Classic Touring Car Racing Club meeting on 28/29 July 2007 organised by the BARC

Don Hughes makes it another Group 1 win for a Tiddler

Neil didn't have such a good meeting as Croft, spinning after some contact in Post Historic and off the pace in Group 1. The highlight of the meeting was Don Hughes win in his Golf. There was an excellent Post Historic race, despite limited numbers with Roger Stanford's presence in the class adding to the entertainment. Despite the officious circuit staff the organisers ran the meeting very efficiently and ahead of time.

Post Historic

Although only eight cars took the grid this was to be a thrilling race. It was dry and bright, but the track was still damp away from the racing line, when the red lights went out just after 10.15. David Thomas got a fantastic start from the outside of the second row, benefiting from being on the dry line, to head the field into the first corner. Mark Osborne got of his front row position a little to promptly for the Clerk of the Course and was penalised 10 seconds.

David Thomas led Roger Stanford across the line at the end of the first lap. They were followed by Mark Osborne, as yet unaware of his penalty, Steve Primett, David Hall (Firenza), Neil Bray and David Howard in his Escort.

Next time round David Howard managed to pass Neil on braking for Honda (the last bend) when Neil had to touch the brakes as he was so close behind David Hall.

By lap five David Thomas was having to work very hard to stay in front of Roger Stanford. Roger was definitely faster, but whatever part of the track he needed there was a blue and white Capri in the way. Behind the leading battle came Steve Primett who now had a small gap on Mark Osborne. Then there was a sizeable gap to the Hall - Howard - Bray battle where the order changed again when Neil passed David Howard again in the complex after the pits.

On lap six Roger passed the pits jammed right up Dave Thomas's boot lid, but the action was behind. Neil touched the rear of David Hall's car going round Honda, sending Neil into a huge spin onto the grass. David Hall continued OK and how David Howard, who was following Neil, didn't hit him nobody will never know but he didn’t! Neil stopped just before the tyre wall but it took a long time to get sufficient grip on the wet grass to regain the circuit and Tony Crates went past.

Starting their last lap the four leading cars were nose to tail, in the order Thomas, Stanford, Primett, Osborne. They were 20 seconds in front of David Howard who had established a gap on David Hall who now had Tony Crates only 3 seconds behind with Neil was a long way back after his spin.

With half a lap to go Steve Primett got alongside Roger Stanford, they touched wheels, launching Steve over the kerb. He didn't spin but the incident allowed Mark Osborne to slip by into third on the road although his penalty would push him back to fourth. And that's how it ended, apart from Tony Crates dropping right back but still staying well ahead of Neil.

Dave Thomas was a worthy winner, displaying superb racecraft to hold the faster Roger Stanford at bay for the whole race after his fantastic start. Steve Primett set the fastest lap of the race on lap six, and possibly was the fastest man on the track towards the end, but had no chance of passing the two wily old foxes in front of him.

Click here for results (NB:- David Howard was driving Escort RS2000 in Class C not as shown).

Group 1

The weather was fine, and the track dry, when the red lights went out. Don Hughes left his second row grid slot like a rocket to take the lead as the field rounded Dibeni for the first time, ahead of Roger Stanford (BMW), pole sitter Steve Cripps (Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000) and Mark Fowler (Capri). Neil got of the line well and tried to get by David Thomas who was immediately ahead of him on the grid. David was having none of that and Neil had to ease off and take to the grass to avoid contact. Alongside him David Howard was able to take advantage of the confusion, getting his Escort up to sixth just behind Jim McLouglin and ahead of David Thomas who re-passed around the back of the circuit.

Neil lost a place at the end of the second lap when Jeremy Knight powered his Capri alongside the Fiesta on the end of the Pit Straight, took the inside line and Neil decided to let discretion take the place of valour and allowed the Capri past on the brakes. Come the next lap Mark Fowler, whose Capri is on song again after having engine issues for a few races, did exactly the same thing to Steve Cripps to move up to third place. Neil wasn’t going to give up and pushed the Capri very hard, having a major moment at Honda in the process.

At the half way point Don Hughes had pulled out a three second advantage over Roger Stanford who had Mark Fowler right behind him. The battle wasn’t for position though, as it was announced that Roger had been penalised 10 seconds for a start line infringement. After a gap came four more Capri’s Martin West and Dave Thomas, a gap then Jim McLoughlin and David Margalies.

As the race drew to a close Roger Stanford drew closer to Don Hughes but there was no catching the Golf, who went on to take the second consecutive win by a class D car. After his penalty, Roger was relegated to fourth behind Mark Fowler and Steve Cripps. Martin West had a good race to finish fifth but David Thomas slipped back into the clutches of Jim McLoughlin and David Margalies who entertained us with a three Capri battle for many laps, Jim’s Ric Wood engine banging and spitting flame on the overrun.

David Howard slipped back after his good start but finished ahead of Jeremy Knight who finished just a second ahead of Neil, David Scriven and David Hall.

Click Here for Results (NB:- David Howard was driving an Escort RS2000 in Class C not as shown. Jeremy Knight was driving a Capri in Class B not as shown).