Calder plays it cool to head up the former champions in Knockhill sprint

Organiser: Knockhill Racing Club When: July 30/31 Starters: 14

Although there were eight of the most recent British Sprint champions in the field for last weekend’s jaunt to Scotland, they weren’t the main players grabbing the headlines.

The winner on the opening day was Heather Calder, who beat 2008 British Sprint champion Stewart Robb Jr, despite the weather intervening to make both their second Top 12 run-off opportunities meaningless. A sudden shower meant that they both passed up that chance for another run.

Robb Jr corrected his shortcoming on Sunday with victory. Heather Calder was unable to better third place on Sunday as she was troubled by tyre difficulties.

Reigning champion Colin Calder managed third place on Saturday, which he improved to a second position on Sunday. The 2011 and 2012 champion Robb picked up fourth place spots both days.

All of the top four of Saturday’s frontrunners broke the existing track record, when the anticlockwise layout of the track was used.

The 2009 and 2010 British Sprint champion Nick Algar, not to be outdone despite using a much lower capacity car than his compatriots, picked up a fifth place spot on Saturday. He was well within the existing two-litre class record in the process, but wasn’t able to better eighth place spot on Sunday having been troubled with electrical issues during the day.

John Graham managed sixth place on Saturday but improved one place to fifth on Sunday with his best time of the whole day as his final one.

Steve Miles managed a seventh place spot also bettering the existing two-litre record in the process on Saturday. Terry Holmes was troubled for much of Sunday with electrical issues but eventually overcame them, managing an eighth place spot on Saturday before improving to sixth on Sunday, with his car sounding much healthier.

The two Sports Car contenders were closely matched throughout the weekend. It was Jim Belt 10th and Matt Carter 11th on Saturday, just a couple of seconds apart. The interval was much the same, but positions inverted, in ninth and 10th on Sunday.

Graham Porrett, sharing with Terry Holmes, managed a 10th on Saturday but slipped to 12th on Sunday.

Top player among the 1100cc cars was Louise Calder with two comfortable victories against Colin Metcalfe, who was giving his recently acquired car its debut, which on Sunday rather showed with a might over enthusiasm. Finally among the race car fraternity was Scot Eric Kiltie in his Caterham.