BMW Drivers Cup – Round 1

Calder Park Raceway (Twilight Meeting)

2nd February 2008

Report by “The Mobile Chicane”

Season 2008 opened with a great day/night meeting at Calder Raceway on Saturday 2nd February 2008. 

Calder management had scheduled a late morning start, beginning with e30 scrutineering at 11am, practice at 12:40 pm, qualifying at 2:45, and races at 4:30, 7:35 and 9:15pm, with this final race under lights.

A field of 11 E30’s attended, producing some very close racing and a number of position changes in every race.  Three new drivers attended, Simon Watkins in the ex-Nick Stillwell car, Chris Gidney driving Phillip Showers’ No 11 car and Anton Bergman driving Michael Stillwell’s red car with Michael relishing his new role as a team owner.

Highlights of the day were:

• the great performance by Stephen Ford, with two second places and a third, fastest race time of day and an overall win for the meeting,

• David Levy returning from a 12-month absence to win race 3, only to have it taken away by a 15second penalty for jumping the start.  (David’s quote “be careful guys, I’m hot and the season’s just started”)

• last year’s champ Craig Munro winning the first two races, and then losing a cylinder in the final race to finish 4th for the meeting. (Gotta watch that rev-limiter, Craig). 

• the improvements in Paul’s cornering speeds when he set his shockers a biit differently)

• the interesting effect the floodlight glare had on windscreens and driver vision halfway around Turn 1 at 80-90kph, as well as the difficulty of determining exactly who it was on one’s rear bumper. 

Qualifying times were slower than the last Calder meeting, with Craig’s time of 1:09.5267 being almost two second slower than his blazing lap record from last year (missing some ponies somewhere there, Craig?).  Stephen qualified second with his best official time to date, Oliver was 3rd, Geoff 4th (both almost a second and a half slower than last time), David Levy 5th, and they were followed by Paul,  Graeme, Simon, Rob, Anton and Chris.

Race 1 (6 laps) started cleanly, with Oliver trying an inside line on Steve in turn one, only to have the gate shut firmly in his face.  He then passed the favour on by doing the same to Geoff a few times during the race.  Steve had a quick excursion through the grass at the end of the back straight, rejoining the track and staying just ahead of Oliver, who continued to fend off Geoff, who in turn had David snapping at his heels.  Graeme, Paul, Anton and Rod swapped places a few times as well, with the final placings being Craig follwed by Stephen and Oliver with Geoff half a second behind in 4th. David came in 5th then Paul, Graeme, Simon, Rob, Anton and Chris.  Paul and Rob were then both penalised 5 seconds for jumping the start, with both losing a place in the official list.

Race two (12 laps) started at 7:35pm, with the cooler temperatures and a bit more practice under their belts, found the whole field recording times of half a second or more faster than Race 1, with the fastest half dozen cars all in the 1:09’s.  Geoff had a little sideways moment in turn three, allowing David through, and the first 6 cars held their positions to the end.  Further down the field however, there was some spirited dicing and position changes going on between, Simon, Graeme, Anton and Rob with less than four seconds between them at the finish.  Craig won the race from Stephen, followed by Oliver, David, Bowlesy, Paul, Simon, Graeme, Anton, Rob and Chris.

Race 3 started at 9.15pm, with the light virtually gone.  The cooler conditions and tricky light contributed to Stephen having a bit of a moment at the end of the back straight on lap 2, allowing David, Geoff (who had shot past Oliver the first time he was finally given some room) Oliver, Simon and Paul to get by. Craig’s motor then went off-song, reducing him to what sounded like 4 or 5 cylinders, allowing Stephen to pass both him and Paul.  Final placings for race 3 were David then Geoff, followed by Oliver 0.2 seconds ahead of Stephen, then Simon, Anton, Paul, Rob, Craig and Chris, with Graeme DNF.  The scene in the pre-grid area when David pulled in at the head of the field was unbelievable – twenty or more people mobbed his car and hoisted him into the air in triumph – the excitement was wonderful, and it was an awful anticlimax to then have the win taken away by a 15 second early-start penalty.

Final placings for the meeting were Stephen Ford winning overall, with Oliver Lindsaar and Craig Munro tied for second followed by, Geoff, David, Simon, Paul, Anton, Rob, Chris and Graeme.