Thick fog leads to Mallory Park Plum Pudding event being abandoned

Sean Reynolds and Andy Boyce were the final victors of the UK club racing year at Mallory Park, before thick fog resulted in the Plum Pudding meeting being abandoned.

Thousands of motorsport-starved fans and local families arrived hoping to see three motorcycle and four car races, but in the event only one bike race was completed and two for cars, although all bar two laps of the final contest were run behind the safety car.

Both car qualifying sessions – delayed after an oil spill in the motorcycle practice – were also led around by the 750 Motor Club’s Renault Megane as organisers hoped the gloom would lift to allow competitive action, although grids were set by order of receipt of entry in any case.

It did – just enough – for the opening Saloon Car race, for which Sam Daffin’s Classic Touring Car Racing Club Blue Oval Saloon Series Ford Fiesta was on pole.

Using its 4×4 to good effect, Daniel Kell had the initial lead in his Ford Sierra but he was soon passed by another previous winner, Rich Hockley in his Honda Civic, before the end of the first lap.

Hockley had a big moment at Devil’s Elbow on lap two and conceded the lead to Kell and also second place to Modified Fords contender Reynolds, who had charged through from row 10 in his Fiesta ST240.

Reynolds hit the front on lap three and reeled out a big lead before the safety car intervened – and then the race was flagged early with Adam Jones’ Hyundai Coupe in the wall at the Esses.

Fords of Reynolds (left) and Kell battled for the Saloon Car lead

Photo by: Steve Jones

Before then, Darren Spooner had hustled his wild Time Attack Peugeot 205 to second place, ahead of Kell and Hockley with the Honda Civic Type Rs of Oliver Barsby and Lewis Barker completing the top six.

It was perhaps optimistic to even start the Sports Car race, but the fog got thicker soon after it began and eventually time was called.

In the two laps that were possible, Boyce hit the front in his Radical SR1, while pitlane starter Rob Warner climbed to second, ahead of Steve Barnard’s Audi TT clone.