A WET WEEKEND AT SILVERSTONE!

The BRSCC Midland Centre race meeting on the National circuit at Silverstone last weekend, presented the officials and marshals with the usual challenges, but as ever they came through it with flying colours, completing the 20-race schedule 11 minutes before the scheduled 6pm finish.

The experienced Jonathan Lewis emerged as the dominant force in the Mighty Minis Championship, winning both races to put some daylight between him and Damien Harrington, with whom he shared the points lead prior to the double-header. Zack Booth and Nottingham’s David Hale closed out the podium positions in both races, but swapped steps after the second race.

Lewis had a very busy weekend as he also turned out in both Super Mighty Mini encounters, where he recoded respectable fifth and 6^th place finishes. Bob Bennetts roiled back the years in race 1 to hold off adversaries Pat Ford and Jamie White. White came back strongly in the second race to win from Bennetts and Peter Tervet, who took full advantage of Pat Ford’s retirement on lap 2, to claim third.

Roz Shaw joined the ranks of the Alfashop Alfa Romeo Championship in her very striking (and expensive) Jägermeister liveried GTAM. Unfortunately, Roz had to retire on the fourth lap but had better luck in race 2, coming home in 10^th. At the front end, Anthony George won both races and was joined on the podium in the first race by fellow Class A1 competitors Barry McMahon and Andy Robinson. Clive Hodgkin, Graham Seager and Tom Eastwood were the respective class B, C and E winners. In the Invitation class, Roger McMahon took the win in a Fiat Punto Abarth. The A1 stranglehold on the podium was broken in the second race by 2012 champion Roger Evans from Class C, who stood on the last step of the podium below Andy Robinson and race winner Anthony George. Darelle Wilson took his second Class B win of the season and James Ford won Class E. McMahon, at the wheel of a Fiat Punto, was again the winner of the Invitation class, but this time it was brother Arthur who took the glory.

Michael Saunders was a very late entrant into the Arrowpak Euro Saloon & Sports Car Championship races in his TVR Cerbera, but the decision paid off for him as he took a brace of victories ahead of Paul Rose’s Saker on each occasion. Steve Putt’s Mazda RX7 came home in third in race one, with Gary Prebble’s Mitsubishi Evo RS taking that honour in Sunday’s race. Kevin Wendt (BMW E46) and Peter Challis (Nissan Primera ST) shared Class B wins, as did Nick Hayes (Seat Leon Cupra) and Adam Prebble (Rover Tomcat) in Class C.

The Toyo Tires Porsche Championship lined-up with an impressive 26 cars on the grid and Yorkshireman Ric Styrin again proved to be the class of the field with two wins. Jonathan Greensmith and Will Sharpe kept Ric honest, with each of them taking a second place finish. Nottingham’s Steven Boyles was third in both races. The Production Boxster class honours were shared between Rebecca Jackson, in her first race of the season, and Julian Brown, who enjoyed his first ever class win. Will Sharpe’s brother, Hen, dominated the 924 pack with two wins, from Clive Morison and Alistair Kirkham.

Lee Morgan maintained his serene early season form in the Formula Jedi Championship, which fielded a very encouraging entry. The Runcorn racer comfortably won both races from Andrew Dunn (race 1) and Ryan Lindsay (race 2). Lindsay, from Coventry, had a very impressive Jedi debut weekend as he moved up to second spot in race 2, with ex-Caterham racer James Maclachlan in third. Jodie Hemmings returned to Jedi racing after a good few years absence and showed she will be a contender once she is fully back in the swing of things – a 6th place in race 1, bettered by 4^thin race 2 is testimony to that!

Class C of the Vortex Dunlop Ford Fiesta Championship had the honour of the largest entry of the meeting, with a tremendous 27 cars turning out on the National circuit. Nicholas Bowers took his second win of the season ahead of Andrew Foley and Fiesta Junior graduate Bobby Thompson, who showed he is learning quickly in the senior category. The second race produced another new winner, Andrew Taylor, from St Albans who just managed to keep the Merthyr Tydfil brothers, Matthew & Andrew Foley, at bay by just .238 seconds.

In the Fiesta Junior Championship, which is also backed by Vortex and Dunlop, James ‘JJ’ Ross again proved that he is the class of the field with back-to-back wins. Alfonso Skricka moved up to third place in the overall points standings with a 3^rd and 2^nd place. Alex Reed was the runner-up in the first tour with Robert Cox taking the final podium position in the second race.

Back to the Fiesta seniors for Classes A, B & D. David Abbott in his Class D Zetec S has dominated so far but he was joined in Class D at Silverstone by James Appleby. Abbott still produced two wins, with Appleby third on each occasion. Keeping the Class D cars apart, were Class A drivers Alan Donnelly (race 1) and Ian Scruton (race 2). The Class B spoils were shared between old rivals Ken Bateman and Keith Chapman.

Making their first appearance of the season were the assorted marques of the Dunlop TVR Challenge where Tim Hood’s 7000cc Sagaris carried the day in both races. Fresh from his victories in the pair of Euro Saloon races, Michael Saunders had to settle for a second and third in what is his main championship. Darren Dowling also returned a third and second place finish. Dean Cook and Keith Vaughan-Williams both took a Class A win, while Class B victories went the way of Tuscan drivers Dave Chant and Graham Walden. Swindon’s Chris Hayward-Browne’s 4-Litre Chimera scored Class C wins in each race.