|
Midgets for Europe,
Short Circuit May 1977
Six of the countries
top Midget car drivers are to compete in the European Midget
Championship at Kaldenkirchen West Germany on May 30th. Included
in the line up will be British Champion Malcolm Goodman a
former Hot Rod driver from Bedfont, Middx., East Anglians
Mick Bonner, Roland Parker and Basil Craske. Drivers completing
the British line up are expected to be Brian Harding and Sussex
driver Alf Boarer. The GP Midget Club have completed negotiations
for 14 meetings so far this year at home, mainly with the
smaller promotions. By now meetings will have taken place
at Bristol's Mendips Raceway, and at Swaffham. The large Swaffham
track should be ideally suited to the Midgets which have proved
to be the fastest machines on the shirt circuit scene. Meetings
are also scheduled for Boston and Norwich stadiums and Bovingdon.
Possibilities of meetings at Spedeworth and PRI tracks have
not been ruled out at this stage. The Midget cars have always
had some of the most dedicated drivers, but have never really
caught the public imagination. This year though with enough
drivers on the books to field large entries, and a fairly
regular schedule, the Midgets could be on the way to a better
following.
30th May 1977 -
Kaldenkirchen - European Championship
Report by Bob Burridge from Short Circuit July 1977
Once again the 6 top
drivers of the Club loaded their cars onto transporters and
trailers accompanied by mechanics, friends and other interested
parties, headed by various routes and even more varied transport
to Posterholt in Holland. 1 personally arrived the preceding
Saturday and adjourned to the local track in the afternoon
for the 'training', the Dutch version of practice. Several
Dutch and German competitors were out on the track in their
various grades soon to be joined by Roland Parker (1500 BMC
Fireball) and Malcolm Goodman (130 BMC Fireball). Roland'ssessionwaswithoutincidentandthecarseemedtobe
handling well but Malcolm was plagued with mis-firing and
some funny brake problems made lift interesting for the spectators
and Goodman alike on the approach to and through the bends.
Several of the Dutch Midget drivers turned up and the Dutch
points leader, number 43 with his Scirrocco engined Dastle
was especially impressive.
Come Monday, the convoy
assembled outside Jan Bakkes' garage and accompanied by our
friendly Dutchmen set out for the German track. After heat
races for several classes in the morning the all important
draw for the Championship took place. Roland Parker emerged
triumphant having drawn pole position. Mick Bonner (1300 BMC
Scorpion) drew number 2 with Derek Johnson, our Anglo/German/Scottish
competitor drawing number 4 for his 1600 twin cam. Last year's
winner, Peter Loft, claimed number 6 with Malcolm Goodman
halfway down the field. Alf Boarer and Brian Harding, both
with 1300 BMC Arrows drew 15 and 16 and poor old Basil Craske
with a 1300 VW got last on the grid. Two more dramas with
Bonner having no clutch and Craske deciding to change his
gearing were sorted out in time and all 6 English competitors
made the grid.
Come the start and
Bonner surged into the lead with Johnson taking Parker within
2 laps to hold second. As the initial laps sped by 1 thought
we were going to have the Championship in the bag at last
but our patriotic fervour was soon stilled when with Mick
slowing down and then dropping out of the race with a bent
exhaust valve. Johnson took up the lead only to be blown off
by number 43, the Dutchman, who was screaming round the track
as though on rails. Further down the field Parker was slowing
with engine problems and Goodman was getting into all sorts
of problems with his car's handling. Alf Boarer and Fred Harding
were having a private race on their own until Fred made a
baddy and took them both out.
Basil Craske was slowly
climbing through the field although he appeared to be over-geared
for the occasion, then he got mixed up with a German driver
and Goodman on the top bend and was left sitting on the sand
with broken suspension. Looking round I could only find Malcolm
still on the track although completely outclassed by the Flying
Dutchman, Jan Van Rengs. Peter Loft was by this time lying
second and could make no impression on the leader, Derek Johnson
had dropped back some way due to some over enthusiastic cornering
techniques, and the race looked like being a procession. Then
suddenly two laps from home the Dutchman started slowing and
urged on by the frantic German spectators Peter Loft could
be seen cutting down the lead. On the last bend with Jan practically
willing his car along Peter Loft took him on the outside in
spite of an oil soaked track and accelerated to a well deserved
victory in the last 50 yards. The crowd went mad and the English
started looking forward to 1978. Jan finished second and Malcolm
Goodman the only Englishman to finish the course came home
sixth.
In the 3 heats that
followed Johnson took a second and a first, Alf Boarer collected
a 2nd while the best Goodman could manage was a 4th. All too
soon however, it was over and with a long j oumey home it
was 'Auf Wiedersen' and see you soon.
|
