Circuit News
GT's and Kart's Contrast at Castle Combe
A packed weekend of top class motorsport, with the contrast of Superkarts and a long distance race for the super successful Britcars, are just two of the highlights of the Castle Combe Circuit’s Summer Racing Carnival weekend on August 8 and 9.
Despite their diminutive size, the 250cc karts are eye poppingly rapid, the magic 100mph lap achieved for the first time last year by Carl Hulme on his Anderson FPE. This year’s 250cc races are again for the MSA British Superkart championship, with a pair of 125cc races for the BSA National championship to compliment them. Gloucester pilots, Richard Sanders and Gavin Bennett appear in the 250s, Louise Colin from Swindon in the 125s.
Intriguingly, some of the contenders in the Britcar 90 minute enduro will be no quicker than the karts, but impressive nonetheless. The combined GT and Production race has some prestigious entries including former Grand Prix and Le Mans veteran, Mike Wilds, the reigning Britcar Production champion in a BMW 320 he shares with Ian Lawson.
In the GT section, father and son British Touring Car drivers, Mike and Andrew Jordan share a Ginetta G50 GT, whilst 2007 Castle Combe Special GT champion, Duncan Cameron, is back with his Ferrari 430 GT3. His is just one of a number of mouth watering machines with delicious examples from Porsche, Venturi, Aston Martin and Marcos in contention for the two driver race on Sunday afternoon.
The visiting National Formula Ford 1600 championship will be an opportunity for the local drivers in the circuit’s own version to gauge their performance. Amongst those entering both events is teenage star Marcus Allen in the Gloucester based Kevin Mills Racing Swift, fresh from his win at Castle Combe last month. Geoff James from Weston Super Mare and Langford’s Roger Orgee are other local runners.
In the circuit’s own Formula Ford Championship, Bratton’s Ben Norton is still in a relatively secure position at the head of the leader table despite Allen’s win last time.
Bridgwater’s Felix Fisher lost his Class B lead to Allen after a mechanical retirement last time but is still clear of the rest of the field. Chippenham’s Adam Higgins, son of former quadruple champion, Bob, is one driver who could match the Allen/Norton/Fisher pace having scored his best result at the last meeting after his family chipped in to buy a new set of tyres for his birthday! Another three local Class A drivers continue to slug it out with a virtually identical pace. Castle Combe’s Andrew Jones in the Ray, Saltford’s Steven Jensen in the Swift and Bradford on Avon’s Ed Moore in the Van Diemen will no doubt circulate as one,
In Class C, Cirencester’s Tom Margetson is looking strong to take the class lead after a win last time.
In the Castle Combe Special GT Championship Mark Funnell from Trowbridge has lost the outright lead after his road going Lotus Exige retired with transmission problems last time. He is also under a class threat from the Mitsubishi Evo’s of Gloucester’s Laurence Kilby and Melksham’s Simon Norris.
Trowbridge’s Andrew Shanley is still in contention for Class B honours in the rapid Radical Prosport, but outright victory may be more difficult with the return of Bath’s Guy Woodward in the 3.5 litre Jade 3 and Bridgwater’s Josh Fisher in the Juno, the latter a sure-fire bet for a win on Sunday afternoon.
The circuit’s Saloon Car Championship has a round on both days, putting extra pressure on the often fragile Mitsubishi Evos, such as that of Kilby, who stretches his to the limit by entering the Special GT race too.
His AJEC racing team mate, Guy Higgs, will be a crowd pleaser again in his flamboyantly driven BMW M3, with Bridgwater’s Tony Dolley in the 206, Ditcheat’s Kevin Bird in the SEAT Leon Cupra and Bristol’s Mark Wyatt in the Astra his main rivals. Nailsworth’s Keith Murray, a former Class A champion, is looking to debut his new Audi A3.
The ongoing battle between Jason Cooper from Yatton Keynell and Peasedown’s Olly Lewis will continue, Lewis’s 106 able to clock up the quick laps but Cooper’s Fiesta so difficult to beat on the track and looking good for the overall title too.
In Class C, it’s a battle of the 106’s, Will Di Claudio from Chippenham, and Yate’s Nick Charles neck and neck.
The Dunlop TVR Challenge sees Cirencester’s Hugh Marshall out in his Ashton Geo/MLPA Surveyors Tuscan, whilst the Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup has Bristol’s Kate Constance and Stroud’s Tony Dowler. Completing the 17 race programme are two rounds for each of the Ford Fiesta and BRSCC Formula 3 championships.
The weekend gets under way on Saturday with qualifying from 08.40, racing from 14.10. Sunday starts with qualifying at 08.45 with three races in the morning from 10.00, followed by further Superkart qualifying and a lunch break, featuring a public grid walk, ahead of the Britcar 90 minute race which starts at 12.45.
Admission prices on Saturday are £8 for adults, with OAPs £4 and children and Paddock Transfer free. Sunday’s charges are £15 for adults, OAPs £7.50 with children ‘FOC’. Paddock Transfer is only £2.50, or free on all advance bookings. An advance two day pass is available for £20, OAPs paying only £10.