September saw our third visit to the annual Autumn Classic race meeting at Castle Combe to close out the 2025 racing season for the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series.

QUALIFYING

Topping the time sheets after Qualifying was Gary Culver (Group 4 328 GTB) ahead of Wayne Marrs (Group 6 355 Challenge) and Colin Sowter (Group 5 355 Challenge). Chris Butler (328 GTB) was the fastest of the Group 3 runners while further back local driver Peter Fisk took the Group 2 pole position in his newly acquired 308 GT4, his first drive in the familiar eye-catching liveried ex-William Moorwood car. Regular Group 2 front-runner Jago Keen (308 GTB) only managed to complete 2 laps before pulling off on Farm Straight with a fluid leak, which later transpired to be an easily fixable loose hose.

Despite setting pole position all was not well in the Culver camp, as an oil leak was discovered in the usually bullet proof 328 GTB. This proved to be a time-consuming fix which left the front row spot conspicuously vacant as the cars headed out to the grid for the lunchtime public grid walk. Culver still hoped to join the grid prior to the formation lap commencing but when the green flag flew there was still no sign of last year’s triple race winner. With the cars returning to the grid in preparation for the start it became clear that Culver would have to sit this race out and assume the role of spectator.

RACE 1

As the five red lights began to illuminate Grand Prix style, Wayne Marrs assuming the effective Pole Position in P2 crept forward before accelerating away leaving the rest of the field wondering if they had missed the start. However the marshals quickly readied the 10-second penalty board for Car #60 confirming Marrs’ start to be a little too eager! Realising his mistake Marrs slowed on the approach to Avon Rise which let the fast starting Tim Mogridge (Group 5 355 Challenge) into the lead and Colin Sowter close behind in 3rd. The race then settled down with the order remaining pretty much unchanged throughout. Chris Compton-Goddard (Group 6 355 Challenge) was an early retirement from 6th position retiring on lap 4. Colin Sowter also failed to finish, the 355 Spider pulling off the track from a solid 3rd position on lap 13 with clutch failure. This elevated Vance Kearney (Group 5 355 Challenge) to the podium, some 26 seconds behind Marrs, who retained his 2nd position despite his impending 10-second time penalty. Chris Butler was having a lonely race in 4th position and first in Group 3, while a little further back newcomer Lewis Sharman (348 Challenge) had managed to take the Group 4 lead ahead of Myles Poulton (328 GTB) who was busy fending off Peter Everingham in his more standard Group 3 328 GTB. After 16 laps and 20 minutes of racing Mogridge won from Marrs and Kearney. Butler came home in fourth with a delighted Sharman securing his first ever class win in 5th overall, we will hear more of Lewis later. In Group 2 Peter Fisk converted the class Pole Position into a class win in 10th overall leading home fellow Group 2 runner Nick Whittaker (308 GT4).

RACE 2

Sunday morning dawned sunny and the overnight break had enabled the cars of Culver, Compton-Goddard and Sowter to be repaired, the latter requiring a trip back to the Superformance HQ in Essex for a replacement clutch. With the Race 2 grid determined by each driver’s 2nd fastest qualifying time, Wayne Marrs would line up in Pole Position ahead of Colin Sowter and Gary Culver. Keen not to repeat his Race 1 jump start, Marrs was a lot more cautious as the lights went out, and was immediately swamped off the line falling back to 6th place on the opening lap. Colin Sowter took the early lead ahead of Lewis Sharman who had rocketed through from P8 on the grid, an incredible first lap performance. As the leading group approached the Bobbies chicane on lap 2, Sowter attempted a tighter defensive line and momentarily lost control of the 355 Spider on the kerb, spinning him down to 10th place and elevating his ‘Superformance team mate’ Lewis Sharman to first overall and top of the timing screen as the cars began lap 3. It wasn’t long though until the experienced Gary Culver found a way past to take the lead at the end of lap 4, so that’s now three different leaders in less than four laps! Further back Marrs was making his way back through following his poor start, catching the lead group on lap 8 as the front three began to lap the backmarkers. This provided an opportunity for Marrs to overtake Sharman and take 2nd position. Another driver on a recovery charge was Sowter who caught and past Sharman on lap 12 to restore the status quo of a Culver, Marrs, Sowter podium. But as the leaders neared the end of their thirteenth tour Culver suddenly slowed and pulled off the track at the Bobbies Chicane, a stuck throttle being the culprit. Sharman again found himself in line for a podium finish but needed to fend off the approaching Mogridge. As the pair lapped the battling Whittaker, Keen & Robert Greaves (Group 3 328 GTB) on lap 14 Mogridge slipped through to take the final podium spot away from Sharman, who brought the 348 Challenge home in 4th position overall and another Group 4 victory. Chris Butler again took the Group 3 honours in 7th overall and Peter Fisk won Group 2 in 10th overall. Mixing with the jubilant drivers in Parc Fermé afterwards it was clear that this had probably been the best race of the year.

RACE 3

With everyone in high spirits and the sun continuing to shine it came as no surprise that expectations were high for the final race of the year. Following his earlier retirement, Gary Culver lined up at the back of the grid and was strongly tipped (by your scribe at least) to take the race win. At the front Marrs made a better start than Race 2 but still couldn’t prevent Sowter from taking the lead as the cars headed up Avon Rise to begin the 20 minutes of racing. Sharman also managed another good start moving ahead of Mogridge into 3rd. As the cars re-appeared from the back of the circuit to complete lap 1 Culver was already up to 8th overall (from P17) and was chasing down the lead pack. By the end of lap 2 he was up to 5th overall, ahead of Sharman who had slipped back behind Mogridge and Kearney, and with the demise of race leader Sowter (who retired the 355 Spider on lap 3) Culver was knocking on the door of the podium. On lap 4 Culver overtook Kearney to take 3rd and was hot on the heals of Mogridge and the leading Marrs. Behind the leading group a mid-field battle was developing between Butler, Poulton, Sharman, Nigel Sayles (Group 3 328 GTB) and Everingham which would entertain the crowds until the chequered flag flew at the end of lap 16. Further back Whittaker and Greaves were trading places with Philip Connell who had returned to the series following his accident at Oulton Park in the beautifully rebuilt distinctive yellow Group 5 355 Challenge. Splitting these packs of cars were the Group 2 leaders Peter Fisk and Jago Keen who came home in 11th and 12th overall respectively, securing a hat trick of Group 2 wins for Fisk. Up at the front Culver had taken 2nd place from Mogridge on lap 6 and completed a full house of overtakes by taking the lead off Marrs on lap 7 before settling in to a masterclass of controlled driving to secure the outright win (just as your scribe had predicted). The final finisher was young Robin Fisk who concluded a consistent weekend in the family Mondial QV.

At the post-race prize giving ceremony the Superformance Scrutineer’s choice award went to Alfie from C20 for burning the midnight oil to get Philip Connell’s 355 back on track, and the circuit commentator Marcus Pye chose Lewis Sharman as the deserving and popular winner of the RNR Performance Cars Driver of the Meeting award.