Dave Snelson found himself the new mascot for Loton Park (Steve Nunney playing with AI)

The Club gazebo provided welcome shelter from the sun, and an opportunity for a bit of Club Q&A

Paul Hicks improved rapidly over the weekend

Stuart McCabe's 328 continues to smoke it's way up the hill

Pauline Goodwin would set the fastest "classic tipo" time in her 328 GTB

Peter Hitchman was a welcome return to the paddock

Ian Affleck's 328 caught the commentary teams eye and sweeped the Best Prepared Car Award

Loton Park’s mid‑season double‑header offered two contrasting days of running, with very warm conditions on Saturday and cooler, quicker air on Sunday. Across both rounds the weekend was somewhat tainted by an excessive number of red flags, caused by marker boards falling out of their mountings on track, and over-enthusiastic driving in other classes.

Round 9 – Saturday

Saturday’s practice session provided a clear early picture of the field. 

Ian Affleck kicked things off for the Ferraris with 77.47, followed by Paul Hicks with a 76.30 run up the hill in his F430 Spider. Stuart McCabe piloted his 328 GTB up the hill in 72.75, with Pauline Goodwin setting the fastest Classic practice time of 67.60. Brian Jackson followed with a 74.73 in the ever-popular yellow 308 GTB.

Steve Nunney recorded 65.13 with his F430, who was then followed by Rob Samuels in his 458 Speciale which cruised up the hill in 58.81. Dave Snelson responded with a composed 58.32, immediately setting a strong benchmark for the day ahead.

Run 1

Once competitive running began, improvements appeared across the field. Snelson reduced his time to 57.56, while Samuels responded with 58.02, keeping the gap narrow. Nunney improved to 64.05, and Goodwin found nearly two seconds to reach 65.65.

Hicks produced the most significant gain of the session, cutting his practice time by more than eight seconds to record 68.10. McCabe improved to 72.15, Jackson to 70.05, and Affleck made a small step forward to 77.37.

Run 2

Due to significant red flag delays, the second competitive run delivered the final times for the day.

Snelson improved again to 57.40, while Samuels produced 57.42, missing the top time by just 0.02 seconds. Nunney delivered a strong 62.56, Goodwin held steady, and Hicks continued his upward trajectory with 65.97.

McCabe and Jackson both found additional pace, finishing with 72.16 and 68.59 respectively, while Affleck produced a big improvement to 73.86.

Round 9 concluded with extremely close competition at the front and notable progress throughout the midfield, particularly from Hicks and Affleck.

With PEP adjustments Dave Snelson secured 20-points to tie the championship on 112 points, and Pauline Goodwin extends her lead from her fellow competitors in classic tipos.

Round 10 – Sunday

Cooler air on Sunday morning promised slightly quicker conditions, and the field responded immediately. Brian Jackson couldn’t compete on the Sunday due to a calendar clash, however Peter Hitchman was a welcome addition to the paddock in his F430.

Snelson set the fastest practice time with 57.12 (in fact his fastest time of the weekend), while Samuels followed with 58.16. Nunney, Hicks, Goodwin, McCabe, Affleck and Hitchman all posted steady practice times, preparing for another competitive set of runs.

Run 1

Snelson delivered 57.17, maintaining his consistency, while Samuels improved significantly to 57.38. Nunney dropped to 63.09, Hicks to 64.85, and Goodwin to 65.92.

McCabe improved to 70.94, and Affleck produced one of the strongest midfield gains of the day with 73.76, earning Best Improver for the round. Hitchman also made progress, reducing his time to 79.36.

Run 2

The final runs of the weekend provided the last adjustments to the classification. Snelson delivered another near‑identical run at 57.18, while Samuels’ earlier time remained his best. Nunney held at 63.51, Hicks posted 67.37, and Goodwin delivered 65.98.

McCabe improved further to 70.80, Affleck recorded 74.98, and Hitchman produced his best run of the day with 77.25.

With PEP adjustments applied, Samuels collected 20 points for Round 10, while Snelson earned 18 points.

After two rounds at Loton Park, the championship picture remains considerably tight with Samuels leading with 132 points, and Snelson chasing with 130 points.

Just two points separate the leading pair, setting up a compelling battle for the remainder of the season, with the upcoming double-header at Curborough set to be a decisive battle ground.

In the Classic class, Goodwin continues to lead comfortably, while McCabe, Affleck, Jackson and Hicks all strengthened their positions with consistent improvements across the weekend.