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Spa Report - Round 2, 2010

Images from the Event

Images by Jon Bunston and Dave Smith of the Historic Formula One cars and drivers at their Round 2 Championship at Spa Francorchamps RMU Classic race meeting in May 2010. Sound Track is Boys, Boys, Boys and Starstruck by Lady Gaga

Race Report

Compiled by Stuart McCrudden

Proving the adage that age and experience can beat youth and enthusiasm, Joaquin Folch celebrated his 29th wedding anniversary with a text-book victory at Spa yesterday, edging home just five hundredths of a second ahead of the McLaren MP4 of Bobby Verdon-Roe to move into the lead in the championship by one point from the former BTCC driver.

The experienced Spaniard gunned his Ecclestone-owned Brabham BT49 from second place on the grid to beast BVR through La Source, held his nerve and passed the McLaren into Radillon. The two were never more than inches apart for the whole ten laps thereafter and headed Steve Hartley in third place by more than 26 seconds at the finish. This leaves the Historic Formula One Championship nicely balanced on points after two rounds with Bobby 15 and Joaquin on 16.

Bobby Verdon-Roe had taken his second consecutive pole of the HFO season at Kiki Bruyns’ RMU Classic meeting. The Ardennes were bathed in glorious sunshine throughout, which made for a highly competitive atmosphere with an excellent 22-car entry, including three new faces, delivering an entertaining weekend.

Friday’s test session saw Folch fastest in his Kumschick run Brabham ahead of Katsu Kubota’s Williams with Verdon-Roe third in the McLaren MP4, Steve Hartley fourth and Richard Eyre fifth.

First qualifying followed this pattern with the Spaniard setting the pace on 2m.12.068 seconds well ahead of the Japanese with Hartley’s Mirage Arrows third and Roland Kinch fourth in his G-Cat Arrows, although he was worrying about engine endurance. Verdon-Roe was also concerned about oil pressure on the MP4 and then ended the session in the gravel trap with brake fade put down to the wrong pad material.

Dave Abbott took seventh spot ahead of Nico Bindels in his Hall & Hall run Lotus 87B, Peter Meyrick’s AMR March, Belgian Jean-Michel Martin in the beautiful Fittipaldi F8C, Abba Kogan’s Williams and Peter Wuensch’s Wolf. Right at the end of the session Kinch’s engine let go curtailing his weekend’s enjoyment. The Hesketh of Turizio Cosimo suffered front suspension failure that could not be repaired at the circuit.

The second session looked like being too hot for much improvement but BVR was determined as ever and after a couple of laps to check the new brake pads’ performance he bolted a new set of BMTR Avon’s onto the MP4, listened to engineer Alan Mugglestone’s cryptic “right mate, concentrate” did just that and planted the Marlboro car on pole a fifth of a second faster than Folch.

Abbott’s sixth place was a great result following his shoulder surgery just a couple of months back. Nico Bindels had his Luxembourg Capital Lotus running sweetly in seventh ahead of Peter Meyrick, Martin’s Fittipaldi, Dan Collins Classic Team Lotus entry and Peter Weunsch’s Wolf. Abba Kogan constantly improves under the tutelage of the Bennett family for twelth on the grid ahead of Frenchman Patrick D’Aubreby’s Tyrell, the earlier chassis of the same marque of John Delane, commuting once again from California, newcomer Bernard de Saint Hubert in his Surtees, Belgian based Brit, John Grant in the interesting Trojan, Michel Baudoin’s Shadow, Christophe D’Ansembourg’s recalcitrant Williams and Italian lawyer Luciano Quaggia’s Theodore. D’Ansembourg had started the weekend in his McLaren M26 but that launched the motor in first practice forcing Stefan and Michael Kupta to race back to the MEC Auto shop to collect the Williams. The fuel system then played up at every opportunity until a final desperate re-piping just before the start had the car running sweetly for the race.

The grid lined up mid-afternoon Sunday in continuing glorious weather. Folch got the best start from row 2 and was beside the MP4 into La Source, Kubota chose second gear wrongly and lost several rows to the first corner, Hartley held off Eyre and Abbott. The leaders were side-by-side out of the corner and the Brabham dragged ahead into the famous kink at the bottom of the hill to take a slender first lap lead that would be the thrilling feature of the whole ten laps.

I could make up a few metres at Les Combes and Fagnes but that car has a really strong motor for the straights,”

said BVR on the Podium. Kubota had dropped to twelth on the first lap but worked his way back to fifth by lap four and having squeezed close to Richard Eyre passed the Southend steelman into fourth spot on lap seven. Jean-Michel Martin brought the F8C into sixth at the finish ahead of Collins, D’Ansembourg’s cleanly running Williams, Meyrick’s March taking class B honours and Peter Wünsch in tenth spot. D’Aubreby won class D and John Delane took his customary class A award.

Pundits had forecast that the ex Christian Glasel McLaren MP4 in BVR’s quick hands would romp away with this year’s HFO title but now two races in and the BT49 is clearly a straight match. What an exciting season this is going to be for the FIA’s premier historic championship. Folch was typically reserved at the finish, celebrating his victory with Freddy Kumchick’s friendly team and toasting his victory to his wife, Virginia, as the best anniversary celebration possible.

Now for the fast race at Monza; I think the two cars should be evenly matched there too so we will continue the fun!”

Race Results

Compiled by Circuit de Spa Francorchamps

Overall Points – Round 2

Compiled by Oli McCrudden

Overall Points – Round 2

Compiled by Oli McCrudden

Download Official Results Sheets

Download a copy of the combined HFO results at Spa here.