Smeatharpe Stadium - Saturday 2nd August 2014

Report by Steve Linfield

The first day of the Smeatharpe Speedweekend brought out the sunshine and despite a large thunderstorm a couple of hours before start time, the track was dry throughout the evening’s events for the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, Saloon Stock Cars who were in qualifying heats for the National Championship and the ORCi Ministox who raced in their first British Championship for 14 years.  It was an evening that was to have everything, including a total power failure which plunged the Stadium into darkness, but mercifully was rectified and the meeting was able to conclude.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The main focus of the weekend was BriSCA F2 Salutes Bill Batten for them, but, that was on the Sunday and the feature event on Saturday was the FII Challenge Trophy.  It is an event that had been largely staged in Northern Ireland in recent times, but has a long history and was raced for in England in its early years and last staged at Smeatharpe in 1991 where it was won by Bill Batten, no coincidence.  The 57 car entry was very good, with drivers from all over the country present but it was soured by a very large number of no shows from those booked, and thus could/should have been so much better.  Before the meeting proper though there were two events, the first being one of two Ladies races over the weekend, in aid of the BriSCA F2 Benevolent Fund.   It produced a good entry of cars and a good race, which was won by Sarah Bowden, on her first on-track appearance for 20 years ahead of Sarah Gilbert and Katie Dawe.  The annual Young Guns was next up and this produced a field of 10 cars for the drivers present aged 16-19 at the start of the season.  921 Jack Aldridge looked like converting pole position into victory but a puncture slowed him over the last lap and allowed 817 Timothy Bailey to catch and pass for the win.  A dejected Aldridge was second and 527 James Riggall, on his track debut, third.  This then led into the full meeting where 968 Micky Brennan took heat one and 783 James Rygor heat two, which featured a spectacular last bend when 560 Luke Wrench despatched both 38 Dave Polley and 676 Neil Hooper.  Heat three saw 7 Gordon Moodie into his stride, once again at Smeatharpe, and he won comfortably.   29 cars for the consolation surprisingly went without the need for a caution flag and 797 Dan Moss came through for his first F2 win of the season.  32 cars were on track for the Challenge Trophy in the dusk and as per the norm, a fast and furious race and great spectacle.  White graded drivers 572 James Lindsay and 55 Courtney Finnikin got a very good early break, but it was whittled down to nothing when there was a yellow flag for 91 Brett Constable who was stranded on the exit  of turn four and then found himself collected by several after the caution had been called.  Lindsay continued to lead at the re-start but Moodie was already inside the top ten by then, on lap 6, and he hit the front just after halfway.  886 Chris Bradbury did keep him in his sights but was never close enough to even contemplate a move.  And thus it was a third Final on the trot for Gordon on his visits to Smeatharpe.  Bradbury, who only returned from injury six days earlier was second and 254 Richard Beere took one of his best ever results with third.

Saloon Stock Cars

The Saloon Stock Car entry fell short on the expected numbers with damage sustained at the bruising Skegness weekend still an issue, for both man and machine as well as engine maladies.  However, 34 cars present from all four corners of the UK and the decision was made to switch to a three from four heat format and this meant more cars on track.  And did it ever work out!  Those present were treated to (another) feast of Saloon Stock Car racing at its best with no quarter expected and none given.  It started with the first heat where 6 Simon Welton went in with a last bend lunge on 186 Todd Jones and spun him across the line to win.  Heat two saw 717 Richard James pull clear but a yellow flag for debris eradicated that with four laps to go.  The re-start was mesmerising with a three, four and then six car battle for the lead, all coming down to the very last corner.  Any of the top six could have won, but in the scramble for the line it was 698 Danny Colliver who took the flag.  Fast and furious stuff again in heat three and it was 401 Steve Webster who headed home brother 402 Shaun Webster, and then more of the same in heat four, but roles reversed with Shaun leading home Steve.  This put the latter on pole position whilst a steady evening for 499 David Aldous put him in-between the Webster’s on the grid leading into day two.

Ministox

The ORCi Ministox entry was restricted to the highest points scorers from each promotion for the three from five heat format to work and thus there were 35 cars present, once again from all four corners of the United Kingdom.  The grid line ups were via random draw for each heat, where a number was picked and said number of rows moved forward, except for any who thus then had a top three finish and had to start from the rear of the grid for the remainder of their heats and then all the points scored determined the grid for the British Championship.  Heat one saw 236 Ryan Polley take the win and then one of the home favourites for the title 986 Sophie Fasey took heat two and then National Champion 129 Will Morphey took heat three.  A late yellow flag in heat four put both Fasey and Morphey right into play for some big points and they duly obliged and then moved up even further when first across the line 167 Tommy Aylward failed post-race scrutineering and was removed from the result.  This meant that Morphey inherited the win.    The fifth and final heat went the way of 922 Joe Parker.   All of which put Morphey and Fasey on the front row, Polley on row two along with 399 Cole Atkins and then 629 Euan Miller and Parker on row three.   At the drop of the flag Morphey simply ran Fasey out of room, but in doing so ran himself wide and this allowed Polley to nip up the inside and take the lead on the first lap.  Further back Fasey and Miller were sent spinning as the bumpers went flying in behind.  After three laps, Morphey went for his move on Polley and spun him on the back straight and with the latter losing a lot of time and momentum it could have been a decisive move.  However a yellow flag for the stranded car of Parker brought them all back together and at the re-start Morphey had 907 Cameron Lawrence to contend with.  The reigning Autospeed points champion had two goes at dislodging the Spedeworth one and when he did get alongside, Morphey applied the squeeze but in doing so they both ran wide and then the lead battle was joined by 989 Joe Marquand, Atkins, Fasey, Polley and 119 Harry Steward.  It looked like it could end in tears, and it did for the latter as Steward was squeezed up the plating on the back straight and rolled to bring out the yellow flags once again, now with Polley leading Morphey and Atkins.  Polley continued to lead the re-start.  This was until there was a red flag this time, when there was the-afore mentioned power/floodlight failure.  When the race re-started after the associated delay there were six laps remaining and Polley headed off Morphey, Lawrence, Fasey and Atkins.  The front two pulled clear and despite Morphey trying everything he knew, he simply couldn’t get on the back of Polley to dislodge him and it was to be he who held his nerve impressively to take the victory.  Morphey was a very close second and Fasey came across the line in third.  However she failed post-race scrutineering and was excluded, which left a void in the result, with 356 Harry Overy having already exercised his option to ‘stick’ at fourth, and head for home.