V10 soundtrack to Dolby’s GT record at Castle Combe opener

Castle Combe’s 75th anniversary celebrations opened on Easter Monday, with special performances highlighting each of the resident racing club’s four championship double-headers as a wet morning presaged a warm sunny afternoon. Thrilling 500cc Formula 3 races also gave spectators a glimpse into Curly Dryden, Stirling Moss and Peter Collins’ 1950 winning exploits.

Craig Dolby’s GT return with the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 he raced from 2016-18 – back in Nigel Mustill’s stable – was utterly dominant. On wet tyres, Brad Pitt’s stunt double in the forthcoming movie F1 lapped all bar Dylan Popovic’s now avocado and mango-hued Ginetta-Chevrolet G50 as Keith Butcher (Huracan Evo) ousted 1989 World Group C2 champion Nick Adams (Porsche 911 Carrera Cup) from third.

Later, on slicks, Dolby howled the V10 bull home a lap clear of Popovic and Josh Smith (Caterham-Suzuki), his 1m04.101s (103.89mph) record eclipsing Mike Jordan’s ultimate Lister Storm British GT mark of 2002!

Bullied back to a class-winning third in Hot Hatch last term, Devonian Jason Stack switched from Renault Clio to Honda Civic EP3 over the winter, but a jammed throttle left him 22nd on the grid for both races. Sixth within a lap in the opener, he dived inside Nathan Nicholls (BMW Mini Cooper S) into Camp to lead on lap 10 of 14 and weathered another exchange to win.

Geoff Ryall (Peugeot 106 GTI) repassed Stack for race two gold, as Corey Webber – another Clio to Civic convert – bagged another fastest lap. Crank sensor failure eliminated top qualifier Crofton Woodhatch’s Mini from the first stanza, while Michael Nunn (ex-Jez Williams Citroen Saxo) shot from the back to seize class C’s initiative from Julian Ellison (Ford Fiesta ST), before his engine tightened.

Last year’s Formula Ford runner-up Rory Smith (Medina JL16) withstood immense pressure both times from Luke Cooper (Swift SC20), who had Alex Kite (KMR Spectrum 011C) in tow throughout the latter. On a quick day, Kite cut a 1m10.362s (94.65mph) fastest lap second time out, chased by South African hotshoe team-mate Mikel Bezuidenhout. After four years out, Richard Higgins (Van Diemen RF91) repelled multiple class B champion Nathan Ward (Swift SC92), whose guile narrowly turned the tables in a corking sequel. Back in the saddle, team boss Wayne Poole (RF89) doubled in class C.

The Saloon opener was restarted after turbo sizzlers Adam Prebble (Vauxhall Astra) and defending champ Harrison Chamberlain (VW Golf GTI) encountered traffic at Old Paddock. Prebble went airborne after being squeezed into Jack Boulton’s limping Golf and was sidelined, tracking awry. Prebble outran race-one winner Chamberlain in the second contest, again pursued by invitee Will Self’s hot Civic and Bill Brockbank (SEAT Cupra Leon turbo). Kieren Simmons (Fiesta) and Mark Wyatt (Astra) shared class B prizes while Wayne Rushworth (MG ZR) twice capitalised on luckless C leader Nathan Sutton’s ZR’s retirement.

The 500 Owners Association F3 lead chopped and changed in race one before runaway poleman Tommy Waterfield (Cooper-Norton Mk9) survived “total brake failure” into Quarry, leaving Alex Wilson – in dad Chris’ Martin-Norton – victorious. Hamish Cameron-Eveleigh (Cooper-JAP Mk8) and Simon Dedman (ex-Ninian Sanderson Staride-Norton) chased hard, ahead of a fine joust between Richards Kelly and Fuller in Mk5 and Mk8 Cooper-Nortons respectively, and Iain Rowley flying in Duncan Rabagliati’s Comet-JAP.

Waterfield blitzed the second stanza with a stunning 1m25.316s (78.06mph) best lap, after duellist Wilson’s magneto cap disintegrated. Kelly and Fuller completed the podium.

Popovic won the Dave Allan Trophy mini-enduro, refinding October’s 1m06s sprint pace with a more heavily-fuelled Ginetta. The Adams family Porsche was a lap down, one clear of Dan Ludlow’s SEAT Leon.

The 500cc F3 cars brought a taste of 1950 back to Combe

Photo by: Ollie Read