ADAM FLEETWOOD has already wrapped up the British Champion-ship for the second year running but still gave it his all in the big hill climb event at Gurston Down.
An ill-timed shower in the first run-off saw him struggle home seventh with the 620bhp Gould GR55 V8, although his father Roger benefited by running ahead of the rain to win in the same car!
But with the track uniformly wet in the second run-off, it was Fleetwood junior who won by over a second and a half and set best time of the day (26.57 seconds).
Cranborne's Steve Harris took the up to 1400cc modified production saloon class on 38.32 seconds from Southsea's Graham Masters by just 0.18 seconds, the pair both driving 1.4 Austin Minis.
Karl Stevens (Andover) won the up to 2000cc modprod saloon class with a 36.23secs run in his 2.0 Mk 2 Escort, 0.28secs ahead of Bournemouth's Andy Crump.
Gurston's principal sponsor Jonathan Gates (Lymington) edged ever-closer to the up to 2000cc modprod sports car class record with a blistering 31.66secs climb in his 2.0 Westfield SEi, easing out top British Leaders Championship contender Dave Kimberley's 2.0 Caterham Seven for the class win.
2002 Gurston Champion Rodney Thorne wowed the crowd with his monstrous 5.0 Westfield Eight, powering to the amalgamated over 2000cc modprod class win on 31.67sec.
And Salisbury's Chris Cannell took the twin-engined 2.6 Force SR8 to second place in the over 2000cc sports libre class with a rapid 30.71sec run.
In the racing car classes, 1100cc class record holder Rob Barksfield from Corfe Mullen scooped the class win in his 1.1 PCD Saxon-Suzuki on 29.23secs, ahead of Stockbridge's Nik Gregory.
Southampton's Tom New was third in the up to 2000cc racing car class in his 2.0 Pilbeam MP88 V6 on 29.41sec, a second behind the winner.
Salisbury's Karl Davison qualified in an excellent seventh for the first of the British Championship run-offs in his 4.0 Gould GR37 V8 on 28.07secs, only to be one of the first drivers to be thwarted by the rain. Karl finished in 11th place as a result with a brave 32.44sec effort on a very slippery track.
The final round of the Gates of Brockenhurst Championships takes place at Gurston Down this Sunday.
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