Date: 29/4/07 | Host Club: Manly Warringah Sporting Car Club
Sunday April 29, Manly Warringah Sporting Car Club ran the Des Jones Memorial Hillclimb at Wakefield Park, in honour of the club’s longstanding club motorsport stalwart.
Fortunately the weather remained fine, unlike Round 3 held in Canberra the previous day. MWSCC and SDMA had combined to run an innovative “double header” weekend and despite the smaller than hoped weekend attendance a number of new records appeared at Wakefield.
Tim Edmondson (Force PC) started keenly, leading the Formula Libre 1301-2000cc class and championship favorite Peter Gumley (Wortmeyer SCV) by 0.22s on the opening run. Steve Hooker was next, the Jedi Suzuki sporting a new front wing, repaired overnight after an “off” at Fairbairn Park.
The second run saw Gumley slip into the lead. His day was going well, the only setback being a broken blower belt on the fifth run. The sixth run proved handy, as he then set FTD unopposed and a new course outright record of 43.34s.
Steve Hooker went close to a class record and as he grabbed second outright (45.74s) on his fifth run while Tim Edmondson experienced a little more bad luck and slipped a place (46.66s) as the Force PC suffered engine problems.
Tom Donovan (Megakart) finished the day as quickest of the up to 750cc Formula Libre cars in fourth outright on 47.61s just ahead of Geoff Lord in the Axtell Suzuki .
Ron Hay (Historic RH Honda) claimed sixth outright (50.25s) after a trouble free day, finishing narrowly ahead of Peter Robinson (PRS) on 50.70s and Mark Inwood in the steadily improving GRD Toyota on 50.73s.
Unusually, the Abbott family had the Improved Production 1601-2000cc class to themselves. Nathan (VW Beetle) taking the class win on this occasion, along with tenth outright and Best Tin Top on 52.32s.
A new record went to Col Merz (Renmax Vee 1200) 53.05s, clearing the longstanding record of Kevin Charlton in the process, while Morgan Freemantle set a new record for 1600cc FVee (52.85s). New records also were set by Jim Norris (Marque Sports Datsun 280ZX), Paul Finch (Open Sports PRB) and Bob Wooton, Group Sc Lotus.
Alan Barlow – NSW Hillclimb Website Editor
PHOTO GALLERY:
Courtesy ebarlowphotos.com