The opening round of the Bugatti Owners Club FASSI Classic Speed Championship took place at Loton Park Hill Climb on Sunday 26 March.
The Loton Park Speed Hill Climb course is 1475 yards (1349 metres) long & is extremely challenging for competitors with a wide variety of corners and a changing character as an ascent progresses. Combine this with the damp conditions & you had a day where the best drivers came to the fore.
This was illustrated with a blistering but controlled drive by Scuderia FASSI’s Dave Fripp coming home in 4th place in the saloon class, only missing out on second place by a tenth of a second & just two hundredths on third. Our other driver, Leigh Carter, broadsided across the grass on the last corner to finish nowhere but at least entertain the Museum spectators.
Saloon winner on the day was Mark Hobbs in the Ford Escort Mk2, just a second off his personal best in the greasy conditions. Second & third places went to FASSI Championship debutants: Peter Baker drove his 1950’s Daimler Conquest right on the edge to finish second with Ben Thorne in the Austin Mini Clubman in third.
The Sports Car class was won by Ben Cross who beat his father Tim into second place in their dual drive MG Midget. Third place went to Garry Cox in the Reliant Scimitar Coupe ‘lemon slice’.
The battle for outright fastest up the hill was between Matt Clarke in the flying Austin Mini & Garry Cox in the Reliant Scimitar Coupe who just pipped it by a few hundredths on the final timed run.
Many thanks to the talented Stuart Wing & Steve Shelley for the great photographs & to all the staff & marshals at Loton Park for a well run event.
Click here to go to the championship photo gallery.
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- Mark Hobbs Ford Escort MK2
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- Peter Baker Daimler Conquest
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- Ben Thorne Austin Mini Clubman
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- Ben & Tim Cross MG Midget
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- Garry Cox Reliant Scimitar Coupe
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- Matt Clarke Austin Mini
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- Scuderia FASSI Fiat Abarth 695 SS
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- Dave Parr Ford Anglia
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- Andy Clarke Alfa Romeo 105 gtv
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- Alistair Clark Triumph Vitesse Mk2