MOTOR RACING: THE first race meeting run by the new Castle Combe Racing Club had the irony of being won by a driver sponsored by the rival Thruxton circuit.

After years of sub-contracting its race meetings to the British Racing and Sports Car Club, the circuit took the somewhat radical step of taking control of its own races with the formation of the new club.

Saturday's meeting was the first opportunity to test the effectiveness of the new regime and despite poor weather conditions, the general consensus was that of success.

Pole sitter for the opening Melton Concrete Products Formula Ford 1600 championship race was Pat Blakeney, an instructor at Thruxton circuit. He was beaten away from the lights by Saltford's Steven Jensen in his Swift SC92, who had qualified third fastest.

Lap record holder Matt Rivett, from Calne, also managed to find a way past Blakeney, but by lap two those positions had been reversed, their infighting allowing Jensen to open a significant lead.

With Blakeney cut free however, Jensen's lead soon disappeared and a slight mistake on lap five allowed his rival through. Jensen decided to settle for second, allowing Blakeney and his unique Vector MG95 to open out a useful gap, which he held to the flag.

Bath driver Chris Acton worked his elderly Reynard FF89 to remarkable effect, moving up from ninth on the grid to within inches of Jensen by the chequered flag and taking an easy class C win.

Rivett recovered from a spin to finish fifth, just behind Nick Jones, with former champion Bob Higgins sixth.

Bradford on Avon's Ed Moore, the 2004 champion and 2006 favourite, retired after suffering the effects of a nasty bug.

Trowbridge's Mark Funnell was the hero of the 15-lap Castle Combe Special GT race which was run in very wet conditions. Driving his road going Lotus Exige, the local man started from a superb fourth on the grid, driving superbly to take an amazing third overall and first in class, defeating his far more sophisticated opposition.

Reigning champion Louis Davidson assumed an immediate overall lead in his little Radical Prosport, with Bath's Guy Woodward recovering from his slow start to take second in his Jade Trackstar, its 410 bhp rather superfluous in the conditions.

Bristolian Tony Michael took a similarly impressive fourth overall in his Westfield SE, whilst Keith Sprules, from Castle Combe, won class D and was eighth overall in his Ferrari 355.

Nailsworth's Keith Murray led away from the line as expected in the National Mobile Windscreens Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship race. His four wheel drive Audi A4 was perfect for the conditions but failed him on the fifth lap, allowing Gary Prebble through in his Rover Turbo.

Prebble, an acknowledged wet weather expert, had showed his skill by passing the FWD Subaru Impreza of Steve Turvey at Camp on lap two, going on to a well deserved victory.

Calne's Tony Hutchings won Class C on the debut of his new MG ZR.