Crisis Racing on pole position! That was what the timing screens said after qualifying ended, much to the joy of Nick Roads and Hugh McCurrich. However it was soon noticed that McCurrich's time was some 10 seconds faster than anyone else, and had been set as he came through the pitlane to change drivers halfway through the session! With the car duly demoted to 19th (bit of an anli-climax), there was still a bit of a shock as the front row was a Robinson 1-2. Father and son had been working together in qualifying and it had paid off, as they locked out the front row. Myatt was 3rd ahead of Simon Clarke (replacing Cowling), O'Keeffe, Fritchley and Matthew Hollis.

Hollis had failed to finish the session however, as his fan sheared and cooked the engine. This led to a slightly bizarre incident, as such was the time pressures, the marshals couldn't wait for a tow truck, so simply pushed Hollis down the hill and told him to go into the pitlane. However, when the momentum eventually rolled him there he found it wasn't open, so as he crossed the line, the chequered flag was limply waved at the silent car by the marshal wearing a very quizzical expression on his face! Hollis then had to turn right into the pitlane exit and pray the next session's cars weren't already accelerating out of the pitlane!

The start of race 2 was even less uniform than race 1, as only the first 3 rows or so were in 2x2 format, but either way the cars were off, and by the end of the lap it was Fritchley who was in front, followed by A Robinson, M Robinson, O'Keeffe end Myatt. By the end of lap 3 it was clear this race wasn't going to be quite the same as the first, as Fritchley and O'Keeffe worked together to pull out a 2.5 second gap over the chasing pack. Some things hadn't changed though, as Breeze once again got to which the race from the sidelines, retiring after just one lap!

Mick Storey was having another good race, just hanging on to the leading pack in 10th, and behind him was a titanic battle for 11th between Davies, Martin Fox (replacing Mike Fox) - who was helpfully leaking fuel on any left handers, which fortunately there are not too many of at Mallory - Richard Hollis (replacing Martin Riman), Paton, Baker, Crook, Mark Evans (replacing Roger Lott), Coghill and Hugh McCurrich
(replacing Nick Roads). Phew! Half a lap back were Cardell and Brocklebank, whilst Shoebridge was rapidly being caught by the leaders.

It was definitely leaders now, and not leader, as despite her best efforts, Fritchley had not managed to get away. O'Keeffe had stuck
right with her, and after everyone else sorted themselves out, they had been caught by Myatt and the two Robinsons. It was going to be
between these 5 for the win. One man who wasn't there was Matthew Hollis, who had been trying to make up for the decrease of power he
found himself with (eventually traced to a damaged barrel and crank after the earlier qualifying incident). Having out-braked himself at the hairpin, he managed to avoid going off the tarmac, but only because Steve Panas (replacing Ainslie Bousfield) acted as a brake. The impact was enough to jam the fan and sieze the engine, and put Hollis out on the spot, although Panas manages to continue with little more than a broken fog light!

Going into the last lap, it was O'Keeffe ahead of Fritchley and Myatt, but down the back straight Sammie went around the outside of the leading car, and so nearly made it through into the Esses. The trouble was, Myatt was trying to get down the other side of O'Keeffe, and as the 3 cars all turned in, in was clear this wasn't going to be a happy ending. Myatt got out of it the best he could, but the ensuing knock
had pushed O'Keeffe into the back of Fritchley, and as the cars continued to turn right Sammie found herself pushed round in front of the other cars! O'Keeffe lost his front wing, Myatt went off on the grass, and Mike Robinson smacked into the side of Fritchley as he went past. The only driver to get away scot free was Anthony Robinson who got alongside the recovered O'Keeffe on the outside of the hairpin, but couldn't find a way past. So it was O'Keeffe who toolk a second victory, from A Robinson, Myatt and M Robinson. Alec Graham (replacing Michael Vergers) took 5th from Clarke, Panas and Storey, who was pleased with 8th and only 6.5 seconds behind the winner. Davies had broken clear of the midfield battle and claimed an excellent 9th, just ahead of an understandably furious Fritchley, who had conveniently spun into the paddock entrance and then rejoined. Richard Hollis passed 4 cars on the last lap to take 11th from Paton and Crook, with 11th to 18th still only separated by 1.7 seconds - arguably the best battle on the track, but which the TV viewers saw nothing of! 

So all in all, it had been a good meeting, and most importantly a chance for 2CV racing to show the public why this championship should
be considered as one of the best in the country! Almost incidentally, the championship battle had changed considerably, with Cadwell winner
Hollis dropping to 6th and the Gadget pairings of Clarke and Cowling, and Panas and Bousfield, moving up to challenge new leader Fritchley.

All to play for at Oulton!

Qualifying:

1st: Mike Robinson
2nd: Anthony Robinson
3rd: Phil Myatt

Race:

1st: David O'Keefee
2nd: Anthony Robinson
3rd: Phil Myatt