Snetterton hosted round four of the Equipe Historic Championship, the midpoint of the season, and on a day with wildly variable weather we had another exciting race and varying fortunes for cars up and down the field. It was an all V8 front row and from the outside slot it was Oliver Rueben who took the lead into the first corner in his TVR Griffith, poleman Brian Caudwell slotting into second in his Cobra, while at the end of lap one and up from eighth on the grid to run third was John Caudwell’s Cobra.

The lead pair had the pace on the field and John Caudwell was under pressure from the Lotus Elan 26R of Ben Snee, a non-championship runner, with the Marcos of Callum Grant right there and John Tordoff closing in with his Elan. The leaders were trading fastest race laps and went down the Senna Straight side by side on lap ten, Brian Caudwell moving ahead, Rueben retiring two laps later with brake issues.

By then the pit window had opened, Snee one of the first to pit on lap ten to hand over to Murray Shepard, John Caudwell in a lap later having recovered to third having slipped down the order. At the end of lap 13 John Caudwell pitted from the lead, Grant and Tordoff following him in.

Once everyone had made their stop it was Brian Caudwell’s Cobra well clear at the front, Shepard second from John Caudwell, Tordoff running fourth. The rain intensified in the final laps and several cars slid off, prompting an early end to the race, Brian Caudwell taking his second win of the season, Shepard second well clear of Tordoff who got past John Caudwell in the worsening conditions and claimed class two victory, second in class five enough to keep John Caudwell second in the points table overall.

Chris Ryan drove a strong race in his TVR Grantura to come home seventh overall and take his third class three win in four races, Tom Smith’s MGB second in class and Smith sitting third overall in the points table.

Mike Thorne headed the points going into the Snetterton race, but a transmission problem with his Austin Healey 3000 saw him well down the grid after qualifying. A borrowed differential meant he was back up to speed for the race and after battling with the similar Healey of Joe Willmott early in the race. He had to settle for second as Jack Willmott brought the rival car home eighth at the end, but Thorne still leads the championship overall with a six point advantage over the rest.