OCS Group Big Bracket
WebsterRace
Engineering 4
Cylinder
Arguably,theclasswiththemost
relevancetoCC,theOCSGroupBig
Bracketsaw 53 competitorsenter,
althoughrainstoppedplayonthe
Saturdayanditwasdecidedtorunthe
classontheSundayonly,butwithdouble
theprizemoney,meaninganequal
biggesttopprizeof£10,000upforgrabs.
TheonlybracketclassatThe
Doorslammersmeeting,itcomprises
randompairingsof6.99–11.99indexracecarsrunningonaSportsmantree.
Atwististhebuybackoption,where
competitorsknockedoutinthefirst
roundcanbuytheirwaybackintoround
twoforanadditional£50.
Witheverythingtoplayfor,literally
anyoneofthoseenteredcouldwin.
Attheendofanepicbattle,itwasNic
Williamswhoheldupthegiantwinner’s
cheque,withLeeHuxleyrunner-up.ItwasaVWvstheworldbattlein 4
Cylinder,with18ofthe 35 entriesbeing
oftherear-engined,flatfourpersuasion.
Attheendofqualifying,though,
onlyoneoftheVWs,GermanArndt
Putzmannwithhis3.0-litre(!)Bug,was
intheninesandinthetopfive.
However,racingbeingracing,come
semifinaltimeitwasapairofMk1
EscortsupagainstapairofBeetles,
withIanClarktheonlyonedevoidofa
turbocharger.
Anall-EscortfinalsawKevJenkins
comfortablypocketthe£3,500prize
fundandDarrenScannelltherunner-up.Despiterunningbelowhisdialinonabye
inroundone(10.649/1 24 ona10.65),
RonnieMercerstayedwiththefieldupto
roundfive,seeingoffSweden’sGideon
Liljegreninhis7-secondPontiacGrandPrix
ProStocker,JeffCowleyandJamesOliver
beforeseeingredagainstNicWilliams.Withtheturbonowinthepassenger
seatRichieWebbwasalloverthetrack
tryingtotamehisvicious2.6-litreBeetle
cabriolet.Abestof9.379at 14 2mph
whiletestinganew4-linksuspension
showeditspotential.EventualwinnerwasKevJenkinsinhisComp
EliminatorEscort,Fraudster.Jenkinstook
outsomestiffopposition,includinglast
year’swinner,ChrisTodd,onhiswaytothe
finals,whereastorming8.776/1 50 left
Scannellinhiswake.DarrenScannell’simmaculate,
understated,butdevastatinglyquickMk 1
Escortqualifiedin^20 th,butfoughthard
andsqueezedaheadofSteveGuirey’s
Subaruinroundthree,sawoffIanClark
witha^10.^499 /^126 inthesemisbutwasno
matchforJenkinsinthefinal.There’salotofUKVWdragracinghistoryin
thiscar,itbeingtheoldFlatAttackcarofex-
CCedKeithSeumeandHumbugcarofBernie
Smith.RebuiltbyIanClark,itmanagedan
11. 146 at^120 inroundthreebutfouledin
thesemistoletScannellthrough.LeeHuxleyputa9.5 86 at 13 9mphonthe
scoreboardintesting,andsethimselfup
fora9.57dialin.A9.60inroundonesaw
offLukeHoskins,thenGuyKing,LeeChiles
andKeithHerbertallfelltotheDarkHorse
MustangbeforeHuxleymethismatchin
NicWilliamsinthefinal.Utilisingthebuybackoptionafterbeing
knockedoutinroundone,RoselloCassar
withyetanotherMalteseMk1Escort
progressedthroughroundtwowitha11. 10
ona10.96totakeoutClaireJohnson,but
thencameupagainstNicWilliamsinround
three.Gameover.Seasonedcampaigner,BrianPateman,opened
hisaccountwithan8. 87 /1 55 ona8.79dial
in,thenprogressedpastMickTaylorandJon
Turner,beforehavingaholeshotstrappedon
himbyclasssponsor,NicWilliams,inagreat
roundfourraceandlosing,despiterunningan
8.876ona8. 87 dialin.ItwasasurprisetoseeColinMillargooutso
soonintheFlyin’Fyfer,butaredlightagainst
PeteCreswellinroundtwoputtheextrovert
racerandhisAngliabackonthetrailerto
Scotland,despiteastrong 8. (^178) / 157 onan
8 deaddialinintheopeninground.
With5^84 cubesofChevyunderthebonn
et,Tim
Stanbury’sCamarobludgeoneditsway
through
toroundfourbeforelightingacherrya
gainst
PeteCresswell.9.28,9.34and9.^29 on
a9.1^8
dialinprovehowconsistentthisChe
vyis.
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HavingdispensedwithColinMorrice(break
out),IanBrown(foul),RoselloCassarandBrian
Patemaninthefirstfourrounds,NicWilliams
kepthiscoolinroundfivewhenRonnieMercer
lefttoosoonandfoundhimselfalongsideLee
Huxleyinthefinal.Itwasagreatracebuta
9. 787 /^133 ona^9.^77 vsa^9.^660 /^132 ona^9.^63
clinchedthewinfortheclasssponsor.
Anotheronetotakethebuybackopportunity
afternarrowlylosingouttoDavidFulton’s
Camaroinroundone,PeteCreswellstayed
withthepackallthewaytothesemisbefore
beingsenthome,despiterunningaquicker,
fasterandclosertohisdialin(^8.^674 /^157 on
an 8.^50 )toHuxley’s^9.^829 /^126 ona^9.^62.
That’sbracketracingforyou.