TIN-TOP ACES PUT ON A SHOW
Rickard Rydell pipped James Dodd to Super Touring pole position by 0.043 seconds, but the returning 1998 British Touring Car champion was outfumbled on the opening lap of race one. Despite squeezing Abbie Eaton’s 500bhp Holden Commodore at the rolling start, Rydell had to give way at Abbey, then lost out to Dodd exiting the Loop.
Dodd’s Honda Accord got up the inside of Eaton at Club at the end of the first lap, with Rydell’s Volvo S40 following, and the top two quickly pulled clear. Rydell pressured regular pacesetter Dodd initially, but eventually started to drop back as the Honda set fastest laps quicker than the pole time.
Eaton eventually lost out to the Vauxhall Vectra of Jason Hughes – up from sixth on the grid – but held on for fourth, ahead of double BTCC champ John Cleland’s Vectra.
Rydell was beaten into Abbey by Eaton again in race two. He made it by before the end of lap one and then, with an improved set-up, reduced the 1.9s margin to Dodd.
On lap four of nine Rydell dived down the inside of the Honda into the Club left-hander, but he couldn’t get away. Two laps later Dodd attacked on the outside of Stowe and made it stick at Club before heading to victory by 2.3s.
Cleland overcame Eaton on the penultimate tour before the Holden stopped with engine problems. “It’s special to have two legends alongside,” said Dodd on the podium.
Polesitter Rob Huff was peerless in U2TC, his punishing pace from the rolling start leaving Lotus Cortina owner Andy Wolfe – a top pedaller – little to do beyond steering it home. Second for the Banks boys’ raucous Alfa GTA injected Italian flair into what has become a Cortinafest.
Huff also starred in the Transatlantic Trophy in Trevor Buckley’s Ford Falcon, taking pole in appalling conditions, but the car lacked pace in the dry. Sean Mcinerney’s Ford Mustang blasted from row three to lead early on before handing over to James Thorpe. He couldn’t match his co-driver’s pace and was overcome by Wolfe with six minutes to go in the Falcon started by Mike Gardiner.
Craig Davies’s Mustang had the pace to challenge, but started from row 14 and lost ground during the stops. He grabbed second when Thorpe ran wide at Stowe.