The date is 26 June 2005. When a puncture causes Charlie Kimball to spin out of second place and incites red flags, his Carlin team-mate Alvaro Parente is confirmed as the winner of the final British Formula 3 International Series race held at Castle Combe. One month later, the Wiltshire circuit loses its appeal against a noise abatement order, signalling the end of a five-year run in which its British F3 and British GT meetings proved popular with fans and entrants alike.
“We always looked forward to going there,” confirms Trevor Carlin, whose eponymous squad won six times at Combe between 2001 and 2005. No other team managed more than one. “It had a lovely atmosphere to it and of course we were the main event, so it got good crowds.”
