A chilly afternoon was a clear indication that winter is approaching, but the racegoers who took to the bracing weather at the United Downs Raceway, were treated to plenty of spectacular action.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
The modest late season numbers were just enough to run a two from three format, with the track’s White & Yellow Grade Series final as the opening event. After 663 Bryan Lindsay had led early on, 895 Ben Goddard forged his way into the lead, but as the race progressed, 325 Ryan Sheahan chased him down, and effected a text-book last bend challenge. Goddard was sent wide, and Sheahan won the drag race to the line. 315 Charlie Fisher overhauled 605 Richie Andrews on the last lap, too, to seal third place. Disaster had struck 980 Charlie Lobb during practice, as he suffered a gearbox failure. With Lobb sidelined, Jamie Avery absent and Matt Stoneman suspended, the door had opened wide for 890 Paul Rice to challenge for the Track Championship, despite sitting fourth on the chart before a wheel had turned. He had a 10 point deficit to make up, and his first opportunity came in heat two. This time, Goddard was not to be denied, as he stormed into the lead early on. 510 Matt Stone and 203 Dean Hawkins tangled on the home straight and fell down the order, whilst 736 Josh Weare took second place, having held off the fast-charging former English Open Champion 418 Ben Borthwick. Sheahan scored a second win in heat three, after Hawkins had again led the early phase of the race. Rice gamely chased after Sheahan, but could not land a blow, and had to settle for the runner-up place. Nonetheless, that took him top of the Track Championship standings, and the title was his. The Old Motor Cycle Club Trophy final was preceded by the customary motorbike and sidecar display, as Justin Westaway was joined by his daughter, Rio-Daisy. When the race began, Hawkins and Lindsay led the way, until 121 Vinnie Neath-Rogers took over. He led past the halfway point but was being chased by Sheahan. The pivotal moment came when 235 Alfie Brimble spun in turn two and was collected by 259 Daz Purdy. As Neath-Rogers encountered them, he dived to the outside line, but Sheahan grabbed the inside line, and the lead duly changed at that moment. Borthwick’s hopes were dashed when he developed a puncture, whilst in third place, and as he dropped back, 302 Dale Moon took over in third. Moon then shifted Neath-Rogers to grab second, but Sheahan was out of range, and with his third win of the afternoon, he reclaimed the Old Motor Cycle Club Trophy he had won five years ago. Andrews and Weare disputed the lead in the Grand National, and even though the gap between them ebbed and flowed, Andrews managed to keep sufficiently clear to seal the win and land the Bob Netcott Trophy.
2 Litre National Bangers
Even though numbers were modest, the 2 Litre National Bangers again produced plenty of action. Heat one began with 166 Luke Gillbard running in track debutant 388 Jordan Coleman in turn one, who then came under attack from 53 Chris James. The race was halted when 662 Jared Roe lost a wheel. 186 Lewis Fasey had just relieved 562 Jayden James of the lead, and that was how they finished the restarted race, although Fasey injured his ankle as he climbed from his car at the end of the race to receive his race winner’s trophy. A lively second heat began with a spin for 154 Blazej Szczygiel and 200 Jai Simmons after Chris James had been bundled in at the turnstile end, whereby he was duly blitzed by 17 Adam Welsman. That saw a wheel come off the James car, which brought the red flags out, just as 222 Ricky Walters rolled amongst a gaggle of cars heading into turn three three. Despite his injured ankle, Fasey continued to race on, and he won convincingly, with Jayden James second again. Welsman was spun into the turn one fence by 726 Lewis Senford at the start of the final and was then mauled by Chris James and Walters. Welsman needed assistance from his car during a red flag stoppage, and that led to a complete re-run. Jayden James ended the run of success for Fasey, as he kept ahead of him to the chequered, with 333 Craig Partridge completing the top three. Most of the action centred around Luke Gillbard, with the pick of the crashes being when he thundered into Walters. Just Coleman and Luke Gillbard made it out for a short-lived Destruction Derby. Gillbard gallantly waited for Coleman to attack, but when Coleman’s car ran out of energy, it was left to Gillbard to blast the game Coleman three times and claim the win.
Stock Rods
A revised format for the Grand National Championship saw points from the single GNC heat earlier in the season be added to by scores on the day. Former multi-Champion 306 Neil Truran made a rare appearance in his Toyota Starlet, contesting all four of the day’s races, whilst testing Hifly tyres. An exciting opening heat saw 946 Dave Taylor, on his track debut, overhaul 779 Ross Sweetland, but he was then hunted down by 77 Tom Larcombe, and after several laps on the outside line, Larcombe made the pass stick, and he took the chequered. Heat two was utterly chaotic, with 287 Mark Hatch striking the safety fence on the exit of turn four which saw him ricochet into the passing 909 Justin Washer. Neither finished the race, and nor did 944 Callum Hosie, who retired and then had a fire through the air filter whilst parked on the infield. As for the race, that was won emphatically by 235 Paul Harris. Heat three was suspended after 522 Chris Mikulla clipped Sweetland at the end of the home straight and bounced off into the turn one plating. Harris was the race leader at the time, and despite close pressure from 617 Christina Sillifant, he held on for the victory when the race restarted. When the scores were calculated, 204 Georgie Polley and Taylor were on the front row, with Harris and Larcombe on row two, followed by 914 Callum Faulconbridge and 862 Darryl Cock on row three. The race had only gone a few laps before 314 Jason Barraclough lost a wheel. The race was suspended and when it resumed, Harris spun on the exit of turn four whilst under pressure from Hosie. The oncoming traffic took avoiding action, with Truran glancing off the plating to set sparks flying. Unfortunately, Harris was inadvertently collected by 73 Terry Gallagher, which brought another caution period. Harris was unimpressed, and Gallagher less so, as he indulged in some unsuccessful steering wheel hurling. On the next restart, Larcombe made his move, and after a number of laps, he finally swept around the outside of Taylor to take the lead. Faulconbridge and Hosie battled to find their way past Taylor, but by that stage Larcombe was away and gone. Larcombe punched the air in delight as he crossed the line, with Hosie some way back. For his part in the Harris incident, Hosie was docked two places, which elevated Faulconbridge and Washer into second and third respectively.