• Cambridge racer wins opening round

Cambridge racer Robert Huff dominated the opening round of the 2000 Formula Vauxhall Championship on Saturday, March 25, winning on a treacherously wet track at the high-speed Thruxton, Hampshire, circuit. Twenty-year-old Huff, who won his drive with the Jim Russell Racing team by beating drivers from across the world to take the famous racing school's scholarship, took the lead from his team-mate on the opening lap and never put a wheel wrong for the remainder of the 14-lap race.

Qualifying at Thruxton, where the 145bhp Formula Vauxhall single-seater race cars can reach over 140mph, is always a matter of using the slipstream of another car to set a quick time. Huff and team-mate Joley Foster worked together to ensure they took the two front row slots on the grid - Foster ending up fractionally quicker.

"We decided to work together and tow each other round," said Huff after qualifying. "We were aiming for a gap of a second to the third place car but only managed nine-tenths! My last lap was good but I had to pass a backmarker at Church corner - the quickest on the circuit - otherwise I'm sure I could have taken pole."

The race took place just after a sudden downpour had soaked the 2.356-mile circuit, the field of cars sending up plumes of spray as they took to the track. Second into the first corner, Huff stayed close to Foster and as they braked for the chicane at the end of the first lap lanced down the inside of his team-mate to out-brake him and take the lead. For the rest of the race Huff stayed ahead despite the close attention of his team-mate, and took the win.

"I got a good start, maybe a little too much wheelspin, but my team-mate made a better one and he took the lead. I tucked in behind him but the amount of spray was incredible - I couldn't see a thing!

"I just wanted to get ahead of him, so when I got a better run through Church I followed him up the hill, braked a little later and took the lead. From then on it was a case of staying ahead and keeping everything tight, and I made no mistakes. It's just unbelievable, I couldn't have asked for a better start to the season!"

Next race - Croft, North Yorkshire, April 8