2010 Daily Mirror Group Handicap Trophy: 22/07/2010
The JC Racing Team competed for one of the Lowestoft & Oulton Broad Motor Boat Clubs most prestigious trophy this evening, The Daily Mirror Group Handicap Trophy. With two race wins and a second place team driver Julian Codling took the trophy home on what was some of the best hydroplane racing seen at Oulton Broad this season.
The group handicap event meant that boats started depending on their engine size so Wayne Turner got the first heat under way with the 125cc VRP powered Trombetta hydroplane. He was then followed forty five seconds later by JC Racing Team driver Julian Codling and Kevin Turner with the 250cc GRM hydroplane outfits.
Paul Jillings then followed in the slightly more powerful 350cc outfit, with the 400cc OSY's of Craig Speller, Joshua Wright, Tony Knights, Jason Freeman, James Bowman, James Marr and Robert Hales starting shortly after. The field was complete with the two 500cc Konig powered scratch boats of Stuart Grieve in the hydrocat and David Jones in 1973 500cc Restored outfit.
With Wayne Turner having problems with the 125cc VRP engine, JC Racing team driver Julian Codling soon found himself in the lead and was able to hold onto the first heat race win from Paul Jillings in the 350cc outfit. David Jones powered through the field with the classic restored 500cc hydroplane to take third.
The second race saw Wayne continue to struggle to get full performance out of the 125cc outfit as Julian and Paul Jillings both found themselves battling for the race win. It looked as though the result was going to be reversed as Paul Jillings overtook Julian on the last lap but fueling problems saw Paul's race come to an end as Julian brought home a second race win for the JC Racing Team.
WIth Julian just needing to bring the boat home in the final race to take the overall win it was a nervy last race as the team noticed a small crack in one of the exhaust pipes. The final race win went to a back on form Paul Jillings who once again overtook Julian on the last lap to take the chequered flag.
Overall it was the JC Racing Team who took home the famous Daily Mirror Challenge trophy with Team 27 driver Paul Jillings taking home second and Stuart Grieves taking third.
