ROUNDS 10,11 & 12 – RACE REPORTS There were 29 cars at Anglesey for the penultimate weekend in this year's Championship.

The duel for pole position was a straight fight between Andrew Southcott's MG Midget Lenham and Paul Rose's Saker. It was Southcott who came out on top by 0.72 secs, setting his time early in the session.

"I struggled to get a clean lap, but the car was alright," said the poleman. "I was a long way off a clean lap too," Rose added, after setting his best time just before the flag.

Simon Allaway's Lotus Esprit V8 was third best, but almost 1.5 secs off Rose. "We had made some changes to the suspension, so it was largely positive. Some understeer but it was fairly good," he said.

Next up was Arron Armiger's Vauxhall Tigra, quickest of the Class B runners. "I got a few clear laps, so was fairly happy too," he confirmed. A race winner at Donington, but Steve Harris was another who struggled to get a clear lap in his Saker. "Too much traffic for me," he added.

Roddie Paterson set his best time at the end, "I had my first new tyres for two years. It's fine now but I need to make them last," said the Caterham driver.

Having missed Donington, Jamie Cryer's Ginetta G20 was back. "I got some clear laps in the first 10 minutes, but nothing after. The car felt great though," he said.

"It didn't overheat," said Rob Wakelin, after setting eighth best time, "It did break an engine mount though," added the Peugeot 205 driver, as he headed Class C leader Bod Buckby's Caterham by just 0.03 secs.

"It said I was a whole three seconds quicker than I have been here before, but I don't know how. We did lower the tyre pressures and it went faster," he said.

Championship leader Ian Bamber completed the top 10 in his Ginetta G20, "a good session, bedded in new tyres but I was sliding a bit at the end as the pressures went up," he confirmed after topping Class E.

Connor Harvey's Caterham was next, "it felt good, but no idea where I was," he admitted, as he had Julian Wood's Kia Optima sharing row six. "I just continued to build confidence, following others and learning," Wood admitted.

Steven Parker was happy with his BMW Compact, "all good for five or six laps, then it got slippery as I think something was down," he reckoned after saving his best until the final lap.

Dave Green's Honda Civic, had "a little understeer but OK really," but 15th best and heading Class D was a delighted Clive Dix. "A new gearbox, I'm very happy. I'm learning the car more now, but came off at Rocket, but getting reliability and confidence now, it's great," said the Mazda RX7 driver.

David Jones was another driver delighted with his transformed Ford Focus. "I have finally got the throttle balance right, it's the best the car's ever run," he confirmed after out qualifying son Matthew's Focus by 0.01 secs.

Completing the ninth row of the grid was Tom Macfarlane, making his race debut in a VW Scirocco, while Ric Walker's Mini JCW and Paul Goodlad's Sirocco rounded off the top 20.

"Traffic got me, but the car was just great," said Macfarlane. "It felt Ok, the car can go quicker, so we will see," Walker added. "I have got a new teammate, but he's quicker than me, my cars good though," said Goodlad.

Duncan Aukland's Proton Putra avoided any spins, "I had a few opposite locks though, but nothing major," he reckoned. "Everything worked for me, correct set up but tyres overheated at the end," said Ginetta G20 racer Tony Harman, while MR2 driver Peter Koukoulas was more distracted by the power steering failure on his tow vehicle.

The Renault Clio's of Angus Eddowes and Cavan Taylor followed. It was a return for Eddowes, but Taylor was having his first ever race. "I set off fairly confidently, the car was going well and I have done track days, but when the quicker cars lapped me it was a bit scary," Taylor admitted.

Helen Allen's Fiesta out-qualified Brian's Puma, "I had a grassy moment, they wanted my bit of road," said Helen. Finally, Matthew Sanders' BMW E46 M3 and Rob Phillips' Honda Civic both had problems, "we think it was an electrical fault, it just cut out on my second lap, but we had no problem in testing," said Sanders.

RACE 1

As the lights went out Southcott led from pole, with Rose and Allaway side by side through Target, before Rose edged in front. But behind the second-placed duel Paterson, Armiger, Cryer, Buckby, and Bamber were line astern.

"Simon gave me a bit of a nudge," said Rose. "Paul gave me a tap, I gave him room but a great start, very tight," Allaway replied.

As the lead trio began to spread out, Allaway found both Armiger and Paterson starting to close, after they had swapped on the second lap. Cryer had eased clear of Buckby in sixth, before the Caterham driver lost out to both Bamber and Wakelin on lap two, but Bamber's race was soon after, after he was stranded with a clutch problem.

Wakelin was up to seventh, from Buckby, Harvey and Harris, with the Saker driver having gone off the back off the grid.

Harris had just taken Harvey for ninth on lap six, when the safety car came out as Bamber's Ginetta was recovered and it was out for five laps, before going green again.

Rose tried to hang onto Southcott but the MG eased clear again, while Harris took Wakelin and Buckby, with Cryer next in line a lap later to move into sixth.

They only managed four more laps before the chequered flag was out, but Southcott was in the clear by over five seconds. "I had a good start, but never really knew what lead I had," said Southcott.

"I just couldn't live with Andy's pace today, my car was OK but he was just off into the distance," Rose added.

The continuing duel for fourth between Armiger and Paterson gave Allaway breathing space to retain a clear third. "The first few laps were great, then I got some understeer. Arron did get me once into Banking, but I got him back on the straight," Allaway explained.

Armiger just managed to hold off Paterson in the Class B duel for third overall, "not a good start (understatement), really bad in fact, but I was soon back to where I should have been. There was a bit of a threat from Roddie, but we came away unscathed," said Armiger. "I had loose A frame and a bit like rear wheel steering, very tail happy but the rest was good," Paterson replied.

Harris retained sixth, "I started from the back for a bit of fun, but the safety car stopped me catching more," he said. Cryer had a fairly solitary race in seventh, "no problems, but couldn't get close to Arron and Roddie," he explained.

Wakelin had looked set to be next home, but had problems on the last lap. "I had caught Jamie and tried to outbrake him. But the rear caliper came off into Rocket and I went off," he said after recovering to take 12th.

The class C pairing of Buckby and Harvey therefore moved up to eighth and ninth, but split by over a second. "I was watching him getting closer, he would have got me in the end," admitted Buckby. "I put a back wheel on the grass chasing hard, but was already dropping back on him," Harvey replied.

A fairly solitary Green completed the top 10, "I got Steve Parker at the restart, but then the tail pipe came off and melted the rear bumper, and he was catching me again," he said. Parker was still 11th, but lost ground on Green near the end. "I spun on the last lap chasing Dave, chopping the kerb at Peel," he admitted.

Behind Wakelin in 13th Macfarlane was delighted to finish his debut race. " I had a good start and got past a few and had a gap before the safety car, but after that, I could see Dave Jones catching," he said.

Jones had been in a great scrap with Dix and Aukland, before getting away in the closing laps. "After the safety car, the driveability came back, so I went faster. It's great now Pip Gardner's sorted it," said Jones.

Dix was next on the road but was given a penalty for a safety car infringement. "What a great scrap with Dave, confident and my best race for years," Dix admitted. So Phillips and Sanders were both promoted due to Dix's penalty, with Goodlad and Aukland completing the top 20.

Matthew Jones was next home after a good early duel with Phillips, while Wood came in next with a fading clutch.

Harman, Eddowes, Koukoulas and Taylor followed, with Helen Allen taking the Class F spoils over Brian.

RACE 2

The only casualty from Saturday's race had been Julian Wood's clutchless Kia, so 28 cars lined up for a wet race two, with Harris opting for a pitlane start.

There was little to split Southcott and Rose off the start. Rose just led out of Target, but Southcott retook through Church, with Paterson, Armiger, Cryer and Parker following, as Allaway tumbled down the order.

Rose continued to harass Southcott for the lead into Rocket on lap two, with Armiger beginning to threaten Paterson for third too, as Cryer managed to consolidate fifth, as Parker and Wakelin duelled for sixth.

Wakelin had taken Bamber on the second lap and got Parker through School a lap later, while Bamber was in eighth, ahead of the duelling Caterham's of Harvey and Buckby.

With the top half of the top 10 settling down, Harvey began to close in on Bamber, but further down the order Phillips headed pitwards, as Harris continued his climb up the leaderboard.

At half distance Rose still had Southcott in his sights and Armiger was still on Paterson's tail, while Cryer and Wakelin were holding station for fifth and sixth.

Parker was still seventh, but Harris was closing in, while behind him Harvey had gone clear in Class C after passing Bamber, as Macfarlane and Green had demoted Buckby too, despite Green having taken to grass at the Corkscrew. David Jones had been battling with Macfarlane too, but clutch problems brought a premature end to his race.

It suddenly all changed on lap 12 when Rose became the new leader. "I couldn't work the traction control and lost it at Rocket, braking too late as I was looking in my mirrors," Southcott explained.

"I had turned the boost down for the start and it worked. The car was fine but about half-distance the rear tyres started overheating, but I was still close enough to Andy," Rose added.

He was the new leader, and with Southcott having another spin he secured a comfortable victory in the Saker.

"I kept switching the traction control on and off, spun and then nearly lost again as I was aiming for the pitwall," Southcott admitted after still retaining a clear second.

Paterson finally got the better of Armiger too for third and Class B. "We had a great battle but I overcooked it through Church and it was slow down or take to the grass," said Armiger.

Harris' advance brought him home fifth, after taking Cryer a lap from home. "I started from the pits as I thought I had a problem, but the rest had done half a lap before they let me out of the pitlane," he said.

Cryer was a comfortable sixth, "I had a good wet set up and just made sure I managed the gaps," he said.

Wakelin and Parker were next home, "drama free and a good race," said a rather surprised Wakelin. "I had tank slappers all the way around, I kept losing the rear but it helped me steer," Parker reckoned after winning class E.

Harvey won class C from ninth overall, with Bamber completing the top 10. "It felt really good. I got Bod on the first lap and was then clear of him," said Harvey. "I was oversteering on right handers and Steve was just quick for me in the wet. I just tried to maintain my place and look after the car, "Bamber added.

Macfarlane managed to take both Green and Buckby in the second half to finish 11th, "fantastic, really pleased," he enthused. "I went grass tracking a bit after locking up and running wide and had no rear grip," said 12th placed Green.

Dix also got clear of Buckby and claimed the Class D victory spoils. "That'll do for me, but the car is quicker than me now," he reckoned.

Buckby finally made it home 14th and a lap down, followed by Matthew Jones and Goodlad, while in 17th was Allaway. "Only a complete idiot would have started that race on slicks," he admitted, being the only one!!

Walker, Aukland and Harman rounded off the top 20, with Taylor next home despite a spin. With Eddowes pulling off after five laps, Brian Allen was next home, with Sanders, Koukoulas and Helen Allen completing the finishers.

RACE 3

The Jones' Ford Focus's and Koukoulas' MR2 joined the absentees for the final race of the weekend and it was dry again.

Southcott led off the start again, but Paterson had got ahead of Rose, as Cryer, Armiger and Bamber followed onto the Banking.

Armiger took Cryer on the exit and Rose was second through School, with Harris following into fifth, with Bamber, Wakelin, Harvey and Buckby the rest of the early top 10.

Wakelin was soon making progress, taking Bamber for seventh on lap two, but both were being caught by Allaway, who took them both on consecutive laps, before catching Cryer.

Harris had made it into fourth by the end of lap three but two laps later retired to the pitlane. "My helmet was too tight, as I had tightened it up in the assembly area," he admitted.

Southcott was well clear at the front again, with Rose and Paterson clear in second and third. Armiger had still been chasing in fourth but headed for the pits too after nine laps. "I ripped the top link off the rear axle. I could drive it but not as it should be. I think I broke it off the start and it just got worse," he explained.

Allaway was therefore up to fourth, with Cryer a solitary fifth, while Bamber had retaken Wakelin for sixth.

Harvey limped to the pits too after his duel with Buckby got a little too close. "It was a great battle but after we took two different lines into the corner, we came together," Buckby explained. "It was into Peel , Bod went down my inside deep and I cut back, coming together on the exit and it took out my tyre valve," Harvey added.

There were no mistakes this time from Southcott as he took win number for the weekend by 5.43 secs, "great start, off like a scalded cat but I did expect Paul to be closer and I felt pretty much in control," he said. "It was fairly uneventful, a bit hectic in traffic but the car was sweet," Rose added.

Paterson had been solo in third for most of the race, "absolutely flying though, it felt more like I had a BDG in it than a Duratec, best it's ever been," he reckoned.

Allaway was a solitary fourth and a lap down, "It felt better and I got rid of the understeer. It was good fun coming from 14th on the grid," he said.

The rest of the top 10 had remained stable during the second half of the race, with Cryer, Bamber, Wakelin, Green, Parker and the recovering Buckby holding station.

"We didn't have to touch the car all weekend," said Cryer. "My best race of the season, got grip and just tried my different braking distances," Bamber added after taking another Class E win.

Wakelin did have a few problems though, "it was cutting out twice a lap, I knew it would be a good race though, " said Wakelin. "I had to try everything to keep Steve Parker behind me, I was on the limit," Green added, as he succeeded in his quest with just 0.51 secs to spare.

There was another Class D win for Dix in 11th overall, having ousted Macfarlane on lap 13, "everything worked and so did I. A great race and I got clear at the end," said Dix.

Phillips was next home, with Macfarlane having slipped to 13th, with Walker and Goodlad following at a distance. Aukland, Harman, Taylor, Helen and Brian Allen completed the finishers, after Eddowes pulled off at Church with a couple of laps remaining.