I first came across him at Bodiam Hillclimb many years ago when he’d blown a radiator hose on his Fiat 131 and we managed to fix it with some bits of exhaust pipe salvaged from a local repair shop!
Anyway, here’s what he has been up to this year and what he intends to do in 2003.
2002 Season – Astra GSi”R” Road saloon, 270 BHP.
Chris has gone well this year, topping the tables of no less than three Association championships – the ASEMC/ACSMC, LCAMC and AEMC sprint championships.
3rd overall and class winner of All Circuit TWMC championship, class winner of the CCC/BARC sprint championship, probable winner of the Harrow CC club championship, 6th in our Marketing Machine League......it goes on!
The above was managed over 34 events around the country, with 29 wins in sprints/hillclimbs. Whew!
Next year he intends to go back to circuit racing with the Astra, in the BRSCC Super Road Saloons, Pagid Castle Combe Saloons and SEMSEC. What is pretty amazing is that he drives the car to (and mostly!) from all the meetings – he’s a real glutton for punishment!
Vulcan engineering should be rolling-roading the engine soon and he is full of praise for their work on the head.
Quaife are building a new gearbox with their latest diff, but all of this is to be helped by trying to lose a further 50 kilos from the current 1000 kilo weight.
The Astra has finally beaten some of his older Cavalier’s times and tops the current B5 2 litre Road Saloon class at Goodwood, Lydden and Brands.
Fast sweeping bends are best for this car, and lightening it should help a fair bit. It’s not really a hill car and is tricky getting the power down at first, but once moving it’s jolly quick.
So no doubt he’ll be appearing at speed events as well as the races – look out Marketing Machine competitors, Chris is going to quicker in 2003!
On a different tack, Chris’s Turner MkII VUD 701 was on display at the recent Classic Car show at the NEC, Birmingham.
It is mostly restored and was shown with the body panels off, attracting good interest. Chris hopes that with it’s FIA papers and history this valuable car will appear at Goodwood Hillclimb and Revival meetings, Prescott and the like, resplendent in it’s Silkolene colours.
Hopefully Chris will bring some pictures to display at our Dinner Dance in February.