Middleton on top after frantic contests

“It’s been an awesome weekend – the second race was one of the most intense races I’ve ever competed in,” enthused Stuart Middleton after he emerged from a typically frantic Ginetta Junior meeting with the points lead.

The Douglas Motorsport driver followed up his second place in race one with victory in the final event, but the two contests contained markedly different battles for first place.

In race one, Middleton, Dave Wooder and William Tregurtha engaged in a three-way fight for the win throughout the 15-lap encounter. Middleton secured pole but briefly lost out to Tregurtha.

But the HHC Motorsport driver was demoted to third just two laps later as Middleton slipped back into the lead at Paddock and Wooder got past at Druids.

Wooder grabbed the lead with a bold move at Clearways that shuffled Middleton backwards just before a safety car to recover Charlie Fagg from the gravel.

At the restart, Tregurtha seized the lead with a dramatic lunge on Wooder at Druids and held on to win from Middleton, who edged Wooder into third at Paddock on lap 12.

In the second contest, Middleton took the lead from second on the grid and mounted a race-long rear-guard action that forced him to “do about six things at once”.

Wooder, who had also passed polesitter Tregurtha on lap one, made several attempts to overtake but had to settle for second.

On the last lap, Lewis Brown grabbed the final podium spot, having risen from 14th on the grid, as he seized his chance at the last corner when Tregurtha pushed Cameron Roberts wide and held on during the run to the line.

1 Cammish 40; 2 Zamparelli 40; 3 Sharp 28; 4 Jelley 26; 5 Oliphant 26; 6 Eastwood 24.

1 William Tregurtha (HHC Motorsport) 15m47.629s (68.83mph); 2 Stuart Middleton (Douglas Motorsport) +0.767s; 3 Dave Wooder (TCR); 4 Max Bird (TCR); 5 Tom Gamble (HHC Motorsport); 6 Cameron Roberts (JHR Developments). FL Middleton 56.610s (76.81mph). P Middleton. S 22.

1 Middleton 13m35.244s (74.67mph); 2 Wooder +0.133s; 3 Lewis Brown (HHC Motorsport); 4 Roberts; 5 Tregurtha; 6 Daniel Harper (Douglas). FL Brown 56.838s (76.50mph). P Tregurtha. S 22.