SEiW 1988 55.99 52.86 52.46 52.10
77 E Michael Skidmore Westfield SEiW 2000 58.92 53.41 52.81 52.25
76 N Dave Reed W Westfield SEiW 1800 53.72 53.20 53.37 52.52
83 N Simon Rossinelli W Westfield Wei 2000
88 N Jim Henshaw W Westfield SEiW 2000
90 E Stephen Laing H B Caterham R500 2008
2B was a class with more nip and tuck than Harley Street on Sunday with Keith, Howard and Phil pushing hard to keep with Chris in the CateringVan.
Nicholls pulled off the drive of the day to snatch a place with his last run – well done Filfan!
On the Sunday a Prescott Marshall of 15 years service said to me “we didn’t know what to expect with the Westfields but we have been really impressed with the pace, the driving and all of the club members here”. Nice to hear so well done one and all.
James Thatcher was a non runner on Sunday following his scuff on Saturday.
Sean Baker had a moment after the hairpin and damaged the car which ended his weekend. Glad it was only fibreglass and metal that was damaged.
Stu Hill was consistently rapid with a 44.92 in the GGR liveried SEiW – great drive Stu.
In 4B Graham Millar was within a second on every run in the 49’s – cracking car and a top driver – cheers Windy
5B and Paul Morcom gave what I think was the drive of the day in the Mighty Merlyn to snatch victory on the final run – awesome car and great peddling Paul – a joy to watch. I thought the commentator was going to have a coronary as you entered the semi circle!
To conclude all I can say is that the weekend was everything that motor sport should be:
- Competitive – every one wanting to do better each run and win.
- Supportive – drivers encouraging and fixing each others cars.
- Social – great dinner Saturday night and more laughs than I have time to write about.
Thanks for waiting for this blog, its been a long week. So from Team Toolorders/Henry Westons/Fitzpatrick racing I bid you farewell…
Yours in Motor Sport
James Alexander (Honorary correspondent to Lord Everall)
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