Dave Longhurst is the short circuit open hot rod champion after his victory at the Angmering Oval Raceway.

The Worthing ace roared to the title in the £1,000 final against a high-class field.

Longhurst went into an early lead and held on to win from Southwick driver Mark Empson and Burgess Hill's Patsy Enright.

One of the fastest men in practice, Colin Smith, failed to get on to the track after his car broke down, while Chris Ayling spun out in the final.

RESULTS Hot Rods: Short Circuit Open Championship: Final: 1 Dave Long-hurst (Worthing); 2 Mark Empson (Southwick); 3 Patsy Enright (Bur-gess Hill); 4 Rod Brewer (Peter-borough); 5 Richard Burtenshaw (Burgess Hill); 6 Fred Jaycock (Bog-nor).

Group 1: Heat 1: 1 Patsy En-right; 2 Andy Fraser (Partridge Green); 3 Paul Young (Horsham). Heat 2: 1 Richard Burtenshaw; 2 Viv Cole (Wales); 3 Enright. Heat 3: 1 Michael Loosemore (Devon); 2 Enright; 3 Jon Sayers (Guildford).

Group 2: Heat 1: 1 Mark Emp-son; 2 Dave Longhurst; 3 Rod Brewer. Heat 2: 1 Longhurst; 2 Chris Ayling (Littlehampton); 3 Peter Winstone (Essex). Heat 3: 1 Longhurst; 2 Brewer; 3 Empson.

Ford Rods: Final: 1 Richard Simmons (Burgess Hill); 2 Lee King (Brighton); 3 Colin Williams (Brighton). Heat 1: 1 Colin Baker (Chichester); 2 Williams; 3 Peter Rollinson (Brighton). Heat 2: 1 Baker; 2 Simmons; 3 Shaun Noble (Worthing).

1,450cc-1,600cc: Final: 1 Deb-bie Rich (Littlehampton); 2 Darren Akehurst (Southwick); 3 Luke Hillman (Brighton). Heat 1: 1 Rich; 2 Akehurst; 3 Matt Charman (Lancing). Heat 2: 1 Charman; 2 Rich; 3 Akehurst.

Mod Saloon C: Final: 1 Neil Jessop (Eastbourne); 2 Joe Smith (Tunbridge Wells); 3 Steve Fleming (Leatherhead). Heat 1: 1 Jessop; 2 Andy Weller (Southwick); 3 Paul Lillywhite (Yapton). Heat 2: 1 Smith; 2 Jessop; 3 Weller.

Prod A: Final: 1 Paul Langridge (Turners Hill); 2 Adam Lillywhite (Yapton); 3 Russell Best (Hove). Heat 1: 1 Langridge; 2 Helen Blackman (Burgess Hill); 3 Lindsey Steege (Bognor). Heat 2: 1 Lan-gridge; 2 Best; 3 Vikkie Steege (Bognor).

Juniors: Final: 1 Curt Jackson (Littlehampton); 2 David White (London); 3 Andy Enright (Burgess Hill). Heat 1: 1 White; 2 Matt Lane (Crawley); 3 Nathan Messham (Worthing). Heat 2: 1 Jackson; 2 Iain Fraser (Partridge Green); 3 Messham. Heat 3: 1 Jackson; 2 Jason Esser (Worthing); 3 Scott Ware.