Clive Richards claimed his second Autosport Caterham Eurocup race win of the season, triumphing in the seventh round of the championship at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

Richards, 42, from Itchingfield near Horsham, followed up that success with a third-place finish at the wheel of his Colards Motorsport-prepared car on day two of the meeting, edging closer to championship leader Nelson Rowe in the points standings.

Friday's race was a classic duel between chief title protagonists Richards and Rowe (Wotton-under-Edge). They circulated as if tied together by a short piece of elastic for most of the race, the canny Richards calculating his battle plan all the way.

Into the Tarzan hairpin for the 14th and final time, the harassed Rowe locked up and gifted the lead to Richards. Rowe then repassed but Richards got the better line out of the Arie Luyendijk curve and managed to nose in front over the line.

Saturday's race was even closer, with four different leaders and a maiden Eurocup victory for Mark Humphrey (Slough). Richards led for several laps but ended up third.

With only two races remaining, both in Dijon in September, Rowe's lead over Richards has been cut to nine points.

Richards, who won the Eurocup Roadsport class crown last season, said: "I'll be fighting Nelson all the way in France."