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Next race at Knockhill 2nd September when the BTCC visit

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SMRC Knockhill 12 August

Classic Saloons in action, Ian Lonford (Escort) and Tommy Gilmartin (BMW 2002).

The Smarty.com Mini Coopers kicked things off with Ken Thirwall winning the first race of the day by 1.125 seconds from Ian Milton. In their second race Glynn Geddie (right) was trimuphant after a thrilling race between him, Mark Dryden, Gilbert Grossett and Thirwall. John Barrie had led at the start before Geddie slipped past Barrie to snatch the lead on lap 3 followed by the aformentioned trio shortly afterwards. They then all took turns at holding second place before Dryden settled the matter on lap 7. He crossed the line 1.333 seconds behind the winner but only 0.717sec up on Grossett(below) in third with Thirwall a further 7 tenths back in fourth.

Mark Campbell travelled to Knockhill on Sunday fresh from his second place at Oulton Park a day earlier. He then went one better, not once but twice, winning both SMRC Classic Saloon encounters. In race one he  held off Stan Bernard's Porsche to win by 11 seconds while in race 2 a poor start saw him down in third place early on before passing first Bernard for second and then Olly Ross's Lotus Europa to take the lead. Ross then had to fend off Bernard's charging Porsche for several laps, crossing then line with less than a second to spare.

The Scottish Sports & Saloons also provide good races at Knockhill with Andrew Gallacher(pictured leading Rob Pritchard) and Rob Pritchard winning a race a-piece, although the second race had looked like Gallacher's until he slowed on the penultimate lap handing Pritchard the win. In the first race Gallacher led from lights to flag in his very quick Ford Fiesta, although Pritchard's Caterham kept him honest throughout finishing just 0.166 secs behind. Third was David Headon in another Caterham after a race-long duel with Bob Lyons, Headon eventually taking the final podium place by just over half a second. In race two Pritchard led from the start while Gallacher made a poor getaway to fall to fifth. An exciting recovery drive saw Gallacher eventually catch and pass Pritchard on the seventh lap then open out a small gap before technical problems intervened, allowing Pritchard to regain the lead in the dying moments of the race. Gallacher's lead was such that he  held on for second. Dave Headen and Bob Lyons again fought it out for third and again crossed the line with Headen in front by half a second.

More Sports and Saloon action was provided by the Northern Saloons with Rob Pritchard winning by a 'country mile' (or 19.78 seconds). Second was Ian Hepburn ina Westfiled withTim Evans thrid a second back in his Sylva Phoenix. Fourth was Tommy Dreelam in a Porsche 993 GT2 who had looked odds-on for second before a spin at Scotsman(McIntyres) dropped him to  sixth.

Mike Gardiner won both the SMRC's Formula Ford 1600 races and as the series continues to grow in car numbers so it  entertainment value. Two full grids greeted the spectators and they were given two good races. Gardiner may have won both with two perfect lights to flag victories but behind him Rory Butcher, Graham Carroll, Stuart Thorburn,Robert Thomson and Alan Kirkcaldy all played their parts with some excellent racing. In the first Butcher held second for all 10, laps before he was disqualified handing the place to Carroll, but only after he had fought tooth and nail with Stuart Thorburn who finished third. In the second race Thorburn was second early on  with Carroll third. For half a dozen laps the pair circulated as one before eventually opened a 1 second gap, crossing then line with only 1.3 seconds to spare .

The XR2's of course didn't fail to deliver and both races kept the crowd enthralled. The first race had it all, at the start  Graham Whitehill and Andrew Winchester 'leapt' off the grid a bit too quick, both earning 10sec penalties for jumped starts. Third was Peter Cruickshank with Dave Collville fourth and Scot Fraser fifth. As Whitehill scampered away from the pack Winchester had his hands full with Cruikshank. Into Scotsman on lap 4, the two of them side by side into Scotsman then Butchers  with Cruickshank just getting ahead as they approached the John Weir Chicane. It was here that Winchester appeared to nudge Cruickshanks who speared off into the tyres, no doubt exceptionally angry, as with Whitehill on a 10 second penalty the race could have been his! This left Winchester running second with Colville third and Fraser fourth. On lap 8 Collville spun falling to  sixth, while Scott Fraser moved into third. With the two cars ahead on penalties Fraser eventually crossed the line to win by 0.826secs from Willie Davidson, now in second and Charlie Cope third. Whitehill was classified fourth while Winchester had to settle for seventh.  In race two Whitehill made no mistakes leading all the way with Charlie Cope taking second  on the penultiamte lap. He took the place from Willie Davidson who had been second for most of the race before he was passed by Cope and Winchester finishing fourth.                               Below- Whitehill leads the field away from the start of race1

Words and pictures Richard Pascal