CNC HEADS SPORTS/SALOON CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

– Final Oulton Park Rounds 13 & 14 Report

ROBERTS & ALLAWAY SHARE THE SPOILS………..BUT IT’S ALLAWAY’S TITLE

Despite coming second to Chris Roberts’ BMW M4 in the first of the day’s CNC Heads races, Simon Allaway ended his title winning season with another win in his Lotus Esprit V8.

Qualifying

Just 0.470 secs split Allaway and Roberts after qualifying, “it was wriggling around all over the place. I swapped corner tyres and maybe the pressures were too high, but it needed tweaking,” said Allaway. “It was sound, I managed the tyres and everything seemed OK,” Roberts added. Paul Masters’ Westfield and David Lawrence’s Seat Leon Cupra shared the second row. “It felt like an ice rink at first, very slippery, but it got better we warmed up,” said Masters. “There was so much traffic, there was another two seconds in it,” Lawrence reckoned.

Bod Buckby’s Caterham was next up, “It was locking brakes all rounds, leaving heavy lines, plus a lot of traffic too,” he said. Zack Booth’s Renault Megane was alongside, “everything was right but I couldn’t get a clear lap,” he replied. Heading row four was Tom Cresswell’s VW Golf, “it’s my CNC debut. I was on trackday tyres being a bit cautious, maybe should have gone straight onto slicks,” he reckoned.

Jamie Cryer’s Ginetta G20 was just a fraction slower than Cresswell, while debutant Chris Coomer’s VW Golf and Mark Primett’s Banks Lotus Europa completed the top 10. “Well it finished qualifying with no drama’s, apart from a bit of brake knock off, jumping out of second gear at Knickerbrook and an oil leak,” said Primett. Paul Rotheroe’s Citroen Xsara and Antony Sullivan’s Mini JCW were next, followed by Carl Bennett’s BMW M3 and Alek Modro’s Westfield Aero. “I’ve no chance of beating Chris Roberts in the class, but I lost ABS and flat spotted my tyres at Shell,” said Bennett.

Modro only did five laps, but spent the whole time with a misfire. “We changed the coil as it’s obviously electrics and just see if that works,” he explained. Marshall Groves’ Vauxhall Vectra had a couple of issues too. “It was a braking problem and general grip with my old tyres, so not my best session, as I had a big moment at Lodge on the last lap” he said.

Jason Hennefer’s Ford Fiesta ST180 had an off at Cascades. “I was giving room and got to near the edge,” he admitted. Phil White had a hairy moment exiting Lodge too, breaking his BMW 325’s splitter as he hit the tyre wall. “It was handling like a pig,” he reckoned. Connor Modro suffered similar problems to brother Alek in his Westfield too. “It’s a new engine but it went on to three cylinders,” he explained after qualifying down in 14th.

The Renault Clio’s of William Bartlett and Andy Tate rounded off the top 20, followed by Baz Johnson’s Pontiac and Rob Phillips’ Honda Civic. “I had a slight off at Cascades, but it’s my last race in this car after 27 years,” said Johnson. “Well at least I didn’t breakdown,” Phillips added. Jon Price’s Vauxhall Tigra and Paul Goodlad’s VW Scirocco shared the 12th row. “I found it very greasy so just focused on bedding everything in,” said Price. “The car was fine, the driver not so as I had a big lock up at Brittens and flat spotted my tyres,” Goodlad replied.

Riccy Walker’s Mini was next, “a bit slippery but the car was beautiful,” he reckoned. Alongside was Louie Dobson debuting his Honda Civic, “fantastic but a bit tail happy, I’m still learning though,” said Dobson. “I was too slow, the others aren’t but I’m aware of that, said Cavan Taylor, as he, John Edwards-Parton’s Ford Festa XR2, Jon Madoc-Jones’ BMW 330 and David Jones’ Ford Focus completed the top 30.

Robert Wakelin was back with his re-shelled Honda Civic, but only second in class behind Dobson. “It was alright, but a few teething problems and it was our first time out with it, as we hadn’t tested,” he explained. Richard Hibbert’s VW Golf was next, from Bob Claxton Golf and Gary Warburton’s Mini Miglia, while Nick Haynes’ Fiesta, Jonjo Lee’s Mini Cooper, Errol Tylor’s Toyota Yaris and Helen Allen’s Fiesta Zetec completed the qualifiers.

Race 1

Both Wakelin and Jones failed to make the grid, and so it was 36 cars lining up for the start.

Although Allaway just held the lead out of Old Hall, Roberts dived down the inside at Cascades to lead along Lakeside, with Masters just holding off Lawrence for third, followed by Booth and Primett. Lawrence was already up to third as they came over Hilltop, while Masters, Booth and Cryer were now the top six, with Primett having slipped to ninth, behind Buckby and Coomer.

Both Dobson and Alek Modro were first lap casualties though, Dobson having arrived at Knickerbrook with a front puncture, spinning and limping back to the pits, while Modro still had his misfire. “I think I must have hit a kerb,” Dobson admitted. It soon began to spread out at the front, but Booth began to pile the pressure on Masters for fourth, running nose to tail through Knickerbrook on lap four, while behind them Cryer, Buckby and Coomer had all closed up too.

By lap five Roberts’ lead had grown to over nine seconds, with Lawrence still a solitary third, Masters had consolidated fourth over Booth and in fifth Buckby had ousted Cryer at Old Hall. Primett had recovered to take Coomer for eighth, but then arrived at Knickerbrook with no gears. “It was jammed in neutral so I coasted back to the pits, it had been jumping out of second though, and I tried to hold it in,” he explained.

After stalling at the start Cresswell was challenging Coomer too, while Bennett was into the top 10, but being closed on by the misfiring Connor Modro. Lawrence continued to hold a steady gap to Allaway, but by the end of lap six fourth to seventh had all closed up, with Buckby poised to challenge Booth for fifth, as Cryer began to lose touch. Buckby took Booth a lap later and soon had Masters in his sight too, but Booth’s pace had reduced and Cryer began to close in again. “The wastegate fell off going up Clay Hill, so no turbo boost and I did the whole race in fourth gear too,” Booth explained.

Cresswell had managed to take eighth from Coomer on lap eight, while Modro was still persevering and had managed see off Bennett for ninth, leaving the BMW driver under mounting pressure from Groves. At the start of the final lap Roberts had a 3.798 secs lead over Allaway. “Everything had been good but the tyres had started to go off. I knew I would challenge Simon at the start, but I had to push hard. I knew he would close at the end, but I exceeded my expectations,” said Roberts, taking victory by just 0.549 secs. “My car still wasn’t handling well, it was wandering at Cascades and Clay Hill, but it was better under braking than in qualifying,” Allaway replied.

Lawrence had retained his solitary third, but Buckby managed to get the better of Masters for fourth on lap nine and the Class B lead. “My tyres seemed to take five laps to get me up to speed. I had got Jamie at Old Hall and then Paul up Clay Hill, then managed to consolidate,” said Buckby. “I had to defend to hold Zack off at first, but the car was good,” Masters replied.

Cryer had managed to see off the ailing Booth on lap nine for sixth place. “All good,” he reckoned. But having taken Coomer for eighth on lap eight, Cresswell slowed into Knickerbrook on the last lap. “An electrical problem put me in limp mode, but I thought it was fuel at first,” he explained. Groves had seen off Bennett three laps from home and then managed to recatch the struggling Modro. ”My second hand tyres made it exciting especially under braking, and when Connor caught me I gave him room and then I had to pass him again,” Groves explained.

“Misfiring, no power and pretty terrible,” said Modro, after eventually following Groves home to complete the top 10. Bennett had struggled too in the latter part of the race, “I lost power and we found a lead had snapped off the fuel pump. So just nursed it home in sixth gear,” he said after slipping to 11th. Sullivan was next home, but disappointed with his performance. “Three seconds off my best pace here, and I didn’t know why,” he said.

Class E winner Rotheroe, White and Price all made late progress at the expense of Hennefer. Rotheroe comfortably won his class again and held 13th from lap 10. “I was just driving around carefully with my gear changes and held it all together,” he reckoned. “I had clutch issues and was having to crunch third and fourth gears,” Hennefer added.

Tate was the first lapped runner in 17th, followed by Johnson and Goodlad who swapped on the last lap. Phillips completed the top 20, followed by Walker, who made a late but successful move on Class C winer Edwards-Parton. Hibbert followed having lost out to Walker a lap earlier, while Warburton and Cavan Taylor exchanged too with a lap to go. Claxton and Haynes followed before Class F winner Lee, while Errol Taylor, Georgina Bartlett and Helen Allen completed the finishers.

By the time the dust had settled the title was Simon’s unless he managed to get disqualified form the meeting.

Race 2

As the lights went for the final race of the year, it was Allaway heading Roberts, Buckby, Masters, Cryer and Lawrence into Old Hall, with Connor Modro left stalled on the grid. Cresswell was out on the first lap with a broken driveshaft, Primett with his temporary gear linkage failing and Allen pitting to after her first lap.

Allaway had managed to pull out a 1.562 secs lead over Roberts on the opening lap, but Lawrence had made rapid progress and was into third, from Buckby, Masters, Crye, Alek Modro, Booth, Bennett and Groves.

Modro continued to make good progress seeing off Cryer and Masters on consecutive laps, before retiring to the pits again after four laps. By the end of lap four the lead pair were well clear, with Lawrence consolidating a solitary third again. Masters had pulled a gap again on sixth placed Cryer and Bennett was trying to get clear of Booth, after they exchanged on the second lap. Groves completed the early top 10 but had Price threatening.

Booth’s hopes of climbing the leaderboard were dashed on lap seven, “the gear linkage broke going into Cascades and as I went off it caught fire,” he explained. With Sullivan’s Mini parked up after expiring from 12th place too, the race was red flagged and declared at eight laps, with Allaway the race winner and the 2025 Champion. “I had to do it in style, but the handling wasn’t perfect. I got a good start but Chris kept me on it, I pushed hard and then lost fourth gear on the last lap, so I was glad it stopped early,” said the new champion.

Lawrence completed the overall podium, “it was a race by myself again, as the lead pair were long gone,” he said. Buckby retained his racelong fourth to win the Class B title. “I managed to shake-off Paul then saw Alek coming for me. So I put my foot down and he pitted, but a nice quiet way to win the class,” Buckby added.

Masters stayed safe in fifth too, “I managed to hold station with Bod, but couldn’t catch him and managed to get away from Jamie,” he explained. But Cryer was still sixth, “I had a few looks at challenging Paul, but worked out the class positions and decided to back off,” he added. Seventh overall and third in class was enough for Bennett to secure the Class D title. “I had a long battle with Zack, he kept tapping me from behind, but I kept him back with nothing to lose until he retired,” he explained.

Groves was eighth but had Price closing on him, “my tyres just about hung on, but it was close and I kept having to look in my mirror” he said. I got alongside Marshall a couple of times, but no further,” Price replied. Coomer completed the top10 after taking newly crowned Class E Champion Rotheroe on the last lap. Tate followed, with Hennefer, Johnson, White and Phillips also going full distance.

Sullivan was still classified 17th, with Matt Hibbert, Cavan Taylor and Walker rounding off the top 20. Warburton was next, ahead of Class F duellists Wakelin and Dobson, with Wakelin’s wins sealing the Class title. William Bartlett, Claxton, Haynes, Lee and Erol Taylor wee the final finishers.

https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=EERC/2025/254163nws.pdf

Published by Peter Scherer for BARC NW, October 14th 2025.