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The season is hotting up. Only the third meeting this year and already 47 drivers have partaken in at least one race. It's a shame the weather wasn't hotting up though.
Photos
Qualifying
 It was by all accounts a bit damp in the
Welshest of West Wales. Richie Ellingham managed to fall off before completing even a single lap. And wet weather can throw up some surprises - though not so seemingly at the front of
the grid. Mal Davison was back out with his Noble and looked to have a comfortable 1.666 seconds advantage on the four wheel drive Escort Cosworth of Nick Williamson in second. Richard
Hawken was next up, about the same distance back but John Hammersley had done well to lead Class B in his Vauxhall Cavalier, and in 4th place was ahead of Derek Hale's Honda Accord
and Alvin Powell's Ford Mondeo. Simon Taylor was again punching above Class D weight in 9th, but Jim Mepham's Renault Megane was close on his tail and also headed some normally much faster cars.
Stephen Pearcy headed Class C in his Rover 220 Gti Turbo, a first class pole for him, while Simon Jackson's Vauxhall Nova took its customary Class E pole. Near the back, Tim Morgan-Barrett looked to
be getting to grips with his new for this season Vauxhall VX220, having qualified higher than in his previous races..
Race 1
By race time, the track had dried out, except crucially Hatchets Hairpin where there was still standing water. This would cause some drivers to have interesting moments, usually at Spitfires as a wet rear
nearside tyre lacked grip!
 Nick Williamson got the better of Mal Davison at the start and proceeded to pull away alowly but steadily for the first five laps before the Escort started
to struggle with fuel pressure problems allowing Davison's Noble to close right up again. Richard Hawken (Nissan Primera), guest racer Keith Butcher (Audi V8 Star) and local racer Alvin Powell (Ford Mondeo) were
contesting the next three places in close contention. John Hammersley survived a first lap scare at Spitfires to lead Class B quite comfortably from Stephen Oliver's Lotus Elise, but class
D leader Simon Taylor (Honda Civic Type R) ensured Hammersley could not take things easy.
Further back, Tim Morgan-Barrett looked like he was getting to grips with his Vauxhall VX220 Turbo.
However, at half distance Matt Speakman (Renault Clio) went off and came back onto the track out of control right in the path of Alvin Powell. The ensuing crash brought out the red flags and ended the race
with Williamson winning from Davison by less than a car length
Race 2
 Sunday, and the rain came down with a vengeance leaving drivers racing in conditions of almost zero visibility and
little more grip. Williamson and Davison were in a class of their own out front, pulling away from third placed Richard Hawken at 6 seconds a lap. Most other drivers fell victim to a spin or excursion
onto the grass at some point or other. The class D cars seem to revel in the conditions, with Simon Taylor, Jim Mepham and Alan Wilshire running together in 4th-6th places. Taylor broke
free but with Hammersley suffering from too much wheelspin, Fergus Trenholme stepped up to lead class B and tagged on the back of Mepham and Wilshire.
Given the conditions, its not really surprising that this race was red flagged too - this time because Derek Hale's Honda Accord was stuck in the mud in a dangerous position. In fact the Clerk of the
Course passed his congratulations to the drivers for a relatively incident free race considering the conditions.
Simon Taylor extended his lead at the head of the championship, but joker playing John Hammersley and Nick Williamson move up to second and third.
All photos courtesy of Jim Mepham (car 57)
Result:
Race 1
: Winner: Nick Williamson (Ford Escort Cosworth), 2nd Mal Davison (Noble M400), 3rd Richard Hawken (Nissan Primera), 4th Keith Butcher (Audi A6 V8 Star), 5th Alvin Powell (Ford Mondeo), 6th John
Hammersley (Vauxhall Cavalier), 7th Simon Taylor (Honda Civic Type R), 8th Derek Hale (Honda Accord)
Class Winners: Class A Williamson, Class B Hammersley, Class C Stephen Pearcy (Rover 220GTi),
Class D Taylor,
Class E Simon Jackson (Vauxhall Nova)
Fastest lap: Powell 1:01.496 (85.23 mph)
Race 2:
Winner: Nick Williamson (Ford Escort Cosworth), 2nd Mal Davison (Noble M400), 3rd Richard Hawken (Nissan Primera), 4th Simon Taylor (Honda Civic Type R), 5th Jim Mepham (Renault Megane),
6th Alan Wilshire (Honda Integra) , 7th Fergus Trenholme (Renault Clio Cup), 8th John Hammersley (Vauxhall Cavalier)
Class Winners: Class A Williamson, Class B Trenholme, Class C Stephen Pearcy (Rover 220GTi), Class D Taylor,
Class E Simon Jackson (Vauxhall Nova)
Fastest lap: Davison 1:07.936 (77.15 mph)
Next race: Cadwell Park 10th June
With support from Mark Fish Motorsport and Alpha Composites
Report by Trevor Nicosia, Car 10 ( www.nyssaracing.com )
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