CTCRC Snetterton 17th & 18th August 2024 (Present Saturday only)
The Classic Touring Car Racing Club competitors resumed their respective championship chases at Snetterton on the 17th and 18th of August, having had a seven-week break since the successful Super Touring Power 2 spectacular at the end of June.
Classic Thunder
Qualifying: The Classic Thunder front row both went under the two-minute mark as the revised Honda Civic of Josh Lawton flew around in 1:57.238 to secure pole position and headed the Audi A3 Turbo of Nick Vaughan by 1.353 seconds. Jasver Sapra lined up third with his E46 M3, 0.191 seconds up on the turbocharged Mk1 Escort of Colin Voyce that topped the Historic Thunder cars. Andy Wilson and fellow northerner Mike Cutt filled the third row aboard their monstrous 7-litre Holden Monaro and rapid E36 BMW M3 respectively. James Janicki’s powerful Skyline GTR and David Fielder’s bewinged E46 M3 formed up on the fourth row, with the top ten completed by Pre ‘93 poleman Oliver Owen and the Mk2 Escort of second Historic contender Martin Reynolds. Reynolds was just 0.153 seconds ahead of the third Historic runner, the much-modified Aston Martin V8 of Rikki Cann that shared the sixth row with David Blackie’s V8-engined M3. Paul Eaton had an outing in the Holden Commodore often seen in the hands of his daughter Abbie and he would line up in seventeenth.
Race One: Polesitter Josh Lawton, Nick Vaughan and Colin Voyce formed the early top three but Andy Wilson had boomed into third at the start before the Mk1 Escort drove around the outside of Riches. Lawton started to make his escape on lap one and the supercharged Honda checked out with consecutive laps in the 1:57s, whilst Vaughan also pulled away from Voyce. The Mk1 Escort was being pressed by David Fielder's BMW, which had a hairy slide out of Murrays at the end of the opening lap and had also passed Wilson's Holden during the course of the tour. Wilson pitted the Monaro at the end of lap three with no power steering and AJ Owen followed suit two laps later with seized brakes on his Honda Civic. Fielder took third place from Voyce on the third lap and the Historic Thunder leader was also being caught by tussling Mike Cutt and Jasver Sapra BMWs. Additionally, Adrian Bradley was reeling them all in after starting from the back of the grid after missing qualifying. Out front, Lawton ticked off the laps to claim a dominant win by 11.337 seconds and scorched round in 1:56.738 on the final lap to rub his victory in. Once he'd cleared Voyce, Fielder steadily brought down his near three-second deficit to Vaughan and got up the inside of the Audi for second place into Murrays with three minutes to go, the reigning champion crossed the line 3.394 seconds behind the M3. After Bradley got past Cutt on the penultimate tour and Sapra went out on the same lap as the change for second place, the charging BMW moved onto the tail of Voyce heading onto the last lap and made the place its own to cross the line in fourth ahead of Historic Thunder victor Voyce and Cutt's E36 M3. Reynolds was the second Historic car home in seventh overall from David Blackie's E92 M3 next up. Rikki Cann just held off Paul Eaton in a V8-powered drag race to the line for ninth and tenth as they topped a five-car group that also included the BMWs of Ian Bower, Ian Craig and Kevin Denwood.
Sunday race: Josh Lawton completed a victory double as he sped to the win by 4.907 seconds from Nick Vaughan, who reversed the Saturday result to knock David Fielder’s BMW back to third. All three lapped in under two minutes, with Lawton setting a new Classic Thunder lap record of 1:56.480. Colin Voyce was the first Historic competitor home in fourth overall as Mike Cutt and David Blackie’s BMW M3s of different vintages completed the top six. Martin Reynolds' Historic runner-up Mk2 Escort had the James Janicki Nissan Skyline between it and the next two Historic cars home of Rikki Cann and Paul Eaton, with the Japanese machine just pipping the Aston Martin over the line.
Classic Thunder
Qualifying: The Classic Thunder front row both went under the two-minute mark as the revised Honda Civic of Josh Lawton flew around in 1:57.238 to secure pole position and headed the Audi A3 Turbo of Nick Vaughan by 1.353 seconds. Jasver Sapra lined up third with his E46 M3, 0.191 seconds up on the turbocharged Mk1 Escort of Colin Voyce that topped the Historic Thunder cars. Andy Wilson and fellow northerner Mike Cutt filled the third row aboard their monstrous 7-litre Holden Monaro and rapid E36 BMW M3 respectively. James Janicki’s powerful Skyline GTR and David Fielder’s bewinged E46 M3 formed up on the fourth row, with the top ten completed by Pre ‘93 poleman Oliver Owen and the Mk2 Escort of second Historic contender Martin Reynolds. Reynolds was just 0.153 seconds ahead of the third Historic runner, the much-modified Aston Martin V8 of Rikki Cann that shared the sixth row with David Blackie’s V8-engined M3. Paul Eaton had an outing in the Holden Commodore often seen in the hands of his daughter Abbie and he would line up in seventeenth.
Race One: Polesitter Josh Lawton, Nick Vaughan and Colin Voyce formed the early top three but Andy Wilson had boomed into third at the start before the Mk1 Escort drove around the outside of Riches. Lawton started to make his escape on lap one and the supercharged Honda checked out with consecutive laps in the 1:57s, whilst Vaughan also pulled away from Voyce. The Mk1 Escort was being pressed by David Fielder's BMW, which had a hairy slide out of Murrays at the end of the opening lap and had also passed Wilson's Holden during the course of the tour. Wilson pitted the Monaro at the end of lap three with no power steering and AJ Owen followed suit two laps later with seized brakes on his Honda Civic. Fielder took third place from Voyce on the third lap and the Historic Thunder leader was also being caught by tussling Mike Cutt and Jasver Sapra BMWs. Additionally, Adrian Bradley was reeling them all in after starting from the back of the grid after missing qualifying. Out front, Lawton ticked off the laps to claim a dominant win by 11.337 seconds and scorched round in 1:56.738 on the final lap to rub his victory in. Once he'd cleared Voyce, Fielder steadily brought down his near three-second deficit to Vaughan and got up the inside of the Audi for second place into Murrays with three minutes to go, the reigning champion crossed the line 3.394 seconds behind the M3. After Bradley got past Cutt on the penultimate tour and Sapra went out on the same lap as the change for second place, the charging BMW moved onto the tail of Voyce heading onto the last lap and made the place its own to cross the line in fourth ahead of Historic Thunder victor Voyce and Cutt's E36 M3. Reynolds was the second Historic car home in seventh overall from David Blackie's E92 M3 next up. Rikki Cann just held off Paul Eaton in a V8-powered drag race to the line for ninth and tenth as they topped a five-car group that also included the BMWs of Ian Bower, Ian Craig and Kevin Denwood.
Sunday race: Josh Lawton completed a victory double as he sped to the win by 4.907 seconds from Nick Vaughan, who reversed the Saturday result to knock David Fielder’s BMW back to third. All three lapped in under two minutes, with Lawton setting a new Classic Thunder lap record of 1:56.480. Colin Voyce was the first Historic competitor home in fourth overall as Mike Cutt and David Blackie’s BMW M3s of different vintages completed the top six. Martin Reynolds' Historic runner-up Mk2 Escort had the James Janicki Nissan Skyline between it and the next two Historic cars home of Rikki Cann and Paul Eaton, with the Japanese machine just pipping the Aston Martin over the line.
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Pre '66
Qualifying: The Pre ‘66 field returned to their championship battle after playing a starring role with a trio of non-points races in support of the BTCC at Croft in late July. Ian Thompson took pole position in the last half a minute of the session after swapping times with the closely following similar car of Tim Abbott. Billy Kenneally was another late improver to jump ahead of Barry Sime’s Mini and the pair lined up in third and fourth. Pat Kenneally put his Lotus Cortina fifth from Robin Ellis’ BMW 1800. 2024 race winner Dan Lewis headed row four with his Mini from guest entry Simon Gusterson’s Cortina. The pair of Swann family Ford Anglias sat at the foot of the top ten as Jake headed father Kevin but the black car lost a wheel at Murrays mid-session. Piers Grange’s Ford Mustang expired on its first flying lap after a bearing seized in the diff and blew off the front of the housing so would hopefully start at the back for the grid if repairs could be made and Ed Gibbs also pitted his Anglia with smoke from a loosening gearbox bolt.
Race One: The first race on Saturday was the replacement encounter for the cancelled second Cadwell Park race, the category was the only one scheduled to have both outings take place on the sodden Sunday in April and would be worth double points as per the Lincolnshire meeting. The lineup for the first race of the weekend was set by the result of Race One at Cadwell Park, which placed Ian Thompson on pole position from the Mini Cooper S of Dan Lewis. Adrian Oliver scored a giant-killing podium finish aboard his Hillman Imp in the wet opening race and was rewarded with a start on the inside of the second row, Kevin Swann’s Ford Anglia lined up beside him. The second Imp of James Ibbotson formed up in fifth place after a clutchless charge up the order from the pitlane and he was joined by the second Swann Anglia of Jake Swann in sixth. Another Anglia headed the fourth row with Ed Gibbs at the wheel and the Mini of Barry Sime went from alongside. Ed Crossley’s Mini would start from ninth, with the fifth row completed by Brendan Rooney driving the third Imp to start inside the top ten. Championship leader Ian Thompson got the drop on Dan Lewis to lead the field into Riches for the first time from Kevin Swann and Lewis, with the Mini retaking second from the Anglia down the inside into the Wilson hairpin after Swann had catapulted through from the second row. Barry Sime had stormed through to fourth by Agostini after starting on row four and finished the opening lap in third after sweeping past Kevin Swann’s Anglia before Murrays. The flying Sime was soon up to second at the Brundle and Nelson complex on lap two but Lewis draughted back through on the pit straight as they started lap three. Sime repeated his move from the previous lap to decisively take second and began to edge clear. Once the Scot’s Mini had moved clear of Kevin Swann, a quartet of Anglias went into battle for fourth place headed by Swann from Ed Gibbs, Jake Swann and Billy Kenneally. The current champion had started towards the back in seventeenth after his late retirement in Lincolnshire but tore through the pack to be tenth by Hamilton and ended lap one up in seventh. Kenneally then dispensed with both Swanns on lap two and moved to the front of the Anglias as Gibbs went out on lap three. Thompson pulled away to a straightforward win by 7.069 seconds from the Sime and Lewis Minis, whilst Billy Kenneally put in a good recovery drive after his last-lap Cadwell Park throttle cable breakage to be rewarded with fourth place from a lonely Jake Swann in fifth. Father Kevin definitely wasn’t alone in sixth as the misfiring Anglia fended off Ed Crossley, James Ibbotson, Mike Davies and Brendan Rooney. Ibbotson had chased down Adrian Oliver for the Class E lead after the 2021 champion missed a gear off the startline and passed the similar Imp on lap three around the outside into Brundle after a straightline duel down the Bentley Straight. However, Oliver dived back inside into Agostini on lap four but Ibbotson clung on around the outside and was back ahead by Hamilton. However, the pair were now being reeled in by Brendan Rooney’s example and the purple Imp went ahead of Oliver on lap five to take second in the class. Ibbotson nipped by Davies on the inside of Coram for the final time as the Mini looked to the outside of Crossley's similar car to take eighth overall from Davies and Rooney. Oliver fell away from Rooney with a lack of grip, which led to an off-track excursion but the Bristolian still claimed third in Class E. Patrick Harris prevailed in his tussle with Keith Wright's Cortina to take third in Class D and fifteenth overall aboard his Morris Minor, with Luc Wilson and Brian Bedford's Austin A40s taking the first two spots in Class D.
Race Two: The first official Snetterton race rounded off Saturday’s action. Piers Grange’s Mustang made the race after the big Ford's propshaft wasn’t terminally damaged during the qualifying drama and the American machine would start from the back alongside Ed Gibbs’ Anglia, which had pitted with no power earlier. Adrian Oliver swapped his tyres around in search of more grip whilst the sister Imp of Michael Loveland was a non-starter after a water leak proved to be a tougher fix than first thought. Poleman Ian Thompson didn’t make the best getaway so Tim Abbott led the pack into Riches from the polesitter and Billy Kenneally's Anglia but Barry Sime dived past the 2023 title holder into Agostini to claim third place. Pat Kenneally then moved past his son before the Anglia slowed with a loss of power. Abbott held a small 0.874-second lead from Thompson’s similar car at the end of lap one as both began pulling clear of Sime, who had Pat Kenneally’s Lotus Cortina close behind. A marauding Grange was up to tenth by the end of the opening lap and the Mustang had charged up to fourth by the end of the third lap, before rumbling past Sime for third down to Agostini on lap four. Leader Abbott made a mistake at Riches on the fourth tour so Thompson gratefully moved into the lead and Abbott found then found a boxful of neutrals at Wilson to add to his deficit, which stood at 3.153 seconds at the completion of the lap. Abbott made an attempt to chase down the leader on the final lap but fell 1.174 seconds short of the triumphant Thompson at the flag. Grange completed a great drive through to third, 7.150 seconds adrift of Abbott, from Sime in fourth. The Pat Kenneally, Dan Lewis and Simon Gusterson squabble for fifth went to Kenneally’s Cortina by 0.614 seconds, whilst Gusterson’s similar car sped ahead of Lewis on the run to the flag to steal away sixth place and the group were almost caught by Jake Swann but the Anglia ran out of time to get involved in the scrap. Ed Crossley's Mini Cooper S came home in ninth and Kavin Swann's Anglia completed the top ten. James Ibbotson won the battle of the Hillman Imps to take Class E and finished on the tail of Robin Ellis’ BMW in thirteenth overall as Adrian Oliver just held off Brendan Rooney for second. Luc Wilson took his second Class D win of the day in seventeenth, whilst Keith Wright beat Patrick Harris in their continued tussle this time but the Morris Minor took the runner-up spot in Class D ahead of Steve Evans' Austin A40.
Sunday: The Ford Mustang of Piers Grange prevailed by 3.271 seconds from the battling Ian Thompson and Tim Abbott Cortinas that crossed the line separated by just 0.160 seconds for their places on the podium. The third Lotus Cortina home in the top four of Simon Gusterson took the flag narrowly ahead of Barry Sime’s Mini, with Dan Lewis’ similar car sixth. James Ibbotson fended off Brendan Rooney by a slim 0.523 seconds for the Class E victory aboard their Hillman Imps.
Qualifying: The Pre ‘66 field returned to their championship battle after playing a starring role with a trio of non-points races in support of the BTCC at Croft in late July. Ian Thompson took pole position in the last half a minute of the session after swapping times with the closely following similar car of Tim Abbott. Billy Kenneally was another late improver to jump ahead of Barry Sime’s Mini and the pair lined up in third and fourth. Pat Kenneally put his Lotus Cortina fifth from Robin Ellis’ BMW 1800. 2024 race winner Dan Lewis headed row four with his Mini from guest entry Simon Gusterson’s Cortina. The pair of Swann family Ford Anglias sat at the foot of the top ten as Jake headed father Kevin but the black car lost a wheel at Murrays mid-session. Piers Grange’s Ford Mustang expired on its first flying lap after a bearing seized in the diff and blew off the front of the housing so would hopefully start at the back for the grid if repairs could be made and Ed Gibbs also pitted his Anglia with smoke from a loosening gearbox bolt.
Race One: The first race on Saturday was the replacement encounter for the cancelled second Cadwell Park race, the category was the only one scheduled to have both outings take place on the sodden Sunday in April and would be worth double points as per the Lincolnshire meeting. The lineup for the first race of the weekend was set by the result of Race One at Cadwell Park, which placed Ian Thompson on pole position from the Mini Cooper S of Dan Lewis. Adrian Oliver scored a giant-killing podium finish aboard his Hillman Imp in the wet opening race and was rewarded with a start on the inside of the second row, Kevin Swann’s Ford Anglia lined up beside him. The second Imp of James Ibbotson formed up in fifth place after a clutchless charge up the order from the pitlane and he was joined by the second Swann Anglia of Jake Swann in sixth. Another Anglia headed the fourth row with Ed Gibbs at the wheel and the Mini of Barry Sime went from alongside. Ed Crossley’s Mini would start from ninth, with the fifth row completed by Brendan Rooney driving the third Imp to start inside the top ten. Championship leader Ian Thompson got the drop on Dan Lewis to lead the field into Riches for the first time from Kevin Swann and Lewis, with the Mini retaking second from the Anglia down the inside into the Wilson hairpin after Swann had catapulted through from the second row. Barry Sime had stormed through to fourth by Agostini after starting on row four and finished the opening lap in third after sweeping past Kevin Swann’s Anglia before Murrays. The flying Sime was soon up to second at the Brundle and Nelson complex on lap two but Lewis draughted back through on the pit straight as they started lap three. Sime repeated his move from the previous lap to decisively take second and began to edge clear. Once the Scot’s Mini had moved clear of Kevin Swann, a quartet of Anglias went into battle for fourth place headed by Swann from Ed Gibbs, Jake Swann and Billy Kenneally. The current champion had started towards the back in seventeenth after his late retirement in Lincolnshire but tore through the pack to be tenth by Hamilton and ended lap one up in seventh. Kenneally then dispensed with both Swanns on lap two and moved to the front of the Anglias as Gibbs went out on lap three. Thompson pulled away to a straightforward win by 7.069 seconds from the Sime and Lewis Minis, whilst Billy Kenneally put in a good recovery drive after his last-lap Cadwell Park throttle cable breakage to be rewarded with fourth place from a lonely Jake Swann in fifth. Father Kevin definitely wasn’t alone in sixth as the misfiring Anglia fended off Ed Crossley, James Ibbotson, Mike Davies and Brendan Rooney. Ibbotson had chased down Adrian Oliver for the Class E lead after the 2021 champion missed a gear off the startline and passed the similar Imp on lap three around the outside into Brundle after a straightline duel down the Bentley Straight. However, Oliver dived back inside into Agostini on lap four but Ibbotson clung on around the outside and was back ahead by Hamilton. However, the pair were now being reeled in by Brendan Rooney’s example and the purple Imp went ahead of Oliver on lap five to take second in the class. Ibbotson nipped by Davies on the inside of Coram for the final time as the Mini looked to the outside of Crossley's similar car to take eighth overall from Davies and Rooney. Oliver fell away from Rooney with a lack of grip, which led to an off-track excursion but the Bristolian still claimed third in Class E. Patrick Harris prevailed in his tussle with Keith Wright's Cortina to take third in Class D and fifteenth overall aboard his Morris Minor, with Luc Wilson and Brian Bedford's Austin A40s taking the first two spots in Class D.
Race Two: The first official Snetterton race rounded off Saturday’s action. Piers Grange’s Mustang made the race after the big Ford's propshaft wasn’t terminally damaged during the qualifying drama and the American machine would start from the back alongside Ed Gibbs’ Anglia, which had pitted with no power earlier. Adrian Oliver swapped his tyres around in search of more grip whilst the sister Imp of Michael Loveland was a non-starter after a water leak proved to be a tougher fix than first thought. Poleman Ian Thompson didn’t make the best getaway so Tim Abbott led the pack into Riches from the polesitter and Billy Kenneally's Anglia but Barry Sime dived past the 2023 title holder into Agostini to claim third place. Pat Kenneally then moved past his son before the Anglia slowed with a loss of power. Abbott held a small 0.874-second lead from Thompson’s similar car at the end of lap one as both began pulling clear of Sime, who had Pat Kenneally’s Lotus Cortina close behind. A marauding Grange was up to tenth by the end of the opening lap and the Mustang had charged up to fourth by the end of the third lap, before rumbling past Sime for third down to Agostini on lap four. Leader Abbott made a mistake at Riches on the fourth tour so Thompson gratefully moved into the lead and Abbott found then found a boxful of neutrals at Wilson to add to his deficit, which stood at 3.153 seconds at the completion of the lap. Abbott made an attempt to chase down the leader on the final lap but fell 1.174 seconds short of the triumphant Thompson at the flag. Grange completed a great drive through to third, 7.150 seconds adrift of Abbott, from Sime in fourth. The Pat Kenneally, Dan Lewis and Simon Gusterson squabble for fifth went to Kenneally’s Cortina by 0.614 seconds, whilst Gusterson’s similar car sped ahead of Lewis on the run to the flag to steal away sixth place and the group were almost caught by Jake Swann but the Anglia ran out of time to get involved in the scrap. Ed Crossley's Mini Cooper S came home in ninth and Kavin Swann's Anglia completed the top ten. James Ibbotson won the battle of the Hillman Imps to take Class E and finished on the tail of Robin Ellis’ BMW in thirteenth overall as Adrian Oliver just held off Brendan Rooney for second. Luc Wilson took his second Class D win of the day in seventeenth, whilst Keith Wright beat Patrick Harris in their continued tussle this time but the Morris Minor took the runner-up spot in Class D ahead of Steve Evans' Austin A40.
Sunday: The Ford Mustang of Piers Grange prevailed by 3.271 seconds from the battling Ian Thompson and Tim Abbott Cortinas that crossed the line separated by just 0.160 seconds for their places on the podium. The third Lotus Cortina home in the top four of Simon Gusterson took the flag narrowly ahead of Barry Sime’s Mini, with Dan Lewis’ similar car sixth. James Ibbotson fended off Brendan Rooney by a slim 0.523 seconds for the Class E victory aboard their Hillman Imps.
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Pre '83/'93
Qualifying: The Pre '83 and '93 entries were combined for their pair of races over the weekend. After Bob Bullen’s Pre ‘83 Mk1 Escort dropped fluid at the Bombhole, the majority of the Pre '93 field pitted with Oliver Owen fastest by 1.560 seconds from Ian Bower to form the front row. William Davison set the third fastest time just over half a second away from the front row and Kevin Willis' similar E36 M3 joined Davison on the second row. Two more BMW M3s lined up on the third row as Shaun Morris headed Terry Davies. Clinton Ewen's BMW headed the fourth row from the fastest Pre '83 qualifier Jonathan Corker, who put his Datsun comfortably on pole position for the category by 1.912 seconds from Stephen Primett’s misfiring Mk1 Escort in ninth overall. Mark Cholerton's Pre '83 Mk2 RS2000 completed the top ten ahead of Tom Harvey's fourth-fastest Pre '83 Mk1 Escort in eleventh. Reigning Pre ‘93 champion Stuart Waite suffered a power-sapping misfire and only completed the necessary three laps to qualify for the race so would start from the seventh row behind the top four Pre ‘83 cars and Byron Aldous’ VW Corrado. Mark Fowler’s Mk1 Escort was found to be underweight post-session having qualified in fifth for the Pre '83s and in twelfth overall so was sent to the back of the grid with a ten-second penalty.
Race One: Ian Bower got away in the lead from the outside of the front row as poleman Oliver Owen got away badly and fell to third behind Kevin Willis. The polesitter took second into Riches starting lap two and Owen then pulled leader Bower back in. The red BMW got its nose ahead over the start/finish line as they commenced lap five but Bower reclaimed the lead at Riches. However, the battle would come to a premature end after Bower went out later in the lap in a freakish manner when a loose piece of plastic knocked a fuel pump wire off and left Owen in the clear to take the victory by 3.791 seconds despite a broken exhaust manifold. William Davison fought back from a bout of wheelspin off the start to defeat Willis and claim second, with the early second-place car completing the podium. Clinton Ewen's BMW claimed fourth overall, whilst Shaun Morris retired with a misfire and Stuart Waite collided heavily with Terry Davies’ passenger door at Agostini on lap one to put both out on the spot. The BMW collision put Pre ‘83 leader Jonathan Corker among the Pre ‘93 BMWs and Stephen Primett gave a determined chase thereafter, the Mk1 Escort got within a second of the Datsun but Corker was victorious in spite of a solid brake pedal and took fifth overall. Mark Cholerton overcame Carl Shreeve’s Dolomite during the opening lap for third place in his droop-snoot RS2000. There was a great scrap for fifth place as Bob Bullen, Tom Harvey - who had bounced over the grass at Riches on lap one, and the recovering Mark Fowler contested the spot. Bullen slid over the Riches grass on lap six and Fowler outdragged the misfiring Harvey to the finish line to gain the VMW Motors Mk1 a place in the top five. Nick Williamson’s Rover SD1 had a fuel pick-up problem on left-handers which left the V8 machine struggling at the back of the order with Philip Waller's Class D Avenger.
Sunday race: Ian Bower ran out a comfortable 9.141-second winner of the Pre ‘93s from Kevin Wiilis and William Davison. Stuart Waite fought up to fourth overall in his repaired BMW after his Saturday contretemps. Jonathan Corker and Stephen Primett finished nose to tail at the head of the Pre ‘83 scrap and were split by just 0.126 seconds, with Mark Cholerton’s Mk2 RS2000 securing third.
Qualifying: The Pre '83 and '93 entries were combined for their pair of races over the weekend. After Bob Bullen’s Pre ‘83 Mk1 Escort dropped fluid at the Bombhole, the majority of the Pre '93 field pitted with Oliver Owen fastest by 1.560 seconds from Ian Bower to form the front row. William Davison set the third fastest time just over half a second away from the front row and Kevin Willis' similar E36 M3 joined Davison on the second row. Two more BMW M3s lined up on the third row as Shaun Morris headed Terry Davies. Clinton Ewen's BMW headed the fourth row from the fastest Pre '83 qualifier Jonathan Corker, who put his Datsun comfortably on pole position for the category by 1.912 seconds from Stephen Primett’s misfiring Mk1 Escort in ninth overall. Mark Cholerton's Pre '83 Mk2 RS2000 completed the top ten ahead of Tom Harvey's fourth-fastest Pre '83 Mk1 Escort in eleventh. Reigning Pre ‘93 champion Stuart Waite suffered a power-sapping misfire and only completed the necessary three laps to qualify for the race so would start from the seventh row behind the top four Pre ‘83 cars and Byron Aldous’ VW Corrado. Mark Fowler’s Mk1 Escort was found to be underweight post-session having qualified in fifth for the Pre '83s and in twelfth overall so was sent to the back of the grid with a ten-second penalty.
Race One: Ian Bower got away in the lead from the outside of the front row as poleman Oliver Owen got away badly and fell to third behind Kevin Willis. The polesitter took second into Riches starting lap two and Owen then pulled leader Bower back in. The red BMW got its nose ahead over the start/finish line as they commenced lap five but Bower reclaimed the lead at Riches. However, the battle would come to a premature end after Bower went out later in the lap in a freakish manner when a loose piece of plastic knocked a fuel pump wire off and left Owen in the clear to take the victory by 3.791 seconds despite a broken exhaust manifold. William Davison fought back from a bout of wheelspin off the start to defeat Willis and claim second, with the early second-place car completing the podium. Clinton Ewen's BMW claimed fourth overall, whilst Shaun Morris retired with a misfire and Stuart Waite collided heavily with Terry Davies’ passenger door at Agostini on lap one to put both out on the spot. The BMW collision put Pre ‘83 leader Jonathan Corker among the Pre ‘93 BMWs and Stephen Primett gave a determined chase thereafter, the Mk1 Escort got within a second of the Datsun but Corker was victorious in spite of a solid brake pedal and took fifth overall. Mark Cholerton overcame Carl Shreeve’s Dolomite during the opening lap for third place in his droop-snoot RS2000. There was a great scrap for fifth place as Bob Bullen, Tom Harvey - who had bounced over the grass at Riches on lap one, and the recovering Mark Fowler contested the spot. Bullen slid over the Riches grass on lap six and Fowler outdragged the misfiring Harvey to the finish line to gain the VMW Motors Mk1 a place in the top five. Nick Williamson’s Rover SD1 had a fuel pick-up problem on left-handers which left the V8 machine struggling at the back of the order with Philip Waller's Class D Avenger.
Sunday race: Ian Bower ran out a comfortable 9.141-second winner of the Pre ‘93s from Kevin Wiilis and William Davison. Stuart Waite fought up to fourth overall in his repaired BMW after his Saturday contretemps. Jonathan Corker and Stephen Primett finished nose to tail at the head of the Pre ‘83 scrap and were split by just 0.126 seconds, with Mark Cholerton’s Mk2 RS2000 securing third.
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Pre '03/BOSS
Qualifying: The Pre '03 and Blue Oval Saloon Series fields would race together at the weekend and Piers Grange’s rapid Mk2 Escort secured pole position by a large margin as Olly Allen understeered to second on the grid 3.279 seconds in arrears with his Fiesta. Gary Prebble would start on the inside of the second row as he topped the Pre ‘03 runners and the Millington-engined Anglia of Martin Reynolds was the third fastest qualifying BOSS car in fourth. Joe Dorrington’s Honda was the second quickest Pre ‘03 car in fifth and the BOSS Sierra RS Cosworth of Craig Owen completed the top six. David Hutchins’ Honda and the Tim Mizen Fiesta made up row four, with Anton Martin and John Hillyer’s Pre ‘03 BMWs rounding out the top ten. Club chairman Stuart Caie raced his ex-Jason Minshaw ICS Historic Racing Saloon Ford Mustang in the BOSS part of the entry and was the final car on the grid in eighteenth.
Race One: Piers Grange, Martin Reynolds and Joe Dorrington all made good starts as the Anglia from the second row leapt into an early lead from Olly Allen, whilst Gary Prebble was comparatively slow away but poleman Grange was soon in trouble with a sticking throttle and toured into retirement at the end of the opening lap. The leading Reynolds Anglia was a second clear at the end of lap one as Allen fended off Pre '03 leader Prebble’s advances, with the second Pre '03 Honda of Dorrington in fourth. The Fiesta of Allen soon went out on lap two with a broken gearbox and the released Prebble closed in on Reynolds for the overall race lead on lap three. Prebble went around the outside of Reynolds at Coram on lap four to take the lead but Reynolds sped back past up the pit straight before the Honda skated around the outside of Riches to hit the front once more. The Honda pulled away slightly but the Anglia set the fastest lap on the penultimate tour and went onto the final lap a slender 0.693 seconds down. Prebble dramatically ran straight on Oggies after he outbraked himself to gift the local man the win by 3.409 seconds from the disappointed Prebble, who still claimed the Pre ‘03 spoils. Dorrington finished in a distant third ahead of second BOSS finisher Tim Mizen in fourth, who had Pre ‘03 podium finisher David Hutchins on his tail for much of the duration. Craig Owen had led a large train for fifth early on until a fluffed gear change let Mizen, Hutchins and Anton Martin through but the Sierra and the rear-wheel-drive Fiesta of Sam Daffin both relegated Martin's BMW to eighth by the finish. John Hillyer's BMW estate and Cliff Pellin's Ecoboost Fiesta rounded out the top ten finishers.
Sunday race: Piers Grange came through from starting sixteenth aboard his Mk2 Escort to take his second victory on Sunday to make up for a troubled Saturday, taking the flag by 3.377 seconds from Martin Reynolds’ Anglia. Gary Prebble’s Honda took third overall to lead the Pre ‘03 runners home from the similar car of Joe Dorrington in fourth. Tim Mizen was the third BOSS car past the flag in fifth, with Dave Hutchins’ Pre ‘03 Honda coming home in sixth. The sixth-placed car was at the head of a four-car squabble containing the turbocharged Fiestas of Sam Daffin and Cliff Pellin plus John Hillyer’s BMW 3 Series Touring. Anton Martin was the tenth car past the flag with his Pre '03 BMW E46.
Qualifying: The Pre '03 and Blue Oval Saloon Series fields would race together at the weekend and Piers Grange’s rapid Mk2 Escort secured pole position by a large margin as Olly Allen understeered to second on the grid 3.279 seconds in arrears with his Fiesta. Gary Prebble would start on the inside of the second row as he topped the Pre ‘03 runners and the Millington-engined Anglia of Martin Reynolds was the third fastest qualifying BOSS car in fourth. Joe Dorrington’s Honda was the second quickest Pre ‘03 car in fifth and the BOSS Sierra RS Cosworth of Craig Owen completed the top six. David Hutchins’ Honda and the Tim Mizen Fiesta made up row four, with Anton Martin and John Hillyer’s Pre ‘03 BMWs rounding out the top ten. Club chairman Stuart Caie raced his ex-Jason Minshaw ICS Historic Racing Saloon Ford Mustang in the BOSS part of the entry and was the final car on the grid in eighteenth.
Race One: Piers Grange, Martin Reynolds and Joe Dorrington all made good starts as the Anglia from the second row leapt into an early lead from Olly Allen, whilst Gary Prebble was comparatively slow away but poleman Grange was soon in trouble with a sticking throttle and toured into retirement at the end of the opening lap. The leading Reynolds Anglia was a second clear at the end of lap one as Allen fended off Pre '03 leader Prebble’s advances, with the second Pre '03 Honda of Dorrington in fourth. The Fiesta of Allen soon went out on lap two with a broken gearbox and the released Prebble closed in on Reynolds for the overall race lead on lap three. Prebble went around the outside of Reynolds at Coram on lap four to take the lead but Reynolds sped back past up the pit straight before the Honda skated around the outside of Riches to hit the front once more. The Honda pulled away slightly but the Anglia set the fastest lap on the penultimate tour and went onto the final lap a slender 0.693 seconds down. Prebble dramatically ran straight on Oggies after he outbraked himself to gift the local man the win by 3.409 seconds from the disappointed Prebble, who still claimed the Pre ‘03 spoils. Dorrington finished in a distant third ahead of second BOSS finisher Tim Mizen in fourth, who had Pre ‘03 podium finisher David Hutchins on his tail for much of the duration. Craig Owen had led a large train for fifth early on until a fluffed gear change let Mizen, Hutchins and Anton Martin through but the Sierra and the rear-wheel-drive Fiesta of Sam Daffin both relegated Martin's BMW to eighth by the finish. John Hillyer's BMW estate and Cliff Pellin's Ecoboost Fiesta rounded out the top ten finishers.
Sunday race: Piers Grange came through from starting sixteenth aboard his Mk2 Escort to take his second victory on Sunday to make up for a troubled Saturday, taking the flag by 3.377 seconds from Martin Reynolds’ Anglia. Gary Prebble’s Honda took third overall to lead the Pre ‘03 runners home from the similar car of Joe Dorrington in fourth. Tim Mizen was the third BOSS car past the flag in fifth, with Dave Hutchins’ Pre ‘03 Honda coming home in sixth. The sixth-placed car was at the head of a four-car squabble containing the turbocharged Fiestas of Sam Daffin and Cliff Pellin plus John Hillyer’s BMW 3 Series Touring. Anton Martin was the tenth car past the flag with his Pre '03 BMW E46.
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The CTCRC season reaches its conclusion at Thruxton on the 21st and 22nd of September as the club celebrates its golden anniversary, the club competing alongside the TCR UK championship and the Super Touring cars are also scheduled to race.