It’s just Classic and in the sunshine too
Last updated 05:45, Friday, 22 August 2008
WELL, asking you to pray for sun obviously resulted in you being heard in the heavens as last weekend’s 20th Cumbria Classic Weekend proved to be a huge success as the dreaded rain had a sabbatical for two days.
However, as my Forth Road Bridge Mk 2 Jag is in bits I was seething with jealously on Saturday when the full entry of yummy classic cars taking part in the Pennine Classic Tour growled past my house having set off from the Penrith Rugby Club.
On the tour, the cars headed as far north as Hadrian’s Wall for lunch and returned to Penrith for tea.
And I am reliably told all the crews enjoyed the event which was masterminded by Bob and Mary Smith.
My frustration again rose the next day when an aviation incident I had to deal with made me miss the Sunday Cumbria Classic Show at Dalemain.
There, a record 440 entries of classic cars were drooled over by the equally record crowds present.
The spectators were entertained by autotests, sporting and 4x4 trials, and to the celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaguar’s famous twin cam, six-cylinder XK engine, the Solway Jaguar Car Club welcomed no less than 44 examples to their stand which sadly did not include my poorly Mk2!
The Car of the Show was Stuart Oliver’s Jaguar E type which was voted the top car by the other class award winners.
The number of club displays has grown year on year and this year was no exception with the Cumbria Subarus taking the best club display award.
They also raised over £400 for the Richard Burns Foundation.
Moreover, it is noted that the standard of cars gets higher each year and perhaps reflects the fact that most of them are not museum pieces but used regularly and there were very few “show” cars brought on trailers.
As a self judging system is adopted at Dalemain for all the classes such show cars tend to not get as many marks from fellow owners for that reason.
In addition, there was a strong motorsport display from the organising Wigton MC as part of national motorsport week and the Go Motorsport Campaign which pleasingly attracted new members to the sport.
On the ADAC Rallye Deutschland last weekend, a round of the World Rally Championship, our local Stobart VK M-Sport rally team had their excellent performance marred by the horrendous accident on the first day involving team member, Gigi Galli, after which he had to be airlifted to hospital for surgery on his fractured femur.
Thankfully, he was discharge on Wednesday but will be out of action for many weeks if not months.
The shock was eased by the superb performance of Francois Duval who claimed the team’s fifth podium finish by picking up fastest time on several stages to pip BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen to the rostrum.
Matthew Wilson meanwhile languished down in 12th place but the podium certainly pleased Stobart Group CEO Andrew Tinkler despite the Galli accident.
There is lots of action this Bank Holiday weekend starting with the Oulton Park Gold Cup where you can see some of the top historic racers in action over Sunday and Monday, including local drivers Ed Glaister and Simon Smith.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the TJ Services Northern Speed Championship heads for Forrestburn with the leading local drivers, Peter Garforth and Colin Birkbeck closely matched for the top honours with only three rounds to go.
On Sunday, though the rally stages in Lowther Park will be run, sadly for health and safety reason spectators can’t be admitted because of the dreadful weather which made the grass areas totally waterlogged.
It is a great disappointment for the organisers and there will be absolutely no parking in Lowther village and surrounding road sides which the police will be patrolling.
So, if you want to see the crews, get to the starting ramp outside the George Hotel, Penrith at 11.50am and 5.20pm when you will also be able to see Boyzone star, Shane Lynch who is co-driving William Stobard’s Ford Focus WRC to lead off the rally followed by local rally ace, Dougi Hall in a Mitsubishi Evo 9.
