Although Neil had never even visited Thruxton before Saturday morning's qualifying session (10th September), he still placed his Merlyn MK20 on pole position by a 0.702 of a second.
 | | Neil Fowler makes the decisive pass |
Unlike the previous round at Oulton Park, his nearest competition wasn't championship leader Nelson Rowe but series newcomer David Gathercole, having only his second competitive drive in his Jamun T2. Rowe, who was having to use a borrowed engine following his Oulton Park retirement, could only manage 10th on the grid and encountered further engine problems. Though his qualifying pace suggested Neil would run away with the race, the extremely high speed nature of the Thruxton circuit promotes classic slip streaming conditions that Formula Ford's thrive on, and we were presented with what was probably the best race of the year with the victor not clear until the very final corner.
 | | David Gathercole leads Neil Fowler |
The start saw Gathercole get the jump on Fowler, but around the lap they traded places with Neil passing at the final chicane to lead over the line at the end of lap one. Such was the frenetic nature of the race that of the 14 laps completed, Neil only lead across the line for five of them as he and Gathercole passed and re-passed each other over the laps. Not only did they have to concentrate on their own battle but a group of three cars following closely, any one of which were constantly threatening to join in the fun, only the intensity of their own little battle keeping them behind. On the penultimate lap the group encountered a back marker, and entering the chicane Fowler chose the inside line to pass while Gathercole chose the outside, and this gave Neil a sufficient advantage to stay clear over the final lap and grasp another well earned victory, his fifth from seven starts this year. Championship rival Nelson Rowe had to pit during the race and could only manage 20th place. The final round of the championship is on Saturday 15th October at Silverstone, and Neil needs only to finish 5th or higher to retain his crown. | 
