Formula 3 cars hit the tarmac of Wiltshire again on May 30 when the Castle Combe Circuit hosts its Spring Bank Holiday Raceday with every chance of a local victory.
Two West Country drivers have a realistic chance of winning the double header event for the super fast DACS ARP championship which features similar though slightly older Formula 3 cars than are seen in the British Championship round scheduled for June.
Alexander Khateeb from Wick and Keith Baldwin from Devizes are both run by the highly successful Mark Bailey Racing Team from Bromham, Khateeb having made his mark in the Castle Combe Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford Championship last year and Baldwin an experienced F3 racer with a good track record at his local circuit.
Khateeb has already smashed the lap record at Castle Combe in an unofficial test and finished 3rd in his first ever race in his Dallara Mugen Honda at Brands recently. Baldwin meanwhile has a pair of second places to his credit, finishing behind another Mark Bailey driver, Richard Marsh.
Gloucestershire drivers include Steve Allen and Chris Willie.
In complete contrast are two races for the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Miglia championships, sure to provide some of the closest racing imaginable and a crowd favourite at Castle Combe for many years.
Stroud’s Paul Barnes leads the others in the Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford 1600 Championship, his Kevin Mills Racing Team Swift SC92 with a clear points advantage over Bratton’s Ben Norton, who also happens to be leading Class C for Pre ’90 cars in his Swift FB89.
Chippenham’s Tim Reynolds, another Kevin Mills driver, is not far behind and desperate for his first win this year having notched up three fastest laps in the four races run to date.
Pat Blakeney took his first victory in the championship at the historic 250th last race, whilst Bradford On Avon’s Ed Moore is hoping to contest this round in his Van Diemen RF01 and add to his tally of victories, even though he is not contesting the full championship.
Chepstow’s Nick Jones, another ‘Kevin Mills’ protégé, currently leads Class A in his RF01 and is sixth overall.
Saltford’s Steven Jensen and Castle Combe’s Andy Jones will be hoping to keep out of each other’s way this time after a coming together at the last meeting.
The National Mobile Windscreens Saloon Car Championship should witness another opposition crushing performance from the rocket like Audi A4 Quattro of Nailsworth’s Keith Murray.
Bristolian Mark Wyatt is still confident he can beat the four wheel drive machine in the right circumstances, his Astra certainly on a par in outright speed, the local man currently holding the lap record.
The older model Astra of Atworth’s Rob Ballard is very quick on its day, whilst Bridgwater’s Tony Dolley is getting his Peugeot 206 faster by the minute.
‘Mad’ Tony Macwhirter from Cardiff faces new Class B opposition from reigning class champion, Paul Gardner in his Saxo VTS.
The Castle Combe Special GT championship saw Bath’s Guy Woodward take a pair of debut victories at the last meeting in a Jade Trackstar. This time a number of drivers from the TVR Tuscan Challenge race will be entering this race too, Tim Hood having already taken a couple of third places last time.
Dodington’s Derek Gore still lies equal second in class in his LM 3000, whilst Dave Smith from just down the road in Doynton took his first class B win with his Mallock Mk34 at the last race. Tony Michael and Thomas Richardson from Bristol have their Westfield SE in the same class.
A large field of MGBs ‘C’s and ‘V8’s completes the programme in the championship of the same name.
Monday's action starts at 8.35 am with qualifying, racing getting under way from 1.00 pm.
Admission prices are £12 for adults, £6 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
