Smeatharpe Stadium - Sunday 24th January 2010

2-Litre National Bangers

Almost 70 drivers contested this year's Winer Open Championship.  Two heavily populated heats were relatively quiet, considering the amount of cars on track.  Heat one went to 239 Steve Carter and heat two saw 208 Jimmy Randall disqualified for a tyre infringement and thus 252 Steve Bugler inherited the win.  Randall passed the post-race checks in the consolation, ahead of the Winter Open final, which had just 22 qualifiers.  517 Scott Weldon was injured early on, after he was fenced by 190 Steve Bailey.  After a lengthy delay, the race was re-run, and 614 Chris Hide made the early running.  He was relieved of the lead by 10 Paul Whiteman, but Bailey overhauled him at the midway point.  However, the result was suspended, after a suspected illegal tyre was noted on the Bailey car.
After an investigation, later in the subsequent week, the tyre was proven to be illegal.  Bailey was disqualified from the result, promoting Whiteman into first place, with Randall and Carter as second and third.
Whiteman's fine day continued with a victory in the Allcomers, and he even dead-heated the end of day DD with 180 Mark Foster who, himself, had made a noteworthy track debut.

Stock Rods

The non-contact Stock Rods began their season with a healthy grid of cars, and a mixture of drivers, including several from the south coast.
Newcomer 555 Greg Radmore thought he had won the opening heat, having led it for so long, but he had been caught late on by 642 Simon Jones and 730 Brendon Sealy - Jones marking his return to Stock Rods with a very fine win.  In the final, 181 Lindsey Jones swiftly charged up the order, and won by some distance, ahead of 221 James Southall and Sealy.  In the Grand National, Radmore's lead evaporated when he lost power on the home straight, where he was duly collected by 761 Nathan Rees.  After the race suspension, Sealy swept to the flag, from Southall, who finished the day as the top points scorer.

Ministox

A tremendous showing of 23 youngsters contested a trio of races for the Ministox.  Track Champion 124 Ollie Skeels won the opener, and on his first westcountry appearance, newcomer 942 Steven Gilbert took heat two.  Skeels and Gilbert were the placemen in the final, behind 315 Tristan Claydon, who scored a first ever Smeatharpe victory.