NICK SAUNDERS set the day’s fastest time, but saw his expensive racing car leave the Val des Terres twisted and battered on the back of a lorry.

Saunders’ crash on the fourth timed run of the day brought a premature end to the day’s stop-start proceedings which was notable for the number of crashes but a remarkable 10 class records as competitors pushed it to the limit in the best conditions of the season.

Saunders (pictured) had already lowered his own racing cars 1101 to 1600cc record by nine hundredths when he lost a wheel at the top of the straight and smashed into the grass bank near the slip road at the top of the hill.

It was a heavy shunt but, thankfully, the talented young driver emerged unscathed.

Jason Carre was left stuck on the start line for around 15 minutes and many others were queuing for their final run when it was decided to end the day’s competition.

Half-an-hour before Saunders had been talking about the road being ‘ nice and grippy’ but when he said that he of course did not have in mind driving with three wheels.

He’d already damaged his front spoiler on his record-breaking run, hitting the pavement and forcing him into minor repairs.

‘I can’t complain with a new class record,’ he said after his electric 29.81.

But it might have been quicker he added. ‘When I changed into third it bogged down a little bit, so I lost a bit of time there.’

Among the others to crash was Nigel Leaver who broke the production saloons record with a 39.14 on his final run and a split second beyond the finish line hit the bank and flipped over.