Race report: Snetterton – 1st & 2nd April

Qualifying

Tom Robinson experienced noise difficulties in the supercharged XJR, the static tests proving ok but drive-by noise was adjudged too loud for the circuits regulations. This problem was to dog him all day.

Carrying on their battles from 2016, Colin Philpott & James Ramm qualified on the front row with Philpott a considerable 1.499 seconds ahead. Row 2 consisted of Rodney Frost & last year’s championship winner Tom Butterfield, in the first saloon. Standard Class A was led by the ever improving Simon Blunt followed by new boy Michael Holt & Nick Wade, promising the usual big battle for class honours. Adam Powderham was jumping from standard class A to fully modified Class D in his new XJR, & qualified ahead of Patrick Doyle’s fearsome 6 litre XJ-S. The Derek Pearce XK8 suffered vibration problems which were unfortunately not diagnosed until the race.

Second Race

Following much work on silencing, the Robinson XJR was tested for 3 laps and deemed to be quiet enough to start race 2. Good really, as it was Tom’s birthday!. The Pearce XK8 non- started due to the previous day’s gearbox mounting problem.

Race 2 continued in the same vein as Saturday with Ramm leading Philpott’s flame spitting XJ-S by inches, however positions were reversed on lap 2. Philpott fended Ramm until lap 6. Ramm repassed to take the chequered flag by 0.3 of a second, surviving a hairy slide at Oggies bend along the way. Connew led Bye & Frost until a big spin at Coram dropped him out of contention. Again Pizzala & Powderham continued their Saturday battle, as if attached to each other by a short rope. Doyle had a very tardy start & fought his way from 11^th to finish 3^rd, earning Drive of the Day award. Blunt again took Class A but was fortunate that he suffered electrical on the slowing down lap. Stewart had a couple of dust raising moments at tricky Oggies, drawing oohs & aahs from the spectators.

A truly terrific start to the season!