DON ROLLS BACK THE YEARS


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The Don Truman Trophy Race Day took place on a dry, sunny Sunday at Mallory Park on the 26th April, with practice commencing at 9.30am. This was the third occasion this event has taken place and many of you will remember the first event in 2006, which was organised to coincide with both a significant birthday for Don and the 60th anniversary of the Club.

The morning’s sessions passed without mishap with the BRSCC Porsche 924s, the 500s, BRS Recovery Ford XR Challenge and Ma5da Racing.com MX5 Trophy competitors going out on circuit for both untimed and timed practices.The first race of the day took place after the lunchbreak and the first BRSCC Porsche 924 Championship race was won by Kamal Kalsi, although the fastest lap was set by Matthew Upchurch. As their second race, a little later in the afternoon, was also won by Kamal, he probably drove back home to Cambridge well-pleased with the day’s activities!

Our second race of the day was the 500s which Don himself raced all those years ago. Although not all 17 cars made it out onto the grid for the race, the unique smell of these old cars was wafting round the circuit and the paddock as they completed their green flag lap out onto the grid. Once formed up, they received the 5 second board before the race itself started.

The 500s again had two races, the chequered flag being taken on both occasions by Nigel Ashman in car no.1 and Nigel (pictured) was presented with the Trophy by Don Truman himself, who was a Steward for the event. (Nigel also set the fastest lap time in both races, although Don said he used to get round quicker in his day!)

Don was later very pleased to receive a framed photograph, of himself and car, at Shelsley Walsh in 1948, from Nigel Challis, Chairman of the 500 Club, who was competing in car no.7.

We were also lucky to have the Ma5da racing.com MX5 competitors with us. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they were only contacted on the Tuesday with the offer of racing the following Sunday. The committee and the BRSCC pulled out all the stops and we were delighted to see 21 competitors. There were no championship points but they had two outings on this lovely Leicestershire circuit and the reverse grid for the second race went down very well with both competitors and spectators alike, providing us with a cracking battle for second place between Matt Robinson and Carl Powell, after first-place man Jonathan Greensmith.

The BRSCC Midland Centre would also like to welcome the two female French students of Motorsport Engineering from Cranfield University who were out on post on the day as trainee marshals. We hope to see them again at our next meeting at Silverstone, May 1/2/3 for the FIA GTs.

The full results for the meeting can be found at www.tsl-timing.com/brscc/2009/91731.pdf


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