FOR THE first time since 1976, the Castle Combe circuit ran a ‘non historic’ race day solely for visiting championships at its September Race Day on Saturday.

A number of local drivers featured, perhaps the most impressive being 71 year old David Mustarde, from Box, who won the first Toyota MR2 race of the day, so was on pole position for race two.

Sadly for Mustarde, his Toyota failed to leave for the green flag lap, leaving the local man to furiously attend to his car’s electrics on the grid.

The problem was sorted within seconds, but Mustarde was forced to start from the pit lane, fighting back through the field and pushing so hard he spun at Camp on lap five.

A 10th place finish was his only reward.

Will Di Claudio, the former double Castle Combe Saloon Car champion from Biddestone, took a third place and class win in the first Tricolore Trophy race for French cars with his 16-valve Peugeot 205 Gti road car.

Race two saw him drop to fourth overall, but still in touch with the leaders and another class win in his pocket.

Dan Blake, from Trowbridge, was second in the first Hyundai Coupe Cup race to Simon Miles, but a mistake by the latter in race two gave Blake a lead he was not to lose - his first ever win.

Simon Oliphant, from Devizes, ran as high as fourth in the first Caterham Graduates race, but dropped down the field to seventh by the chequered flag.

Race two was a similar story, with the frenetic pace of the closely-matched field taking its toll.

The local man held fourth for the first two laps but then dropping to ninth before going off at Camp at the last corner.

Tom Woodcock, from Bath, picked up a 10th and an 11th, whilst in the Sigma class, Bathford’s Nigel Board was second in race one and led race two to the end, picking up the class championship title at the same time.