Time Gent’s Please
Calling time on the gentlemen’s challenge
The renamed “dadson masters” started at Lydd raceway in Kent.
A bright sunny weekend greeted 30 of the 32 registered drivers, however, only 27 could race due to licensing problems.
Rotax importers, Jean and John of JAG Engineering came along to “put the rubber stamp on the series” with support and prizes.
Newcomers are aplenty to the series this year and no exception to this is me as reporter, I won’t talk of tick verses tock, big brother or little brittain, nor getting lost in train stations! Just bland “ole racin” and there is plenty of that, 355 overtaking manoeuvres are to follow with massive grids it would appear making up places (racing) would be the order of the day.
At drivers briefing C of C’s Ray Crossley and Vince Lepine asked all dadson drivers to stay behind “for a chat” afterwards I welcomed the new drivers and introduced them to our series co-ordinator Tracy Francis. Jan took photos and profiles for the website. In the draw Wooder won a sniper laser system and Pasterfield won a set of slicks.
Let’s go racing.
Heat 1
Overtaking manoeuvres= 36. Fastest lap Wooder 38.7
Francis and Gilbert took the front row but Gilbert would drop back to 5th, Francis led until lap 7 when Wooder took the lead and went on to win with a 38.7. This would be the fastest lap all day. Beckenham started and finished 3rd but there is always a race within a race and Bent was racing.
It was newcomer to the series, Nigel Fordham pleasing the onlookers with a stomping drive from 18th to 4th
Heat 2
Overtaking manoeuvres= 62. Fastest lap Kerr 38.9
Brittain went from front row to flag, Lofting, Rogers and Friend racing for 2nd 3rd and 4th. There was plenty of racing at the back with Kerr going from 18th to 9th and Fairbrass made up 7 places to finish 13th
Heat 3
Overtaking manoeuvres= 8.1 Fastest lap Lofting 39.2
Wooder won from p4 but another newcomer to the series Lofting was overtaking with finesse to finish 2nd, also making up 11 places to finish 3rd was Brittain.
Heat 4
Overtaking manoeuvres= 52. Fastest lap Kerr
Kerr took a lights to flag victory, behind a pattern was beginning to appear. Newcomers Fordham was next to see the chequered with Lofting coming from p8 to bring it home 3rd.
And so to the final
Overtaking manoeuvres= 124.
With 27 drivers on the grid we didn’t need a b final so all were to make the a final therefore no one would go home disappointed “yea rite” Lofting on pole Wooder p2 Fordham p3 Brittain p4 1 false start re-grid approach the lights for the 2nd time and its go go go Beckenham 5th) gets tagged from behind by team mate Francis putting him in to the kitty litter everyone jostling for position into the 1st chicane Rogers is way out of shape almost sideways but the field is so tightly packed he gets pushed straight recovers but alas down to 15th Wooders now got the jump and into 1st Fordham’s into 2nd putting pole man Lofting back to 3rd Weatherley is up to 4th putting Brittain back to 5th with Francis hot on his heels. Gilbert made up 4 places Friend and Bryn green made 4 while Richard green gained 8 positions. Rubbing, racing whatever you want to gall it this is entertaining stuff and don’t forget were on lap 1.
Lap 2 and were starting to settle down we’re thro the shenanigans of the 1st few corners Lofting gets passed Fordham again for 2nd by lap 3 Fordham was in 2nd again with Lofting staying 3rd and that is how they would finish Brittain takes Weatherley back for 4th with Francis still hot on his heels for 5th Kerr made up 2 places to finish 6th taking the last trophy. New drivers showed that the dadson regular front runners were not going to have it all there own way testament to this was Nigel Fordham getting fastest lap in the final, finishing 2nd and until Saturday had never seen Lydd before. Needless to say and not withstanding the fact in heat 1 he came from 18th to 4th. He gets the driver of the day award. Dadson Masters will be at a circuit near you this year, go on,
Do the Dadson.
1 - Wooder (Kosmic) 2 – Fordham (Gillard) 3 – Lofting (Alonso) 4 - Brittain (Tony) 5 – Francis (Tony) 6 – Kerr (Tony)
Driver of the day Nigel Fordham.