CORSHAM driver Will Di Claudio experienced the agony and ecstasy of motor racing at Castle Combe’s Classic 50 Race Weekend.

Di Claudio, in a Peugeot 106, claimed the outright saloon lap record on Saturday, but 24 hours later, his outing came to an end before it began and with it the lead of his championship.

Since 2007, Bristol’s Mark Wyatt had what seemed an untouchable National Mobile Windscreens Saloon Cars lap record of 1:15.932 in his class A Astra.

But given a clear track, Di Claudio’s break came from a slow getaway by fellow front row man, Adam Prebble in his Rover Turbo, who further diminished his chances by coming together with a fast-starting Tony Dolley on the first time into Tower.

With no immediate pressure and a clear track, his attack on the record came to fruition on lap three with a stunning 1:15.903, breaking the previous class B record of Yatton Keynell’s Jason Cooper by just under half a second.

Prebble recovered from his first lap ‘faux pas’ to take second, with Wyatt a little further back in third and Dolley fourth.

Chippenham’s Martin Chivers was seventh and third in class in his MG ZR.

Sunday’s race saw Di Claudio start from pole, but the car’s electronic control unit gave up the ghost before the race had begun.

Charles Hyde-Andrews-Bird clinched his second class C win and with it, the championship lead.

The race win went to Prebble, well clear of Dolley and Wyatt.

Melksham’s Tony Hutchings drove a brilliant race to finish fourth from the back of the grid after his Audi TT suffered turbo boost problems in Saturday’s race.

Trowbridge’s Mark Funnell performed similarly to Hutchings to come home sixth after a broken intercooler sidelined him on Saturday.

Hutchings rounded off his weekend with a great victory in the ‘All Comers Sports vs Saloons’ race, with Funnell third.

Ben Norton extended his championship lead in Castle Combe’s Formula Ford 1600 championship races, supported by Startline, with a pair of wins.

On Saturday, he finished 4.2 seconds ahead of Nathan Ward, with Saltford’s Steven Jenson third.

Yatton Keynell’s Luke Cooper was fourth on Sunday, having lost out in a dice with Langport’s Roger Orgee for the same spot a day earlier.

Norton, who claimed his fourth double header victory of the year, said: Chippenham veteran Pete Diccox caused anxiety at the end of Saturday’s race , barrel-rolling his Van Diemen RF89 across the line as the chequered flag was waved.

The 76 year old was lucky to escape after putting a wheel on the grass on the exit of Camp.

He was still classified as a finisher and was back in Sunday’s race, having hired a replacement car.

The Vadabar Sports and GT championship races saw Simon Tilling in the Radical SR3 perform his usual trick of falling to the back of the field at the start, only to recover to win, the first by almost 38 seconds.

On Sunday, Trowbridge’s Andrew Shanley led for the first five laps, staying within 3.5 seconds of his rival by the flag in his Radical Prosport, which had been sidelined on Saturday with a misfire.

Bristol’s Eric Woolley was a dominant winner of the GadgetHelpline.com Classic 60’s Sports and Saloons race in his highly developed Mark 1 Escort, with Chapmanslade’s Crispin Thomas third in his Alfa Romeo GT.

The rest of the programme was for races from the Corsham-based Classic Sports Car Club, one of the most eagerly awaited being the CSCC’s Special Saloons races which saw a pair of dominant local victories for North Wraxall’s Ian Hall.

He was in a class of his own in his mighty 5.3 litre V8 engined Darrian Wildcat, which led both races from start to finish.

The 40-minute CSCC ‘Swinging Sixties’ saw a brilliant race for Bristol’s Sam Summerhayes who finished a superb fifth overall in his Mini in only his third-ever race, against a formidable field of almost 40 cars.

It was a miracle the car made the grid, having had it’s blown engine rebuilt by Mini guru, Olly Howell from Radstock, in two all-night sessions.

Frome’s Andy Vowell took seventh in his Triumph Spitfire, with Cirencester’s Charles Marriott 18th in his rare Turner.

CASTLE COMBE REACTION & PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES