The world of classic and historic motor sport returns to the Castle Combe circuit on Saturday August 4, with its annual Classic Raceday.
Whilst most of the races come under the banner of the Historic Sports Car Club, making its debut at the Wiltshire track is the Virgin Radio Classic Rock ‘Equipe’ GTS.
Castle Combe is the latest on the list of famous tracks visited by the series, Zolder in Belgium, Le Mans Bugatti, Zandvoort in Holland and the legendary Nordschleiffe also on the agenda.
The series caters for such historic sports-cars as MGAs, Bs and T Types, Triumph TR4, Morgan Plus-4, and “Special-bodied” Sprites and Midgets, the accent being on a high standard of preparation and presentation. Amongst the most interesting cars are a pair of rare WSM Sprites, driven by Tony Wilson-Spratt and Clive Cocks.
Probably the most hotly contested of the races will be the HSCC Grandstand Motor Sports Historic Formula Ford in association with Avon Tyres. Nelson Rowe from Wotton Under Edge has been one of the two top drivers in the championship for the last few seasons, his battles with Neil Fowler almost legendary.
Rowe may also enter the circuit’s own Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford 1600 championship race, in which he has been phenomenally successful in the past, often challenging the top six in his ancient Crossle 20F. His main class rivals in that championship will be Chippenham’s Adam Higgins in the RIADRO Racing Van Diemen RF89 and Kington St Michael’s Jim Hamilton in a similar car.
Right out front should be Bradford On Avon’s Ed Moore in the Van Diemen RF00, but chased hard by Bratton’s Ben Norton in the newly sorted Wiltshire College Spectrum 011, which was flying at the last meeting. Bridgwater’s Josh Fisher will be trying to get in on the action too.
Saltford’s Steven Jensen was the hero of the championship at the last event, driving with a freshly broken shoulder, yet still winning his class and grabbing an outright podium in the second race of the weekend! Three weeks on, the injury will still be far from mended, but on his past form, Jensen should have no problems defending his class B championship lead.
Bathampton’s Matt McKillop will be a strong favourite if the wet weather continues as it has, his Swift SC95 ideally suited to flood-like conditions. This time he is joined by father, Mac, who has dug out his old Royale RP26 for Class C.
Former National Saloon Car championship driver, Chris Sanders, from Weston Super Mare, is back with his Nick Stagg engined Lotus Cortina in the HSCC/HRSR ByBox Historic Saloon Car Championship race. Bristol’s Dan Cox is in the same class in a similar car, whilst Mike Hanna from Cheltenham and Adrian Oliver from Bristol are Hillman Imp mounted in Class E.
In the HSCC Guards Trophy, long time circuit supporter George Douglas from Frampton Cotterell, is back in his Ginetta G12, which knows its way around Castle Combe and countless other classic circuits throughout the world.
The HSCC Classic Racing Car Championship caters for cars built prior to 1971 and includes F1, F2, F3 and Formula Junior cars including the Brabham BT29 of Dursley’s Matthew Watts.
The British Automobile Racing Club’s Classic Clubmans Championship race sees Bristol’s Rob Beazer in a Mallock MK18, whilst completing the historic line-up is the JEC Jaguar XK Challenge, catering for the Jaguar XK120, XK140 or XK150 built between 1948-1961.
By contrast, some of the country’s fastest road based saloons appear in the National Mobile Windscreens Saloon Car Championship, even though a couple were eliminated from action for a while in a huge accident at the last round. The unfortunate pair were Atworth’s Rob Ballard and Mark Harrison from Kingston Bagpuize, their Evos severely mangled in the crash at Folly corner.
Surviving Class A contenders include Nailsworth’s Keith Murray and his 4WD Audi A4 Quattro and ex rally cross ace, Barry Squibb in his Evo.
The Peugeot 106 of Chippenham’s William Di Claudio has a fraction of the horsepower of the Class A 4WD monsters, yet it is he who is leading the championship overall.
Not far behind is Calne’s Tony Hutchings, continuing to push hard in the Class C MG ZR, as he is hotly pursued by Weston Super Mare’s Alex Ferguson in the Peugeot 205 GTi and Swindon’s John Avery in the Honda Integra.
Bath’s Guy Woodward will be looking for victory in the Chrysler powered Class A Jade Trackstar in the savesometax.co.uk Castle Combe Special GT Championship race. Marlborough’s Howard Spooner will be looking to deny him in his Nissan engined example.
Trowbridge’s Mark Funnell took a well deserved ‘driver of the day’ award at the last meeting, having won two Lotus races with his road going Exige and lead the Special GT race until his huge lead was negated by the safety car. Once again he will be fighting Bristol’s Tony Michael for Class C.
Castle Combe’s Keith Sprules is one of six Ferrari 360 drivers in Class D, Marc Haynes, of Motor Museum fame, having his first outing in this series in another example.
Cirencester’s Rob Clarke will be on a high after his outright win last time in the Radical Clubsport, with Westbury’s Shane Marshall, still the leading Class B contender.
Saturday's action starts at 8.35 am with qualifying, racing getting under way from
1 pm.
Admission prices are £12 for adults, £6-00 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 built by Racecar
