FISHER PICKS UP THE FORMULA FORD SPOILS
Felix Fisher claimed his maiden Castle Combe Formula Ford title with third place in the opening race enough to secure him the crown despite main rival Luke Cooper taking the victory.
Both had to give best to American Thomas Schrage in qualifying, the Team USA Scholarship driver taking a surprise pole on his first visit to the Wiltshire venue.
Fisher’s Ray GR05 initially grabbed the lead off the line, before Cooper moved ahead on lap five of 10 at Quarry with Schrage following into second. The trio ran nose-to-tail thereafter, but Cooper’s Swift SC20 held firm as Fisher became the third member of his family – after dad Brian and brother Josh – to win an overall title at Castle Combe.
He capped the season off with his sixth win of the year in race two, Cooper and Schrage having both led at points before Fisher made the decisive move at Quarry.
Adam Prebble repeated older brother Gary’s feat of winning the overall Castle Combe Saloon title back in 2002, having survived a one-lap shootout to the flag.
A brief loss of power in Adam’s Vauxhall Astra allowed Gary to take the lead at half distance, but just two tours later Gary’s Seat Leon Cupra suffered a loss of oil pressure and stopped exiting Bobbies, prompting a late safety car. A backmarker between Robert Ellick’s Audi TT and Adam at the restart ensured Adam took the win and the title.
The Super Mighty Mini title was another to be decided, with Neven Kirkpatrick claiming the honours after victory in an opener cut short by a multi-car crash at Quarry. Runner-up and outgoing champion Ian Slark got his revenge in the sequel, moving through from sixth to lead the reversed-grid race inside the opening lap and was never headed.
Craig Dolby was dominant in the Castle Combe GT race before damaging the rear bodywork on his Volvo S60 exiting Camp. The black and orange flag was deployed, and although the flapping bodywork detached, Dolby headed into the paddock and retired.
Newly crowned GT champion Kevin Bird (Porsche 991 Carrera Cup) took the win after race-long pressure from Dylan Popovic’s Ginetta G50.
Chris Southcott’s Honda Civic EK9 dominated both Castle Combe Hot Hatch races, but had to repass Sam Stride’s similar machine in the opener after dropping behind on the opening lap.
Daniel Smith (Mercedes SLK) made his second attempt around the outside of Reuben Taylor’s Peugeot 206 at Camp stick to win race one in the Intermarque Silhouettes. Ian Hales (Vauxhall Tigra), who had been unable to pass Taylor for second in the opener, duly won race two from Smith.
Invitational entry George Line (Dallara F308) won both Monoposto Tiedeman Trophy contests, but was kept honest by Jason Timms (Dallara F301) in the sequel.
RACE WINNERS
CCRC Formula Ford
Race 1: Luke Cooper (Swift SC20); Race 2: Felix Fisher (Ray GR05)
CCRC Saloons Adam Prebble (Vauxhall Astra)
CCRC Super Mighty Mini/ Mighty Mini
Race 1: Neven Kirkpatrick; Race 2: Ian Slark
CCRC GTs Kevin Bird (Porsche 991 Carrera Cup)
CCRC Hot Hatch Races 1 & 2: Chris Southcott (Honda Civic EK9)
CMMC Intermarque Silhouettes Race 1: Daniel Smith (Mercedes SLK); Race 2: Ian Hales (Vauxhall Tigra)
Monoposto Tiedeman Trophy Races 1 & 2: George Line (Dallara F308)