The second Protech Sports Specials was one of the most dramatic races in an action-packed weekend with some super-strong grids at Cadwell Park. Paul Boyd (Eclipse SM1) and Ben Shalders (Caterham R400) had to work their way through the field and did so magnificently.
Boyd was fifth at the completion of the opening lap with Shalders, who had won the previous race, only in seventh. They both worked their way through to the front during the nine lap race. In which Shalders learnt there was a lot of grip on the outside of Coppice and surprised each of his opponents by fantastically using that tarmac to go around the outside at the first corner lap-after-lap. Boyd wasn’t as dramatic in his moves but was as effective and led by the end of the sixth lap.
Shalders did pass Boyd around the outside of Coppice on the final lap but went too hot in Charlies allowing Boyd back ahead and he managed to hold on to the lead to the flag. Martin James (Ariel Atom) came third after a tight, race-long battle with Clive Hudson (Eclipse). Shalders beat Boyd and Steve Owen (Westfield 7SE) in the first race.
Anton Landon (Cyana Duratec) and Nigel Brown (Sylva Phaser) shared the class A honours. Brown only won the second race by only 0.29 seconds. Paul Cooper (Raw Striker) won class B in the first encounter but Adrian Cooper (Procomp LA Gold) took another class victory in the second.
David Bartholomew (PRS 1B) took a double victory in the Premier Choice 750 Formula Championship but particularly in the opener had to work hard for it. He made a slow start and fell to fourth and was slowed up by an incident between Mick Harris (Darvi 877) and Peter Bove (Darvi Mk4/5). That allowed Robin Gearing (Darvi P88) to immediately pull out a ten second advantage as he initially got to grips with the damp conditions the quickest.
Bartholomew regained second place by lap four and caught Gearing unbelievably quickly. He then made the pass on his into Coppice on lap five. Gearing chased him but had a large incident at the Mountain chicane on the final lap putting him out of the rest of the weekend. That allowed Harris and Bove to claim second and third respectively. Those positions were repeated on Sunday. Andrew Kemp (Racekits Falcon) took both class B wins.
Paul Jarvis claimed his maiden victory in the opening Demon Tweeks / Yokohama Stock Hatch race. Pole sitter Shayne Deegan had an off Charlies on the opening lap and had caught his brother Lee by lap three. But just a couple of laps later an incident between the pair at the hairpin would see them eventually both retire. Jarvis then maintained a gap to Scott Sharp to win with Steve Powlesland in third after passing Craig Robertson on the fourth tour.
Shayne Deegan was dominant in the second encounter and took an eight second victory. Jarvis got the better of Lee Deegan at the Hall Bends on the opening lap and Sharp followed him through. Deegan got back ahead of Sharp a few laps later with Powlesland also going through but neither of them could get the better of Jarvis. Toby Bearne took both Hot Hatch races while Eliot Dunmore won both of the Super Cooper Cup races.
Paul Smith (AHS Dominator) was the star of the Formula Vee Championship in wet conditions and was quickly clear of his competitors. Pete Belsey (Spyder Mk2) took second with Ian Buxton (GAC Daghorn) behind after Craig Pollard (GAC Bears) retired with a mechanical issue. Pollard took the battle to Smith in the second encounter though as their switched positions in a slipstreaming battle. The final move came down the Park Straight as Smith slipstreamed his way into the lead. Belsey came third.
Anthony Mitchell (Ray FV91) and Ed Lowndes (Scarab Mk2) shared victories in class B, which was contesting the Derek Willetts Trophy. Mitchell only beat Lowndes by 0.24 seconds in the opener but Lowndes was clear by 11 seconds in the second race. Jamie Harrison (Sheane Jordan) took third on both occasions.
Allan Gibson (Lotus Exige) was the dominant force in the Cartek Roadsports race which took place on a drying circuit. He took a 29 second victory during the 45 minute race despite a spin. Rob Horsfield (Toyota MR2) came second in the face of a 20 second longer pit stop due to his success at Silverstone. He passed Neville Anderson (Vauxhall Vectra) on the fifteenth lap.
Steve Hewson (Peugeot 106) got the better of Grant Hatfield and Jonathan Pressley’s Mini in the closing stages for the class B victory. Hewson led early on but Hatfield/Pressley passed him on lap three and only lost it on the 22nd tour. Mick and Stuart Nicholls (Toyota MR2) took third in class. Benjamin Corbey (Honda CRX) claimed the class C honours after beating Clive Bussey / Ricki Sambells (Mazda MX5) by 13 seconds. Petteri Jokinen (Ford Fiesta) beat Darren Howe (VW Golf) by just 0.56 seconds for third in class.
Alric Kitson dominated both of his races in three race format for the Millers Oils Toyota MR2 Championship. Jim Davies passed erstwhile leader Mick Nicholls in the opener at Park on the sixth lap with Mark Barber chasing the pair. Heron was the best of the rest to Kitson in both of their races with White and Nicholls taking third. Kitson and Nicholls were the class C winners with Davies and Heron taking class B. Dave Hemingway and Merill Readett claimed class A honours.
Paul Smith (AHS Dominator) was the star of the Formula Vee Championship in wet conditions and was quickly clear of his competitors. Pete Belsey (Spyder Mk2) took second with Ian Buxton (GAC Daghorn) behind after Craig Pollard (GAC Bears) retired with a mechanical issue. Pollard took the battle to Smith in the second encounter though as their switched positions in a slipstreaming battle. The final move came down the Park Straight as Smith slipstreamed his way into the lead. Belsey came third.
Anthony Mitchell (Ray FV91) and Ed Lowndes (Scarab Mk2) shared victories in class B, which was contesting the Derek Willetts Trophy. Mitchell only beat Lowndes by 0.24 seconds in the opener but Lowndes was clear by 11 seconds in the second race. Jamie Harrison (Sheane Jordan) took third on both occasions.
Jack Sycamore won his maiden 5Club Racing MX5 race in the opening race of the weekend. Ben Short still remains unbeaten though as he took the following two races in their three race group format. Sycamore beat James Rogers and Jason Greatrex in race one with Will Blackwell-Chambers behind Short on both occasions and Rogers and Sycamore sharing third on those occasions. Short and Blackwell-Chambers traded positions a couple of times during the final race but Short took the lead back at Coppice on the final lap.
Tim Gray (Spire GT-3) was dominant in the Spire Sportscars Bike-Sports Championship and got close to the overall circuit lap record with a 1:22.82. Close battles raged behind though with Richard Stables (Radical PR6) and Adrian Reynard (Radical SR3) switching positions for second but Stables came out best in the opener. Steven Gore (SR3) chased them. Reynard beat Gore to second in the second race. Reynard took class A on both occasions with Gaetan Rombouts-Howitt (Radical Prosport) and Peter Lague (Spire) taking class C and D respectively.
Christian Pederson (Austin 7) narrowly beat Ben Myall (Gerrell Mk1) and Martin Kemp (Racekits Merlin) in the opening 750 Trophy race. Pederson and Myall had multiple place changes with Pederson finally making the winning move on the penultimate lap. Myall and Kemp passed Pederson at the Mountain on the third lap of race two and Myall went on to win. Ian Grant took his Austin 7 to both class A victories.
Local racer James Bark won both K-Tec Racing Clio 182 victories. Matt Digby and Patrick Fletcher took a second and third each in a couple of races with drivers found it very difficult to overtake in the super competitive series around a very tight circuit.