RAIN SPLURGES BUT STURGES SURGES TO SEAT DOUBLE
Two SEAT Leon wins and a second place, plus fourth in his stunning VW Golf TCR – started brilliantly by British Touring Car Championship racer Jake Hill – made circuit neighbour Jamie Sturges’ Saturday special. Sturges saw off BMW M3 men Brad Sheehan and Dominic Malone in the first Open Series bout. Sheehan beat Sturges in the wet sequel, with Mark Jones (SEAT Eurocup) third. Hill flung a 1989 Golf GTI to fourth. Jaguar series contender James Ramm remained on the lead lap. Perfectly-timed stops meant John Cutmore and Tim Bishop gained a lap on Magnificent Sevens rivals, leaving erstwhile leader Stephen Nuttall down in third. Nuttall and Colin Watson traded P1 in the soggy second race. Nuttall pounced when Watson outbraked himself into the chicane, but a jumped-start penalty negated the move. Jake Severs growled his VW Beetle through a monsoon before relaying father Andre to Modern Classics victory over Andy Thompson (SEAT Leon) after a long caution. Ollie Brown dominated the wet Slicks Series debut in Team Hard’s Ginetta G55 pursued by Kevin Clarke (BMW M3 CSL), Daniel Wylie (Porsche 911 GT3) and Sturges in the Golf, which led impressively in poleman Hill’s hands. Sturges blunted three sharp BMW M3s for New Millennium victory, but early pacesetter Russell Humphrey (E92) was quicker than partner Mark Wyatt, who kept second. Finishing his father’s E36, Arron Moultonsmith’s bid to wrest third from David Marcussen (E46) was thwarted when Sturges lapped him into the chicane on his last tour. Danny Morris (Peugeot 309 Turbo) couldn’t match Andy Southcott’s silhouette Midget in Sunday’s Special Saloon & Modsports opener. Later, Southcott escaped sanction for passing leader Ricky Parkermorris (in the Pug) under waved yellows. The scrap for third between Marcus Bicknell (Ford Mustang ‘NASCAR’) and James Plant (Healey V8 clone) ended with both in the barriers at Allard, although Bicknell continued. Jamie Keevil (Lotus Elan) had Ray Barrow (Chevrolet Camaro) filling his mirrors in Swinging Sixties race when Keevil spun out exiting Village on the penultimate lap. Jon Wolfe/ David Thompson (TVR Tuscan V8) chased Barrow home. Paul Tooms shot his newlyrebuilt Lotus Elan into the Mintex Classic K lead and repelled Allen Tice (Marcosvolvo 1800GT) and Anthony Hancock (Elan) until his stop. Hancock’s son Ollie finished the job consummately as Tooms’ handling waned. Polesitter Mark Chilton’s smoky Nissan Skyline retired 10 laps into the Future Classics race, leaving Stuart Daburn (TVR Tuscan) clear of Bill Lancashire (Morgan+8). Alex Taylor (Mazda RX-7 turbo) zapped from the back to pip Aston and Tony Blake (Porsche Carrera RS) for third. Red-flagged when lead challenger Dave Banks (Renault Clio) clobbered the Village marshals’ post then rolled, without injury, Andrew Windmill aced the shortened Tin Tops race in his lightened Honda Civic. Half a second split the chasing Simpson (Peugeot), Hutchins (Honda) and Field (Proton) clans.