Fowlers Motorcycles ACU Dunlop Tyres MotoStar and Superbike Grand National Race Meeting Castle Combe, 28/29th July 2007 BIKES SET FOR CASTLE COMBE BONANZA Castle Combe Circuit’s only motorcycle race meeting of the season sees a packed 21 race programme over this forthcoming weekend of Saturday and Sunday 28th & 29th July. The Fowlers Motorcycles Dunlop Motostar meeting is headed up by two 15 lap races for the ACU Replicast British 250 Championship. It’s the fifth round and there is much local interest centred around Darrell Higgins from Melksham on Dennis Trollope’s Spondon Yamaha 250. An HGV Fitter by trade, Higgins will mount a strong challenge in this class, being something of a Castle Combe specialist, having won over twenty races there over the last ten years. The Dunlop Motostar 125 Grand Prix races have Bath’s Ross Ashman, Chippenham’s Freddie Nickless and Bristol’s Martin Glossop on Honda 125s, with Swindon’s Aiden Simmons on the Fab Racing Metrakit 80. The Fowlers Superbike Grand National is well supported by local riders, including the aforementioned Richardson, Bradford On Avon’s Richard Dobson, Marlborough’s Nick Pusey and Bridgwater’s Chris Pope, all Yamaha 1000 mounted. Swindon’s Darren Neal has a Honda 998. Many other local riders feature throughout the packed programme, with a plethora appearing in the two races for the ACU Clubmans Open championship. Radstock sends Jeremy Thomas (Yamaha 1000) and Rob Jones (Suzuki 600), Bath has Sean Ridley on a Suzuki 1000, there’s Charlie Bishop from Paulton on a Yamaha 600, whilst Chippenham’s David Hockham has his Suzuki 1000. The ‘Sound of Thunder’ races for big hunky twins, triples and 750 classics comprises two seven lap races with local riders including Bristol’s Chris Richardson, Swindon’s Duncan Abbott and Dursley’s Simon Knowlson all on Ducatis. Abbott and Stonehouse’s Graeme Melvill are the local riders in the Ducati Desmo Due races, whilst Colin Rowe from Salisbury features in the Bracken KTM 660 series races. Spectators loved this event when it appeared at Castle Combe last year, the interest being that these are basically moto cross machines on slick tyres, with ‘feet down’ cornering a feature! Sidecars are always popular at Castle Combe and with points in the ACU Yokohama Dunlop Tyres British F2 Championship up for grabs the 12 lap race is likely to provide plenty of thrills. Nostalgia lovers have plenty to keep them occupied too. There is the welcome return of the Bonhams and National Motor Cycle Museum supported Lansdowne thoroughbred Series catering for original bikes from the sixties, together with a special tribute to Mike Hailwood. Nine times World Champion, ‘Mike the Bike’ was a regular winner at Castle Combe and this weekend will mark the 50th anniversary of his second ever race, back in 1957, in which he finished 4th on a 125cc MV. There will also be a number of lunch time displays and parades of classic bikes, both on and off the track, including the Ducati replica of the machine which won the 1977 Isle of Man TT. The event gets under way on both days with practice from 08-45 am, with the first race on Saturday at 1.20pm. Sunday’s first race is at 10.25. Admission prices are £20 for an adult weekend ticket, £10 for OAPs. Saturday tickets are £8 and £15 on Sunday. OAPs, £4 on Saturday and £7-50 on Sunday. Paddock transfer is free on Saturday and £2-50 on Sunday. with accompanied children under 15 free on both days. Full details of the event will be found on the Castle Combe website at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk and for further information please contact Rodney Gooch, Castle Combe Circuit Ltd., Castle Combe, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7EY. Telephone: 01249 782417, E-mail: [email protected]