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Castle Combe
14/05/2007
Castle Combe
Just as last year the race day started off wet, qualifying was held in torrential rain which always jumbles grids up. James Birch put on full soft settings to claim his first pole position a shade under one point seven seconds ahead of next place man Martin Galpin. The highest placed AHS associated driver was Paul Taylor in the ex Danny Hands car in a mighty impressive third; this being Paul’s highest grid position since his start in FVee. Our next placed man was Ryan Lindsay in seventh with Danny Hands in eighth looking at his old car lining up in third. Simon Readman took eleventh with Steve Ough fourteenth and Miles Southerton seventeenth. In twenty second place was Neale Hurren; as the weather was the same as last year Neale was understandably being cautious here not wanting a repeat of last year’s crash and broken leg. Stuart Feather was one place behind Neale with Tim Hill in twenty sixth; Tim was tentative around Combe in his new Sheane MK111 having demolished his Leastone in his first Vee race at Mallory earlier on this year. This left Steve Robbins and Derek Sales in twenty ninth and thirty first places respectively with the mechanically troubled Ben Williams and Ken Elliot filling the last two places.
The race was held in quite different weather; Neale Hurren must have been pleased that the rain had ceased. Paul Taylor was ready to jump the two front row men; whilst several who would have been further up the grid if the qualifying had been dry were get a good start. When the lights went out Sam Oliviera and Martin Galpin got away together with Sam just ahead into Quarry; Danny Hands has also made a good start from eighth until braking for Quarry and contact is made with Paul Taylor eliminating both drivers on the spot, Martin Farmer and Ben Evans have also had a coming together with only Ben continuing. With Martin Galpin retiring with a broken pushrod on lap three and Ankit Love going out on the fifth lap it is a bit of a bad day for Team GAC; although Ian Buxton is in third place on the rostrum salvaging something for the team. Our top man is once again Ryan Lindsay in fifth with Simon Readman on place behind; Steve Ough finish’s in eighth and Neale Hurren completes what must have been a slightly emotional race for in sixteenth position. A front runner not to shine is ex AHS driver Jake Oliviera in his Storm; Jake had been having engine troubles all day. He also leaked a fair amount of oil and had to stop after six laps, in all nine drivers retired; four not completing the first lap. Up at the front of the race only Martin Galpin put up any resistance to current champion and race winner Sam Oliviera; once Martin had pulled out Sam pushed for a couple of laps to get a point for fastest lap then eased off to make sure of a finish. Although the weather was as bad as last year (at least in qualifying) and a couple of people went into the tire wall; this year’s race ended on a happier note than last year much to everyone’s relief. Our next outing is on the twenty third and fourth of June at Pembrey; the last two years have been hot and sunny for us there; let’s hope that it’s the same this year.
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