DRAMATIC CONCLUSION TO SALOON TITLE RACE
Simon Thornton-norris knew a finish plus fastest lap in the Castle Combe Saloon Championship season-closer would wrap up his overall title. He got these, but in bizarre circumstances.
At the race’s one-third distance Thornton-norris had a failure on his Mitsubishi Colt’s front-right. “Driveshaft, suspension, steering arm – something broke on the rumble strip on the exit of the chicane,” he explained. “My heart sank at that point. Every time I steered right it went left; every time I hit the brakes it ground like you were grinding them against the floor.”
He soldiered on at much-reduced pace, finishing four laps down in the 15-lap contest. But, aided by his two Class B rivals, Neil Greenland and Mark Wyatt, retiring earlier with driveshaft failures, it was enough.
“Very unorthodox!” Thorntonnorris concluded. “But with these things points are points if you can get across the line and I knew that. If I’d come second I’d be gutted.”
It left Matt Parr, who won Class C comfortably in his Peugeot 106, pipped to title honours. Only a broken driveshaft in the May Day round denied Parr a 2019 victory clean sweep and the title. “I did everything that I could,” he said. “Just a shame that it did go the way it did. But well done, Simon, we had a good battle all year. I did see him slowing down and there was a glimmer of hope in my head. I was praying, though I wouldn’t wish bad luck on anyone. Fair play, he limped it round.” Alex Kite’s Audi TT won the race.
The Mini Se7en title was also on the line in its season finale. Joe Thompson, son of multiple-champion Paul, aimed for two wins to beat ex-british Touring Car racer Jeff Smith. Thompson beat Smith in race one, then did the same on the road in race two, but had a 10-second jumpstart penalty.
“It was just one of those things,” Thompson said. “My foot slipped a little bit on the clutch and by then it had bitten and started to roll. I let a few people go to show it wasn’t on purpose. Quite a bit gutted. I still enjoyed myself out there and proved that we’ve got the pace.”
Smith was sympathetic. “He dropped back, and they’ve still penalised him which is a shame,” he noted. “His misfortune’s my fortune. We’ve won it by I think two points. Pleased with that!”
Josh Fisher sealed his latest Combe Formula Ford 1600 crown in the previous round, and he rounded off his campaign with another victory, just ahead of brother Felix. Though in keeping with the meeting’s theme, both picked up 5s track-limit penalties! Josh insisted he felt “quite comfortable” in first while Felix behind was missing fourth gear.
Kevin Jones in his Noble won the Combe GT race by half a minute from Barry Squibb’s Mitsubishi Evo. Jamie Sturges, already this year’s GT champion, took another class win in his VW Golf TCR then won the Sports vs Saloons race by 45s from Kite. Craig Tomkinson in his Vauxhall Nova won the Hot Hatch contest.
Sam Summerhayes won both Mini Miglia races, heading multi-car slipstreaming battles. Phil Harvey wrapped up the Mini Libre title with second place in class in race one, aided by rival Rob Davis becoming another broken-driveshaft victim. Andrew Thompson and Bill Lancashire shared the Morgan Challenge wins.