Category: News

Known & respected across the industry, with a technical knowledge second to none, Steve Weavers celebrates 25 years’ service with FASSI UK this month.

Truck loader cranes were relatively simple machines back in 1997 & Steve has witnessed many legislative & technological changes since then. From the introduction of electronic load moment limiting devices in the 90’s, stability control systems in 2009, through to more recent challenges such as Tier One contractors site entry requirements, Steve has guided FASSI through it all.

Fast forward to 2022 & working with our dealers & service partners, Steve is at the centre of a constantly evolving network of 67 engineers, with the Training Academy spreading his knowledge & expertise to our graduates right across the country.

He is a key part of the success of our brand in the UK & on behalf of everyone at FASSI, thank you for the last 25 years.

The final round of the Bugatti Owners Club FASSI Classic Speed Championship took place at Prescott Speed Hill Climb on Saturday 1st October.

Predictions for the weather thankfully turned out to be very wrong as the day dawned bright, sunny and warm following the previous afternoon’s heavy rain. This made the first practice run of the day very tricky and not representative of the following attempts.

The paddock was saddened to hear of the passing of Charles Boulton early in the preceding week. A lovely chap, Charles was a keen supporter & local driver within the series since its inception. He will be much missed by all his friends and competitors from over the years. There was a moving tribute to Charles with floral tributes laid in the paddock space that should have contained driver, MGB V8 and of course, awning! A minutes silence and speech by the event commentator followed by a round of applause completed an emotional middle of the day.

​The FASSI championship overall ‘King of the Hill’ could be won by Steve Akers (Lotus Elan) or Ben Cross (MG Midget). Proving how close the year has been between these two drivers, they took it to the very final run by Ben before an outcome could be reached. This went in favour of Steve – well done on a fantastic season from all of us!

​The Saloon car class had a massive 17 car entry. Handicap winner on the day was Ian Stringer in his very pretty Alfa Coupe with a time well under his PB with the car. Second was John Louch in the A40 with Matt Clarke a close third in the flying Mk1 Mini. FASSI series sponsors Leigh & David were back in the tiny Fiat 695 Abarth along with John Barber and Peter Hall in their slightly larger versions. Fastest overall in Saloons on the day was Matt Clarke taking the Classic Hillclimb.com scratch award. Saloon car FASSI championship awards for the season went to Martin Saunders, first place in his Escort RS2000 Mk1, second was Dave Parr in the Ford Anglia from third place Brian Ashley in the Austin A40.

The Sportscars class may have contained the battle for 2022 overall honours but the handicap winner on the day was Ian Stainburn in his Reliant Scimitar coupe. Second was Tim Cross , ironically taking precious points off of son Ben who ended in third! Fastest time in the class on the day was the returning Steve Phennah in his LHD MGB Roadster. FASSI Championship class honours for the season went to Ben Cross in first, from Charles Boulton (MGB V8) – Charles having had a fantastic season in the big MGB V8. Third in class was Tim Cross making it a great season for the family in their immaculate MG Midget. The season scratch times award also went to Ben as a small compensation for the overall title slipping away.

The Racing and Sports Racing car class was thinly supported with only two runners this time. Handicap and scratch winner was Martin Jones in his lovely Elva Mk7. Second was Jeremy Rivers-Fletcher in the Triumph Special. Some very sideways antics out of the Pardon hairpin and Ettores gravel trap action proved he was certainly trying! FASSI championship class honours are first place to Christopher Wigdor (Mallock) sadly missing from the final round with a broken axle, Martin Jones in second and Carole Nicholls in third with her Historic FF1600 Nike. Classic Hillclimb.com season scratch award in the class went to Martin Jones.

Overall a great 2022 season with a very respectable sized entry , some very close competition but tinged with sadness at the loss of a great supporter, driver and friend…RIP Charles.

Follow this link for the full & final results table.

Thanks to all the Bugatti Owners Club / Prescott Speed Hill Climb staff, Tim Milvain for the task of handicapping (not easy!) and all the Marshals for their tireless efforts all year.

Thanks to Simon Braithwaite of www.classichillclimb.com for the finale write up & the talented Stuart Wing (@captureyourcarphotography) & Oliver Fessey (@throughtheeyeofoli) for the great photographs. Click here to go to the championship season photo gallery. 

The FASSI drivers managed a respectable championship 5th place (Leigh) & 8th place (Dave) with Dave taking the scratch time honours. A big thanks from Scuderia FASSI to TCM & his team at Middle Barton Garage for a well prepped car & a couple of repairs & tweaks along the way.

It’s always a tough competition after a short break but we loved this striking image ‘Stranger things’ from D Smith Specialist Transport of their FASSI F820RA lifting changing rooms into place for the new ‘Stranger Things Experience’ in London.

Bodmin based Parkway Timber Ltd has been in business for over 30 years supplying timber for small-scale DIY jobs and larger construction projects predominately across the South West.

The company has recently taken delivery of a FASSI F185A.2.23 xe-dynamic. This powerful crane is based on the F155A.2 & makes full use of the HD5 design classification to increase lifting capacity by 23%. Thanks to the advanced FX500 system, with proportional speed & dynamic control, this remarkable performance is achieved with no weight penalty over the base model. It comes equipped with radio remote control as standard & FSC-H stability control for ease of use.

The crane and chassis were supplied as a complete vehicle solution by S W Commercials our authorised FASSI UK sales & service partner based in Redruth, Cornwall.

www.parkwaytimber.co.uk

Round 4 of the Bugatti Owners Club FASSI Classic Speed Championship took place at Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb.

A reduced field of eight competitors made the journey to Salisbury but were rewarded with a warm welcome & a fantastic high speed course to enjoy.  

The 967 metre course starts down-hill, dropping down to Hollow, where the fastest cars doing around 120+ mph, round a sweeping left hander of Little Hollow and Hollow Bend, braking very hard in to the sharp and steep uphill section of Karousel. Speeds though Karousel are down to 25 mph. After the second right hand part of Karousel there is a short straight with a bump, Deer Leep where cars can get a little air, before the hard left hand corner of Ashes.. After Ashes, it’s up-hill again to the finish for a total rise of 43 metres.

The course record produced an average speed of just over 85 mph and the fastest recorded speed over the finish is 159 mph.

The FASSI sponsored Fiat Abarth 695 SS of Leigh Carter & Dave Fripp was quickly into top gear as it flew down the hill reaching the heady heights of 70mph which, in the tiny Fiat, is plenty fast.

The first timed sessions saw Leigh Carter sneak a dry run just before the rain started & getting within a second of his handicap time. He was followed by Mark Hobbs in his Escort who spun off at Karousel on a now greasy surface. The remaining competitors were driving more cautiously through light rain which took time off everyone gifting Leigh Carter a class win, with Dave Fripp in second.

Sadly the afternoon session was cut short when a competitor was taken seriously ill on the hill leading to the event finishing after the first timed runs.

Many thanks to the volunteer Marshalls & all the team at Gurston Down for a very well run event under what turned out to be difficult circumstances.