Southcott and Rankin take the spoils at Oulton

CNC HEADS SPORTS SALOON CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 - RACE REPORT

Rounds 3 & 4 - Oulton Park

SOUTHCOTT & RANKIN SHARE THE SPOILS

QUALIFYING

A Capacity grid, loads of action and two different winners, CNC Heads were back at Oulton Park!! With over 40 cars on track for qualifying, it was understandably a busy session.

Andrew Southcott’s MG Midget Lenham took pole though by a massive 5.150 secs over Championship leader Chris Roberts’ BMW M4. “I got pole right near the end, but very hard to get a clear lap,” said Southcott. “I got out first but thought I could get a couple of clear laps. But when I came back round the cars were still peeling out of the pitlane. So I pitted had a little tantrum and went back out to get my time near the end too,” Roberts admitted.

Paul Rankin had issues with a split oil pipe on his Westfield Aero race. “I spun at Lodge on my own oil,” he said after qualifying third quickest. Completing the second row was Deri Davies’ Darrian T90. “The rear tyres were going soft near the end as usual, so I was losing grip,” he explained. Mark Primett’s MG Midget and Roddie Paterson’s Caterham C400 were next up. “I had funny brakes again, they would overheat and then I could cool them, but they kept coming and going,” said Primett. “All good, but a rear tyre may be rubbing or something,” Paterson added.

Andy Thomas’ Ginetta GTA was seventh, “A good session, only got one clear lap, but it was the same for everyone,” he said. Zack Booth’s Renault Megane R26 had qualified to be alongside, but his day was over. “I think the gearbox has gone. About four laps in I only had first, third and fifth, but hoping it’s just a cable,” he explained. So Paul Masters’ Westfield Wide Body moved up on his return, after blowing the engine in first round qualifying. “It all held together so seemed OK, I was short shifting as a precaution though,” he admitted. Alek Modro’s similar car headed the next row, from Jamie Cryer’s Ginetta G20. “I was losing rear grip towards the end, particularly slippy around Druids,” Cryer reckoned.

The sixth row was all BMW. Firstly Ross Hampson’s GTR on his race debut, joined by Richard Wright, who had his ex Geoff Steel Racing Solution F car. “I tried to get space too, but didn’t really get a clear lap. The car is sound though and it’s my first time racing it,” Wright added. Ryan Nelson’s Ginetta GTA was next quickest, “just too many cars and big speed differentials for me,” he admitted. Paul Dobson was alongside in his Mazda RX7. “I was going as quick as I could, but it was oversteering a bit,” he said.

Connor Modro’s Westfield headed row eight. “It was good for two laps then cut out, no power,” he explained, with his session limited to two laps. Steven Parker’s BMW M235i was alongside. “I had the aircon on, but the automatic wipers came on too and smeared the screen,” he added. Simon Robinson was next up debuting his Honda Civic, with Andrew Armiger’s Vauxhall Tigra alongside. “I sheared some of the rear wheel studs,” said Armiger.

Paul Goodlad’s VW Scirocco had a troublefree run and shared row 10 with Rob Wakelin’s new garish Honda Civic. “A good work out for the new car, but it wouldn’t rev. I stopped and reset it, but kept doing it,” Wakelin explained. Jason Hennefer was back with Fiesta ST180, with Chris Stone’s Honda Civic alongside, followed by David Jones’ Ford Focus and Richard Hibbert’s Honda Civic.

Jack Ives was making his CNC debut in a Caterham 270R and shared row 13 with William Bartlett’s Renault Clio. Gary Warburton was back in his Spaceframe Mini and Jonjo Lee was debuting his Honda Civic Type R. “A lot quicker than my Mini, but no ABS meant I was locking up everywhere,” said Lee.

Howard Hunt was next up, from Stuart Burnett’s Spire GTR and Louie Dobson’s Honda Civic. Jon Madoc-Jones’ BMW 330 E46 was next to Dobson on his seasonal debut, while behind them it was John Edwards-Parton’s Fiesta XR2 and Nick Haynes’ TVR Chimaera, after Richy Briscow had to pull out with his Renault Megane. “It was pulling to one side in qualifying and we found we had snapped a damper. Better than Donington, at least I got to the end of the session,” said Briscow, as he still waits his race debut. Graham Waterhouse’s Honda Civic Type R, Bob Claxton’s VW Golf, Brian Gilsenan’s Renault Clio and Errol Taylor’s Toyota Yaris completed the grid.

RACE ONE

With Paterson a late casualty, 38 cars lined up for race one. Davies made a lightening start to head Roberts and Southcott down the Avenue, but the safety car was straight into action with Masters stranded at Shell. “I made a good start, got to Island and it cut out on me,” he explained.

As they completed the opening lap it was Davies, from Southcott and Rankin, with Roberts down to fourth. “The engine started to overheat behind the safety car, so I turned off and restarted,” said Southcott. “I had let Andy through and planned to follow him to get to Deri, but didn’t know he had a problem and I lost places,” Roberts explained.

Primett was in fifth from Thomas, Cryer, Nelson, Alek Modro and Paul Dobson, as the race went live again after two cautionary laps. Davies was soon under pressure and on lap four, lost out to both Southcott and Rankin, “They both got me on the straight,” said Davies. While in fourth Primett made an attack on Roberts, with the top five heading into Knickerbrook line astern. Thomas led the pursuers from Cryer and Modro made it past Nelson for eighth, despite an overshoot at Knickerbrook. “There was brake oil on my pedals,” Modro explained.

Southcott couldn’t hold his lead though, as Rankin went ahead on lap six and started to build an advantage. “After the safety car I went fifth to fourth and was then stuck in fourth for the rest of the race,” said the erstwhile leader. Roberts had taken Davies too for third, leaving the Darrian driver to fend off the closing Primett.

The field began to spread out more but then Rankin went through the Knickebrook chicane. He still lead but the gap was drastically reduced and a lap later they were side by side along Lakeside. Rankin had gearchange issues too, “I’d had an OK start and then got going, but for the second half of the race I only had fifth gear,” he said.

Southcott was back in front from lap eight and despite his gear selection issues came home 9.815 secs clear of Rankin. Roberts had closed at times and retained a solid third and Class D win. Davies’ fourth place had come under threat from Primett, which allowed Thomas to close. But Primett lost ground after a failed attack into Knickerbrook on lap nine left him all crossed up.

Davies was then left in the clear for Class B and fourth, after Primett suddenly slowed along Lakeside on the penultimate lap. “I lost drive and was trying to pull off, just hoping Andy had seen the problem, then boom,” he explained, as a heavy rear impact from the Ginetta sent the MG Midget spinning onto the infield. “I was flat out, going well accelerating away from the corner, I couldn’t go anywhere and hit him hard.” Thomas replied.

Cryer therefore moved up to fifth from Modro, while Wright was seventh on the road, but lost a place after a safety car penalty. “Good progress from my pitlane start,” Wright added. Race debutant Hampson was delighted with seventh, after a great dual with Dobson. “I had good race, but I was managing the temperature and short shifting to look after it,” said Dobson. “I managed to pick a few off early on and had to make sure I held off Alek at the end for second in class,” said Cryer. “I just couldn’t quite get to him,” Modro replied.

Nelson retired from the top 10 after five laps, “the fuel pump went but I managed to limp back to the pits,” he said, which left Robinson to round off the top 10. “It’s a bit different to the Fiesta, but someone put me on the grass at Druids too,” said the former Fiesta racer.

Armiger had a difficult race, in the top 10 early on but he slipped to 11th, “the driver wouldn’t go as fast,” he admitted. Parker had a fairly solitary race, but behind him Goodlad and Richard Hibbert had an entertaining dual which finally went in the formers favour. “Paul left gap a couple of times, but I wasn’t concentrating enough to get him,” said Hibbert.

Hennefer struggled home 15th with clutch issues, Warburton just kept Ives at bay, while William Bartlett and Wakelin were the last unlapped runners. “Two laps and I had to press reset again, lost power and then just went again,” said Wakelin. Lee, and Hunt were next home, followed by Burnett who finally started to show progress with his Spire, after a troublesome start to his campaign.

Stone was next to the flag, from Edwards-Parton, Madoc-Jones, David Jones, Louie Dobson. Haynes and Waterhouse. Claxton completed the top 30, with Gilsenan and Taylor the final finishers.

RACE TWO

With a number of casualties from the earlier race, we were down to 30 starters for race two. From lights out it was Davies leading again into Old Hall, from Roberts, Southcott, Cryer and Rankin. Roberts had the lead over Hilltop though, with Rankin taking both Southcott and Cryer before the end of the opening lap, with Nelson challenging in sixth.

Rankin rocketed past Davies on the straight a lap later for second and Southcott saw off Davies as well. Nelson had also taken Cryer, while Armiger, Mark Robinson, Paul Dobson and Hampson completed the early top 10.

Just three laps in and the straightline speed of Rankin’s Westfield saw him surge into the lead, “He just drove past me on the straight,“ said Roberts. Southcott had briefly regained second over the line, but he headed pitwards a lap later, and so Davies was third again, with Armiger fourth, after Nelson retired, with a “long pedal” that had caused an off.

Cryer was now fifth from a charging Connor Modro, while Hampson, Robinson and Dobson fought over seventh, with Parker now rounding off the top 10. Southcott briefly rejoined the race, before retiring for good, but Roberts had not only closed on Rankin but had the lead again on lap six. “I had water on my visor from the header tank and for a while it was hard to see, then I got back into it,” said Rankin, as he was back in front two laps from home, to secure victory by 7.975s.

Roberts retained second by a massive 24.756s over Davies, “I got Deri on the first lap, then got a gap, then when Andy had his issues I nearly hit him. Then I tried to block Paul at Cascades, but he just shot past again along Lakeside,” he explained. “I was nearly out of fuel at the end, it kept cutting out. But I couldn’t live with them anyway on the straights and lost two places in one early on,” added Davies after retaining third.

Cryer had lost out to Armiger on lap five, but took fourth place back a couple of laps later. But I was watching him wrestle the car and he couldn’t get away from me,” said Cryer. “I still had a misfire and it stuttered when I made any challenge,” Armiger replied.

For sixth it had been a continuation of Hampson’s dual with Dobson. “He spun but still caught me up again and drove past on the straight, it was a good battle with Mark Robinson too, until he missed a gear,” Dobson explained. “Yes I spun at the exit of Knickerbrook but think the tyres had gone off a bit,” Hampson replied.

Connor Modro had looked set for a top six too after his earlier issues. “Vibration caused the fuel rail to snap, so lucky we didn’t have a fire,” he said after retiring on lap eight. Ives pipped Parker for ninth on the last lap. “I had to turn my aircon off as I lost boost,” Parker said. Wakelin just missed out on a top 10 finish, “I still had to press reset four times and then it behaved for a while,” said Wakelin.

Lee was next home but lost a place to Warburton after a track limits penalty. Warburton had been duelling with Goodlad earlier. “I’m still holding onto it rather than driving it, but great race with Paul,” said Warburton.

“I damaged a headlight at Cascades on the first lap, it was a domino effect, but I couldn’t avoid Matt Hibbert,” said Lee. Burnett made another place at Goodlad’s expense, as they came home 14th and 15th, followed by Louie Dobson, Hunt and Edwards-Parton. Haynes, Madoc-Jones, Gilsenan, Claxton, Taylor and Georgina Bartlett were the final finishers.

https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=BRSCC/2026/262831nws.pdf

Published by Peter Scherer for BARC NW, July 13th 2026