CNC HEADS SPORTS AND SALOON CAR CHAMPIONSHIP – SEASONAL REVIEW

12 YEAR WAIT………….BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!!

Back in 2013 Simon Allaway was Champion in his original Lotus Esprit V8, little did he think that it would be another 12 years for he was crowned CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Champion again. It was a fairly dominant year for the Champion, taking 11 wins out of the 14 rounds, but he didn’t have it all his own way, as Ben Roberts, Garry Wardle and Chris Roberts visited the top step of the podium too.

Allaway had a few issues along the way, but he only failed to finish two races. In round three at Anglesey contact at the start with Ric Wood’s Volvo put him out and later in the season he found his car almost undriveable in a wet round 10 back at Anglesey.

Paul Rotheroe’s Citroen Xsara had been a title contender, starting his season with six consecutive class wins. He had an ECU problem at Oulton and retired and when the clutch went at Donington, missing round eight, before returning to win again the following day. But the return trip to Anglesey killed his Championship aspirations after the gearbox broke and left him sidelined for the weekend. He came back to take a double class win in the Oulton finale, but had to settle for third overall and the Class E title.

Carl Bennett’s BMW M3 was the runner-up with five class D wins, having started the season in a terrific duel with Chris Roberts’ BMW M4. Bennett’s first-class success came with a win at Anglesey in round three, followed by a double win at Oulton in rounds six and seven. He had struggled home second in Class at Anglesey too with a collapsed wheel bearing and then was spun out of the lead at the last corner, in round five after contact with Roberts.

Roberts pulled out of the Donington rounds with engine issues as he continued to develop his car from road to race. He missed the second trip to Anglesey too, only to return at Oulton to win the penultimate round outright and seal second in class, sixth overall.

Bod Buckby’s Caterham spent most of the season at the sharp end. Class B was one of the most competitive and he was second to Ben Roberts’ Locost and Deri Davies’ Darrian in the opening rounds at Oulton. After a collision with Davies in round three at Anglesey, he took two class wins and was second overall. He then missed Donington but returned at Anglesey, taking another class win and second overall in round 11.

Battles with Jamie Cyer’s Ginetta G20 and the Modro brothers’ Locosts’ kept him on his toes all season, but when Ben Roberts’ Locost blew the engine at Oulton after five consecutive class wins and an overall win in round three at Anglesey, his consistency secured the Class title and fourth in the Championship.

Garry Wardle had promised if it rained hard he would win and kept his promise in round 10 at Anglesey. Most of his races were playing catch as his Audi A3 wasn’t the quickest off the start. Anglesey was his only outright and class win, but seven second places sealed second in Class A and fifth in the Championship.

Rob Wakelin dropped back into Class F this season with the ex Dave Green Honda Civic. He missed the opening round, but then debuted with a winning treble at Anglesey. He led round six at Oulton too, but had to retire with engine problems. Another double win at Donington followed, before the car was written off in a startline shunt at Anglesey in round 10. He still made it out at Oulton for the final double-header, but problems before the start of race one caused him to miss that, but came back to take his sixth class win to become Class F Champion and finish seventh overall.

Jamie Cryer was eighth in the Championship and second in Class B. He was third overall at Oulton in round six and second in class behind Alek Modro, having won his class in the earlier race. He finished his season with two class podiums at Oulton Park too, but a broken diff mount at the first Anglesey meeting cost him dearly, missing two of the three races.

Ninth in the Championship was Jonjo Lee’s Mini Cooper in his debut season. He had four class wins at Oulton Park, but a blown engine at Anglesey probably cost him the class title, missing out to Wakelin by five points.

Jason Hennefer’s Ford Fiesta ST180 rounded off the overall top 10 and was third in Class A. The season didn’t start too well when he collided with a retired car at Oulton Park. His best result was sixth overall in the wet Anglesey round 10, second in class and one of his six class podiums.

Among the others in Class A Phil White’s BMW 325 had an interesting year. He usually had someone to race with but struggled for consistency, but made the top 10 overall on four occasions, his best being sixth in round three at Anglesey giving him second in class. Ryan Nelson had changed to a Ginetta G56 GTA. He was third overall at Oulton in round six and started to get used to the car, but failed to appear again. Billy Blockley also shared a Ginetta with Dad Richard and was in the top 10 at Donington. Piers Grange’s Escort also came out at the Oulton opener, taking third overall in round two, while Ash Hicklin’s Bentley showed pace, but had too many teething problems. Ric Wood appeared in a Volvo and a Holde and Duncan Aukland brought out his Proton at Anglesey.

In Class B Paul Masters’s Westfield missed much of the season after drama’s forced him out of the opening rounds at Oulton. He reappeared at Donington Park with two fifth places, third in class and continued on a similar pace for the rest of the season, with two third overall finishers at Anglesey to take third in the final class standings. Both Alek and Connor Modro showed plenty of pace when their cars were working, but both suffered badly all season. They both made the overall podiums, Alek with second at Oulton and Anglesey and Connor in the final Anglesey race of the season.

Daz Owen and Lea Wood may have only appeared once in their Escort RSR’s, but they had two exciting scraps at Donington, both taking a second overall. Mark Primett’s Banks Europa had another difficult year too, with various issues and highlight of ninth at Donington. Former Champion Ian Bamber made a couple off appearances too, and was third overall at Anglesey in round 10, sixth on the following day.

Roddie Paterson’s season ended prematurely, his Caterham ran out of fuel in the opener when second and retired with clutch issues in race two. He then went to Anglesey and his car was extensively damaged in a start line shunt. Andrew Armiger also made his CNC debut at Donington in the family Tigra, and took third overall in both races.

For most of the season there were no starters in Class C. John Edwards-Parton’s Fiesta XR2 came out three times and won the class title, with Gary Warburton’s Mini Miglia joining him for the Oulton finale.

While the Bennett and Roberts BMW battled for the class D title, the rest for fighting for third. Steven Parker’s Fiesta ST finally took it by four points from Anthony Sullivan’s Mini JCW R56. Both drivers had class podiums, but Sullivan didn’t do the whole season. They both made the top 10 overall too. David Jones started to find reliability with his Ford Focus and took two class podiums on the second visit to Anglesey, while Simon Graveley’s VW Golf Gti got quicker too on his debut season.

Both Marshall Groves’ Vauxhall Vectra and Zack Booth’s Renault Megane were strong challengers too. Groves had a top six and second in Class at Oulton, while Booth’s best was fifth at Anglesey for second in class, but suffered a number of development issues. David Lawrence’s Seat Cupra joined in mid-season, but was a non points scorer and finished the year with third overall in both races at Oulton.

Just one point split Cavan Taylor’s Renault Clio and Louie Dobson’s Fiesta to be runner-up in Class E. Neither could get near Champion Rotheroe. Taylor, Matt Hibbert’s Golf, Matt Jones’ Focus and Stuart Wright in Jones’ Focus all took class wins though, when Rotheroe had problems. Hibbert was fourth in the final class standings, from Rob Phillips’ Honda Civic, the latter having only done the Anglesey rounds.

In Class F third placed Helen Allen’s Fiesta won the opening round but missed much of the season, while Errol Taylor’s Toyota Yaris was the only regular starter, hampered by a mid-season engine failure.

A brilliant season both starter wise and racing wise and we start it all over again at Oulton Park on April 25th.

Published by Peter Scherer for BARC NW, November 26th 2025.