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The raceReynard and Lola, indeed, were the only marques in the hunt all weekend, although the latest Ralt showed flashes of potential. For triple champion constructors March it is back to the drawing board though, after quite the most ignominious debut of its new car, adjudged a disaster... Still smarting from the failure to get new signing Alfonso Garcia de Vinuesa into the race, last year's champions at Onyx appeared to be left unrepresented when Volker Weidler's March ground to a halt mid-way round the 'green flag' lap. The 'start delayed' board was shown as the Marlboro car was hoisted onto a truck and ferried back to its pit, where its engine was coaxed back into life. Unable, now, to leap into the spare, the German was reinstalled, and the organisers allowed him, rather stupidly Mike Earle suggested, to start from pitlane, even though the recalcitrant machine had not returned there under its own steam. A carbon copy of Ayrton Senna's, incident in Rio a fortnight before, it brought Volker the black flag in only nine laps this time... And there were Sennaesque dramas on the grid for Russell Spence too, for the gear linkage of his car was refusing to select anything. Ralt's boys rushed on to make what repairs they could effect in the short time available. Unfortunately they were to bring but temporary relief. At the second time of asking, amid a crescendo of sound reverberating between the lofty slab-fronted pits and the steeply raked stand opposite, the 25 cars were let loose on the rise to Expo 92, with its sharply cut back exit. After much jostling behind Herbert and Giroix who led the staggered field away, Thomas Danielsson and Blundell managed to thread their way between second row men Olivier Grouillard (whose second gear stripped at the first change) and Bertrand Gachot.
Inevitably, there was commotion in midfield, as 25 into two cars' widths does not go at Jerez - or anywhere else where open-wheelers race. In reaction to a scrape in front of him, Paul Belmondo lifted off and was clouted by one or more of the cars in close proximity. The works Lola came to rest in the gravel pit, a front push-rod bent, thus its race run. Marco Apicella was badly delayed but picked his scuff-marked March and set about making up time, while the Colt Lola of Jari Nurminen was soon pit bound for a new nose fin, a lost bolt having set the original's trim flap adrift. GA's adjoining enclave had already received Foitek, suspecting a puncture. Herbert, Giroix, Danielsson, Blundell, Gachot, Michel Trollé, Massimo Monti, Spence, Roberto Moreno and Grouillard formed the first stable top 10 (Foitek having clung to sixth place first time round). While adjusting his brake balance at the end of the start straight, Thomas inadvertently flicked the ignition off, letting both Gachot and Trollé by in an instant, to chase Blundell who had found a way round the brave Swede on lap 10. Danielsson, his engine running hot in their wake, dropped back to find clean air, and charged again when the temperatures were nursed down again. Then, as he entered the twin right handers at Peluqui, the car inexplicably plunged straight off the road. Both its left hand wheels were ripped off against the wall, although onlookers were relieved to see Thomas alight unhurt after the 130mph impact, which the tub also survived intact. "There was absolutely nothing I could do," he rued. "The only explanation I can think of is that there was oil there. The front of the car and my helmet were covered in it (this from Giroix's overfilled gearbox) and there was no warning." Mark was able to profit again when Giroix's tyres started to deteriorate rapidly, leaving him powerless to resist the advances of Bert's Reynard and the vivid green Loia of Trollé. Now, behind the red Lola, Monti, Spence, Grouillard and Moreno were embroiled in an absorbing battle of wits, watched from close quarters by the bemused Bernard. Massimo drew away from Russell, whose problems in finding third and fourth gears were compounded by the front brakes wasting away, and subsequently clutch failure. Still he held on though, his rivals not decisively quick enough to pierce his staunch defences. Eventually, after many laps with a faster trio breathing down his neck, Russell could hold on no longer. The combination of ailments saw the car lurch into a spin at the hairpin, and it came to rest on the kerbs with the flywheel's ring gear adrift. He could not restart. Out in front, Herbert had a comfortable 3.4sec cushion to Blundell at the half way stage, his Reynard displaying no signs of the heavy tyre wear which he had experienced in qualifying. "I really went for it in the first two laps," said Johnny "and was a bit surprised that nobody came with me. That made my job a lot easier, and I was able to pace myself earlier. Mark seemed later couple of quick laps from time to time, but I was watching the boards and didn't think he could keep it up." Gachot's excellent third place evaporated at the chicane on lap 30 when his Reynard's engine cut. As he walked disconsolately back to the pits after a stirring effort, the marque's hopes took a further dive when Monti made a mistake at Dry Sack, with Moreno tucked under his wing. Even Roberto's finely honed reflexes could not avoid a collision, and a nose fin was swiped from the yellow car as it careered into the gravel, there to remain for the duration. Having only just clawed his way past Monti, Grouillard now found himself free to chase Giroix, for Bernard was commanding Massimo's fullest attention, Eric's blue Ralt slithering all over the place in the youngster's enthusiasm. With 10 laps to go, Eric appeared alone, in the points on the demise of his similarly mounted rival, the spark to whose Judd power pack had suddenly ceased, stranding him after a strong run. The order was thus Herbert, Blundell, Trollé, Giroix, Grouillard and Bernard as the decisive laps were rattled off. Once the leaders became involved with the tail end squabbles during lapping operations, all the headway which Blundell had made was negated, Herbert applying the pressure with some very clever timing of manoeuvres. Johnny did have one heart-stopping moment, however, when lapping Wallace's tractionless Ralt at the hairpin. He left his lunge v-e-r-y late, when 'Wal' was committed to turning-in, and for one ghastly moment it looked as if the white cars would collide. They didn't, by a cigarette paper's width... Having survived that, nothing was going to deny Herbert an historic maiden victory, one which mirrored the Reynard marque's achievement in winning its first ever F3 race (through fellow debutant Wallace in 1985). Five 88Ds had started and each had shown well. Only one finished, but it finished in front. And that is what matters in this sport. Eddie Jordan, Herbert's engineer Trevor Foster, his mechanics and Adrian Reynard himself were ecstatic as their young hero took the chequer, abandoned the car on the track at the end of his lap of honour and strode down the pit lane. And Blundell's reception was equally euphoric. While the nature of the circuit does not encourage overtaking, it does cause bunching and the protracted scrapping of a number of gaggles was a feature. Once clear of Jean-Denis Deletraz, Claudio Langes worked his way into a position to challenge Bernard, but when one of his shoulder belts worked loose he had to abandon thoughts of sixth place. Deletraz, his tyres waning in sympathy with those of team mate Giroix, fell into the midst of a super tussle between Martini's hobbled March and Giovanna Amati, her Lola driven neatly, yet with gusto. They rounded out the top 10. Despite tiring towards the end - for a long while he threatened to win the March class in the 87B - Alesi drove impeccably. He was overhauled by the doggedly persistent Pierre Chauvet towards the end, only for the Austrian to see his engine's oil pressure take a dive and wisely park up. Andy Wallace, unaccustomed to starting at the back, picked off one or two people by sheer heroism. When long time sparring partner Apicella gyrated at the final corner - oh so nearly removing Blundell from the race - Andy inherited 12th place. Poor reward. Race Results 1 Johnny Herbert (GB), EJR Reynard-Smith - 1hr 17m 20.02s Many thanks to Autosport and the writer for the above
report. All rights reserved.
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Johnny Herbert and the brand new
Reynard 88D chassis dominated Sunday's eagerly awaited opening round of the FIA
International F3000 Championship on the hugely demanding Jerez switchback circuit, the
debutants starting from the pole and sailing serenely away from Fabien Giroix's Lola in
the opening stages. In searing heat. Eddie Jordan Racing's British F3 champion paced
himself beautifully in his quest to keep the car's tyres alive, and shrugged off a
determined challenge from Mark Blundell's works Lola as the race progressed. Eventually,
it was the hard-charging pursuer whose grip went away, and Johnny was home and dry,
despite an anxious moment in traffic.
"It's a difficult place
to set the car up for, because the surface is so abrasive that the rear tyres tend to go
off very quickly causing vicious oversteer. It requires a lot of concentration because
there are so many corners - nowhere to take a breathe the only way you can make a lot up
is under braking and traction out of the corners. On my pole lap, I went over the kerbs at
the chicane, really 'animalled' it, and picked up a few revs by using fifth gear for the
left-hander before Nieto. 
