A 16 YEAR old local driver became one of the stars of the show at the Dunlop Great and British Motorsport Festival weekend at the Castle Combe circuit, writes JOHN MOON.

Max Cornelius, from Southwick near Trowbridge, impressed the crowd with three mature drives, netting him two victories and a third place in the Autosport Young Guns races.

The new championship is designed to give 16-19 year old drivers experience of relatively sophisticated single-seater race cars, their high revving motorcycle engines, slick tyres and wings providing a real challenge for the youngsters, most of whom have only karting experience.

Castle Combe was only the third race weekend for Cornelius, who is looking to emulate the career of Jenson Button, whose father John was also based in Southwick.

Qualifying third fastest behind Russian driver Patryk Szcerbinski and Finn Leopold Ringbom, Cornelius began swopping places with Ringbom, despite his car handling as if it was 'on ice”'.

Exiting Camp corner, the 750 cc machine executed a spectacular 360 degree spin, Cornelius showing impressive car control to lose little time, continuing as if nothing had happened, to come home third.

Race two on Sunday saw trickily damp conditions, with Cornelius engaging with Ringbom again, the pair circulating at the front for five laps.

Under pressure and with the track still treacherous, the Finn made a mistake, allowing Cornelius to come home with a 14-second win over Jake Rattenbury.

Cornelius said, “I was hoping he (Ringbom) was going to push it off and eventually he did.

"I kept going and ended up with a good lead. Hopefully I can win the next one.”

Sure enough, those hopes became reality, the schoolboy, who attends St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, leading from start to finish, this time with Szcerbinski in second place, some three seconds adrift.

The packed weekend provided plenty of other entertainment to keep the crowd amused, the circuit’s own championships accounting well for themselves against the high-profile national championships such as Radicals, Minis and production saloons which form part of the ‘Great and British’ package.

Three wins from the last three meetings for Trowbridge’s Andrew Shanley in the circuit’s Sports and GT championship propelled him to the top of the points in his class and in a position to challenge for the overall championship as the season moves into its second half.

A lights-to-flag domination in his Radical Prosport was only slightly marred by the fastest lap set by fourth fastest qualifier, Josh Fisher, prior to Fisher’s race ending accident involving a back marker.

Bradford on Avon’s Guy Woodward, in a one-off race in a borrowed Radical SR3, recovered well from a disastrous first lap which saw him down in 11th to take fourth overall.

Mark Funnell, from Trowbridge, had a mixed day, qualifying his class B Lotus Exige an incredible third overall in the damp morning session, only to have to start from the back of the grid as he had arrived too late.

A tremendous drive to the lead of his class and fifth overall came to nothing when another back marker incident took him out at Camp Corner, like Fisher having to be content with fastest lap.

The circuit’s Formula Ford 1600 race on Saturday saw a dramatic crash on lap seven which may determine the outcome of the closely-fought championship.

Front row qualifiers Ben Norton, from Bratton, and Bridgwater’s Felix Fisher had established a narrow but useful lead from points leader Marcus Allen only for their intense dice to become a little too close.

The pair came together and ended their race at Tower corner allowing Allen to come through to a dominant victory.

Having seen the incident develop before him, he said: ”They were driving brilliantly but got too close, touched and their race was over.

"I throttled off so it helped me massively. I feel for them though, it’s horrible when stuff like that happens, but it’s looking good for me.”

This result means Allen has a perfect maximum score in the B class.

Castle Combe’s Andrew Jones, in the Ray GRS07, had been running at the front earlier in the race only to drop back under pressure from the likes of Fisher.

He also gained from the Norton/Fisher incident to take the runner up position.

“I’m really pleased, I didn’t expect that at all. It was at Tower they got me and then it did me a favour” he said.

Clocking up his best result of the year, Chippenham’s Adam Higgins withstood enormous pressure to take the final podium place from his sixth place qualifying position.

“I was miles off the pace and they were all trying to get by me but they weren’t going to if it took them all day” said the determined son of the former multiple champion, Bob.

“We’ve had so many struggles with the car, but it’s all coming together now.”

Four cars made up the gaggle trying to find a way past Higgins - Saltford’s Steven Jensen in the Spectrum 011C, Bradford on Avon’s David Vivian in the B class Swift SC92, Nathan Ward in the Swift SC95 and Robert Hall finishing in that order with nothing to choose to between them.

Maintaining his 100 per cent record of poles, fastest laps and class wins was Chippenham’s Kyle Tilley who dominated the Pre 90 cars with his Van Diemen RF87.

The final race of the weekend for the circuit’s Saloon Car championship was well worth waiting for.

Once again, under 1.8 litre class C cars filled the front row, with Chippenham’s Will Di Claudio in a class of his own in the changeable qualifying conditions, to take pole with his Peugeot 106.

Alongside him was his nemesis, Jason Cooper from Yatton Keynell, the reigning champion.

Their race battle came to a swift end at the Esses, when the pair came together, Di Claudio’s boot lid popping open and requiring a pit stop.

Cooper recovered and still led his class, then moving up from fourth to third overall, after Mark Wyatt in the Astra overcooked it on lap 10.

Although class points were essential, Cooper was again brave enough to mix it with the theoretically faster class B cars.

“I was just trying to keep out of their way, I didn’t want to get involved in their battle, then Mark went off at Camp,” he explained.

The powerful SEAT Leon of Ditcheat’s Kevin Bird took a clear victory, with Calne’s Tony Hutchings in the unique Audi TT second.

Nick Charles from Yate in his 106 GTi, took second in class C and 4th overall.

Ian Crisp, from Devizes, was second in class in both races for the CSL Cup in his BMW M3.

PICTURES AND MORE REACTION FROM CASTLE COMBE IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD