ANTHONY BOUGOURD’S unique style helped him to three more championship race wins and a greater lead in the large-bike-class title race. Bougourd races with his left leg stretched out, perched as far back as possible and with his body lying flat along the bike, so he can gain the most when riding flat-out along the straights.

Though he carries more speed into the corners, he is able to stay within the track, while some of the other riders seemed to have difficulty in keeping their machines inside the designated course.

His three wins left Anthony Queripel to defend second place from Dave Cleal.

In the smaller class, leader Mark Allsopp has lost points to second-placed, and the only other contender for this championship, Robert Campbell as the latter picked up two wins and a second place to Allsopp’s second, third and fourth placings. This will be a very interesting title race to watch over the three remaining meetings.

The main bike silverware of the day, the Ray Le Poidevin Handicap Trophy, went to Matt Waters.

Most car championship titles are almost decided, with Ben Batiste leading the racing cars/specials class.

Sue Martel cannot be beaten in the modified saloon car up-to 2,000cc class and Martin Dorey has taken the production saloon car over-1,800cc class.

The small-production-car class will be fought to the end of the season by Ian Robert and current leader Steve Marquis.

The closest battle, and one that will not to be decided until the final meeting, is the women’s championship.

Current third-placed Alison Baudains, since moving into her Honda Prelude, has been catching Sue Martel and Emma Parr and two wins at this meeting gave her more very valuable points.

Parr, previously in second only a point behind Martel, moved into the lead, having placed second in both races. Martel’s two third places didn’t help in her quest to retain the title.

The main feature race for the cars was for the Victoria Trophy, a handicap race which was run over twice the distance of a normal one and so at 20 laps was the longest race of the season.

The handicapper, after working out the time differences between the cars, sent them away at intervals which should have meant that at the

chequered flag all crossed the line together.

So Tom Shaw in his Micra 998cc had more than a one-lap lead over the other saloons and a three-lap one over the two grasstrack cars.

On the 18th lap, second man away Ian Robert slid into the lead, but the two grasstrack cars were still running – Ben Batiste and Peter Dorey.

The latter was just ahead of Batiste on the 19th lap as they closed on Robert’s car. As they went into the final corner, Dorey surged past Robert to take a well-deserved win, with Robert just hanging on to second, Batiste third and the remaining competitors line astern as they crossed the line.