• Robert still in front despite being punted off in first race

Championship leader Robert Huff maintained his series lead in the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship at Rockingham today despite being forced out in the day's first race. The SEAT Sport UK engineers worked flat out to repair his car for the second race, in which he took a fighting third, with his main series rival Stefan Hodgetts finishing down in sixth.

The 23 year-old from Cambridge had qualified his SEAT Cupra R in pole spot for the first race, after dominating testing and posted the third quickest time for the second race in front of a record 44,000 crowd at the Northamptonshire track.

At the start though a first lap incident involving several cars dropped Robert down to third as the cars crossed the start/finish line at the end of the first lap. Then as he entered Turn 1 for the second time, he was punted up the back and spun backwards into the wall, his race effectively over. With one eye on valuable championship points though, he rejoined down in last place, but was only able to complete 8 laps, preventing him from picking up 2 points.

"I'm a bit gutted really after this morning's race, " said a disappointed Robert. "I thought we were here to race not punt each other off. I got punted off a few times on the first lap, once by Stefan which did the whole back quarter, bent the left rear wheel and gave me about a 6mm of toe out so every time I went into a left-hander the thing just oversteered. And then what with Spencer putting me into the wall it just obliterated the back end totally so we needed two new drive shafts, new gearbox and the whole back axle."

Starting from second on the grid for race two, after Marsh was unable to take up his rightful position, Robert again made a good getaway and despite the attentions of Hodgetts again, held on to take a fighting third at the flag and retain his championship lead. Hodgetts' win has moved him back up into second in the series, with two rounds remaining, at Thruxton on August 16/17.

"Not such a bad result, considering the car was decidedly second-hand. We'd had to straighten some bits so it wasn't ideal, every time I went into a left-hander it oversteered, and understeered in right-handers. At the end of the day though 15 points is 15 points and it means I can have another non-finish at Thruxton and still get away with it. I think it will go down to the wire at Thruxton, into the second race without a shadow of a doubt. So fingers crossed I'm going to go out and try and win the first race and with a bit of luck I can get the five points I need to clinch the title."

Round 7 results (12 laps):

1.	Stefan Hodgetts	22 min 08.067secs
2.	Gordon Shedden	22 min 19.993secs
3.	Andre D'Cruze	22 min 21.499secs
4.	Karl Goshawk	22 min 27.094secs
5.	Paula Cook	22 min 36.441secs
6.	Hamish Gordon	22 min 39.218secs

Fastest lap: Stefan Hodgetts 80.59mph

Round 8 results (15 laps):

1.	Gavin Smith	31 min 24.695secs
2.	James Pickford	31 min 26.421secs
3.	ROBERT HUFF	31 min 27.141secs
4.	Andre D'Cruze	31 min 27.809secs
5.	Stephen Colbert	31 min 28.646secs
6.	Stefan Hodgetts	31 min 29.130secs

Fastest lap: Gavin Smith 81.18mph

Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship points after 8 rounds

1.	ROBERT HUFF	98.5pts
2.	Stefan Hodgetts	83pts
3.	Gordon Shedden	79.5pts
4.	Gavin Smith	70.5pts
5.	James Pickford	58pts
6.	Stephen Colbert	47.5pts

The series final rounds are at Thruxton, Hampshire on August 16th/17th.