Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 8th August 2022

The Roy Goodman Perpetual Challenge Trophy was contested by BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars, ably supported by Ministox, Back 2 Basics Micro Bangers and a summer holidays outing for BriSCA Micro F2s.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

A 31-car turnout was just enough for a full-format meeting with eight cars qualifying for the final from each heat. While leading yellow top 828 Julian Coombes took a heavy hit into the home straight wall, having been turned across the front of 303 Kurt Selway, 510 Matt Stone set the pace in heat one. He was passed just after half-distance by the rapid 542 Steven Gilbert, who had 783 James Rygor and 127 Matt Stoneman following in his wake. As those three pulled clear, Rygor nudged Gilbert wide to take the lead with four laps to go, and stayed just out of reach of Gilbert’s last-bend lunge.  It was 762 Mike Cocks’s turn to take a heavy trip into the wall in heat two, as he spun across the front of 525 Charlie Knight, who continued to lead the way. Knight was quickly hunted down and passed by 528 Shane Hector but the duo then remained untroubled out front as some of the higher-graded drivers spent too long fighting each other. 605 Richard Andrews entertained in his efforts to keep 184 Aaron Vaight behind, and then hit back when he was passed, which let 667 Tommy Farrell overtake both on his way to fourth. 509 Jordan Butcher never looked like being beaten in the consolation as he recorded his second win in just over a month. Andrews – who eventually pulled off in his heat – again entertained, initially running second, before locking up to let Coombes through. 736 Josh Weare nudged Andrews wide for third with two laps to go, and he was demoted again on the final lap by 979 Paul Moss.  After a messy first attempt to start the final, Knight led away at the second time of asking. There was an early stoppage when Butcher careered over the bonnet of 663 Bryan Lindsay’s car and put the thumbs down when he was left facing the traffic on the inside of the final bend. While Knight continued to lead on the resumption, Rygor was among those to lose out in the frenetic action among the back half of the grid, while 890 Paul Rice and 935 Nathan Maidment also crashed out. Having won the previous afternoon’s final at St Day, 988 Charlie Lobb was flying and picked off Weare and then Knight to take the lead before half-distance. Stoneman and 126 Jamie Avery were bearing down on the Cornish youngster, but it didn’t look like they had the pace to catch him until yellow flags were required with two laps to go. 194 Luke Johnson had thundered 572 James Lindsay around the Honiton bend wall, leaving the latter requiring attention. Lobb made a good restart but fluid on the entry to turn three caused his car’s back end to step out, and Stoneman needed no second invitation to nip ahead. Avery and Gilbert also passed Lobb, who now had dirty tyres from running wide. Stoneman took the win from Avery, while Lobb hit Gilbert wide to retake third on the final bend, with Weare also snatching fourth. The Grand National, for the Ash Sampson Memorial Trophy, was led on the rolling laps by Sampson’s grandfathers Roy Goodman, in his old car, and Mick Whittle in his magnificent ‘Baby Blue’ Gulf creation. A complete restart was then required after Farrell and Cocks tangled on the home straight. Once under way, Knight led but Lobb was on another charge in his ex-Luke Wrench WRC machine.  Lobb hit the front before half-distance and was untroubled thereafter, even with yellow flags coming out after Moss shed a wheel. 468 Sam Weston took a heavy hit into the home straight wall and did well to drag his car to the infield, as Lobb won from Rygor and Gilbert.

Ministox

Twenty-one Ministox (plus another who didn’t race) made for three busy races. Newcomer 497 Peyton Cockerill again impressed as she set the pace in heat one, chased by 919 Oscar Berry who then moved ahead. 870 Bertie Farrell had split the pair when yellow flags were required after a spill for 202 Cody Bradford. The British champion turned sharply to avoid some spinners on the Honiton bend, and went full bore into an infield marker tyre which tipped his car onto its side. It was the beginning of a fruitless night for the Heathfield youngster. Berry was slow away on the restart, allowing Farrell ahead, but 917 Troy Hemmins was on the charge and he went on to win from 617 Christina Sillifant and Farrell, with 922 Kaydi Butcher taking a trip up the wall as the chequered flag fell. Heat two followed a similar pattern. Cockerill led until a half-spin let Berry through, with Hemmins then nudging Cockerill wide to take second on half-distance. Hemmins edged Berry wide to take the lead with three laps to go, with Berry then losing out to Cockerill among backmarker traffic as 290 Alfie Tomkins closed in. Cockerill and Berry again set the pace in the final, with Berry’s nibbles on the Cockerill rear bumper eventually putting him ahead. The pair stayed out front until 911 Alex Thomas edged inside Cockerill for second with two laps to go. As he did so, the cars hooked up slightly, letting 207 Alfie Flecken get a run and pass both. But Flecken couldn’t catch Berry, who took the win – a career first. Thomas managed third in race for the Reg Thomas Shield, his great-grandfather, ahead of Cockerill, with Hemmins this time only reaching fifth.

Back 2 Basics Micro Bangers

A varied field of over 20 cars put on a lively show including plenty of spills. 125 John Stokes led almost the entire distance of heat one while spins and wayward handling caught out others. But, having been tracked by 756 Troy Hooper in the closing stages, Stokes was shoved wide on the final bend and Hooper took the flag. After a couple of chaotic attempts to get heat two under way, 562 Jayden James led, challenged by Stokes. Stokes in turn was under attack from 187 David Walters, who managed to emerge in front. Walters was then spun to the infield by 309 Chris Parry, rolling in the process to bring out red flags with four laps to go. A delighted Parry reeled off the remaining laps to claim victory from 462 Nico James and Stokes. After leaders 211 Adrian Coles and Nico James got caught up in the action exiting turn four, Stokes took up the running in the final. He stayed there until the end, winning from Parry and Hooper as plenty more spins and crashes enlivened proceedings, including a post-chequered flag pile-up on the Honiton bend which claimed several.  A boisterous King of Crash/Destruction Derby saw 652 destroyed from all angles by Team Extreme drivers.  333 Craig Partridge buried 56 Michael Collacott into the pits bend plating, and then did likewise to 211 Adrian Coles in the west bend which sealed him the victory.