Circuit News
Castle Combe's Supercar Raceday
Supercars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche will be providing the entertainment at the Castle Combe Circuit’s A Plant LUX Traffic Controls Sportscar Race Day on 31 August, Bank Holiday Monday.
Each marque has its own loyal band of followers and at this event there’s a direct German/Italian confrontation with the 10 lap Porsche versus Ferrari challenge at the end of the day. Pewsey’s Graham Reeder is likely to be a front runner in his Ferrari 355 Challenge, whilst Bristol’s David Hathaway is also out in a similar car.
Reeder will also be a factor in the Aston Martin Owner’s Club’s Intermarque championship race, where a variety of top class sports cars are pitted against each other. Bath’s Geoffrey Lewis wheels out his Aston Martin V8 in the Post 1970 mildly modified class.
The Astons have their own race too, Julian Bailey-Watts from Dilton Marsh out in his standard 5.3 litre V8.
The Porsche Club championship race includes the Porsche 968 of Salisbury’s Richard Higgins, whilst the Pirelli Ferrari Formula Classic has Malmesbury’s Pete Fisk in a Mondial QV.
Continuing the sports car theme, Mike Walker from Bristol has his 2 litre Crossle 9S in Class B of the Sports Racing and GT challenge.
Bratton’s Ben Norton has already clinched Class A of the circuit’s Formula Ford 1600 championship and now has to keep his nose clean to preserve his overall points lead with just two rounds left to run.
Last round winner, Felix Fisher, from Bridgwater is Norton’s closest rival, but Castle Combe’s Andy Jones and Saltford’s Steven Jensen still have a mathematical chance.
Chippenham’s Adam Higgins, Nelson Rowe from Wotton under Edge and Bath’s Chris Acton are other fast Class A rivals looking to up their game.
Cirencester’s Tom Margetson is one point off the lead of Class C for Pre 1990 cars and has won the last 3 races with his Wayne Poole Racing Reynard FF89.
Jason Cooper from Yatton Keynell is another to have won his class already, and is also close to tying up the overall Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship with his self built Fiesta. His rapid Class D rival, Olly Lewis from Peasedown St John, was eliminated in a big accident at the last meeting and may not return till the final round, giving young Cooper a free reign to mop up maximum points.
This will be to the detriment of Bromham’s Will Di Claudio, the 2008 champion and Cooper’s only realistic rival for the title. Di Claudio has massive class opposition, mainly in the form of Yate’s Nick Charles whose 106 is neck and neck with Di Claudio’s on the track.
Life is not much easier in Class B, where Gloucester’s Guy Higgs has won the last three rounds in his tail slapping BMW M3, but has tremendous opposition from the likes of Bristol’s Mark Wyatt in the Astra, Bridgwater’s Tony Dolley in the 206 and Ditcheat’s Kevin Bird in the SEAT Leon. An interesting contrast will be Cirencester’s Jonathan Wills in the rapid but venerable MG Maestro Turbo and the latest development from Nailsworth’s Keith Murray, his new Audi A3.
At the front of the field it’s a lack of class entries which has limited the points scoring abilities of those such as Gloucester’s Laurence Kilby, who forsakes his Mitsubishi Evo 9 RS when he appears in a Caterham R500 to contest Class D of the circuit’s Special GT championship race.
In that event, Trowbridge residents Mark Funnell and Andrew Shanley are still in contention for the overall title, though both have an uphill struggle with their own class rivals.
In Funnell’s case it’s fellow Wiltshireman, Simon Norris from Melksham, whose Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 has taken the wins at the last three rounds and is now just 2 points behind in the class battle. Funnell’s fine handling Exige has a big power deficit to the Evo, which also happens to be the fastest car off the line, so the next two rounds will be gripping.
Shanley has a similar problem in Class B in that his Radical Prosport has less power and downforce than the Radical SR3 of class and overall leader Simon Tilling. Nevertheless, Shanley is still capable of beating the bigger car, but might live to regret missing the last round when the final points are counted up at season end.
Monday's action starts at 8.45 am with qualifying, racing getting under way from 12.45 pm.
Admission prices are £15 for Adults, £7.50 for OAPs, £2.50 for Paddock Transfer, whilst accompanied children under 16 are admitted free.