A record two-day crowd of 23,000 watched South Africa's Alan van der Merwe and England's Danny Watts eclipse the brilliant young Brazilian Nelson Piquet at Castle Combe.

The best the son of the former world champion could manage was eighth and ninth places and an ignominious exit from the second of the British Formula 3 Championship races.

Series leader van der Merwe took the first event in his Mugen Honda after race leader and pole-setter Watts had put his car into the barrier. The South African was followed home by Adam Carroll and Sweden's rising star, Robert Dahlgren.

Second time out, Watts made no mistakes, powering his Renault Sodemo home ahead of Dahlgren with van der Merwe in fourth place. The race was red-flagged when Piquet crashed out in eighth place.

South coast track stars Pete James (Waterlooville) and Jon Barnes (Southampton) both shone in the seventh and eighth rounds of the Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge. James surged from tenth on the grid to fifth place - then inherited fourth when Essex driver Darren Ashley spun out of the lead.

The 52-year-old Waterlooville driver went on to finish fourth, despite pressure from West End teenager Barnes, who overcame brake problems to take fifth.

A second-lap spin did little to dampen James's enthusiasm in race two, the veteran fighting back from 13th into the top five, just behind Barnes's car, within ten laps.

Barnes was forced to retire with throttle problems, James moved into fourth and then, with two laps to go, he nipped ahead of Edinburgh's John Gaw for third, 0.4 seconds behind the winner.

The overall lead of the championship changed hands again with Northampton's Dan Stilp edging back ahead of Dillon Battistini (Epsom).

There was second place for Salisbury's Richard Stanton (TVR T400R) in the British GT Championship race but, sadly, a non-appearance for Southampton youngster Ricky Cole, who crashed the Chevrolet Corvette in qualifying.

For another Southampton driver, Gary Prebble, there was more success in the Castle Combe Saloon Car race which he won comprehensively in his Rover 220 Turbo.

One of his main rivals, Southampton's Nick Williamson, went out early in the race.