The 2007 Championship was further expanded to 16 rounds at 11 venues. None were new, but there was a non-championship fact-finding mission to St Gueno in France by the 348 Mafia. This was to find an overseas event to replace Bouley Bay in 2008, as it does not fall in Easter week. The report was favourable but RA decreed that Doune will be the overseas event this year. This ultimate hill deserves a decent turnout, especially as it's at the June British Championship meeting and happily event coordinator Chris Butler tells me so far it's looking good.

All the events attracted good entries and such was the overwhelming popularity of the Series that many were oversubscribed, there were even 21 entries for the final Curborough. My Shenstone & District Car Club contacts tell me that this venue is under severe threat due to planned house building. It would be a real tragedy if it was lost to the sport as it's unique in providing easy access. Let us hope for the best, but in any case the most must be made of it whilst we can.

For the first time in many years Harewood was not the most popular venue. Last season that honour fell to....MIRA ! This ex-airfield had no less than 23 Ferraris howling around. It's a touch ironic that only a less popular venue can accommodate all the Ferraristi who wish to enter. Hethel had the smallest entry at six. This too is ironic as it's a bad place, the meeting was badly organised and they turned Ferraris away. It has consequently been liquidated from the 2008 Championship.

The average number of meetings per driver was up to 7.45 and would have been more but for the difficulty of getting entries. Only veteran Geoff Dark competed in all 16 meetings, however a magnificent 16 did 8 meetings or more, this is up from 11 last year. In addition to Geoff the roll of honour reads Richard Prior, Andrew Holman, Pauline Goodwin, Tracey Haynes, Nick Taylor, Charles Haynes, Chris Butler, David Hathaway, Ricardo Preece, Dave Tomlin, Sergio Ransford, Jeff Cooper, Peter Rogerson, RA and Barrie Wood. What is particularly encouraging is that six of these were relative newcomers, which bodes well for the future of the series.

The 2007 championship was unusual because the 355 was by far the dominant tipo with 13 wins (overall and PEPS), so why did a 348 win the Championship? The answer of course lies in the PEPs. Our Tony Cotton-designed points calculating engine allows one to play interesting tunes on them and shows yet again this year that minor tinkering makes no difference. It would have needed the difference between 348s and 355s to be reduced to about 1.5% for a 355 (Butler) to be victorious. What it does show is how much more important the driver is than the tipo. If, as in 2008, Richard Prior had been on the Champ's +1% and Nick Taylor back to "normal", Chris would have been 2007 Champ from Taylor with Prior third! This all with no change to car PEPs.

Unfortunately this does mean that there are a great number of competitors who are never going to win, but hey, that's proper motor racing, talent should triumph. It's difficult to argue that the older tipi should have more generous PEPs when Brian Jackson managed to win with a standard 308 the way things are! Also it's hard to argue for much more of a reduction in the 355's PEP when Gooders blitzed the 2002 Championship on +2.75% - mind you, he was on a mission that year. Again, just shows that fast driving will always overcome the PEP.

Maybe it's time to consider a separate, subsidiary championship for drivers who have never had an outright or PEPs win, and once a driver did win it he/she was not eligible again. If the popularity of the Series continues at current levels it's even possible to envisage extra "B" class only meetings. If such a class was to happen, it might be an idea to make the 348 the latest tipo eligible for entry.

Stats apart, there is no doubt that the right man won, Richard Prior tying up the Championship comfortably with a couple of rounds to go in, I think it's fair to say, a less than perfect car. Also last year he showed that he's no mean scribbler!

Anyway here's the stats. They are offered, as are the observations, in all humility - I know it's easy from my side of the fence.

Click here to go to the full results.

Click here to go to the 2007 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship page.

Click here to go to the 2008 Pirelli Ferrari Hillclimb Championship page.