Sunday 1st April. 1990 - Peterborough - Fretten Shield
and Ace Communications Shield
Report from Competition Car by Anne Sayell
The 1990 Grand Prix Midget racing season got underway on April
1st with a very successful meeting at Alwalton Raceway, Peterborough.
Despite several drivers still completing winter rebuilds there
was a very good turn-out including some new faces. Tim Reeve,
an electrical contractor from March in Cambridgeshire bought
his Fireball design from Rod McLaughlan just ten days before
the first meeting. After working flat out he had so transformed
the car that many old hands failed to recognise the now immaculate
machine! Also from March, Gordon Pooley is another newcomer
to motor racing and the Midget formula; he bought an old chassis
and spares just weeks before the season's start from John
Blackwell. The old chassis was discarded and Gordon and employees
from his plant hire business built a fresh one, based on the
Arrow shape. He failed to score points at his first meeting
but drove well before a suspension fault side-lined him.
As previously predicted in Issue 21 of Competition Car, Duncan
Long, a building manager from Saffron Walden put the ex-Harry
Sayell Arrow to good use at his first meeting. Scoring points
in both his races from the back of the grid and, when allowed
to move to the front of the grid in the final, romped home
for an impressive flag to flag victory, collecting the Ace
Communications Shield. A delighted Duncan explained that he
was in fact suffering from a painful shoulder after an injury
received whilst kart racing, and won the race with his wife
Gail's jumper stuffed in his overalls as padding!!
Other victories on the day went to Michael Fowler of Doncaster
who has missed meetings in recent years due to heavy work
commitments, but he hopes to put in a full season in 1990.
Michael took home the Eric Fretten Shield, traditionally raced
for on the first race of the season. And Peter Shreeve, 1989's
'Best Newcomer' took the chequered flag in the second race
with his new Arrow design, and also earned the silver fin
plate allotted to top points scorer for the next Midget outing.
Eddy Ricketts and Kevin Stanford both went home very disappointed
men after they suffered engine problems early in the proceedings.
It was Eddy Ricketts' first outing in the ex-Basil Craske
VW.
Graham Sinclair discovered clutch problems during practice
and consequently had to start all races from the very back
of the grid, but still finished well up in the second and
third races, stamping his authority on the track for the rest
of the year.
Finally, noticeable absentees from the track (though seen
in the pits) were Basil Craske, reigning World and European
Champion who is in semi-retirement this year but still busy
as new Club Chairman and Harry Sayell, still completing his
VW build; he's expecting to be out in early May.
Eric Fretten Shield: 1st Mike Fowler, 2nd Peter Shreeve, 3rd
Harold Lowe, 4th Dave Wesbroom, 5th John Weston, 6th Eddy
Ricketts
Race 2: 1st Peter Shreeve, 2nd Steve Jobson, 3rd Graham Sinclair,
4th Dave Wesbroom, 5th John Weston, 6th Duncan Long.
Ace Communications Shield: 1st Duncan Long, 2nd Graham Sinclair,
3rd John Weston, 4th Mike Fowler, 5th Peter Shreeve, 6th Steve
Jobson
