A guesting Stuart Clarke took two wins out of three, in a day which apart from race three, was dominated by the safety car.

Although Clarke was on pole, it was Luke Caudle that made the best start in the opening race, with Chris Knox jockeying his way through to second at Old Hall despite receiving a tap from his Coastal Racing Team boss Carl Bradley. “It was a good start, but that tap upset the handling and I was hung out to dry at the Island Hairpin on the first lap,” said Knox.

Returning Gavin Bristow was into second from Clarke and Bradley, with Knox just ahead of S Class leaders Lee Allen and Dean Raymond.

But once the experienced Clarke had made it past Bristow on the second lap, Caudle’s lead was soon eroded. Allen had also made it past Knox and was keen to continue his climb up the overall standings.

As Bradley mounted a challenge on Bristow for third, Allen and Knox started to latch onto them, while the lead duo had continued to pull away. Clarke got the lead into Knickerbrook on the third lap, after Caudle ran wide at Island. “After Luke had run wide at the hairpin I got a run at him over Hilltop and went ahead into the chicane, but I had a bit of bumping at Cascades on the first lap,” said Clarke. “I knew I had to back off a bit and think of the points, as trying to stay with Stuart could cost me points,” added Caudle.

Allen’s pursuit of Bristow cost them both on lap four to, as Allen explained, “I had just got Carl Bradley along Lakeside and was bit off my usual line, hit a bump and my brake pedal was solid and I hit Gavin and we both went off.”

Knox was the beneficiary having taken Bradley too as they crossed the line, while Raymond now had the S Class lead. But with Craig Freeman off at Cascades out came the safety car for four laps, which left a one lap sprint at the end.

Caudle did his best to snatch the lead back, but had to settle for second behind Clarke. “I got a good restart but Stuart defended well and then I threw it off line ” he said. Knox, Bradley and the recovering Bristow completed the top five, with Raymond taking his first class win in sixth, from a delighted Chris James.  “I could see how busy it was ahead and then realised Lee was off and I had the class lead, I couldn’t believe it at first,” said Raymond. “That’s what I can do with a proper car, it was like night and day to last time,” Chris James added.

In the Club Class David Ogden took another victory, with Sarah Parsons and Justina Williams both in close contention behind. “It’s a long time since I have been chased by two women,” said Ogden. Kevin O’Connor, and Sam Osborne completed the finishers.

Race Two

The second race was barely underway when chaos reigned on the approach to Old Hall. Knox had jinked through to lead after a brief touch with Caudle, which allowed Clarke to slip into second. Bristow, Chris Smith and Chris James were up into the top six, but back on the pits straight Raymond had crashed heavily, with Matt Pike and Jason Richardson both involved too.

Richardson made it back to the pits and rejoined, but the next five laps were a frustrating parade behind the safety car, while attempts to remove Raymond’s car were made.

As in the first race it became another one lap sprint, but Knox was delighted to have held off a determined challenge from Clarke for his third win of the season.  “Stuart knows this place so well I really had to defend hard,” said Knox.  “I was really going for it too,” Clarke added.

Caudle has to fend off a move from Bristow to retain third, “Chris had got a good start and that was it for me,” said Caudle. Bristow and Smith held onto fourth and fifth and James took his first class win in sixth. “It all seemed a bit of a blur at the start, but came through it,” said James.

Lee Allen snatched second in class on the last lap from Lee Sullivan, “he hit a kerb hard so I just went for it,” said Allen. “I still wondered how I escaped the first lap carnage,” Sullivan replied.

Following the start line casualties the Club Class battle completed the top ten, with Sam Osborne going from last place to leading his class by the first corner through the confusion and collecting a second win over Williams and Parsons. Ogden, Freeman and O’Connor rounded off the finishers.

Race Three

Caudle was able to make a brief break at the head of race three, with Knox slotting into second as Clarke and Bristow fought for third.

But having shaken of Bristow fairly quickly, Clarke seemed to carry speed through the corners and grabbed second past the pits on lap three and it was only a matter of time before Caudle was caught. Although Bristow had settled in fourth, Richardson had begun to close too in his first clean runoff the day.

Clarke had the lead on lap five under braking from Caudle, Clarke couldn’t relax as Caudle shadowed him to the flag. With Knox third, Richardson snatched fourth from Bristow with a lap to go.

After Bradley had pitted from sixth on lap five, Lee Allen moved up and was dominant class winner, with Craig Freeman claiming his best finish yet, with both James and Sullivan retiring to the pits.

It was Kevin O’Connor’s turn to take the Club Class spoils, but had Sarah Parsons inches from his tailgate right to the flag, Justina Williams ready to capitalise on any mistake was a clear third, with Osborne forth in class and Ogden struggling after a wheel change.