Last weekend the Spa circuit at Francorchamps, in Belgium, played host to the next stage of the HSCC championship and the FIA Lurani International Trophy and was Edwin Jowsey's first appearance since clinching the championship at Oulton Park.

The Spa circuit has been used by F1 since 1920s and borders Luxemburg and Germany. It is a long circuit, measuring over five miles in distance with two very long straights, one uphill - approximately two miles - and the other downhill, about one-and-a-half miles in length.

During qualification Edwin, 17 from Whitby, secured second place on the grid with the Lotus F3, for the races on Saturday; and pole with the Brabham F2 for Sunday's racing. The four races would each last for approximately 60 miles, Edwin had completed no more than 30 miles at any one time during practicing.

The weather for the first race was hot and sunny, pole position was taken by a Swiss driver who had won this meeting for the last five years, he was driving a more modern version of the Lotus F3. Out of a field of forty-two contestants, young Jowsey made a solid start and kept pace with the leader, eventually he took control of the race after out-maneuvering the Swiss at the end of the downhill straight. To Team Garbutt Heaters' delight Edwin held on to the top-spot and built-up a good lead, but with just one lap to go the Lotus started to slow.

Edwin said: "There was a problem, and it was the fuel gauge, it was on empty! I felt gutted, I knew I didn't have enough momentum to take me through the chequered flag, so I ambled off the track to the pit lane."

Ironically, Edwin was awarded second place as the stewards stipulated that he had travelled the distance necessary to complete the race. He had lost first place to the Swiss whose fuel tank had proved large enough to complete the demanding circuit. Team Garbutt Heaters did not enter Edwin in the second race of the afternoon, and settled for ten championship points.

The next day saw the arrival of the FIA Lurani International Trophy, with the best drivers from all over the world converging to compete in the forty strong field. In the first race young Jowsey made a sensational start and led the race until he took the chequered flag sixty miles later.

Edwin said: "The second race looked like it was going the same way. I led from the front until the second to last lap, when I spun on some oil and hit the barrier, the Brabham was thrown in the air but landed the right way up. I continued to race to but the gear-shift was stuck in fourth. I got near the line, only to be overtaken just before crossing it. I had to settle for second."

Team Garbutt Heaters are now in Le Mans preparing for their race this weekend.