PIRELLI MARANELLO FERRARI CHALLENGE

Reporting on this one isn't going to take a lot of time: just six cars turned up and with Ted Reddick a non-starter due to noise problems we were down to just five.

This was a real shame for there was a large crowd of spectators who, in previous years, had always enjoyed the PMFC presence at Castle Combe, one of the most spectator-friendly circuits in the UK.

There were two qualifying sessions; one for each of the two races. The two 360/Chs of Gary Culver and Kevin Riley were obviously handily in front and amongst the three 355/Chs Mike Reeder was the quickest in the first session and Witt Gamski quickest in the second.

Race One

From the rolling start it was Riley who picked up the advantage over Culver and the two of them disappeared into the distance from the 355s led by Reeder with, initially, Charlie White next and then Gamski.

At the front Riley held on to a tenuous lead for the first five of the 13 laps but then Culver squeezed through and was away.

There was a long gap to the three squabbling 355s but at least they provided a little entertainment for the crowds. Reeder, White and Gamski was the initial order but Gamski soon moved into second place in the class on lap two and then slipped by Reeder on lap four to take over the class lead.

And that is the way it stayed to the finish.

Race Two

Once again Riley made the best start, with Culver tucking in behind and then the usual lengthening gap to the 355s, who stayed in the order Gamski, Reeder and White throughout the race.

At the front, however, the expected Culver victory was not materialising. His car suddenly sounded quite off and he dropped away from Riley, but on lap six it all sounded healthy again and he caught right up. A lap later the same mysterious problem re-occurred and the car was clearly having some sort of gear box problem as Gary slipped it into top and cruised round to the finish.

Kevin Riley therefore took his first PMFC win with Culver finishing a long way back in second, ahead of the class-winning Gamski followed by Reeder and White.

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The field heads off

The 'C' class provided some entertainment - here Mike Reeder leads

Charlie White leads Witt Gamski...

...who won the class both times

Gary Culver took R1...

...and Kevin Riley a well-deserved first PMFC victory in R2

pics by Simon Cooke