BLAKE-BALDWIN ENDS ROCHE’S RUN!


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James Blake-Baldwin brought Tom Roche's winning streak to an end. Photo: AJB Photographic


The big news from the weekend’s BRSCC Northern Centre meeting at Cadwell Park, was that James Blake-Baldwin ended Tom Roche’s winning streak in the Mazda MX5 Championship, and in some style!

The Farnham driver won the first and third MX5 race to confirm his status as a serious title contender. Tom Roche didn’t leave Cadwell totally disappointed as a win in the second Mazda race maintained his lead at the top of the points table, although Brett Smith, Blake-Baldwin, Alexander Preston and Ed Gay are all now in striking distance.

With the Mazda grid being split to cater for the 34 entries, there was also three ‘B’ races which gave some of the midfield MX5 runners the opportunity to taste victory. Sam Smith totally dominated a very wet first race leading home his nearest rival Dan O’Connor by 21 seconds. The second B race was won by Matt Robinson from Callum Edwards with Stephen Craggs a distant third. The final B race saw Dan O’Connor make a blinding start from the second row of the grid to take the winners spoils. John Kinghorn and Will Phillips followed him home.

In the Advantage Motorsport Ford XR Challenge Michael Heath proved he has developed a taste for winning. He won his first ever race last month at Oulton and carried on at Cadwell with back-to-back victories. Tony Rudd and Ralph Fernihough completed the podium for the first race and for the second Fernihough moved up a place with Steve Poole in third.

The Alfashop Alfa Romeo Championship also produced a double winner with Class A2 exponent Bryan Shrubb holding off a packed grid to win both races in his Alfa 33. Christopher Oxborough’s Class A1 75 was second with reigning champion Roger Evans third. Evans went one better in the second outing and Alistair Kellett in an Invitation Class Fiat Punto Arbath was third.

Ted Pearson maintained the honour of the Pre 91 Alfas, winning the trophy race in his Alfasud from the more contemporary machinery of Barry McMahon’s 156, that had entered in the Invitation class.

Cadwell also hosted a triple-header of the Mk3 MX5 in the guise of the Mazda MX-5 SuperCup. Andy Clarkson put in a very late entry on Friday afternoon and it paid dividends with the Shrewsbury driver winning the first race from Matt Davies and Mike Comber. The experienced Paul Sheard then put together back-to-back wins with Clarkson and Comber exchanging second and third place finishes.

James ‘JJ’ Ross maintained what looks like an unstoppable march to the Vortex Ford Fiesta Junior title with another two wins. Robert Cox, Ben Wilcox and Rory Collingbourne were the best of the rest, with each making the podium, twice in Cox’s case.

The Darlington & District Motor Clubs Northern Saloon & Sportscar Championship provided four very entertaining races. Once the dust had settled, it was Myles Collins (twice), Vaughan Fletcher and Bill Addison who claimed victory honours.

All the race results can be viewed at http://www.tsl-timing.com/brscc/2013/132531xch.pdf


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