CNC Heads opens up on Saturday
CNC Heads Sports Saloon Car Championship – OULTON PARK
Rounds 1 & 2
With over 50 cars entered for this Saturday’s CNC Heads Sports Saloons rounds, the grid is split for the season’s openers at Oulton Park.
Classes A,B,D,E & G still race together, with defending Champion Simon Allaway’s Lotus Esprit V8 heading the entry in a 15 car Class A. Garry Wardle is back with his Audi A3 TCR, after finishing fifth overall and second in Class last year, which included an outright victory at Anglesey. Championship sponsor Ric Wood is due out in one of his Ford Capri GAA’s, while third in class in 2025 Jason Hennefer returns too in his Fiesta ST180. Former race winner Andrew Southcott is back, having given 2025 a miss, as is Ryan Nelson in his Ginetta G56 GTA after he dropped out part way through last season.
Gareth John was an occasional entry last year and is back with his Ginetta G40 GT5 and Gary Warburton brings out his Spaceframe Mini after engine issues last term. Nick Haynes was a 2025 debutant in a Ford Fiesta, but he’s changed to a TVR Chimaera for this season, while the remaining six entries are all making their CNC debuts. Father and son team Paul and Richard Wright have come from Time Attack and sprinting. Richard has the Ginetta G55 raced by the Blockley’s last season and Paul is in a Subaru Impreza. Paul Rankin is bringing his Westfield Aero Race from north of the border and is another Time Attack competitor, while short oval racer Nigel Beardsmore has an SHP Escort RSR, former Formula Fordster Andy Thomas is in a Ginetta GTA and Thundersaloons, Tin Tops and Super Saloon’s Gavin Dunn has a BMW E36 M3.
The 12 car Class B entry is led by last years class champion and fourth overall Bod Buckby in his Caterham, but is up against Connor and Alex Modro’s Westfield Aero’s, both race winners. Paul Masters will be hoping for a better start to his season than in 2025, after problems with his Westfield, that kept him out for much of the year. Former double Champion Jamie Cryer can never be discounted in his Ginetta G20, and making his return after his huge accident at Anglesey, is Roddie Paterson with his rebuilt Caterham C400. Deri Davies’s Darrian T90 showed pace last season on his occasional outings, as did Andrew Armiger in his one-off at Donington. Armiger is the fourth member of his family to race the Vauxhall Tigra.
Jon Price is back too with his Vauxhall Tigra, but instead of racing his familiar Banks Lotus Europa, Mark Primett debuts an MG Midget. After coming through the Junior and Senior Fiesta Championship’s, George Foxlow, will be having his first race in father Tim’s Escort RSR, while completing the class line-up is Anton Landon, a 750MC Sports Specials regular in a Fisher Fury.
Chris Roberts’ BMW M4 heads the nine car Class D entry, an overall winner at Anglesey last season, second in class and sixth overall in the final standings and in a year of continuing development. He’s got Julian Wood’s Nissan Skyline and 2024 Champion Steven Parker challenging. Having been in a Ford Fiesta for the last two season’s, Parker returns to a BMW, debuting his M235I. Marshall Groves’ Vauxhall Vectra will be in contention too, while Paul Goodlad is a welcome returnee after numerous issues kept his VW Scirocco out of action last year. Simon Graveley will be hoping to continue his progress with his VW Golf GTi after a debut year, while CNC stalwart and Octogenarian Bob Claxton races his Golf GTI too as well as celebrating another birthday on race day. Ex Sprinter Andrew Gash completes the class debuting his Peugeot 207 GTi and there’s one taker in Class G, with Stuart Burnett debuting his ex Iain Gorrie Spire GTR.
Class E & F are combined with the Welsh Sports & Saloons, with all but three contesting class E. Cavan Taylor’s Renault Clio was second in class last season, but is also up against two other Clio’s. Brian Gilsenan makes his debut and the Bartlett siblings William and Georgina are back too. Richard and Matt Hibbert share their Honda Civic Type R again and there’s a similar car for debutant Graham Waterhouse, who has previously raced in the Clubsport Trophy and Ford Focus Cup. Having missed last season Peter Koukoulas returns with his Toyota MR2 and so does the legendary Howard Hunt in his MG ZS 180, after a lengthier absence from the Championship. There are debuts too for Joshua Dacres and Chris Stone. Stone had previously raced his Honda Civic in the Clubsport Trophy and Type R Trophy, while Dacres recently raced his MG ZR at the Equipe Classic meeting at Silverstone.
Finally we have four starters in Class F with last years Champion Robert Wakelin’s Honda Civic and runner-up Jonathan Lee’s Mini Cooper, but they are up against Louie Dobson’s Honda Civic, after he swapped from his Fiesta at the end of last season.
The main qualifying is at 10.35 for 20 minutes, with races at 13.25 and 16.50. The Class E & F qualifying is at 11.05 and they race at 14.00 and 17.25. All races are 20 minutes duration.
The meeting in livestreamed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVrjXXH5EXs
Published by Peter Scherer for BARC NW, April 22nd 2026