Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 26th May 2014

Report by Steve Linfield

Spring Bank Holiday Monday and always one of the highlights of the season at Smeatharpe with the coming of Crasharama for the Unlimited National Bangers, now in its sixteenth year and for 2014 dedicated to the memory of Pat Hudson, the long serving member of Autospeed staff who recently passed away.  If all of that wasn’t enough, the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, on a rare occasion of being in a supporting role were on fine form and the Saloon Stock Cars had their moments too.  All of which was in front of one of the largest crowds in recent times at Smeatharpe.

National Bangers (unlimited cc)

The National Banger car count reached 46 cars and whilst this was significantly up on recent years, such was the pre-meeting interest it was disappointing that there were a number of no shows from those who had booked, and some significant names too.  But, what was there included three of the current World Champions in 239 Steve ‘Nemesis’ Carter, 331 Jason ‘Boxer Jack’ Jackson and 382 Jack ‘Chubby’ Foster amongst a whole host of other big names from far and wide, all in big cars for big action.  The longest car of the day was the used Yank of 841 Tom Perkins whilst the oldest and rarest was a 1964 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon for 227 James Saunders.   It was clear from the off that action was going to be the name of the game all afternoon, and it began from the first lap of the first race right until the final hit of the Destruction Derby, all with extra prizes on offer from meeting sponsors A Bailey & Sons Groundworks, which are detailed below.   It was 190 Steve Bailey who came through to win, in one of the smartest cars present in heat one whilst heat two did indeed turn into an unofficial DD with a whole load of wrecking on the exit of the pits bend.  341 Andrew Jones was awarded the win on a count back.  The consolation race saw plenty of big hits, including the one that was ultimately judged the hit of the day with 74 Adam Hitchcock pounding 514 Marty Eighteen on the pits bend.  179 James Rushton took the victory.  To make the Final the biggest race, the decision was made to have the qualifiers start at the front and the non-qualifiers at the rear.  This added up to a 33 car grid and more big hits, a jacking train and when the number of laps had been completed there were just two drivers who had done them all, and this was Bailey who was the winner and Jones second.  Despite Jackson actually still running at the end, he openly (and most sportingly) admitted he couldn’t have done enough laps to be third and on (another) count back it was 45 Anthony ‘Lips’ Croshaw who completed the podium.  If what had been witnessed hadn’t been hard enough, there were some even bigger hits in the Allcomers with 360 Jack Reynolds ending up impressively wrecked, as his particular feud with Boxer Jack continued.  Once again it was Bailey who took the win and then he went on to complete a clean sweep when he outlasted them all to win the DD.  All of which brought to a close what was regarded as one of the best Crashamara meetings for several years, and some say the best of them all.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

It was a typically busy Bank Holiday weekend for the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars and one or two were lost from the previous day’s racing, but it still left an entry of 37 cars, which was far and away the best on a hard surface track anywhere in the UK all weekend.   The entry once again included travelling National Points Champion 7 Gordon Moodie and he picked up from where he left off at St Day by storming to heat one and World Champion 783 James Rygor took heat two.  700 Adam Rubery won the consolation, which saw 352 Dave Sansom continue his own mini version of Crasharama by taking on anyone who dared and finished with him in the plating with a none-too impressed 105 Ross Rowe.  A helping hand from 476 Ryan Wadling is probably worth mentioning, too.  The Final saw an early yellow flag when the race leaders 437 Danny Withers and 937 Matt Isaacs tangled spectacularly.  528 Shane Hector headed the pack at the re-start and was still there at the halfway stage, but Moodie appeared to have no equals (as has been the case on several other visits here) and moved into the lead soon after and from then on pulled clear.  676 Neil Hooper was ultimately the next up the road and Rygor was third.  The Grand National went from green to chequered and Moodie charged up to fourth place from his lap handicap, and even found time to deal with Sansom, who appeared to be ‘lurking’.  It was Hooper who took the victory after passing 740 Neil Langworthy in the closing stages.  All very entertaining stuff from the F2s.

Saloon Stock Cars

The Saloon Stock Car entry was disappointing for the annual Club 21 day, but equally understandable given the busy and hard month of Championship events that preceded this meeting.  However, the races didn’t go without some interest and incident, with the talking point of heat one being a very heavy trip into the plating for 100 Ian Govier courtesy of European Champion 56 Georgie Boult Jnr.  They then became entangled in a messy pirouette to the infield.  Boult was loaded up, and Govier did not reappear for the rest of the day, either.  At the front of the race it was 176 Murray Jones who was first across the line, but he was judged to have jumped the start and was thus docked two places which promoted 314 Jason Barraclough to the victory.  Jones again took some catching in heat two, but it was 677 Eddie Darby who did just that.  The Final was headed by 800 Scott Greenslade until he was dumped wide by Barraclough but all the while both had Jones looming behind them.  He made his move and despite a smoky engine which was clearly losing oil he held on for the win.  Barraclough made second and 698 Danny Colliver third.