Those who went to the circuit on the Friday for a bit of pre-event testing were met with a cold, wet and miserable day but it all straightened itself out by Saturday which brought a really bright and sunny day to the continually improving Snetterton circuit. It has to be said that Jonathan Palmer's Motorsport Vision organisation are really doing a good job with nice paddock areas, reasonable loos and quite acceptable cafeterias.

The classics were having their last fling of the season and most of the expected runners were there for the 18-car entry.

Inevitably Gary Culver (328) emerged at the top of the time sheets following qualifying, his 1:23.0 being a second and a half ahead of usual rival Graham Reeder's similar tipo. Then there followed quite a tight group led by Nick Taylor (Mondial), Mike Spicer (328), Peter Everingham (328) and Simon Bartholomew (328). Although Culver was expected to take an easy win, there was sure to be some great racing behind, with some quite close times being set.

It was beginning to get a bit cloudy ahead of the early afternoon start but the track looked in fine condition and there was no hint of any rain in the air.

Despite going hillclimbing to improve his starting technique, Culver had already forgotten everything he was taught - and fluffed it yet again. It was third place man Spicer (an ex hillclimber naturally) who got the drop on everyone and came by in the lead on the opening lap, with Culver, Reeder, Taylor and Bartholomew in the next places. Then there was a small gap to Richard Allen (328) just ahead of Everingham, embarking on a seven lap battle that would end in tears, with Pauline Goodwin (328) leading John Swift (308) and Richard Atkinson-Willes (GT4).

Spicer led for the first two laps but then Culver hit the front and eked out a small lead from Reeder, Taylor, Spicer and Bartholomew. Allen and Everingham were still hard at it ahead of the next tight group of cars consisting of PG, Swifty, Steve Tandy (275 GTB) and Richard A-W. Fred Honnor (308) was in a lonely 12th place, with Marco Pullen (Mondial) and Richard Moseley (308) having a close race behind, ahead of relative newcomer David Hathaway (328) and the lovely yellow 275 GTB of Ross Warburton.

At the front Culver was lapping modestly in the 1:25s, some two seconds slower than his qualifying pace, and seemed perfectly able to control a small gap behind to Reeder. A few seconds behind, Spicer and Taylor were having a mighty scrap but none so mighty as the one that was about to go wrong between Allen and Everingham. Approaching the final chicane Everingham tried to move to the inside but Allen defended and how the two cars missed each other is anyone's guess. Everingham demolished the corner markers, thumped hard across the unforgiving kerbs and promptly retired fearing that something in the suspension had been deranged. On lap 9 Swifty retired his 308 after the alternator light had come on but it turned out to be just an alternator fault rather than a missing fan belt which, of course, also drives the water pump.

As he reeled off the last laps Culver let Reeder get a little bit closer and the latter thought he could have a go and thundered into the chicane far too quickly on the penultimate lap. He went straight on across the grass but gathered it all together before the epic Spicer/ Taylor/Bartholomew battle caught him up. This was great stuff and Spicer just managed to hold on to his third place but Taylor got mugged by Bartholomew at the very end.

There was more last lap daring-do going on between Pauline Goodwin and Steve Tandy, with the latter diving inside the 328 but then losing it on the exit of the corner and the two cars collided heavily at that point. Both continued to the finish, with Pauline not losing her eighth place, but Tandy dropping down to 11th.

Culver crossed the line to take the win some five seconds ahead of Reeder, with the Spicer/Bartholomew/Taylor trio just a blink apart, and then Allen who must already have been wondering if Evers would come looking for him.....

It had been an excellent race, with lots of see-saw battles but one or two unwise manoeuvres, and it's looking good for the '07 series. But there's no doubt that, as in any series entering it's third year, proper equipment and careful preparation are beginning to count at the front, and it's no coincidence that Gary Culver and Graham Reeder, with their excellently set-up race cars, have dominated the '06 season.

And then it was off to the end-season dinner.........!

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Spicer got the drop on Culver at the start

Gary hunts him down

RA and Evers had a big dice...

...which ended in tears

Marco gets it sideways defending his honour from Honnor

This time it's Richard A-W in front of Fred

Graham Reeder carries a touch too much speed into the chicane

Batholomew mugged Taylor at the end to win Group 2

PG kept her place despite being bashed by Tandy's 275

Culver demonstrated again that winning classic cars are serious racers

pics by Simon Cooke, click here to buy hi-res prints