BARC NW SPORTS SALOON CAR CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON REVIEW 2016

It was any one from three for the title into the final round of these years BARC NW CNC Heads Sports Saloon Championship at Oulton Park. But another double win for Paul Rose’s Saker finally secured it over Paul Dobson, while outgoing Champion Joe Spencer spun into retirement.

For most of the year it became a familiar story with Spencer’s Locosaki and Garry Watson’s Westfield trying to build sufficient advantage to hold off the Saker’s of Rose and Steve Harris for the overall victories.

Both the Saker’s and Watson were missing from the first round at Oulton Park, leaving Spencer with a lights to flag victory once Roddie Paterson’s Caterham had retired. Nick Cresswell’s Caterham was second, on his only outing of the year, but had to fight off Dave Harvey’s Locosaki first.

Watson was back for the Croft double header and was a double winner, but Spencer had been a threat throughout. Rose was on the podium after Philip Duncan’s Westfield hit the chicane, but he couldn’t catch Spencer. While after leading briefly in the second race, he lost out to both Rose and Harris within a lap of each other.

On the first of two visits to Anglesey, Watson secured his third successive victory, with Rose once again splitting him from rival Spencer. But with Harris having intercooler problems Harvey followed team mate Spencer home in fourth.

Both Saker’s had new intercooler’s for the second race, but it was Spencer to the fore. Rose got by and consolidated the lead at the second attempt, while Harris completed the podium after Watson pitted with an oil leak from the rear axle.

The Donington rounds were on Motors TV and gave Rose his first winning double of the year. It was Watson and Spencer at the front again initially in race one, before Rose split them. Rose then took charge and Watson was a late pit visitor, which left Spencer and Harris to complete the podium, from Ric Wood’s BMW out for the first time.

Rose had more of a fight back in race two, after an early lock up the the chicane dropped him behind team mate Harris. He fought back into second before both he and Harris made it a Saker 1-2, with Watson a clear third after Spencer blew his engine.

Back at Oulton for round eight it was a fourth win for Rose, after Harris was left at the start. It was Watson, Spencer and Harvey out front, but the Saker’s soon closed in for another 1-2, after Watson’s car cut out at Lodge on the last lap and he took the flag in the pitlane.

Two double headers completed the season, the first a wet Anglesey. Rose had to hunt down Spencer and Watson again in the first race, with Spencer getting the better of Watson for second. But a broken driveshaft at the start of race two left Rose stranded before he was collected by Danny Bird and Richard Roundell.

Spencer was alleged to have jumped the restart but was joined by Watson and Harris in an early break. But Watson pitted to retire and left Spencer to take his second overall win of the season, from Harris and Garry Wardle’s Ginetta G50.

Rose was back on the grid to complete his second double victory and bring his seasons tally to seven in the Oulton Park finale and with it the overall title. It was a less auspicious end of the season for both Watson and Spencer however. Watson had a spin before crashing out in race oneand was forced to pit in the second with more rear xele problems. Spencer had finished second in the first race, but an off at Cascades in the second handed Luke Armiger’s Vauxhall Tigra a clear second over Harris.

With 20 plus on the grid for every round and an average of over thirty starters, there was pelnty of action in the classes.

Rose came out on top in Class A in all but two occasions. The first when his absence left Wardle to take the spoils in the Oulton Park opener, while Harris had his win at Anglesey after the startline shunt had eliminated Rose.

Harris had a few problems along the way but usually followed his Saker team mate to the flag, while Wardle ended the season strongly with third overall at Anglesey and two other six finishers at both Anglesey and Oulton.

Wood came out mid season with his BMW and was back for the Oulton finals, netting him fourth in class and there were occasional appearances from James Aukland’s Capri, Vic Lord’s Elise, Graham Saul’s Calibra, Paul Sampson’s Grand National Coupe and Neil Sampson’s TVR.

Despite having a troublesome year Watson was still class B Champion with six wins, which included three overall victories and three more podiums. It may have been closer if Armiger had contested more rounds. But the journey from Essex meant he didn’t appear until the fourth and fifth rounds at Anglesey, where he was fifth in both races and took his first class win of the season in the second. He won again at Donington and was victorious in both races at the Oulton finale too.

The only other winner in the class was former Hot Rodder Tim Foxlow, making his circuit racing debut in his Sonny Howard built MK1 Escort. He took the spoils at a soggy round 10 at Anglesey and finished third in the final class standings.

Jon Woolfitt debuted his MK Indy at Croft and blew the engine, but was back at Donington and showed both pace and reliability by the end of the season. Richard Morris’ Mini Clubman’s had a few issues but secured fifth in class, as did sixth placed Chris Maries, still getting to grips with his MK Indy previously raced by brother Dave.

Paul Woolfitt’s Z Cars Mini returned to the Championship too at Croft, but ended his weekend on the roof in front of the rest of his family. He returned later in the season with a brand new Mini.

Drew Myerscough had a couple of outings in his Caterham, but second overall and a class win in his only appearance was enough to give Cresswell eighth in class. Patrick Smyth’s Elan, Duncan and Paterson also made one-off appearances.

Class C was the domain of Spencer, the only times he didn’t win were Donington when the engine blew and the final round round when he spun off. Team mate Dave Harvey picked up those victories and had an overall podium in the first round of the year.

Despite his usual unpredictable season, Les Kirk’s Fisher Fury still secured third in class by a single point over Danny Bird’s Pell Genesis. Whereas Kirk’s incidents were mainly self inflicted, Bird had a number of mechanical woes, but his highlight was a fifth overall at a wet Anglesey, with Kirk sixth in the second race of that weekend.

Alistair and Dave Chilton were the only regulars in the class, gradually increasing their MK’s pace as the season wore on, while Peter Davies tried to master his Spire GT3 but ended the year with a blown engine. Lee Jones joined in with his Mini and Dave Fuller deputised for Harvey at the second Anglesey meeting and came away with a fifth place overall.

Former multiple Champion Paul Dobson took all but one of the class D wins in his Mazda RX7 and nine top six finishes overall, including third in the penultimate round at Oulton. His late season duels with Wardle became a highight, but he had to settle for second overall in the Championship.

Mike Hurst’s Seat took the one win at Oulton in round eight, when Dobson followed an early spin by hitting the chicane at Oulton. But Hurst’s season ended with a big shunt at Oulton in round eleven.

Debuting his new Subaru Impreza at the first Anglesey meeting, Oliver Thomas found some amazing pace but lost out to teething problems a number of times, but still secured second in class, ahead of Hurst.

Ralph Underwood’s TR7 V8 was fourth in class and even completed the Oullton finale despite filling the car with diesel before quaLifying. Ilsa Cox contested the the first four rounds in her Seat, but continued to be plagued with problems, She re-appeared for the season finale and after a strong finish in the first race, was forced to non start in the second, when the bonnet flew up on the green flag lap.

Bob Claxton had a few outings in his Renault 21 Turbo and latterly a VW Golf for seventh in class, with BMW driver Alex Harris eighth.David Matthias joined in at Donington too, with his Escort Cosworth, after Scott had contested the opener.

Historic racer Richard Evans also appeared in an Astra and there were outings too for Philip Morris’ Golf, Russell Hunter’s MGB, Dan Lenthall’s Clio and Glenn Collier’s Porsche 924 Turbo.

Class E was probably the most competitive and started well for Piers Grange’s Escort. He won the class at the first five rounds, but had a collision with Hurst at Donington in round six and the rest of season was spoiled by minor niggles, which dropped him to third.

The second half of the season became a battle between Paul Rotheroe’s Citroen Xsara and Steven Parker’s BMW Compact. Parker had more wins with three to two, but Rotheroe took the class title by two points after wins at Donington and Oulton.

Richard Roundell’s Vectra and Jamie Cryer’s Ginetta G20 had one win each, but bad luck and a few mechanical woes left them seventh and fourth repestively. Graham Laslett’s Elise was fifth in class with Jason Hennefer’s Honda Prelude sixth. Stephen Rowles also ran well, although his results failed to show it. His luck was mainly bad and he was eighth in class, with Nicholas Bartlett’s BMW M3, Kevin Cryer’s Ginetts, Simon Sheridan’s Clio and Gareth Pilling’s Honda Civic the other participants.

In class F Clive Dix’s Ford Puma was unbeaten and his nine wins crowned him champion. David Bird’s Honda Civic had started the season with win after a duel with Matt Spencer’s Peugeot 106 and had a terrific scrap with Dix at Croft too. He led at Anglesey too but lost the win when his car overheated and the negine let go on the last lap, failed to finish and ended his year.

Helen Allen’s Fiesta took two Anglesey wins in Dix’s absence to secure second in class from husband Brian. Bird was still fourth in class with Spencer fifth and Natalie Norman’s Mini sixth. Paul Griffin’s Fiesta came out at Donington but failed to start and similarly Colin Flynn’s Metro, which never went beyound qualifying. Geoff Morton’s Honda also appeared at the opening round but wasn’t seen again.

65 competitors took part in the Championship in some shape or form, which continues to make it one the best supported in the whole of the UK.

FINAL POINTS

1 Paul Rose 104

2 Paul Dobson 103

3 Joe Spencer 101

4 Clive Dix 88

5 Paul Rotheroe 76

6 Steven Parker 74

7 Dave Harvey 72

8 Steve Harris 69

9 Piers Grange 68

10 Garry Watson 64

11 Helen Allen 63; 12 Luke Armiger 57; 13 Garry Wardle 53; 14 Oliver Thomas 51; 15 Les Kirk 49; 16 Danny Bird 48; 17 Mike Hurst 46; 18 Ralph Underwood 45; 19= Brian Allen & Jamie Cryer 42.

Class A: 1 Rose 104; 2 Harris 69; 3 Wardle 53; 4 Ric Wood 15; 5 James Aukland 13; 6= Vic Lord & Graham Saul 6; 8 Paul Sampson 6; 9 Neil Sampson 3.

Class B: Watson 64; 2 Armiger 57; 3 Tim Foxlow 28; 4 Jon Woolfitt 23; 5 Richard Morris 20; 6 Chris Maries 15; 7 Paul Woolfitt 14; 8= Nick Cresswell/Patrick Smyth 4; 10 Philip Duncan 3; 11 Roddie Paterson 1.

Class C: 1 Spencer 101; 2 Harvey 72; 3 Kirk 49; 4 Bird 48; 5 Alastair Chilton 37; 6 Dave Chilton 17; 7= Peter Davies & Lee Jones.

Class D: 1 Dobson 103; 2 Thomas 51; 3 Hurst 46; 4 Underwood 45; 5 Ilsa Cox 29; 6 Bob Claxton 18; 7 David Mathias 13; 8 Richard Evans 10; 9= Alex Harris & Scott Mathias.

Class E: 1 Rotheroe 76; 2 Parker 74; 3 Grange 68; 4 J.Cryer 42; 5 Graham Laslett 41; 6 Jason Hennefer 38; 7 Richard Roundell 32; 8 Stephen Rowles 26; 9 Nicholas Bartlett 25; 10 Kevin Cryer 16; 11 Simon Sheridan 9; 12 Gareth Pilling 7.

Class F: 1 Dix 88; 2 H.Allen 63; 3 B.Allen 41; 4 David Bird 30; 5 Matthew Spencer 22; 6 Natalie Norman 11; 7 Paul Griffin 6; 8 Colin Flynn 3.

Words by Peter Scherer.

Many thanks to BARC (NW)

Classifieds Archive

£410000

£54000

POA

SOLD

SOLD

$1000000

$3000

POA

$399500

$115000

$25000

$17000