LYDDEN SPRINT REPORT

oak & DMC and BARC(SE) ran the first round of numerous southern sprint championships at Lydden on Sunday under very challenging conditions.
Low cloud and drizzle made the first practice runs very slippery, catching out Andy Rackham who lightly rolled his AXGT on the Dover Slope. This made most take notice and from then on apart from a few spins, there was little delay.
A drying track for the first timed runs brought the quickest times of the day, with Terry Holmes coming out on top in his Reynard SF84 from Alli Gibbons in her Formula Vauxhall Lotus. Alli's husband Dave was very unlucky as a timing glitch ruined his first run just as the rain came back in earnest. The risk of throwing the car off proved too great for Dave and he decided to give a re-run and second run a miss.
Barry Train in his Reynard SF78 took 3rd, with the spectacularly driven March 813 of John Hewat and Rick Lee taking 4th & 7th.
4WD proved very effective in the hands of Les & Dean Beerling, giving them 5th & 6th overall in their Sapphire Cosworth. It also helped Gino Cuomo's Dax Rush to 8th. Possibly even more impressive was Peter Humphries' TVR V8S. This monster was phenomenally fast down what passes for straights at Lydden, 9th overall his reward.
The rain just got heavier as time went on leaving marshals and competitors alike rather glad that third fun runs were abandoned.
A good start to a season that promises great competition, we hope!

Andy Elcomb

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