Location: Curborough Contact Chris Bailey

Donnington Park, Bank Holiday Monday, 30th May 2011

Report

The sheer number of entries for the 2011 memorial meeting made Bank Holiday Monday a day to remember.

The racing was always going to be hard with very wet conditions for practice and a drying line despite a continual showers meant any driver not on the racing line was driving with immense skill and very brave.

The day saw the field split into two races for the Challenge series due to the maximum grid being exceeded by enthusiastic entrants wishing to experience Donnington for the first time in a number of years.

First practice for classes C,R,D,E and I was claimed by Billy Bellinger in the invitation class plus 4 Super Sport. Billy driving the pre-production prototype for the first time out on track was 0.2 seconds quicker than Simon Orebi-Gann in his Roadster lightweight.Third on grid was Steve McDonald in his plus 8.

Second Practice was for the class A, B and F cars. Pole was taken by Daniel Lee in his class B plus 8 with Richard Plant in his class F plus 8 0.8 seconds behind. The Championship leader Russell Paterson was a disappointing tenth with the extreme wet conditions slowing the most powerful cars.

After lunch the first race start was the most dramatic of the day. The lights changing from red to green saw Steve McDonald get off to a flying start. The gap in front was just too narrow for McDonald to squeeze through and collided with Orebi-Gann and Bellinger. It was only Bellinger who came of fairly unscathed, the rest of the field were given two stranded cars to negotiate around, with the resultant bumps and scrapes the organisers stopped the race.

"The start of the aero racing trophy race"

The re-start saw Bellinger sitting alone on the first grid with the nearest surviving car lining up on row 3. The race win was convincingly claimed by Bellinger with Class C winner Tim Clark second some 48.5 seconds behind. Class R winner Kevin Laidlaw was third. Other class wins was Andy Faulds for class D and Adam Roper for class E.

The second race had a less dramatic start, but the race itself was just as entertaining as the first. The battle between Keith Ahlers and Russell Paterson soon emerged as the track was dryer than the morning practice.

"Russell Paterson and Keith Ahlers competing for the lead"

However on lap 9 Ahlers' car was suffering a misfiring engine and was forced to retire. This meant Paterson went on to claim victory in front of class B winner and driver of the day Andy Green. The two races had their respective times reviewed to give an overall result for the Peter Morgan Memorial Trophy being awarded to Russell Paterson.

"Russell Paterson - winner of the Peter Morgan Memorial Trophy"

Sponsors Aero Racing staged a scratch race for the inaugural Aero Racing Trophy. This was open to all classes who had entered the Challenge Series race. This was a re-run of the second race with Paterson and Ahlers out in battle once again. The fight for third place was just as exciting with Tony Lees and Tom Shrimpton both out in class B cars. Honours went again to Paterson, 0.2 seconds ahead of Ahlers who was only 10 seconds ahead of third place Tony lees.

Tim Whitworth Director of Aero Racing said " the day had been an amazing success despite the weather." The organisers of the event were the Morgan Sports Car Club and in particular Tony and Mary Oliver. Whitworth added " the club should be proud of the organisation of the meeting, my thanks go to Tony and his dedicated team".

The day for Aero Racing was a huge success with the Plus 4 Super Sport proving its pedigree by two out right wins and a class win in its first three races. The car driven by Billy Bellinger was the pre-production prototype of the limited edition run of 60 cars to be sold by Aero Racing. The race car ran the road going specification of powertrain, giving potential owners the level of performance they can expect. The car is available for the road from any UK Morgan dealer with prices from £49,995,

Results

Race 1

POS	NO	CLASS	NAME	ENTRY	BEST	TIME
1	17	I	Billy BELLINGER	4/4 SS	1:39.334	30:29.409
2	14	C	Tim CLARK	Plus 8	1:40.843	31:17.932
3	71	R	Kelvin LA1DLAW	Roadster	1:40.480	31:19.650
4	54	C	Phil TISDALL	Plus 8	1:41.018	31:21.434
5	61	R	Simon BAINES	Roadster	1:40.690	31:26.474
6	35	C	Clive GLASS	Plus 8	1:42.931	31:50.200
7	68	C	Sharlie GODDARD	Plus 8	1:44.090	31:55.535
8	46	R	Ph III THOMAS	Roadster	1:44.746	30:33.708
9	42	R	Peter COLE	Roadster	1:44.614	30:55.921
10	55	C	Kathleen SHERRY	Plus 8	1:44.834	30:57.139
11	32	D	Andy FAULDS	Plus 8	1:48 567	31:36.622
12	21	E	Adam ROPER	4/4	1:47.411	31:37.978
13	22	E	James SUMNER	4/4	1:48.803	31:38.118
14	47	R	Peter RAFTER	Roadster	1:47,851	31:47.420
15	8	C	Leigh SEBBA	Plus 8	1:49.821	30:58.574
16	91	E	Andrew MOORE	4/4 Sport	1:49.487	31:01.354
17	31	E	John BEVAN	4/4	1:58816	31:47.146

Race 2

POS	NO	CLASS	NAME	ENTRY	BEST	TIME
1	72	A	Russell PATERSON	Plus 8	1:34.677	30:54.031
2	85	B	Andy GREEN	Plus 8	1:36.037	30:55.085
3	73	A	Andy SMITH	Plus 8	1:37.120	31:27.439
4	9	A	Ray HIGGS	Plus 8	1:37.615	31:39.101
5	40	B	Robin PEARCE	Plus 8	1:38.178	31:40025
6	28	A	Phil GODDARD	Plus 8	1:38.829	32:18.370
7	4	B	Jonathan EDWARDS	Plus 8	1:39.415	32:21.815
8	10	B	George MARTIN	Plus 8	1:38.023	32:28.571
9	89	B	John EMBERSON	Roadster.	1:40.621	31:09.013
10	81	B	Roger WHITESIDE	Roadster	1:39.940	31:10.078
11	2	A	Barry SUMNER	Plus 4	1:41,157	31:15.938
12	77	B	Richard THORNE	Roadster	1:41.768	31:28.929
13	44	B	Tim HARRISON	4/4	1:43.621	32:05.276
14	16	B	Brett SYNDERCOMBE	Aero8	1:45,822	30:58.627
15	30	B	Daniel LEE	Plus 8	1:39.026	31:06.332
16	26	B	Greg PARNELL	Aero GIN	1:48.143	31:48.986
17	34	B	Peter SARGEANT	Plus 8	1:50.981	32:14.244

 

Combined Results

POS	NO	CLASS	NAME	ENTRY	TOTAL TIME
1	72	A	Russell PATERSON	Plus 8	30:54.031
2	85	B	Andy GREEN	Plus 8	30:55.085
3	73	A	Andy SMITH	Plus 8	31:27.439
4	9	A	Ray HIGGS	Plus 8	31:39.101
5	40	B	Robin PEARCE	Plus 8	31:40.025
6	28	A	Phil GODDARD	Plus 8	32:18.370
7	4	B	Jonathan EDWARDS	Plus 8	32:21.815
8	10	B	George MARTIN	Plus 8	32:28.571
9	17	I	Billy BELLINGER	4/4 SS	30:29.409
10	89	B	John EMBERSON	Roadster	31:09.013
11	81	8	Roger WHITESIDE	Roadster	31:10.078
12	2	A	Barry SUMNER	Plus 4	31:15.938
13	14	C	Tim CLARK	Plus 8	31:17.932
14	71	R	Kelvin LAIDLAW	Roadster	31:19.650
15	54	C	Phil TISDALL	Plus 8	31:21.434
16	61	R	Simon BAINES	Roadster	31:26.474
17	77	B	Richard THORNE	Roadster	31:28.929
18	35	C	Clive GLASS	Plus 8	31:50.200
19	68	C	Sharlie GODDARD	Plus 8	31:55.535
20	44	B	Tim HARRISON	4/4	32:05.276
21	46	R	Ph iii THOMAS	Roadster	30:33.708
22	42	R	Peter COLE	Roadster	30:55.921
23	55	C	Kathleen SHERRY	Plus 8	30:57.139
24	16	B	Brett SYNDERCOMBE	Aero8	30:58.627
25	30	B	Daniel LEE	Plus 8	31:06.332
26	32	D	Andy FAULDS	Plus 8	31:36.622
27	21	E	Adam ROPER	4/4	31:37.978
28	22	E	James SUMNER	4/4	31:38.118
29	47	R	Peter RAFTER	Roadster	31:47.420
30	26	B	Greg PARNELL	Aero GTN	31:48.986
31	34	8	Peter SARGEANT	Plus 8	32:14.244
32	8	C	Leigh SEBBA	Plus B	30:58.574
33	91	E	Andrew MOORE	4/4 Sport	31:01.354
34	31	E	John BEVAN	4/4	31:47.146
35	29	A	Keith AHLERS	Plus 8	13:30.247
36	87	B	Tony LEES	Plus 8	11:32.380

Location: Donnington Park Contact Philip Loring at p.loring@tiscali.co.uk Tel: 01438 227904