ATS on Top as Ligier and Tyrrell Show Their Hand(s)

The CTC visited historic Brands Hatch in Week 3.

With 25% of the season gone the Classic Teams Championship (CTC) continues to be exciting and topsy turvy and, with the first round of major driver changes taking place, Ligier and Tyrrell showed good form as ATS raced to the top of the tables.

As reported last week, Mark Bird was hotly tipped to take Hulbert’s place in Ligier and indeed the Englishman completed his transfer in time to race at Brands Hatch. Bird’s transfer then triggered the first of many changes this week.

Augusto Gabaldoni moved into the Rebaque team and continued his solid season with a good 72 point haul, Stefan Gawol was signed for F2 team Polifac BMW, while Howard McMillion joined March Racing. Gawol responded with a season’s best 59 points while McMillion failed to start a race and remains on zero points for the season.

Jaques nips underneath Schmidt into Clearways.

This week also saw the first time that teams formally announced they may need to fire absentee drivers.   Martin Macjon, Jan Beyer, Javier Tincani, Philip Stamm and Sebastian Hufnagel all have be conspicuous by their absence and their teams are expected to sign replacements this week.

The biggest news of the week amongst the constructors was the fact that several of the F1 teams had season’s best results and by the week’s end only David Price racing and Ram Tit-Bits of the Aurora teams remained in the top 10 as Ligier gained five places, Brabham six and Tyrrell three places.

Theodore Wolf, meanwhile, slipped to joined 10th from third as they suffered their worst week of the season after an impressive starter. Their highest scoring driver endured a particularly torrid time, scoring fully half the points he managed at Spa.

“I really was surprised at my performance at Spa myself.” — Tyler A. King

“I really was surprised at my performance at Spa myself,” said Tyler A. King.  “The last two weeks I have been a bit busy getting ready to get back to school and other real life priorities so I haven’t been able to practice as much as I would have liked, but hopefully I can come back this week and make-up some lost points!“

“For my first time running this car full time, I’m just trying to make sure I can finish all the races I start with the best performance I can” he added.

King hopes he, and Wolf, can return to a good score at Mosport this week while Charles Clowes, who were the top rated Aurora team based on last season points, are hoping the Canadian circuit will see them make a climb up the table after a slow start.

Ruokola dives past an out-of-shape Jaques.

King hopes he, and Wolf, can return to a good score at Mosport this week while Charles Clowes, who were the top rated Aurora team based on last season points, are hoping the Canadian circuit will see them make a climb up the table after a slow start.

One reason for the team’s cautious optimism is the planned return of number one driver Mark A. Warmington  who was forced to sit out the first three rounds. “Mosport was a good track for me last season,” Warmington said.  “It is one of the few tracks where I actually feel as though I have unlocked and have access to its secrets.

“Practice, race well, race for fun and let the points take care of themselves.” — Mark A. Warmington

“If I am able to get my season underway this season I will apply the same approach that served me well last season; practice, race well, race for fun and let the points take care of themselves.”

Both Warmington and King clearly see this season as a development season and it is sim-racers like them, F2 driver Berker Baruteu and Nick Thissen who must be favourites to take a prime seat next season.

Hill indulges in a mid-race interlude on "Hawthorne Beach."

In the overall championship Gernot Fritsche returned to the head of the table with a superb 205 points, with Kalle Ruokala slipping back a bit but coming home second ahead of David Jaques. Amongst the constructors ATS once again were consistent and scored highest of all the teams with Tyrrell and Ligier just two points behind.

Kalle Ruokola images.

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