Carnival Race Day at Castle Combe means the spectacular TCR UK circus is back in town, guaranteeing scintillating 350bp turbo tin-top action to delight spectators and marshals alike.
Isaac Smith (VW Golf) heads the table into rounds 10 and 11, but just six points separate closest challengers Max Hart (Hyundai i30), BTCC race winner Chris Smiley and defending champion Lewis Kent (Hyundai Veloster). Alex Ley (i30) and Jamie Tonks (Cupra) won the most recent counters at Oulton Park last month.
Castle Combe Racing Club’s championships are finely poised too. GT competitors have two races today, with Kevin Bird revelling in his Porsche 991 Carrera Cup car and enjoying a seven-point lead over Doug Watson (Ferrari 458 Challenge).
Keith Butcher (Audi R8 LMS ultra) missed June 11’s Summer Spectacular rounds, having matched his rivals’ pace in a memorable three-way Mayday Madness fight. If all are on peak form another colourful inter-marque tussle will entertain.
In Formula Ford Josh Fisher sitting out June has added more than a frisson of excitement. Younger brother Felix – yet to wear the coveted crown – went into the third double-header as joint table topper with van Diemen-mounted Josh, and his first win of the campaign took him clear.
However, a non-finish in race two, with the fastest lap point scant consolation, saw frustrated Ray driver Felix watch Luke Cooper (Swift Cooper) score his maiden victory of the campaign and surge into a six-point lead. On-form Kieran Atwood (Ray) and perennial Class B leader Nathan Ward (Swift SC92) currently lie third and fourth overall, splitting the Fishers.
Following five of eight rounds, the Saloon Car Championship is led again by title hat-trick chaser James Keepin in his remarkable MG ZR. The extraordinarily consistent combo arrives unbeaten, if only once quickest over a lap.
This has left slim pickings for James Blake and Lee Waterman in similar MGs, who have generally traded second and third in Class C, with Stuart Hignell (Citroen Saxo) well in the mix. Blake and Waterman are 14 and 15 points behind Keepin but determined to turn the tables.
Ironically, Adam Prebble has won all but one round outright to date in his Interceptor Racing Vauxhall Astra turbo, but transmission issues forced him to miss the second leg of Easter Monday’s double-header – won by Tony Hutchings from Dave Spiller in a splendid Audi TT turbo one-two. Prebble still lies second overall, eight points behind Keepin, with the Audi duo snapping at his heels in Class A.
The Motul-backed Hot Hatches are back, with Jordan Curnow (Honda Civic), Nick Gwinnett (Renault Clio), Lewis Clark (Ford Fiesta) and Shauns Deacon and Goverd (Citroens) among the favourites.
