CCRC CASTLE COMBE SUMMER SPECTACULAR, June 28

AVON TUNING GT CHAMPIONSHIP

Scaramanga and Kakad on top

Dave Scaramanga, debuting a Ferrari 488 Challenge, and Sacha Kakad driving Keith Butcher’s 5.2-litre Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3 V10 in race two, added their names to the CCRC GT Championship’s list of round winners at Castle Combe’s Summer Spectacular event last Saturday, June 28. The Avon Tuning-backed contest reverted to its more usual twin sprint race format and attracted its largest entry of the year for rounds four and five.

Simpson Motorsport stalwart Kakad – last out at Combe with an Audi RS3 TCR in 2020 – returned on the back of a strong 2024 British GT programme in an Audi R8 LMS and set a stunning 1m04.563s (103.15mph) pole time in just seven laps. But championship leader Dylan Popovic fed on this dynamic, thundering his seven-litre Ginetta-Chevrolet G55 round the 1.85 miles inside 66s for the first time, his 1:05.963 (100.96mph) half a second inside his personal best in the monster prepared by Kevin Richardson from his Marlin kit car days.

That earned Popovic the prime spot for race one, with Scaramanga alongside on 1:07.005 in the ex-John Seale Ferrari which has superseded the Audi R8, sidelined by engine failure last time out in May. The Italian stallion came with a change to the MTECH team, which is also running Jordan Billinton’s Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo.

Scaramanga rocketed the four-litre twin-turbocharged V8 past Popovic’s green machine at the start and resisted everything Dylan could throw at him to land a one-length victory. Later, Popovic had the edge in their personal battle until he ran out of fuel on the final lap, but Kakad was a long way up the road in the black and purple Lambo, run by Simpson Engineering and watched with pride by owner Butcher. “At 76, I can’t manage two races any more, but I enjoyed that,” said Keith.

Fifth in both races, Alan Hamilton was a double winner in three-car class F in the Fleurtations Tigra clone, but only pipped Reuben Taylor’s Vauxhall-powered Ginetta G40 by 0.028s second time out. Class E was the domain of BMW drivers David Marcussen (M3 E46) and James Kembrey (M2) who shared golds.

On paper the entry harboured much promise, with a stronger sharp end, but Tim and Nick Adam’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was eliminated in an unfortunate incident which stopped qualifying within two minutes. Pacy on Easter Monday and in May, Hot Hatch graduate Tim Adams had hired Nigel Greensall – outright lap record holder on Combe’s original [pre-chicanes] layout in an F1 Tyrrell – to hone his skills in Thursday testing. Tim was on his first flying lap when a collision with Andy Williams’ Mazda RX-8, last out, destabilised the Porsche and flipped it at the Esses. Both drivers emerged shaken, but alas the Porsche was extensively damaged.

With Kakad not due out until the second stanza, Popovic’s green and orange Ginetta, Scaramanga’s black and red Ferrari, Chris Everill’s 6.2-litre Ginetta-Chevrolet G55 and the contrasting Lamborghinis of Butcher and Billinton should have formed the primary stampede, but Keith was late on parade and started from the pitlane. Four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington tested the red Ginetta on the Thursday and, following suspension set-up adjustments recorded a superb 1:04.5 – equivalent to Kakad’s Saturday pole time – on old tyres. “Colin reckoned it would do threes, which was great to hear,” said its owner.

Best ‘saloon’ was Alan Hamilton’s Vauxhall Tigra silhouette, with its turbocharged 2.3-litre Ford [Mustang] Ecoboost engine on 1:09.009 (96.50mph), the locally-domiciled Ulsterman having clawed past James Kembrey’s mighty 585bhp twin-turbocharged BMW M2 by 0.049s. Since his sensational debut on Easter Monday, Rolls-Royce CNC machine engineer Kembrey has festooned the car with an imposing aero kit, including a full-length flat floor.

More BMWs, in the hands of buddies Gavin Dunn (E36 M3) and David Marcussen (E46 M3) were not far behind, intermingled with Reuben Taylor’s Ginetta-Vauxhall silhouette, Damian Longotano’s Westfield-Millington SE – pushed away after practice – and Wayne Spiller’s 2015 SEAT Leon TCR, previously raced in 750MC Club Enduros by Matt and Simon Wallis. Philip “Mr Cheese” Young’s faithful Mitsubishi Colt silhouette was next up. Leigh Haslett (Mazda RX-8), Mike Cook (BMW 330 Clubsport), Doug Forbes (Ginetta G20), Russell Haggerty (Ford Ka) and Combe stalwart Verity Banks (Renault Clio 197) comprised the rest of the field.

A year after its big shunt at Folly, which took out Popovic’s then purple Ginetta, Tom Walpole’s Audi turbo powered KTM GT4 Evo+ was back, now carrying a bright livery over its carbon black, but it remained dormant. His crew discovered once the Austrian machine was unloaded that the wheel changing kit and compressed air bottles were in another truck in Wellingborough, thus they loaded up and slunk back home.

Race one saw two rampant V8’s battling out front, Scaramanga’s soprano-voiced Ferrari and Popovic’s bass-noted Chevrolet so closely matched that Dylan’s 1:06.160 (100.66mph) fastest lap – his best yet under race conditions – shaded winner David’s by 0.029s. Everill ran third, posting a 1:06.717 personal best before his brakes went away presaging retirement. Billinton and Butcher, thus took up the cudgels in their V10 Lambos. Both in the 7s, late starter Keith finished 2.496s behind Jordan, overwhelmed by his podium finish.

Kembrey slowed and retired his monster BMW when the experimental underbody caused its gearbox to overheat, leaving Hamilton to defeat Taylor and Marcussen to beat Spiller in their respective classes. Young, Haslett, Cook, Forbes and Haggerty also reached the chequer.

Second time out in searing hot conditions, nobody saw Kakad for dust as he set a race average of 100.85mph in Butcher’s Huracan, with a best lap of 1:05.261 (102.05mph). “It’s a very, very fast car, and great fun,” grinned Sacha. The legacy of his vitesse was Popovic needing to complete 19 laps, rather than 18. Having kept Scaramanga behind, after toughing it out into the Esses on the opening lap, Dylan ground to a halt, out of fuel. While his overall points lead remains, he will doubtless be draining his tank to gauge consumption after every session in future.

Everill pursued Popovic and Scaramanga initially, before losing his brakes again, a leaking rear master cylinder the likely culprit. With both Ginettas gone, Billinton bagged another third – “two podiums, that was a bit crazy” – a lap down, but ahead of class winner Kembrey, his Beemer looking undressed running sans undertray and rear bumper as he tried to suss how to balance its aero performance. James finished 21 seconds ahead of F protagonists Hamilton and Taylor, who flashed over the timing stripe together. Behind them, Marcussen just got the better of Spiller, clear of Young. Haslett’s rotary coupe, Haggerty and Cook rounded out the finishers.

 

MOTUL FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP

Cooper hits 25 to top FF table

Luke Cooper made hay while the sun shone over Castle Combe’s Summer Spectacular last Saturday, June 28. In the absence of Rory Smith, the works Swift driver’s double victory not only leap-frogged the Medina ace to top the CCRC’s Motul FF1600 Championship table, but his landmark 25th round win moved him to the top of the table and a third title quest right on track.

Cooper and Smith, runner-up to Felix Fisher last term, now have three wins apiece with six of the 10 rounds completed, but Luke’s trio of second places and impressive set of five fastest lap bonuses – Alex Kite bagged the other in a KMR Spectrum – looks increasingly strong with nine results to count. “I just need to keep scoring well to bring it home,” he said.

On a day when the field shrank to 10 competitors, with several regulars indisposed, three-way fights for second entertained spectators. Class B standout Nathan Ward was as ever in the thick of battle throughout and dug deep to land two silvers in his immaculate Swift SC92. Cooper’s team mate Sam Skellett (SC92) and Richard Higgins (Van Diemen RF91) joined Luke and Nathan on the metaphorical podiums.

Cooper dominated the preliminaries, his 1m10.667s (94.25mph) pole time the best since last October’s finals, and 0.908s beyond reach of Ward, whose 1:11.565 trumped Tom Hawkins (TM Racing Springbridge Direct Swift SC95) on 1:11.682. Tom lacked the moral support of dad Bob, prioritising his alternative 200mph quarter-mile straight line passion at Santa Pod Raceway’s huge Dragstalgia event, with brother Ted and the evergreen slingshot rail Time Traveler II.

Ward’s other rival Higgins, minus twice champion brother Adam in the Beastworx line-up, gridded fourth, well in touch, ahead of teenager Skellett. Cooper’s sole team mate following Miles Wragg’s withdrawal, Sam posted a solid 1:13.637, chased by Alicia Hamlen (Ray GR09) on 1:14.234. Wayne Poole comfortably led the Class C trio with 1:14.795 (89.05mph) from fellow Van Diemen RF89 driver Dane Catanzaro and Michael Phillips (Swift FB87). Pete Lavender was again the only Historic runner in his super Merlyn Mk11/17, resembling inaugural Combe champion Bryan Sharp’s Mk11 of 1969.

Cooper shot clear at the start of race 1, extending an advantage of almost a second on the opening lap, then stretching it to 15.109s over the 15 minute slot. While Luke sped round in his comfort zone, clipping apexes faultlessly without pressure from behind, he was blissfully unaware of the frenetic scrap brewing for the runner-up position.

Ward and Hawkins traded second before Higgins got in on the act, squeezing Tom to the back of the trio. The tussle reached a crescendo on the 13th and final lap. After drafting through Folly and up Avon Rise, then scrabbled for territorial advantage approaching Quarry, Hawkins appeared to outbrake himself, collecting Higgins. “I had one in each mirror for most of the race. The next thing I saw was them exiting stage left,” said Ward, relieved not to have been caught up in the melee.

With both protagonists out of contention – although Higgins limped back seventh, still third in class – Skellett was elated to find himself third overall on an all-Swift podium. Poole won class B in fourth, having won a feisty joust with the feisty Hamlen by 0.490s, with Catanzaro detached in sixth. Behind Higgins, Phillips and Lavender finished a lap down.

All were back out for race 2, its grid formed by second best Q times. In broad overview it was an action replay of the earlier round, albeit with Cooper less than 10 seconds ahead at the chequered flag. Ward, Higgins and Hawkins reprised their fight, early leader Nathan jostling back past Richard on lap 9, before Tom retired with suspension damage. Constantly expecting an attack, Ward drove defensively on the final circuit to cement second and his class double.

Skellett moved up to fourth on Hawkins’ demise, which brought top C finisher Poole and Hamlen up to fifth and sixth. Philips and Lavender were home next, with Catanzaro a couple of laps behind them having stopped twice with an engine bay side panel unclipped and sagging. At the peak of the afternoon’s ambient and track temperatures, lap times were slower than before in each of the four age splits.

 

NANKANG TYRES HOT HATCH CHAMPIONSHIP

Chequers for Webber and Stack

Corey Webber made it five different winners from the first five rounds of the CCRC Nankang Tyres Hot Hatch Championship at the Summer Spectacular event on June 28. In a one-two for Devonian Honda Civic EP3 drivers, Webber narrowly beat Jason Stack who turned the tables in an even tighter second stanza, repeating Easter Monday’s season-opening victory. Their combined winning margins over each other were less than a second! Paring two thousandths from Stack’s lap record – set in a Clio last year – in the opener to leave the target at 1m14.927s (88.88mph) was the icing on Webber’s cake.

Welcome Combe returnee Nick Gwinnett underlined the competitive multi-marque nature of the contest by planting his Renault Clio 182 on pole with the first representative time of the season, then bagged a brace of thirds. May Madness victor Joe Hathaway and Jason Holloway snared fourths in their Clios, each ahead of Julian Fisher – the second winner last time out – in his Ford Fiesta ST150 and James MacGregor, fast getting used to his CardioSport Honda Civic EP3.

Shropshire’s Scott Hughes kept up his title challenge in class C, netting his third and fourth wins of the campaign in the rorty API/Brooklands Autocraft Peugeot 106 GTi. Competitors now have more than two months to regroup for the penultimate double-header of the season on August 25’s Combe Countdown bill.

Twenty four entrants, the largest field of the season to date, steeled themselves for qualifying action on a warm summery Saturday morning. First to show was Hathaway, but Gwinnett trumped allcomers with a blistering sequence of three laps, the middle one of which proved peerless. Nick’s 1m14.666s (89.19mph) shot displaced Hathaway’s best to that point, but Webber ended up second quickest 0.837s adrift. Stack and Hathaway were third and fourth, also in the 15s, ahead of Fisher, Holloway and Lee Waterman (Civic EP3).

Class C leader Scott Hughes gridded an outstanding eighth on 1:18.536 (84.80mph), with MacGregor, George Kimber (Clio) and B pacesetter Daniel Roe (Peugeot 106) also inside 1m20s. Roe’s 1:19.791 was half a second quicker than rival Jack Lovegrove (Citroen Saxo), but James Dyer-Bufton’s Civic EP3 sat between them. Lovegrove and Jake Humphrey (Clio), next up in 14th, both had their best two laps disallowed for track limits infringements, as did Sam Williams in the Wiltshire College 1400cc Honda Civic. Between them in the final reckoning were Clare Pensom in her Cherry & White Hire late model Honda and Richard Kemp’s Fiesta in the 21s.

Class E leader Benjamin Heywood was two seconds quicker than Paul Cole in the other supercharged BMW Mini Cooper S R53, the pair sandwiching overall points leader Julian Ellison’s Fiesta S1600 and the well-matched Saxos of Mark Culley and Steve Andrews. Invitee Mel Higgins (Saxo) and Brian Deeprose (Clio) rounded out the pack.

Lighter than the Hondas, Gwinnett’s Renault bolted out of the blocks at the start of Race 1, and was almost a second clear of Stack, with his mirrors filled with Webber, at the end of the opening lap. Undeterred by a grassy moment at Old Paddock, Hathaway was a close fourth, with a gap back to Holloway – an early retirement – and Fisher. Gwinnett’s moment of glory lasted three and a half laps. “I’m disappointed. I made a mistake at Tower,” he said, having lost momentum and watched Webber and Stack scream past.

The Hondas stayed ahead to the chequered flag, which Corey took 0.509s before Jason. “The tyre pressures made things difficult, and Jason was always going to catch up, so I just had to make sure I kept him behind,” said the delighted winner. “I knew it was going to be tough, but it was a good race,” agreed Stack. Eleven seconds down, Gwinnett had to be content with the third podium place, 1.691s ahead of Hathaway. Fisher, MacGregor, Kimber and Waterman were more than a minute shy of the top pair, such was their pace and consistency.

Ninth overall, Hughes dominated his division, the diverse A cars of Dyer-Bufton, Kemp and Humphrey between himself and Lovegrove at the end. Pensom, Ellison, Williams – with a new D class record of 1:22.502 (80.72mph) on his slate – Heywood and the barely separable Culley and Andrews notched 15 laps, one more than Deeprose and Higgins. Roe, the sole B starter, and Cole in the second Mini fell by the wayside, joining Hathaway in retirement. None would get out later.

Race 2, with its grid defined by second best Q times, got under way with Stack and Webber mugging poleman Gwinnett at the traffic lights, but Hathaway missing. A second and a half ahead of Webber at the end of lap one, Stack saw his rival edge closer. For 16 laps the Honda engine notes harmonised, but Jason managed to repel Corey’s advances by 0.412s at TSL’s timing beam, the final arbiter. They did much of their cooling down lap abreast as spectators and marshals showed their approval. Gwinnett’s red Renault was again third over the line, 27 seconds down this time.

Holloway and Fisher were relatively lonely in fourth and fifth, with MacGregor sixth having displaced Kimber on lap 3. Eighth overall, Hughes again stormed to class C gold, beating Lovegrove with Kemp and young Humphrey as buffers between them. Behind the French Peugeot and Citroen cousins, Ellison was again third in the division in his Fiesta, but Andrews moved up to fourth. Pensom’s class A Honda finished between them, Clare’s 12th place unaffected by a 15 second penalty for lining up ahead of her grid position. Heywood, Williams, Culley and Higgins rounded out the finishers, but Dyer-Bufton and Deeprose retired.

 

SOUTH CERNEY ENGINEERING SALOON CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Prebble and Brockbank prevail

Light rain intensified as the 15 minute qualifying session for rounds five and six of the CCRC’s South Cerney Engineering Saloon Car Championship gathered momentum at June 28’s Summer Spectacular meeting. Competitors thus realistically had three or four laps to get their work done. With any thought of improvement dispelled after half way everybody was back in the paddock as TSL’s clocks counted down to zero over an empty track. Nonetheless, six forced induction cars topped the order.

Interceptor Racing had turned round Adam Prebble’s We Wheel Fix It Vauxhall Astra turbo since May’s oil issues and the 2022 champion unleashed a sizzling 1m09.811s (95.40mph) third lap to annex pole. Second quickest was Hadyn King in his mechanically supercharged SEAT Leon on 1:11.519, with a cautious Harrison Chamberlain 0.206s slower in his VW Golf GTi turbo.

Returning triple champion Simon Thornton-Norris was on Chamberlain’s heels, having cut 1:11.901 (92.62mph) in the class B-leading 1468cc Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart turbo. Problems with the Japanese rocket’s fly-by-wire throttle system sent Simon back to HQ in Melksham, 10 miles away, to effect repairs, but car and driver were back at the circuit, hot to trot, in time for race one.

Todd Carter gridded fifth in his Renault Megane R26 turbo on a promising 1:12.525, which suppressed Bill Brockbank’s road-legal SEAT Leon Cupra turbo to the outside of row three, a mere 0.048s slower. Although outpaced by Thornton-Norris, the two-litre naturally-aspirated cars of class B points leaders Mark Wyatt (Interceptor Racing Vauxhall Astra) and Kieren Simmons (Hagerty Digital Ford Fiesta) were the next pairing.

The class C MG action was brilliant as ever, with division pacesetter Wayne Rushworth (Pest 24/WPR) on 1:17.225 (86.24mph) and Nathan Sutton and James Keepin within a second and a half. Tim Swift’s 1600cc Peugeot 106 GTi and Mike Good’s 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa were next up. Series sponsor Jonathan Wills’ troubled MG Maestro turbo – which only managed one lap and would miss the first race – Roger Good’s 1400cc Fiesta and James Blake’s i-tech Racing/M4 Tyres MG ZR, another one lapper, completed the line-up. Running-in a fresh engine, James erred on the side of caution when chattering bodywork rang alarm bells, but years of previous experience ‘on type’ saw clerks permit the Bristolian to start.

Rushworth started from the pits, having hit engine pick-up problems on the green flag lap. Wayne Poole’s guys quickly replaced the throttle position sensor – a matter of a couple of screws to access – and had him back on his way. The unexpected adversity fired the Swindon driver up to score as many points as possible in the circumstances.

Prebble made the best start as the red lights went out on the gantry, scorching round the opening lap ahead of Thornton-Norris, Chamberlain and Brockbank, who was clipped by King at Quarry. The latter’s vividly coloured SEAT was out on the spot, but Brockbank’s newer Badger 5 version survived with barely a scratch. Simmons and Wyatt, the fast-starting Sutton’s class C leading MG ZR, and Carter – displaced by the incident – were next ahead of Blake, already second in his division, and Keepin. Swift, Mike Good, Rushworth and Roger Good completed the order.

Chamberlain peeled off Dean Straight into the pits at the end of lap 2, having clobbered the tyre stack at Bobbies with the Golf’s right front corner and bent a track rod. Without a spare, Harrison and his guys set about straightening it for the sequel, without great hope of achieving their goal. Thornton-Norris’ lap times lengthened around half-distance, becoming easy prey for Brockbank and the ascendant Carter, ecstatic at landing his first podium.

The early duel between Simmons, an overjoyed winner last time out in May, and Wyatt – initially with Sutton’s lemon and lime MG in tow – assumed greater gravitas when, with Mark by then ahead of Kieren, they zapped past the ailing Colt to go top of the class. Wyatt thus completed a third double of the season for the Interceptor Vauxhalls.

Blake, on a mission from the back of the grid, was going great guns in his yellow i-tech Racing MG. As he reeled in Sutton, in turn Rushworth was compressing the class C war. Any of the combatants could have prevailed, but as Rushworth slipped back – “I was overdriving it,” admitted Wayne afterwards – James charged past Nathan to claim an inspired sixth overall and divisional honours. Lapped by Prebble towards the end, five seconds separated them at the finish, with Blake the third C victor in five rounds. Thornton-Norris, Keepin and the Goods – Michael and dad Roger – split by Swift rounded out the 13 finishers.

Prebble, Brockbank and Chamberlain sizzled clear of the rest at the start of race two, its grid – minus King and Swift – set by second best times. Meanwhile, Thornton-Norris, who crept forward a row – into the inviting gap where King should have been – and Wyatt were adjudged to have been too eager and picked up 10 second penalties. Behind Chamberlain, Carter led the chase in the French blue Megane, with Wyatt going after him, endeavouring to build a sufficient gap over rival Simmons to nullify his imposition. Rushworth led C, chased by Good Jr and Blake – both from the back row, Mike having elected to start there – Wills, Sutton, Keepin, pit-bound Thornton-Norris and Good Sr.

Wills’ Maestro continued to prove recalcitrant, thus Jonathan parked it. He was soon joined on the sidelines by Chamberlain, concerned that a misfire might damage his Golf’s engine. A third retirement in four starts for the defending champion left 11 cars on track.

With a lead of seven seconds after six circuits, Prebble looked comfortable out front, but onlookers began to hear his engine misfire, intermittent at first. When the splutter worsened and Adam’s times dropped into the 14s and 15s, Brockbank’s white SEAT ate into the deficit to the grey Astra in increasing chunks, Bill cutting a best lap of 1:12.206, a second quicker than in race 1. A fourth win for Adam was now in doubt, indeed Brockback powered past three laps from the end of the allotted 20 minutes for a satisfying 9.191s victory.

Carter scored his second podium of the afternoon with another third, while Wyatt was far enough ahead of Simmons – 15.6s before the 10 seconds were factored in – to bag class B again with a full quota of points. Confidence buoyed by his earlier triumph, Blake did another sterling job to repeat in C, reducing his best lap to 1:16.402 (87.17mph), a couple of tenths inside Rushworth’s. Brockbank lapped Rushworth – double D winner Mike Good – Sutton and Keepin last time round, leaving Blake to cover Bill’s full distance. Roger Good was a further circuit behind, lapping consistently.

 

NORMAN LACKFORD TROPHY

Stephens’ tangerine dream

That 18-year-old race debutant Lowen Stephens from his adopted country of Cornwall should win the third running of his Memorial Trophy would have thrilled Norman Lackford [1944-2022]. In a racing career spanning 53 years, the veteran’s last seasons, travelling up from St Just, were enjoyed in the Sports Prototypes for which his race has been run annually since 2023.

Now Glastonbury-domiciled, Stephens, who saw Castle Combe for the first time from the cockpit of an RJ Motorsport Radical SR3 two days before June 28th’s double-header races, steered clear of the Somerset town in Festival week and made music of his own with virtuoso performances in the Suzuki Hayabusa-powered car.

The chassis is no stranger to Combe success, for the tangerine and white #12 won last year’s Lackford races with Andy Fido up. This time it circulated quicker, Stephens snaring pole with a stirring 1m04.131s (103.85mph) shot, 1.185s clear of Paul Seward (SR3). Come the afternoon, the youngster lapped almost as quickly in searing race heat.

It’s an exceptional newcomer who beats experienced racers in such imperious style, but from the front in Race 1 and fighting his way back from third place in the subsequent contest Lowen Stephens is clearly a talent to watch. Spa, king of racetracks, beckons next in his fledgling career. Onlookers on Saturday, on and off track, wish him well.

Ten competitors arrived for qualifying, eight in Radicals showcasing the Peterborough-based company pioneered by Phil Abbott and Mick Hyde in the 1990s, but long in other hands with a history evolved over more than 3000 cars. Most are SR3 derivatives, per six of the chassis at Combe. A sharp shower came to nothing and away they went.

Behind Stephens and Seward on the first grid sat the ‘interlopers,’ Darcy Smith in his Bergamo, Italy-built Wolf Thunder – its 1100cc Aprilia RS V4 motorcycle engine emitting a throaty rasp – and Tim Gray Motorsport team mate Clint Newman in one of Paul Nightingale’s Chesterfield-made Spire GTSs, in standard RGB Sports 1000 specification with screaming Honda CBR power.

Row three comprised Lake District veteran Doug Carter’s 1340cc Radical PR6, a centre seat derivative of the Prosport model which followed the original 1100cc Kawasaki-engined Clubsport, 0.046s quicker than Chris Child’s angular SR4. The field was completed by Ross Board, Richard Gillman, Dominic Langdon-Down and Lynsey Jones in SR3s.

Stephens rocketed away at the rolling start of the opening race, before which Smith spun through Folly on the green flag lap, made up the places and was penalised 10 seconds for his misdemeanour. Seward kept the leader honest, but could not dislodge him, Once Stephens’ tyres were up to temperature, the top five was settled.

Seward, Smith (creating a large enough cushion to maintain third on corrected times), Newman, Carter, Child and Gillman maintained their positions, but red flags flew when Board, eighth, walloped the tyres at Tower. A heavy impact buckled the tubular chassis’ left front corner, but Ross climbed out unscathed. Langdon-Down and Jones moved up. The cars were re-gridded, then ushered off track to keep the event flowing.

Smith made a great getaway in Race 2, howling ahead of Seward and Stephens. For the first five laps the Aprilia soundtrack was a Combe novelty, but Stephens passed Seward on lap three, hounded Smith down and grabbed the lead three circuits later. From then it was a one horse race over a full 19 laps, but Seward wrested second on lap eight.

Ironically, the pair chasing the orange car in both races was the same as last year, when Smith finished third in a Radical SR3. The rest of the order had a familiar ring to it too, with Newman and Carter next home. Gillman and Child – whose initial start was blistering – and Langdon-Down were a lap down at the chequer, one ahead of Lones.

MARCUS PYE

ENDS/MAWP