THE STARS COME OUT TO PLAY AT SILVERSTONE
Two spectacular Super Touring races were the highlight of the BARC’s Silverstone weekend, with Jason Minshaw (Volvo S40) and Anthony Reid (Nissan Primera) taking a win apiece.
Minshaw, Reid and John Cleland (Vauxhall Vectra) all took a turn in the lead of the opener, the trio joined by Colin Turkington (MG ZS) who scrubbed new tyres before mounting an attack. He soon jumped Cleland for third and then made his move for leadership by taking second from Minshaw but leader Reid’s race was over on lap four when a trackrod broke. Cleland fought Minshaw for the lead, but the Vectra suffered late-race transmission woes and retired, as did Turkington when the MG’s head gasket blew. That allowed Tony Absolom (Vauxhall Cavalier) into second ahead of team-mate Darren Fielding in his ex-Ecurie Ecosse Cavalier.
Reid’s Nissan was repaired for the second race and he took on Cleland, with Minshaw in the mix. Again, the lead traded racelong but it was Reid ahead when it mattered.
Stephen Primett (Ford Escort Mk1) won both Pre 1983/1966 races, the second after stalling on the 31-car grid. Missed by all, Primett set off in pursuit and was helped by a safety car period to nab the lead from Mark Osborne (Triumph Dolomite Sprint) on the last lap. Pre 1966 honours fell to Piers Grange (Ford Mustang) and Alan Greenhalgh (Ford Falcon Sprint).
A delighted Rupert Deeth claimed opening Mini Miglia honours from Aron Smith, while Andrew Jordan, hampered by the car jumping out of gear at the start of race one, soaked up pressure in the frantic second encounter to win from Smith and Deeth. Dad Mike did better in the Se7ens, winning both after hectic duels with Connor O’Brien and a massive slide on the opening lap of race two. Life was eased in the second after early leader Spencer Wanstall rolled at Vale.
Harry Hickton won both
Junior Saloon races, the second a far harder fight from Harvey Dent who finally fell behind Travis Chapman.
Jamie Winrow was unstoppable in the Caterham Sigma 135 races, winning both after race-long battles with Tom Power.
Reigning champion James McCall took third in race one but tangled with Marc Noaro at Stowe on the opening lap of race two, neither finishing. Another double was claimed by Harry Senior who prevailed in the Sigma 150 division with nearest rival Stephen Clark eliminated by an errant backmarker on the last lap of race one. Clark built a lead of over three seconds in race two only for Senior to hunt him down and sneak the win.
James Card (E46 M3) was a double BMW race winner, his second victory coming without power steering and under attack from Brad Sheehan (E46 M3) who had a spin in the opener. Another double victor was Dave Griffin (BMW M3 E36) who ran away with both Pre-1993 touring car stanzas; Tom Robinson took both Jaguar Challenge victories.
Jason Davies (Ford Sapphire Cosworth) was unstoppable in the Classic Thunder races, taking two victories, while Malcolm Harding (Ford Escort Mk2) won the Blue Oval division in the opener.
Harding rolled in race two having been on the outside of a scrum involving Davies at the end of Vale. Yet the Escort rejoined and soldiered on to third in the division, won by Martin Reynolds (Ford Escort).