Le Mans Auto Italia Championship 2001

Oulton Park 
Round 14

Saturday 13th October

The last race of the Championship.

No more chances. 

All eyes were on Graham and Julian.

Could Julian pull a rabbit out of the hat and pip Graham for the class A championship? Could Graham hold on and take the Championship laurels? 

Graham only had to earn just 5 points out a maximum 32 available to take the rostrum. The qualifying session results gave Julian pole position over Graham by half a second, but qualifying second gave Graham 6 points – enough to secure the class A Championship!

But real racing drivers don’t rest on their laurels, even if they have already won them; they are there to do their best, to compete and to win - and Graham and the team always aim to give their best no matter what they are doing.

And so it was. Julian Birley had something to prove. He had lost the championship, but could he win the race? 

The start was a cracker. Julian in pole position on the right, Graham alongside him on the left. The rolling start saw Julian, on a mission, forcing his way through on the right, with Graham trying to do the same on the left. The gap wasn’t quite wide enough for Graham to pass between two front cars, although he tried. See a gap he swung to the left, half on the soft grass, but couldn’t get the grip to overtake. Easing of he maintained his position then pounced again, this time determined that grass or no grass he was going to overtake; and so he did. Meanwhile Julian, slightly hampered by the remaining front-runners was now two cars in front, with Graham closing down on him like a bat out of hell. Julian purposely took the lead; hounded at every turn by Graham, ready to pounce if ever he saw the chance. Out breaking him at every turn, Graham just couldn’t quite match the power of Julian’s car.

On to Fosters, a tight kink in the circuit with a high curve beloved by drivers with an attacking instinct. The purposely built high curve on exit can easily crack a drive shaft and end all hopes of finishing. But faint heart etc and on the exit Graham saw his chance and he took the risky inside line out of Fosters, barely missing the high profile curve, exiting faster than Julian, emerging in the lead. However, again the more powerful car of Julian’s closed the gap and the two cars kissed, enough to throw Julian off balance and across the grass to retirement. Graham had risen to the challenge, picked up the gauntlet and drove on to the victory that was by right of skill, tenacity and will power rightly his.

Whew! 

Jackie again showed that she had racing in her blood and finished in a satisfying 4th in class.

This was indeed a season of triumphs for the Scott Racing & Imagika Sports Racing Team, in their first season of competitive racing.

Graham 1st in class, Jackie 6th and the team 3rd in the Tramontina Challenge Cup.