HSA SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT ARCHIVE

DOUBLE FTD FOR TATHAM

Event 32 at Curborough on 08/10/2023
The entry for Sunday’s HSA Championship finale, held  over the Figure 8 course, was almost identical to the previous day. This time six drivers scored record points, half of them from the now 25-strong Formula Ford class.
          Looking back through the classes, after Neal Bateman had taken another win in the 2-litre Standard Car class, the Hamer/Ker family were out in force again, with Jensen Ker running the Citroen C2 on his own in the Junior Sprint class. With the pair split by just over a second, Archie Ker was joined in the car by his uncle Ben Hamer in the 1600cc Roadgoing Production class, as Ben and Wil Ker’s OMS-Suzuki had been sidelined the previous day with turbo problems. But it was Dean Ratcliffe’s MG ZR that took the win. It was David Whiteley’s turn for the 2-litre win as he demoted the previous day’s winner, fellow Elise driver John Caldicott, to second place.
          Harewood regular Terry Deere was a Sunday visitor to Curborough, but even his pristine Talbot Sunbeam Lotus couldn’t quite get on terms with Saturday winner Nick Bayldon’s rapid Porsche 718 GT4 in the over 2-litre class. Anthony Earl took another win, plus an HSA record, in the Roadgoing Specialist class but up into second place, after being amalgamated with the bigger capacity cars in his 900cc Honda Fireblade powered Fisher Fury, came Gurston Down expert Rob Brodie on his first competitive visit to Curborough.
          With the previous day’s 2-litre ModProd leaders Tom Harding and Mike Harriman not present, 2017 HSA champion Justin Andrews took just one run in his de-stroked, 1400cc Impreza turbo to win the 2-litre ModProd class ahead of the hard driven Fiesta of Mark Linforth. After Antony Brown’s Audi TT and Andrew Webber’s Europa had run on their own (with Webber concluding his development weekend – and his victorious Championship year – with a lurid spin at Molehill!) Duncan Barnes took another Sports Libre win in ‘Big Norma’, seeing off a host of Radicals led by Matthew Price’s Prosport, with a run good enough for second FTD.  Peter Hawkey and Chris Guy were now present in their shared 600cc Jedi, with Guy breaking his own class record set back in June.
Unfortunately, after an argument with the bank at Molehill during practice, which resulted in front wing and suspension damage, Stuart Bickley was unable to take his place in the 1100cc racing class. So with his main opposition out of the way Dave Tatham took another class win and FTD with ease, this time with a low 50 sec run, leaving Ben Bonfield to bring his Jedi home in second place with third FTD.
It was no surprise that Trevor Willis took another win in the mammoth Formula Ford class in Richard Summers’ Van Diemen, again from Jimmy Harris, who had now clinched the Pre-94 FF Challenge title for 2023. Of the five contenders present, three ran inside the HSA record, which was bettered by no less than 18 drivers, many of them regular FF competitors at British Championship level. Highest HSA points scorer not only of the day but of the weekend, with 18 points, was Russell Haynes, the Zeus driver finishing seventh overall.
          An excellent weekend of sprinting ended with by a solo run by former sprint regular Richard Prosser, who had just spent 4½ years rebuilding his ex.Brian Moody Ralt, reverting the car to 1983 F3 circuit spec complete with 2-litre Toyota Novamotor engine.

 

CLOSE CALL FOR WILLIS

Event 31 at Curborough on 07/10/2023
Although the winner of this year’s series had already been decided, amid an entry of around 70 each day for the HSA’s Championship finale weekend at the Lichfield sprint course, 14 HSA contenders were on hand to compete for the minor placings. With Andrew Webber already in an unassailable Championship lead coming to Curborough, 19 points clear of his closest opposition Pekka Tulokas, the Mazda driver didn’t enter and Webber, with a third HSA title in the bag aboard his Elan Plus 2, took the opportunity for some development work on his Rover V8 powered Lotus Europa 47C/62R, which featured a new Audi-based gearbox replacing the car’s previous Citroen/Maserati unit.
          Traditionally held on Curborough’s 2-lap course, Saturday’s event also features the Alan Payne class winners’ run-off. On this penultimate round of the Championship there were two HSA class record scores, by Anthony Earl and Anthony Brown, both of whom were also chasing Sprint Leaders points on the day. Earl’s spirited driving in his Caterham Roadsport took a clear Roadgoing Specialist Production win from Stephen Laing, also a Sprint Leaders contender aboard his Caterham R500, while Brown established a new over 2-litre ModProd record in his ‘teamrowdyaudi’ TT. Elsewhere, Connie Hamer battled with more experienced brother Morgan in their Citroen C2 in the Junior Sprint class, with Morgan qualifying for the run-off, while in the 2-litre Standard Car class Midland Speed Championship leader Neal Bateman also made the cut, as did John Caldicott, recovering from a first run spin in his Elise among the 2-litre Roadgoing cars. Apart from the eventual victor of the class winners’ run-off, of whom more later, these were the only drivers to improve on their winning times.
          Nick Bayldon made short work of the over 2-litre class in his Porsche 718 GT4, while Eric Morrey’s turbocharged Imp held off regular British round opponent Phil Tucker’s fleet Vauxhall Nova by over a second in the first of the ModProd classes. The second of them was the property of Tom Harding in his VW Golf, Mike Harriman bouncing back to second place after the first runs, when his Clio took a wrong course after a wayward moment at Flagpole. Webber’s Europa held off Lee Whitmore’s MGB GT in the Pre-76 Modified Classic, Specialist Saloon and Sports car class, and Duncan Barnes’ big Norma-Honda sped to third FTD with a clear win in the  Sports Libre class.
          The top pace was expected to come from the 1100cc racers and so it proved, Dave Tatham taking the win in his DK Firehawk and snatching FTD from perennial rival Stuart Bickley’s Force TA with the only two sub-50 sec runs of the day. No less than 24 Formula Fords were on hand to contest the last four rounds (two per day) of the Pre-94 FF Challenge, with five of them among the 12-car HSA Championship entry. At the wheel of his elderly RF80 Van Diemen, Richard Summers led from FF series leader Jimmy Harris’s RF85 after the first runs with his occasional co-driver Trevor Willis lurking in third place. But on the second runs, 3-times British Hillclimb champion Willis came through for the win. Not only that, but having qualified for the class winners’ run-off, he proceeded to snatch the win from John Caldicott’s Elise by just 0.03 sec!

 

Mixed fortunes at Shelsley

Event 30 at Shelsley Walsh on 16/09/2023
Eighteen HSA Speed championship competitors took part in Shelsley Walsh's Harvest Festival event on September 16th but experienced wildly different fortunes - particularly those running later as conditions deteriorated with many competitors going slower or passing on their second runs.

Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5), lying in a secure second place in the championship smashed the existing HSA Class record by more that 3% to achieve a maximum points score - the only HSA competitor to do so. Also setting a new HSA class record and, like Tulokas, winning his class on the day was Andrew Platt (Lotus Exige) ahead of Andrew Feakins (2nd in class) with his Clio 182.

The season long battle between Simon Clemow and Dave Greenslade in their shared Radical SR1 was joined by Speedscene columnist, Clive Wooster in his SR4. A strong first run saw Clemow take the win with Greenslade, the only competitor in class to take a second run, just edged out Wooster for second with Matthew Price just behind in fourth with his SR3.

Russell Haynes won the Formula Ford class in the unusual Zeus ZR163 while elsewhere, former HSA committee member, Fyrth Crosse recorded a very respectable 32s run in his Formula Three Ensign LNF3 and Allan Warburton took FTD with his Gould GR59 on 26.31s.

 

Webber continues to move ahead at Three Sisters

Event 29 at Three Sisters on 03/09/2023
Only championship leader Andrew Webber (Elan +2) and Anthony Brown (Audi TT) of the HSA Speed Championship competitors made the trip to Three Sisters for Longton & District's late summer sprint at the sinuous Three Sisters track.

Webber only needed three of the six timed runs on offer to repeat the maximum score he achieved the day before at Aintree. Brown made good use of the extra runs available to break the existing HS AClass record and score well.

Will Shuttleworth (T89) took FTD with a 70.78s run.

Records fall at Hethel

Event 28 at Hethel on 03/09/2023
A good selection of HSA Speed Championship competitors enjoyed the testing Hethel, home of Lotus, track in warm and sunny conditions with a number of new HSA class records being set.

Mike Edwards (Austin Mini) set the ball rolling with a new HSA record and a class win on the day with Chris Judge (Ford Fiesta) just behind. Alex Sutton (Clio 197RS) went well for another new HSA Class record as did Anthony Earl (Caterham) who also saw off a large kit car class for a win on the day.

Pete Goulding (Mygale Ecoboost) took FTD with a 71.32s and a new HSA Class record.

Andrew Webber's solo Aintree

Event 27 at Aintree on 02/09/2023
Championship leader, Andrew Webber (Elan +2) was the only HSA Speed championship contender to make the trek to Liverpool's iconic Aintree track and duly beat the exisitng HSA Class record by a large margin to take maximum points (and the class win) and cement his position at the top of the 2023 table.

Former British Sprint champion, John Graham took FTD with his Gould GR55B with a 39.43s run.

Weather affected Snetterton

Event 26 at Snetterton on 27/08/2023
Day two of BARC Midlands' Snetterton Sprint on the 100 circuit began as it had finished the day before by being warm and dry but by lunchtime threatening clouds began to move in. As competitors prepared for their third timed run the rain began and as it increased with thunder and lightning the organisers abandoned the meeting leaving only the first two timed runs to count.

These were enough for a number of competitors to improve on their times from the previous day including John Loudon (Force TA), Mike Edwards (Austin Mini) and Andrew Platt (Lotus Exige).

GURSTON - DAY TWO

Event 25 at Gurston Down on 27/08/2023
The second day of Gurston’s weekend double-header ended with Championship leaders Andrew Webber and Pekka Tulokas maintaining their advantage, although neither was able to match their previous day’s pace. Having missed Saturday’s event, Andrew Till and James Rushworth (BMW E30) took the place of Anthony Earl’s Caterham Roadsport in the HSA lineup and Till promptly set the day’s top score in his Fiesta ST-Line.
          Simon Clemow and Dave Greenslade continued their duel in the shared Radical, with Greenslade getting the advantage this time to set the fastest HSA time of the weekend with a 32.40s run. In another close-fought Formula Ford class, it was Russell Haynes that turned the tables on Les Buck this time, by half a second, within Class J1. Although not scoring high HSA points at Gurston, 2007 champion John Bradshaw ran his Westfield SEiW in a well supported Midland Speed Championship class and won both days.
 

Edwards & Platt top the scores at Snetterton

Event 24 at Snetterton on 26/08/2023
 The first day of BARC Midlands' double header on the 100 circuit saw 16 HSA Speed championship competitors enjoy with warm and sunny weather which allowed Mike Edwards (Austin Mini) and Andrew Platt (Lotus Exige) beta their respective HSA class records by a considerable margin to take maximum points scores.

Also scoring well were John Loudon (Force TA), Graham Blackwell (Mygale Ecoboost) and Pete Goulding (Mygale Ecoboost). Others though, struggled to match their class record targets but made up for it with their individual battles including Stephen Laing & Chris Bennett (Caterhams), Geoff Lancaster & Alex Sutton (Renault Clio) and Simon Broadbridge & Ed McDonough (Formula Fords).

 

WEBBER STILL IN CHARGE

Event 23 at Gurston Down on 26/08/2023
Despite clashing HSA rounds at Snetterton, twelve contenders turned out each day for the two rounds held over Gurston’s Championship finals weekend. Saturday’s event saw a class dedicated to HSA contenders, which featured the two series front runners Andrew Webber and Pekka Tulokas. With Webber the top scorer on the day, both drivers set new HSA class records and maintained their clear dominance of the series, in which Webber’s Elan Plus 2 now leads Tulokas’s MX5 by a clear 21-point margin once the Snetterton results are taken into account.
          Driving their shared Radical SR1, Simon Clemow took the HSA class verdict over Dave Greenslade, who only took one run. With the weekend hosting four rounds the Pre-1994 Challenge series there was a big Formula Ford entry, of which six HSA Class J1 contenders were present. Despite an earlier trip up the Karousel escape road on a wet and slippery track, which fortunately affected only part of the first runs, Les Buck eventually topped the HSA scoresheet in his venerable Pringett Mistrale ahead of Russell Haynes’ Zeus

Wiscombe wash out

Event 22 at Wiscombe Park on 30/07/2023
Sadly the second day of Wiscombe's July 'national' meeting was damp and Carole Nicholls (Nike Mk4) was the only HSA Championship representative but managed to complete all her runs safely.

Bradley & Nicholls score at Wiscombe

Event 21 at Wiscombe Park on 29/07/2023
Surprisingly Damien Bradley (Subaru Legacy) and Carole Nicholls (Nike MK4) were the only HSA Speed championship competitors in attendance at Wiscombe's July 'National' meeting.

Nevetheless, Bradley set a new HSA class record by a large margin in the highly modified Legacy to maintain his position in the top 10 in the Championship.

Tulokas maintains title challenge at Prescott

Event 20 at Prescott on 23/07/2023

Low scores at a soggy Prescott

Event 19 at Prescott on 22/07/2023
Unfortunately the first day of the Prescott July double header on the Saturday was hampered by continuous rain, heavy at times, and the track did not start to dry out until after the event had been completed. Eight HSA championship contenders took part and all scored just one point except for Andrew Till (Ford Fiesta) and Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5) who each bagged 5 points for times between 7 and 9 percent of their respective class records.

Pekka won the combined Triple M HSA class in 56.99s and Tony Feakins (Peugeot 205Gti) was second in 58.19s. FTD was set by Stuart Bickley in his new Force TA in a time of 44.75s.

High scores hard to come by at windy Lydden

Event 18 at Lydden Hill on 15/07/2023
It may have been warm and sunny down in the paddock at Lydden Hill for Borough 19's traditional Ray Heal Memorial sprint but out on the track a fierce wind made life difficult for competitors.

Only championship leader, Andrew Webber (Elan +2), and Mike Edwards (austin Mini) were able to get close to maximum scores and win their respective classes on the day with Chris Judge's Fiesta close behind.

Speedscene columnist, Clive Wooster went well in his Radical SR4 to win his class and post a time that would have qualified him for a British Sprint Top 12 Run Off. Lydden often features unique and unusual cars and this event was no exception and included Dan Fountain' QT Wildcat 300STR (a 'rally raid' type vehicle?) and Stuart Ashwell's Sparton FF82.

Another rain affected day at Loton

Event 17 at Loton Park on 09/07/2023

Greenslade tops the scores at Loton

Event 16 at Loton Park on 08/07/2023
Sadly the changeable British summer weather took its toll on both days of the Loton July double header. Saturday morning was fine and dry but the heavens opened midway through the first competition runs in the afternoon. There was a torrential thunderstorm and the meeting was held up for about half an hour to allow the storm to pass over. The organisers decided to finish the event after just one set of competition runs as a result of the delay and to let everyone dry out overnight.

Dave Greenslade (Radical SR1) got well under the HSA Libre record to take a maximum score on the first day of the Loton July double header and win the class on the day. Co-driver, Simon Clemow, also went well but was a couple of seconds behind.

The Yapps, Jamie and Richard, were out in their venerable Vauxhall Nova which has made appearances in the HSA championship going back nearly 20 years with Jamie winning his class on the day. Anthony Earl put in a good performance in his Caterham to win a large and competitive Roadgoing kit car class - something not always seen these days.

The event was a round of the Pre '94 Formula Ford challenge with 19 competitors taking part including three time British Hillclimb champion, Trevor Willis in a Van Diemen RF80. But it was Richard Summers, also driving an RF80 who took the win fron Bernie Kevill's newer RF90. Best scoring HSA championship Fordster was Les Buck in his Pringett Mistrale.

Tulokas and Webber continue their struggle at hot Llandow

Event 15 at Llandow on 24/06/2023
At a very hot Llandow it was good to see the paddock full to overflowing in this oversubscribed event. Surprisingly only five HSA Speed championship contenders managed to secure an entry but this included two of the main protagonists for this year's title. Both were seeking maximum points by breaking the existing HSA class records by a significant margin. Andrew Webber (Elan +2) had his work cut out, having to replace a clutch master cylinder after practice and missing T1. A decent T2 left him half a second short but he found another second on T3 to achieve his goal. Pekka Tulokas in his potent turbocharged MX5 followed a remarkably similar pattern to Webber. He missed out on T1, set a decent time on T2 but somewhat short and found almost a second on T3 for a maximum score.

Damien Bradley won his class on the day in his well engineered and very quick Subaru Legacy. The car was originally a base model as that was the only one that came without a sun roof. Simon Broadbridge was the sole Formula Ford competitor scored well but couldn't approach Tony Jarvis' 15 year old record.

The Paul Matty championship competitors provided a fine spectacle of classic Lotus racing cars including no less that five type 69s in F3, F2 and Atlantic configurations. Dave Hampton in his 69 was the fastest of the Paul Matty runners with a 78.64s and Philip Montgomery-Smith continued the good form he showed at Pembrey by taking FTD in his OMS 2000M with a 69/69s run.

There were also more interesting and unusual cars including Owen Jones' beautifully presented Fiat 128, Graham Mintram's Delta HF Turbo and David Wheeler's Renault R8 Gordini.



 

Blackwell's FTD as rain arrives at Curborough

Event 14 at Curborough on 18/06/2023
Graham Blackwell (Mygale Ecoboost) took FTD with a 53.15s at the Owen Motoring Club's traditional Graham Hill Sprint held on Curborough's Figure 8 layout. The two practice runs and first timed runs were dry but rain arrived and most competitors either passed on their second run or failed to improve.

With only their first run counting it was a hard ask for competitors to break the existing HSA class records by significant amounts but championship leader, Andrew Webber (Elan +2), Andrew Till (Fiesta ST) and Chris Guy (Jedi MK4)  just set new marks by small margins.

Laurence Marks (Van Diemen RF84) and Ed McDonough (Dulon MP15) battled for Formula Ford honours with Marks coming out ahead.

Andrews scores as Wood takes FTD at Barbon

Event 13 at Barbon Manor on 10/06/2023
Only three Triple M HSA Speed championship competitors made their way to Liverpool Motor Club's Barbon Manor hillclimb but Justin Andrews, making his 2023 season debut in the championship, just managed to break the C2 HSA class record in his unusually powered 1425cc turbocharged Impreza.

The Walkers, Andy and Jack, were present in their Westfield SeiW with Jack just managing to break the 30s barrier with a 29.79s run.

FTD went to Robin Wood in his 1100cc Force PT on 24.61s

Bennett & Webber score at Pembrey Club

Event 12 at Pembrey on 04/06/2023
On the second day of the Pembrey June Sprint week-end, held on the Club circuit Chris Bennett (Caterham Roadsport) and championshile leader, Andrew Webber (Elan +2) both scored 18 points by eclipsing the existing HSA class records by more than 3%.

Stuart Lugger and Mike Edwards had a close battle in their Minis with only half a second separating them at the end and finish third and fourth in their class just behind a quick Honda.

Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5) and Chris Jones (Force TA) had higher hurdles to overcome but both beat their own HSA class records by significant amounts to score well and win their respective classes on the day.

After experiencing problems on the Saturday, the Clemow/Greenslade Radical SR1 was running well and, just like the day before, Clemow edged ahead by 0.15s.

 

Webber marches on at Pembrey

Event 11 at Pembrey on 03/06/2023
Reigning HSA Speed champion, Andrew Webber is making another determined assault on the championship in 2023 with his very familiar Lotus Elan +2. At Pembrey, on the first day of the June Sprint week-end he took another new record by enough to secure a maximum points score despite taking only 2 of the 4 timed runs on offer.

Close behind were Stuart Lugger (Mini Cooper) and Steve Broughton (DJ Firehawk) who are both running in the top 5 in the championship.

Simon Clemow and Dave Greenslade were having problems with their shared Radical SR1 with the former only taking three of the five times runs on offer. They are usually closely matched and so it turned out with Clemow coming out ahead by a tenth.

Another championship contender, Pekka Tulokas, in his self engineered and developed tirbocharged Mazda MX5 was facing an uphill battle to outscore his own impressive records and a mistake on his final run cost him a higher score.

Anthony Earl (Caterham Roadsport) went well to win the Roadgoing Specialist class.

Credit should be given to the 'new' team running the event which ran very smoothly especially the organisation of the paddock and startline.

Webber closes in at Blyton

Event 10 at Blyton Park on 14/05/2023
On day two of Longton & District's Sprint Blyton double header, held on the Outer circuit, Andrew Webber (Elan +2) made it a perfect week-end with another maximum score to move to with two points of championship leader Steve Broughton (DJ Firehawk).

Stuart Lugger (Mini Cooper) and Chris Guy (Jedi MK4) also went quickly to post maximum scores and move themselves up the leader board.
 

Broughton and Webber on top at Blyton

Event 9 at Blyton Park on 13/05/2023
On day one of Longton & District's Blyton double header Steve Broughton (DJ Firehawk) and reigning champion Andrew Webber (Elan +2) both broke the existing HSA class records by more than 3% to take maximum scores and improve their positions at the top of the leaderboard.

Using the Eastern circuit asnd with 20 Triple M HSA Speed championship competitors present at this popular venue there were plenty of other good perfomances including Damian Bradley (Subaru Legacy) and Chris Guy (600cc Jedi MK4). Stuart Lugger won his class on the day in his Mini Cooper and scroed well. Andrew Platt (Exige), Anthony Earl (Caterham) and David Spencer (Reynard 883) also won their classes. 

Tulokas outscores Webber at second Werrington

Event 8 at Werrington on 30/04/2023
Two of the early season front runners for the 2023 Triple M HSA Speed championship fought hard on day two of Plymouth Motor Club's spring Werrington meeting. Reversing their performance on day one, Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5) outscored Andrew Webber (Elan +2) by 13 points to 8 to leave him in a strong second in the championship.

Andrew Forsyth (OMS CF04) took FTD with a 34.29s a tenth ahead of Ben Wheeler's Empire EVO2.

Webber sets the pace at Werrington

Event 7 at Werrington on 29/04/2023
On the first day of Plymouth Motor Club's Werrington double header, reigning HSA Speed champion, Andrew Webber in his well known Elan +2 took over a second off his own HSA class record to post a high score. Pekka Tuloka (Mazda MX5) continued his strong start to the season with a good result despite taking a single practice and timed run.

Terry Graves (Gould DJ55XB) took FTD with 33.72s by 17 hundredths from Phil Montgomery-Smith's OMS 2000M.

Webber starts championship defence as Goulding take FTD

Event 6 at Goodwood on 22/04/2023
At Bognor Regis Motor Club's Goodwood Regis sprint, current HSA Speed champion, Andrew Webber opened his 2023 title defence with a record setting and maximum points scoring run in his Elan +2. Pete Goulding's Ecoboost powered Mygale took FTD by around a second from Steve Broughton in the Busa powered DJ Firehawk who moved into the lead of the championship.

Anthony Earl continued his strong start to the season by taking a maximum points score in his Caterham Roadsport while Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5) also went well to maintain his position near the top of the championship leader board.

Winning their classes at the event were Webber and Andrew Till (Fiesta ST) with an impressive performance to win a large Roagoing Series Production class.

Lugger and Tulokas in the points at Shelsley

Event 5 at Shelsley Walsh on 16/04/2023
Newcomer to the HSA Speed championship, Stuart Lugger (Austin Mini Cooper) and Pekka Tulokas (Mazda MX5) both smashed the existing HSA class records by some margin to post maximum scores. Tulokas, running a very potent, boosted engine in the MX5 moved to the top of the championship leaderboard, showing ominous early season form.

Mike Edwards (Austin Mini), Anthony Earl (Carterham Roadsport), John Bradshaw (Westfield SEiW) and, Speedscene columnist, Clive Wooster (Radical SR4) all went well with Earl winning the large and competitive Specialist Production class at the event. Tolukas and Wooster also won their respective classes.

Alex Summers took FTD with a 24.17s run in the DJ Firestorm.

All images courtesy of Rob MacDonald

LOCAL WIN FOR SPEDDING

Event 4 at Harewood on 09/04/2023
Shaking down his GWR Raptor-Suzuki prior to this year’s British Championship season, Richard Spedding took FTD at Harewood’s opening meeting of the year. The car’s handling was far from ideal on a chilly day, but the local man from Barnsley still beat OMS drivers Lee Griffiths and Steve Owen in their larger engined cars, plus the massed ranks of 1100cc racers, amongst which David Tatham, 4th FTD, led the way after a last minute switch to his DJ Firehawk-Suzuki.
          The BARC Yorkshire Centre’s Spring National Hillclimb was the fourth round of the HSA Championship season and the first hillclimb in the series. One of just two HSA contenders on the entry list, Andrew Platt had run his Lotus Exige at the opening round at Cadwell Park, but had given the two Anglesey rounds a miss. He led Harewood’s 2-car ‘Elise and other non-ferrous chassis cars’ class after the first runs, but after lunch David Leach remembered to pop an additional ‘mechanic’s gallon’ into his Elise’s tank, his misfire disappeared and he took a comfortable win. In HSA scoring terms Platt ran six tenths shy of Michael Thompson’s long-standing A2 record in the Honda S2000, leaving Harewood in 14th place on the series table, to level with the absent Lee Gavins’ MNR Vortex.
          The other HSA contender present was motoring writer Ed McDonough in his immaculate Dulon MP15. He got as close to his PB as most of the FF1600 class managed in the cold conditions but, predictably, it was Harewood Formula Ford ace Rob Spedding that took the win in his Vector. McDonough’s time for fourth place left him 17th on the HSA Championship table after his first appearance in this year’s series.
 

Bradley takes championship lead at Anglesey

Event 3 at Anglesey on 02/04/2023
Round 3 of the 2023 Triple M HSA Speed championship was held over a lap of Anglesey's International circuit in warmer conditions than the day before.

Damien Bradley (Subaru Legacy) repeated his maximum points scoring exploits of the day before to move into a one point lead over Simon Bainbridge (SBR Crono) in the championship.

Pekka Tulokas (overcoming new turbo setup issues with his Mazda MX5), Anthony Brown (Audi TT) and Steve Broughton (in the newly acquired, ex Algar DJ Firehawk) all scoring well.

As they have done in previous years, Trevor Willis and Richard Summers bought the mighty F5000 Lola T140 along and Trevor set a new event class record with a fine 87.53s run.

Class winners at the event included Bradley, Tulokas, John Bradshaw (Westfield SEiw), Stan Matthews (Radical SR8) and David Spencer (Reynard 883).

Bainbridge takes early lead in HSA Speed championship

Event 2 at Anglesey on 01/04/2023
Round 2 of the 2023 Triple M HSA Speed championship was held over a lap of Anglesey's National circuit in cold but dry conditions. This provided an opportunity to see how the updated championship scoring method would work under normal conditions. Three competitors Damian Bradley (Legacy), Simon Bainbridge (SBR Crono) and Grahame Harden (Radical PR6) all scored maximum points by beating the existing HSA class record by more than 3% while there was a good spread of points further down the field.

Class winners at the event included Bradley, David Spencer making a welcome return in the 1100 Reynard 883 and Matthew Price (Radical SR3) who only joined the championship after the event.

Soggy & challenging Cadwell opens season

Event 1 at Cadwell Park on 25/03/2023
The opening round of the 2023 Triple M HSA Speed championship attracted a good entry including plenty of HSA Speed competitors. However, the conditions remained wet throughout the day and with a number of 'no shows' and on track incidents the event proved a challenge for many.

As the only competitor in a class with no existing record, Steve Brown in his 1.3s Empire EVO2 (with electronics updated over the winter) was able to post a reasonable score although Simon Bainbridge (SBR Crono) with effective aero and wet tyres was able to put in a very creditable perfomance.

Of the other competitors Andrew Platt (Lotus Exige) went well to win his class with a very competitive time matched by that of Chris Guy's class winning 600cc Jedi Mk IV. Also in a 600cc Jedi, Stephen Mason was caught out by the tricky conditions leading to his retirement while Alex Sutton and Geoff Lancaster managed to complete three runs each in their shared Renault Clio.