21/08/2026
MARCUS PYE REPORTS FROM COMBE
Scots Guardsman makes it three
Elliot Paterson’s 830-mile round trip from Auchterarder was rewarded with a third Guards Trophy victory of the season in the family Ginetta-BMW G16, previously in the winner’s circle at Snetterton and Brands Hatch. Alas the Castle Combe round, between the cornerstone Superprix and Oulton Park Gold Cup events, proved a bridge too far for competitors. Eight teams turned out for the 50-minute race, six regulars plus Swiss visitor Jürg Tobler (Lola Mk1) and Ian Beattie (Jaguar XK120) from the Griffiths Haig Trophy to maximise their weekends, the latter enlisting Tom Poulton as co-driver.
It was very tight at the top in qualifying, Mark Colman in father Hugh’s ex-David Good Chevron-BMW B8 pipping Paterson to pole by 0.016s with a 1m14.307s (89.62mph) lap. Renowned Combemeister Dan Cox was in touch having lapped Michael Richings’ Ford twin-cam engined Merlyn Mk4A round in 1:15.298.
Peter Thompson hedged his GT bets with two entries. His TVR Griffith, co-driven by Jon Payne, led the preliminaries on 1:17.527 with the Shelby Cobra of Charlie Allison - which old buddy Thompson would finish - on 1:19.434. The Ford V8-powered monsters, orchestrated by Steve Mace, were split by the Crossle 9S of Oliver and Andrew Gemmill. Tobler’s Lola and the Jag completed the grid, barely a second apart.
The duel between Mark Colman and Paterson entertained with the distinctive cars passing and repassing each other until the mandatory pitstops, after which Elliot - whose previous visit to Combe was “10 years ago” for Morgan Motor Company Challenge races - stretched away from Hugh Colman, setting fastest lap at 1:14.161 (89.80mph). On a scorching hot Sunday afternoon on which Paterson saw the Colmans roast, he was “delighted not to have a roof. I had my own air conditioning!”
From a delayed start, the Cox in the Merlyn was lapping swiftly before he was black-flagged for a fuel leak long after the Crossle retired. The last podium place was the TVR’s for it was never threatened by the Cobra, a lap down. “I’m a little warm, but not as warm as the brakes. They are cooked,” said Thompson, “but we’ve had a good day out at a brilliant circuit.” The consistent Jaguar and Lola completed the finishers.
