CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship – Oulton Park Round One -PREVIEW

Four of last years Class Champions, including overall Champion Jamie Cryer, are back on the grid at Oulton Park this Saturday, for the opening round of the 2022 CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship.

There are 26 cars due out over the six classes, but with the absence of the Saker trio, Andrew Southcott’s Lenham MG Midget is the only Class A starters. Southcott has been a race winner with his undoubted pace, which hasn’t always been matched by reliability.

Jon Woolfitt heads Class B with his Spire GTR. A possible overall winner too, his start is one of the main weapons in his arsenal. He is also up against former multiple Champion Paul Dobson, with his flame spitting Mazda engine Locost. Having spent most of his CNC career in a Ford Focus, Connor Modro is out in a Ginetta G40, used on occasions last season. Both Richard Hall and Mark Primett made comebacks last season. Ex Ginetta G20 racer Hall, now in a Caterham, while Primett proved just as quick as in the past with his Banks Europa. Tim Foxlow will be hoping for better fortunes with his immaculate SHP built Ford Escort RSR after suffering engine problems in qualifying at Donington last year

Class C is made up of two entries, one returnee and one debutant. Bob Buckby had a couple of seasons in a BMW, but is back after a few years out with a Caterham 310R. While in a second Caterham 16 year old Connor Harvey, son of Locosaki racer Dave, makes his CNC debut.

There are nine other drivers hoping to topple Class Champion Ric Walkers’s JCW Mini in Class D. Garry Wardle is due out in his Porsche GT3, but there’s always the possibility it could be something else. Oliver Thomas was absentee for most of last season, but his Subaru Impreza is due out again, along with Mike Nash’s Seat Supercopa. Championship sponsor Ric Wood has entered his Nissan Skyline and Andrew Smith returns with his newly rebuilt VW Beetle. Clive Dix spent much of last season developing his Mazda RX7, so the reward’s for his efforts should hopefully be apparent. Ian Burrows returns with his Toyota Celica GT2, along with septuagenarian Bob Claxton in his VW Golf Gti, while Marshall Groves completes the line-up with a Vauxhall Vectra Challenge car.

In Class E defending Champion Jamie Cryer’s Ginetta G20 is on for a challenging year against Paul Rotheroe’s Citroen Xsara VTS. They also have Jonathan White’s Mazda RX8 and Ian Bamber’s Ginetta G20 joining them. The final returning Champion is Graeme Smith in Class E. The former Caterham racer is back with his Mazda MX5, and has Helen and Brian Allen joining him, with their respective Ford Fiesta Zetec S and Puma.

Qualifying is at 10.30 for 20 minutes and the 20 minutes plus one lap race starts at 15.25

Published by Peter Scherer for BARC North West, March 29th 2022