Trowbridge sportscar driver Mark Funnell was the star of the Bank Holiday Monday race day at Castle Combe, picking up a trio of winners' trophies after a series of inspired performances.

His epic day started with a determined run to class C victory in the circuit's hugely popular GT championship. Racing the same Lotus Exige that he drives to track from his Trowbridge home, Funnell managed to fend off Darcy Smith's Radical - a pure-bred racer in contrast to Funnell's road car - until half-distance, and even though he ultimately lost third place to the quicker car, he still came home a comfortable fourth and first in the modified sports and saloons class.

Up ahead, round one winner Andrew Shanley finished first on the road, but had been penalised for a jump start, handing victory to a surprised and delighted Simon Tilling.

Next on Funnell's schedule was the visiting LMA Euro Saloon and Sportscar race, and having taken pole position by a jaw-dropping four second margin over his nearest rivals, it was no surprise to see Funnell strolling away from the packed field to win this one by 25 seconds.

If his first two successes had been relatively straightforward, Funnell gave himself plenty to do with a back of the grid start for the programme-concluding Open Sports and Saloons race. However from a distant 27th on the grid, the Lotus driver carved through the pack with ease - taking 11 positions on the opening lap alone, and breaking into the top six next time around.

By half-distance he was lining up a pass on Stuart Dixon for second place - which then became a battle for first as Nick Williamson retired from the lead. There was no stopping Funnell today, and he duly swept ahead and edged away to take his third win of the day.

"That's the sort of racing I come here for," said the delighted Funnell, "and I really hope the crowd enjoyed it."

The thriving Castle Combe Formula Ford 1600 Championship has attracted its most competitive field in years - and it is Bratton man Ben Norton who has established himself as the man to beat after claiming a second consecutive victory on Monday.

Fresh from an ultimately commanding win at Easter, Norton maintained his momentum by taking pole position ahead of Bridgwater's Felix Fisher and former champions Matt Rivett (Dorking) and Ed Moore (Bath). Back in sixth, Saltford's Steven Jensen rued what might have been, his Swift having suffered an electrical failure as he was pushing Norton hard for pole.

The massive entry necessitated a qualification race to slim the field down ready for the main event. This gave championship legend Kevin Mills's latest protege Marcus Allen a chance to impress with a lights-to-flag victory for the Gloucestershire team, but saw frustration for several other local rising stars, with Bath's Chris Acton, Langford's Roger Orgee and debutant Devizes teenager Scott Blakeney - son of former title contender Pat - all caught up in a first corner tangle.

In the final, Norton managed to fend off a strong challenge from Fisher on the sprint off the line, but was then pounced on by Rivett, who dived ahead at the Esses on the second lap.

Struggling with a brake problem, Norton had to rely on his Wiltshire College-run Spectrum's speed in fast corners to slipstream Rivett's Van Diemen and sweep back in front, eventually regaining the lead at the second attempt on lap five and shrugging off the tricky damp conditions to win. The Wiltshire College Spectrum appears to be the class of the field, but with Norton having made his name by taking an elderly and underfunded Swift to giant-killing overall results and a class title in the mid-2000s, no one is begrudging him this shot at success.

"That was really tough, I just couldn't be late on the brakes with that problem," said Norton. "I feel very lucky to have won that one. It's definitely a bonus win."

While Norton and Fisher edged away at the front, Castle Combe's Andrew Jones emerged at the head of the vast, jostling pack of cars all trying to be third, holding off Jensen to secure the final podium spot, with Allen impressing again in fifth despite a late tangle with Norton's Wiltshire College team-mate David Vivian (Bradford-on-Avon).

Round two of the Combe Saloons was dominated by Torquay's Barry Squibb and Hove's Brian Cox in their marauding Mitsubishi Lancers. Bristol racer David Kift was on course to be the best of the relatively-local drivers in third overall, until being passed by Ditcheat's Kevin Bird and then retiring shortly afterwards. Both Kift and Bird had managed to make it for the event despite their cars being caught up in the massive first corner crash that had decimated the field in round one.

Bristol duo Darryl Radford and Nick Mizen drove strong races to fifth and sixth overall behind Will di Claudio (Bromham), while there was delight for Yatton Keynell resident Jason Cooper as he claimed seventh in the outright results, another class D victory and the class lap record. The race also saw a breakthrough for Chippenham's Alan Dixon, who celebrated eighth overall and third in the 1400cc to 1800cc class.