Harbot denies Hughes on Formula Vee’s Combe return

At Castle Combe for the first time since 2018, Formula Vee starred at Monday’s May Madness event. Champion Matt Harbot (AHS Dominator) made it four wins from four, but local ace John Hughes – after a six-year layoff – kept him focused, in dry, then monsoon conditions.

Hughes, in his rare Scarab Mk5, outfoxed Harbot in the opener, but “screwed up” Bobbies to hand the lead back. Fourth behind Richard Walsh (GAC) before lunch, Peter Studer (TCR Challenger) slithered to a fine third later.

Adam Prebble (Vauxhall Astra turbo) aced the Saloon opener as champ Harrison Chamberlain retired his VW Golf with turbo pipe trouble. SEAT Leon drivers led the chase, Haydn King lifting his supercharged version past Bill Brockbank’s younger turbocharged Cupra model. Mark Wyatt (Astra) was a class B-winning fourth, while Wayne Rushworth staved off Nathan Sutton in MG ZR-rich class C.

Fortunes revered in the soggy sequel, Chamberlain winning after chaser Prebble pitted. King broke on the last lap, promoting B victor Kieren Simmons (Ford Fiesta) to third. Surefooted in the wet, Sutton claimed a popular and emotional maiden C victory in his late father Mark’s 2020 title-winning car.

Sports 1000’s opener was decided dramatically when Clint Newman tail-ended leader Ryan Yarrow into Bobbies, spinning his fellow Spire racer round. Dan Clowes (Mittell) was promoted to P1 when a penalty left Newman third behind the angry Yarrow. Top qualifier Noah Osbaldeston was a first-lap retirement, but bounced back superbly in the sequel. Starting 16th, the Suffolk youngster howled through to finish in winner Yarrow’s slipstream, with Newman in tow. Al Boulton and Jon Cutmore shared Cup 200 honours.

Bridesmaid to Rory Smith twice on Easter Monday, double Combe Formula Ford champion Luke Cooper ended his rival’s six-win streak in race one, but could not shake him off. Smith made the better wet start later to even the day’s score, although Cooper again bagged the best lap point. Adam Higgins charged from down the grid to thirds.

Fourth in race one, class B winner Nathan Ward was engaged in a great scrap later. Wrestling with a deflating right-front tyre, Ward lost the lead to Richard Higgins crossing the timing line on the grass on lap five. When Higgins pitted, Ward, Tom Hawkins and young Sam Skellett were locked in combat. Skellett’s bold oversteery attempt to round them both at Camp almost came off, but they finished in that order. Bob Hawkins’ C double ended a run of ill luck.

The first standalone Ma7da race here – the Locost/MX-5 hybrids debuted within 2019’s Sport Specials pack – ended with Martin West narrowly beating Tom Coller. Coller’s Aeon Sportscars team-mate David Bowen progressed to third as Craig Land’s axle mount failed. Land surged ahead later when West was clipped by Ben Dade at Quarry. Dade had snatched the lead audaciously from Land at Camp, before Coller took up the initiative, only to clonk the Camp barriers. Lucas Batt pipped Dade to third.

Hot Hatch brought elation, with Joe Hathaway (Renault Clio) and Julian Fisher (Ford Fiesta ST150) first-time winners. Hathaway had Jason Stack (Honda Civic) monstering him at the chequer in race one, in which Fisher was overjoyed with third and poleman Geoff Ryall’s Peugeot 106 blew on Westway. Scott Hughes and Daniel Roe (106s) were class winners.

Fisher drove a blinder to win the finale on a fiendishly slippery surface. Hathaway was second and James Dyer-Bufton (Civic) third after Stack survived a 110mph tailgate-opening “quintuple pirouette” between Folly and Avon Rise! Julian Ellison (Fiesta S1600) and Roe claimed divisional golds.

Fisher and Hathaway were new winners in Hot Hatch

Photo by: Ollie Read