BRATTON’S Ben Norton believes his only chance of claiming this year’s Castle Combe Formula Ford 1600 championship is to start winning races after missing out again.

Michael Moyers took his third win of the season in a lights to flag victory at the BRSCC meeting last weekend, as the first four drivers crossed the finish line less than a second apart.

At the start it was Moyers from pole who led from Nathan Ward, Chippenham’s Luke Cooper and Norton, followed by Bradford on Avon’s David Vivian in his Class B Swift SC92.

As the front pairing began to pull away, the reigning FF1600 champion Roger Orgee – who had started sixth – and Norton began to make their way through the field and were third and fourth respectively when the safety car came out following a crash involving Jack Clayton on lap four.

At the restart it was Moyers, followed by Orgee after passing Ward and Norton who began to pull away from the chasing pack.

With three laps to go Norton had made his way up to third at the expense of Ward as the leading quartet were never more than inches apart and crossed the finish line covered by 0.738.

Cooper finished fifth followed by Felix Fisher and Edward Moore with Vivian claiming Class B honours after finishing ninth.

Norton sits third in the standings on 83 points, four points behind Moyers in second and 19 points behind championship leader Orgee with three rounds to go.

“Third place was good but it would have been nice to get a win today,” said Bratton, who drives for Wiltshire College.

“The only thing we can do is win races but we need to take one race a time.”

In the Saloon Car Championship race, Calne’s Simon Norris took a lights to flag victory after withstanding immense pressure from the returning Gary Prebble and Dave Scaramanga.

Prebble, racing for the first time since a crash in the opening round of the season, pulled into the pits with a broken drive shaft leaving Scaramanga to finish second and reigning champion Mark Wyatt third.

Corsham’s William Di Claudio finished second in Class D leaving him tied on points with Norris for the lead in the overall championship, with both drivers also leading their individual classes.

Westbury’s Owen Hunter had a day to forget in the BMW Compact Cup after spinning out of second place when challenging for the lead in the first race after a freak rain shower hit the circuit.

In the second race, the local driver led from pole until he was demoted to third-place on the final lap.

Also in action this weekend was British Touring Car driver Andrew Jordan, who finished second alongside his dad, Mike, in the HRDC Touring Greats race.