Mallory Park Sunday 29th May 2016
For the first time in 2016 it was time for a visit to Leicestershire's "other" motor racing circuit, Mallory Park. Long gone are the days of a meeting every Sunday at Mallory (Cars or Bikes),indeed this was the first car meeting of the season. With only 6 car meetings scheduled this year, The Spectator felt the need to journey the 20 miles South down the A447 to Mallory.
The last few years have been tough for Mallory. Previous circuit operators, BARC, left the circuit ( celebrating it's 60th Birthday in 2016!) in somewhat of a mess both physically and legally. The physical scars are being tidied up gradually, but a tightening up of the noise limits imposed at the circuit by the local council have seen a drastic reduction in race meetings compared to the glory days of the past. The new operators, Real Motorsport, seem enthusiastic about the circuit's future but one wonders what does the future hold for the small 1.35 mile speed bowl around the lake. Ironically the landowner of Mallory, Chris Meek, sadly passed away earlier in the week following a battle with cancer. Meek had rescued Mallory from closure in 1983 and as a former racer always had the circuit at his heart. Hopefully his passing won't lead to more uncertainty in the near future.
I have to say that this BARC organised meeting on this particular Sunday didn't look that appealing on paper. Had it been on any other circuit than Mallory then I'd have definitely given it a miss! Double-headers for Mazda Max 5, Hyundai Coupe Cup, Intermarque, MG Owners Club & Sevenesque Series meant a 10 race programme was scheduled.
Not only do the BRSCC and 750MC organise series for the venerable Mazda MX-5 but BARC do too. Quite how this has happened is worth a blog in it's own right but the Max5 Championship saw 17 cars on the grid with the vast majority being the Mk3 version. The first race of the day saw a very dominant win for championship leader Nick Dunn but an entertaining battle for 2nd raged in his wake with John Munro eventually taking the position. Munro travels from Aberdeenshire for his racing so the long distance traveller was rewarded! Indeed Munro harassed Dunn in the days 2nd race and there was good racing all the way through the field. The MX5 does provide some excellent racing and it would be a great idea if Clubs could "club" together and organise a MX5 Champion of Champions raceday involving all 3 series!
The Hyundai Coupe Cup has become a stand alone series in the last few years, breaking away from a class within the Track Attack Racing Club's Nippon Challenge. With only 9 cars at Mallory this is a risky move but as is the way with national racing, sometimes series flourish, sometimes series die. Ian Goodchild winning both encounters at Mallory. With a few more cars this could take off as the car itself makes for good racing.
The Avon Tyres Intermarque Championship and Sevenesque Series are usually to be found racing further South in the UK as both are organised by the South-East centre of BARC. The Intermarque's had 18 qualify but a very high attrition rate saw just 9 finish in both races. A curious championship this as the silhouette bodied ex-National Hot Rod cars are raced on longer circuits than originally intended for. The long straights of Mallory didn't seem to suit the cars on this day that's for certain! Malcolm Blackman wining both races. The first race win was fairly uneventful despite an early safety car period following a 2 car shunt at Gerards on the first lap. The second race of the day saw Blackman hounded by Lewis Smith until Smith (unsurprisingly...) retired.
6 Caterham's in the Sevenesque Series were bolstered by the Hart sportscar of David Tilley running in the Invitation class. Tilley won the first race but wasn't seen at all in the second race which finished the days proceedings.
Once the domain of the mighty MG Montego and Maestro the MG Owners Club Championship now caters for the the MGB, MGF and MGZR versions of the marque....Abingdon v China!! 21 cars provided the meetings biggest grid of the day and while the B's were most numerous, it was the ZF's that were the fastest with David Mellor triumphing overall in both races.
It was good to be back at Mallory but one has the feeling of a circuit at a crossroads. Earthworks meant that spectating wasn't possible between The Esses and the Hairpin. The earthworks look like they are trying to build earth banks upwards to keep noise away from Kirkby Mallory village. One hopes they are successful in keeping the circuit open. The tyre wall below is on the exit of Gerards and it's slightly disconcerting to see a gap between tyres and banking behind.....Hopefully a more permanent barrier is to be constructed behind the tyre wall in the near future.
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