United Downs Raceway - Sunday 24th July 2022

What started out as a blustery day deteriorated as the afternoon progressed, with rain later on.  The meeting was the first of four summer season fixtures at St Day with the Heritage Junior Stock Cars kicking things off in festive style as many entered the Fancy Dress spirit on the Grand Parade.  Knaresborough Mad Milkman Ross Taylor had his car was festooned with a giant inflatable unicorn and there was an unforgettable appearance (no matter how hard one tries to wipe it from the memory) of ‘70s Wrestling star Big Daddy, in the shape of 157 Kevan Woollas.

Saloon Stock Cars

After the exertions of the evening before, there was an unfortunate drop in numbers, as just ten Saloon Stock Cars made it on track.  Early leader 261 Dom Davies was reeled in and shoved aside by eventual winner 277 Jack Grandon as further behind 319 Richard Regan was sent into a spin by the chasing pack.  84 Carl Boswell spun Davies out of second on the entry to the main straight, whilst an entertaining three-way battle raged between 672 Simon Paris, 364 Nathan Olden and 677 Warren Darby with places swapped in the closing laps.  The rain had begun to fall once again for heat two with Regan being spun on the entry to turn one on the first lap.  He then added salt to the wound, for when trying to spin it around using the infield, he applied the power and slid down the banking in comical fashion.  199 Phil Powell and Darby also spun on home straight, the latter by himself.  A couple of laps later Paris was sent fencewards at end of home straight bringing out the yellow flags.  On the restart Grandon moved into the lead with Olden lunging at Davies in second on turn four only for both to spin in unison in the slippy conditions.  902 Buster Jnr and Darby enjoyed a fine side-by-side battle for second and were then joined by Boswell in a tremendous tussle which Boswell got the better of, as Grandon reeled off another win.  At the beginning of the Final, Paris was sent spinning by 199 Phil Powell but in the speedy 360 degree gyration, Paris then took Powell, Reagan and Grandon to the turn three plating in a heap.  Whilst they all rejoined, Paris and Regan found themselves in exactly the same place just a lap later their battle ending when Regan spun Paris aside entering the home straight a few laps later.  All the while, Olden had streaked into the lead and although he was being caught by Darby towards the end he held the threat off for a good win.  Boswell rounded out the top three.

Heritage Junior Stock Cars

A good 15 car entry took to the track for their first heat as 59 Nigel Finnigan led in the opening stages and 763 Andy Bateman and 135 Jim Cannon made progress in their early 70s era cars from the rear of the grid.  107 Dan Chiplin took over at the front and headed the field home as behind 49 Paul Ferguson spun on the entry to the back straight and was collected by Cannon.  157 Kevan Woollas and 198 Alan Nicholson enjoyed a close battle for the runner-up spot, Woollas just nipping through up the inside at the line.  There was trouble at the outset of heat two with for 537 Charlie Barnes who spun on the exit of turn two with Cannon and 35 Ellen Cannon joining them.  The race was brought under caution, but when it restarted Ferguson spun out of the lead, again on the entry of the back straight on the restart.  That promoted 728 Graham Bunter to the lead, with another stoppage called to rescue the stricken Ferguson.  Bunter took an easy run to the flag on the restart.  Final time and 342 Kevin Taylor took up the early running with as Ellen Cannon spun in turn two and took a few laps to get herself back into the race.  536 John Ferguson took command at the front and although being chased down by Bateman towards he held on for the win.  The top three was completed by 580 John Perrett.

Ministox

16 drivers took4 to the track for their first heat including a half dozen white graders.  911 Alex Thomas enjoyed a wild ride round the pit bend but managed to keep going as 966 James Payne was spun around facing the oncoming traffic on home straight bringing out the yellow flags.  497 Peyton Cockerill led field off and with drivers a little over eager to get under way 567 Mia Batten was bundled up infield banking in a messy restart.  742 Kacey Williams collected the plating with significant force on the home straight the car being thrown up into the air in the process with another race suspension required.  617 Christina Sillifant headed off the restart with Tomkins moving quickly though into second.  Behind the two star graders, a five-way battle for third saw 202 Cody Bradford emerge from.  With a lap to go, Sillifant dropped out of the race with a loss of power – her woes being identified as a lack of fuel.  That saw Tomkins inherit the win, from Bradford, with 907 Cadan Davies stepping up into third.  Thomas set the pace in heat two as behind 236 Alfie Brimble and Davies tangled and spun on the back straight.  913 Ben Faulconbridge was hooked around by Bradford for second being hotly pursued by Tomkins who then forced a way up the inside as Sillifant ended her race backwards into the turn three plating.  As Thomas encountered back marking traffic he was quickly caught by Tomkins and Bradford.  With just a lap to go, Bradford got the better of Tomkins to take the win and Thomas held on for third.  The Final did not last very long until Thomas was collected heavily by Kacey Williams between turns three and four having spun to face the oncoming traffic.  Cockerill led the field away but with Tomkins in third it wasn’t long until he was through and heading the pack.  The Thomas team’s end of the day didn’t improve with Cockerill was spun out on the home straight and hit the empty 911 machine parked on the infield with some force.  A good duel between Bradford and 207 Alfie Flecken for second place saw the two swap places for a few laps before Bradford broke free whilst the action continued with Faulconbridge spinning out Davies on the home straight as Tomkins marched to another win.

Back 2 Basics Bangers

Four teams contested the inaugural Team Challenge event and with a couple of teams shy of the full complement of four drivers it was 14 cars which took the green flag for the first heat with drizzly rain dampening the track.  690 Tristan Clements led for the opening few laps until 196 Phil Chapman took over at the front for Team Extreme as they opened up an early lead.  One more driver joined the grid for heat two with 165 Graham Middlewood spun around on the first bend.  Up front 562 Jayden James led and built up a commanding advantage.  Towards the end of the race Middlewood was sent around for the third time whilst 662 Jared Rowe who had been crippled on the pit bend for some time was inadvertently collected by 617 Reece Rixon after he had crossed the finish line.  James took the chequered and then appeared to blitz Rixon which saw him disqualified.  Chapman duly inherited the win, from 386 Ryan Wagstaffe.  The field had been whittled down to just nine by the third and final heat.  Having protested his innocence in the previous heat, James was back on track and he was again away and clear at the front from early on.  It was by and large a roundy, roundy affair until after the field had taken the chequer.  Thereafter, there was an outbreak of heavy crashing in the turnstile bend, much to the amusement of the crowd.  A host of drivers were duly disqualified, leaving 44 Liam Boswarthick as a slightly bemused race winner.  The results, however, were fairly academic as Team Extreme had seled a comprehensive victory in the team challenge.  Six cars came out for the Destruction Derby although one failed to start.  After a few laps of very little action, the encounter exploded into life with 294 Oli Bower blitzed on the home straight by two members of Team Extreme.  Thereafter, a four car train then developed down the back straight with Clement being hit by 462 Nico James and Jayden James.  Clement managed to extract himself from that and administered a couple of shots to Rowe near the start finish line, the last with sufficient force to bring a conclusion to the event with cheers from the hardy group of spectators who had lasted to the end.