There’s another packed Bank Holiday Monday of nostalgic racing action on offer at the Castle Combe Circuit’s Classic Saloon Raceday on May 28, but it’s in the circuit’s three home championships where the local runners will be under the spotlight.
The most intense competition amongst the West Country runners is likely to be seen in the Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford 1600 championship encounter with Ed Moore from Bradford on Avon unbeatable so far.
Whilst Moore runs in Class A, it’s from the Sarik Vacform sponsored Class B where his strongest opposition lies, Saltford’s Steven Jensen going particularly well in his Swift SC92 and Robert Hall in the similar Swift Cooper run machine from Castle Combe also hot.
Bathampton’s Matt McKillop will be praying for rain in order to repeat his front row start from the last meeting, which gave him third in class in his Swift SC95.
In Class A, Chepstow’s Nick Jones in the Van Diemen RF00 run by Gloucester based Kevin Mills Racing, will be vying with Bratton’s Ben Norton in the unique Spectrum run by Wiltshire College. Norton had a tremendous run at the last meeting, fighting through from 14th on the grid to claim 5th overall and 3rd in class. Castle Combe’s Andy Jones is another strong contender running an unusual chassis, the Ray GRS07, which took him to 6th last time.
Top local runner in the Team Schemes Class C is Kington St Michael’s Jim Hamilton in his Van Diemen RF89, which took the runner up spot last time, with Chippenham’s Adam Higgins progressing in his Van Diemen RF89.
Bath’s Guy Woodward was a fortunate winner of Class A of the savesometax.co.uk Castle Combe Special GT Championship race last time, after his usual 3.5 litre Jade Trackstar blew its engine in testing. Driving a 2 litre ‘hack’, Woodward benefited from the attrition which hit the likes of Bath’s Guy Parr in the Radical and leads his class going into this third round.
Star of the show last time out though was Westbury’s Shane Marshall who drove his Class B Mallock P21 furiously from 13th on the grid to take the runner up spot, just three quarters of a second behind winner, Louis Davidson.
Another fast Class B contender will be Bristol’s Thomas Richardson in the Nemesis RME 02, his team mate, Tony Michael, one to watch in Class C in the Westfield SE, which won the split class race outright last time.
A drying track caught out many drivers who had fitted wet tyres for the last round of the National Mobile Windscreens Saloon Car Championship race.
Mark Harrison from Kingston Bagpuize was one of those, still managing to lead for the first seven laps before his Mitsubishi Evo was passed by Russ Humphrey.
Nailsworth’s Keith Murray in the Audi A4 Quattro actually claimed second after Harrison was also docked 10 seconds for a jumped start. Atworth’s Robert Ballard will be hoping his Mitsubishi Evo 7 RS Sprint can join in the fun this time after a disappointing start to the season so far.
Bristol’s Mark Wyatt fought through to a Class B win and 4th overall from 12th on the grid in his Astra.
Weston Super Mare’s Alex Ferguson took the Class C win in his 205 GTi after a closely fought battle with Calne’s Tony Hutchings, the latter caught out on wet tyres and settings on his MG ZR.
Class D should be very tight if the last meeting was anything to go by, Bath’s Oliver Lewis taking pole, Chippenham’s William Di Claudio leading, but Russell Poynter-Brown winning after various happenings throughout the 10 laps.
Another group of locals appear in the visiting IBIS Packaging Classic Modified Saloon Car Championship, many of them regulars in the circuit’s own saloon car championship. Bristol drivers, Tim Maddocks and David Kift have their Civic Type R and 205 GTi respectively, with Yate sending Chris Morris in his Suzuki Ignis Sport. Tetbury’s Paul D’Angelo has a Peugeot 106 Rallye.
The Sports Racing and GT Challenge includes Bristol’s Mike Walker in a Crossle 95 and there are various other races for Pre ’93, Classic and Historic Touring and Saloon Cars, as well as a packed grid for the Easytrack Production BMW championship.
Monday's action starts at 8:40am with qualifying, racing getting under way from 1pm.
Admission prices are £15 for adults, £7.50 for OAPs, £2.50 for paddock transfer, whilst accompanied children under 15 are admitted free.
For further information, visit the Castle Combe Circuit website on www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk
