National Bangers

A modest 13 car entry gathered as the final act was played out to determine the Autospeed representatives for the Ipswich World Final. 190 Steve Bailey scythed his way through the field to a comfortable win in heat one, whilst 917 Andrew Tew’s night was finished early having been blitzed by 341 Andrew Jones on the home straight.  Heat two saw 238 Jake Hughes, having won an online raffle to race a Steve Bailey prepared machine, was much more in the thick of the action, including a late race pits bend attack of 99 David Spooner.  Up front, 907 Cameron Bradford raced home for an emphatic win.  Bailey again romped home the winner of the Final whilst Hughes, 278 Shaun Brokenshire, 2 Jack Hodges and 74 Adam Hitchcock all got involved in some crashing on the back straight.

Stock Rods

The Stock Rods contested three highly competitive races during the course of the evening.  227 Jody Hawkins took the chequered flag in the first heat of the evening having been chased down towards the end of the race by 351 Rhys Langdown, the latter being unable to find a way past, with the pair separated by less than a quarter of a second on the line.  The Final was an even more fiercely contested affair; at one stage six cars were battling it out for the lead.  Hawkins reached the front early on but again had her rear-view mirror filled with the chasing pack.  The last lap was a fraught affair but Hawkins held a tight racing line to take her second win of the evening with the top four covered by less than a second, Langdown finishing in the runner-up spot yet again whilst English Champion 437 Lewis Trickey overtook 909 Justin Washer on the final bend for third in a real blanket finish.  The hopes of a Hawkins hat-trick vanished early on in the Grand National, as she retired to the infield.  British Champion 909 Justin Washer took a comfortable win, ahead of Langdown and Trickey who were engaged in a fine battle for second, with Trickey looking to the dangerous outside line on a number of occasions but unable to find a way past.

Ministox

After a busy weekend’s racing at Skegness, a fine gathering of 17 cars appeared for another action-packed evening which was not without its talking points.  White grader 917 Troy Hemmins hit the front early on in heat one, but a mid-race stoppage saw the star graders close, and 569 Adam Langridge went on to take the win.  The second heat of the evening saw English Open Champion 499 Alfie Aldous pull to the centre mid-race, his mechanical woes putting paid to his evening’s racing.  Heat two also saw the star graders to the fore, with 654 Harley Soper winning whilst 985 Sam Carter and 577 Harry Darby enjoyed a close battle for the other trophy spots.  In the final, 202 Cody Bradford led the field from the white grade until very late on, when he was reeled in by Langridge.  Hemmins spun out as the lead cars entered the final lap, which left the 917 car stranded across the track on the entry to the home straight.  As the pack charged into the last bend, the race went under caution.  Out came the yellow flags, and the race suspension was called to the drivers over the race receiver system, with the caution lights around the raceway also being shown.  Whilst Langridge and Bradford crossed the line to take the chequered, the circuit was under yellow flags, and thus there was still a one lap shoot out to conclude – click here for further info.  Unfortunately, Bradford was the unlucky one, as he was spun and he fell down the order.  Langridge won, from Soper, Darby and Carter.