The team headed west to Castle Combe for the latest round of the BARC Dunlop Motorsport News Saloon Car Championship which was taking its place on the bill as part of the Dunlop sponsored Great and British race meeting.

Qualifying

The Clubman headed out onto the circuit under gloomy skies as part of a huge 42 car entry – once again proving the popularity of this impressive championship. Early on in the session it became clear that the Clubman was not performing as expected with an unexpected misfire causing a loss of power. After completing the minimum number of laps needed to qualify for the races the Clubman returned to the paddock for remedial work to be carried out by the team.

Race 1

By the time of the first race the skies had cleared and bright sunshine greeted the Clubman as it took its place in the pack ready for the rolling start. The pace car peeled into the pitlane and the pack charged towards the first corner – an impressive sight as the full grid got away cleanly. The Clubman was immediately on the offensive quickly despatching an Integra on the opening lap before latching onto the tail of a Tomcat.

The Clubman fought valiantly against the Tomcat gaining ground in every braking zone and corner whilst the Tomcat sought to open up a gap along the long straights. Time and again the Clubman passed the Tomcat only to see the place re-taken on the next straight. The warring duo soon caught up similarly battling Nova, 205 and Mini – a five way scrap developed with each car seeking the upper hand. The Clubman edged ahead of the Tomcat once more before passing the Mini and putting a move on the 205 gaining a further position. This battle continued to the end of the race with the Clubman successfully passing the Nova to head the pack of five cars as the chequered flag fell.

Race 2

With the starting positions for the second race determined from the results of the first the Clubmans impressive recovery drive would see it starting mid-pack. Once again a clean rolling start saw the pack heading to the first corner en masse with the Clubman firmly embroiled in the action. A fast starting 205 passed the Clubman but was unable to break away and the Clubman was soon back on the offensive as the cars charged through the Esses. The 205 looked to pull away but the charging Clubman held on to its bootlid as the pair closed down the Mini ahead. Having swiftly caught and passed the Mini the Clubman and 205 continued their duel pulling away from the cars behind.

The Clubman was putting the 205 under severe pressure and was looking for a chance to pass, closing up on the 205 into the braking areas the Clubman sought the decisive move. Unfortunately the battle was soon over for both cars – the 205 selected the wrong gear on the entry to a corner – this caused the car to decelerate rapidly and over stress the engine. The sudden loss of speed left the Clubman nowhere to go and contact was made with the rear of the 205, whilst the bodywork damage was superficial the exhaust of the 205 had pierced the Clubmans radiator and as a result the Clubman retired to the paddock unable to continue.

All in all it was a disappointing weekend for the team with the Clubman being forced to retire from the second race, however, there are a number of positives for the team to take away. The Clubman performed well in both races making up places and once again being involved in some superb close racing with bigger engined cars despite not being suited to the long straights of the circuit. The lap times recorded in race conditions were also competitive once again showing the Clubman to be a contender at any circuit visited. The team will now work to repair the car ready for the next round of the DMN Championship.