United Downs Raceway - Sunday 28th August 2016

Once the sun finally broke through, there was pleasant weather for most of the afternoon at this year’s Blockbuster, when a hefty prize fund was distributed across assorted awards and achievements.

National Bangers

There was a slight variation on the theme set at last year’s corresponding fixture, and it could well set the tone for a new approach across the Bangers genre with Autospeed in 2017.  First up came a pair of Old Skool races to ensure some racing, ahead of heavier crashing later on.  Heat one was very much a high speed affair, as 262 Buddy James led home 246 Ryan Sparks and 362 Johnny James for an all-BMW top three.  The action was cranked up several notches for heat two, which featured countless spins, and several decent attacks on moving targets.  Johnny James took the honours this time.  Next up was the big money Blockbuster final.  The random draw left former winner 528 Alan Hunt on pole, with 79 Adam Brocks for company.  From row two, 278 Shaun Brokenshire swiftly hit the front, but even though he had a useful early lead, he willingly threw that away by firing into the turnstile bend parking lot, where the two Previas of Brocks and 374 Richard Kelly seemed to attract a lot of attention.  Indeed, Brocks was hugely entertaining as he limped out of the pile-up, charged back into it, and then got blasted by 247 Richard Sparks.  After Brokenshire’s exit, the lead passed to 452 Anthony Sleeman, but he got turned aside by Ryan Sparks, who found himself being chased by Johnny James.  With just three to run, Sparks lost the lead, as he encountered a puncture.  Johnny James took over, and despite 133 Terry Hill’s best efforts, it was James who won, to emulate his brother, Buddy’s previous Blockbuster victory; Buddy actually completing the rostrum scene in third.  Unfortunately, just nine drivers made it to the line for the Allcomers, which was to prove quite tame and mundane in comparison to what had gone before.  Richard Sparks dished up the biggest excitement, when he blitzed Hill.  Ryan Sparks was a commanding winner.  The DD was very short lived.  Having been spun by Croshaw, Richard Sparks then met Hitchcock head on, which left him wide open to a thunderous shot from Croshaw.  Sparks was shook up.  The DD was halted to attend to him, and whilst Croshaw was ready to resume, Hitchcoc’s Jag had expired, leaving Croshaw the winner.

Saloon Stock Cars

The Cornish Championship, and the promise of some bonus appearance money for those racing both westcountry fixtures over the Bank Holiday weekend, saw numbers hit thirteen cars – by no means great, but respectable enough in the current circumstances.  Unfortunately, 248 Will Makins took a sore one in the opening heat, when he got out of shape in the turnstile bend, and that was to be the end for him for the afternoon.  386 Dan Petters and 28 Ian Govier disputed the lead, with Petters finally breaking free to lead beyond halfway.  730 Deane Mayes tracked them down, and swooped for victory late on.  In heat two, 158 Shane Davies struck early, and spun Mayes in the pits bend.  Mayes did work his way back up the order, despatching Govier in the pits bend along the way as he overhauled him for fourth, but up front it was Petters who stormed to a first ever St Day victory.  Further down the finishing order, 69 Nathan Rees, in the Saloon Stock Car hire car, trailed in ninth, for his first ever points.  Fittingly, the Cornish Championship race was the pick of the day.  Petters tangled with Govier on the start finish straight in the early stages, which saw the westcountry driver spun the wrong way.  Petters bounced out of that skirmish to build a good lead.  199 Phil Powell led the pursuit, and starting the final lap, Powell made contact with Petters.  However, rather than trying to outrun Powell, Petters slowed, and Powell effectively pushed the East Anglian into turns three and four.  Sensing a sniff of a chance, Davies dived at Powell, but whilst that unsettled Powell, it gave Petters a free run to the flag and the Cornish title.  Powell held on from the lunge for second, and Davies completed the top three.

Ministox

Just shy of 20 youngsters contested their penultimate St Day meeting of the season.  Despite the trial of clutch starts (which worked well throughout the afternoon), the first heat developed into an endless saga, with three separate yellow flag incidents – for 943 Hannah Esau, for 654 Harley Soper and for 902 Junior Buster.  951 Aiden Vincent and 915 Max Langmaid led off the last restart, but 907 Cameron Lawrence was in dominant form and stormed to victory.  Yellow flags were called upon twice in heat two – firstly for 911 Harrison Bryant and secondly for Langmaid, when his car lost a wheel.  987 Ethan Pope made it through to second, but he could not stop Lawrence from claiming a second win.  In the final, Lawrence completed his hat-trick, as he led home Bryant and Pope, after an early race collision saw Langmaid unavoidably collected by Soper.

BriSCA Micro F2s

The infant racers fell just short of double figures, as they made their last St Day appearance of the season; numbers being boosted by an assortment of long distance travellers.  783 Fin Carter swept to his first St Day win in the opening heat, and buoyed by that success, he proceeded to complete a hat-trick of victories.  335 Jake Woodhull was runner-up twice, whilst 51 Jolean Maynard enjoyed top three finishes all afternoon on his track debut.