The August Bank Holiday Sunday fixture produced a relatively modest car count, but plenty of action during an afternoon of mixed weather conditions.

Saloon Stock Cars

A decent showing of 15 drivers contested the last Saloon Stock Car fixture of the season in Cornwall, with the Cornish Championship as the showpiece event.  Heat one set the pattern for the afternoon as 677 Warren Darby chased down long-time leader 111 Thomas Ruby and grabbed the lead with three laps remaining.  Whilst they were clear, there was a huge last bend finish for the minor placings, with cars scattered in all directions, notably 476 Ryan Wadling who was bounced up and around the plating at the turnstile end.  A rain shower left the track soaked for the second heat and that changed the complexion of the race.  84 Carl Boswell and 27 Jason Kingwell squabbled over the lead, taking turns to bundle one another off the plating in turns three and four.  That brought 33 Pete Hollett into contention, but he was unable to mount a telling challenge on Boswell who held on for the win.  Ruby led much of the way in the Cornish Championship, but Warren Darby hunted him down to take over in the latter stages.  Harry Darby made a last bend dive at Ruby, but as they tore to the line, it was Ruby who just got home for the runner-up.  An uneventful Allcomers brought Warren Darby his third win of the afternoon, with Harry Darby the runner-up this time.

Stock Rods

A bumper showing of drivers contested the penultimate Cornish date of the season for the Stock Rods.  There were early departures from the first heat when 455 Shane Kennard clipped the kerb on the exit of turn four and 235 Paul Harris retired on the back straight.  617 Christina Sillifant stormed clear at the front, whilst the chasing pack consisted of 149 Dan Curtis, 77 Tom Larcombe and 415 Sean Gillett.  Larcombe and Curtis clashed, which saw Curtis spun to the infield and Larcombe shown the black cross which was later upgraded to a two place docking.  Gillett continued the pursuit, and when Sillifant slowed in backmarking traffic, he closed dramatically, but Sillifant took the chequered by a car’s length.  The second heat began with 779 Ross Sweetland building a substantial lead for himself.  79 Brian Edmond ran in second place for many laps, with 913 Ashley Bates and Larcombe trying to find a way past.  Further drama ensued, when 285 Martin Walker’s engine began to smoke wildly.  As some of the grid struggled for grip, 944 Callum Hosie cut through the group disputing second place, and was instantly on the trail of Sweetland.  Under pressure for the last couple of laps, Sweetland just held on to take a narrow win.  Heat three brought Sillifant her second win of the afternoon, but behind her there was an explosive finish, with Gillett extremely unfortunate to be spun out of a crowded bundle of drivers.  Gillett was fired into the parked car of 286 Martin Walker Jnr, as a regrettable outcome of three abreast bunching.  Another shower just before the final gave drivers a damp track to race on, and that provided plenty of encouragement for 982 Sophie Daughtrey.  She led the early stages with Sillifant unable to get close.  As the race moved into its second half, Larcombe emerged as the main threat to the two lady racers, and after passing Sillifant, he claimed second place ahead of a charge through the last three laps which brought him on to the tail of Daughtrey.  In a frantic last lap, Daughtrey defended the lead, to win by half a car’s length.  During the post-race interview, the lady racer confirmed the win was her first ever in ten years of racing Ministox and Stock Rods.  The emotion of the moment overwhelmed her, which triggered some joyful tears and plenty of cheers from the spectator bankings.

Back 2 Basics Bangers

An entertaining opening race saw drivers contest a Chained Pairs event.  873 Beau Carlton-Barnes and 37 Ernie Stuart looked well clear until they became disconnected and were disqualified.  That duly left 988 Ryan Thomas and 165 Graham Middlewood in the lead, and they saw out the closing laps to clinch the win.  For the next race, drivers raced anti-clockwise, which led to a rollover for 69 Austin James.  When the race resumed, 96 Harley Carr-Flamank overhauled Thomas, to score a convincing win.  The Back 2 Basics Bangers final became an attritional race as drivers dropped out of the running, to leave just Stuart and 24 Matt Taylor as the last pair of drivers still running, and they finished in that order.  A short and sweet DD saw Carr-Flamank smash into his traveling mate James on two occasions, and after Middlewood stopped 816 Josh Taylor with a head-on, the Taylor car then caught fire bringing a premature close to the event, with Middlewood a fine winner of a hard-hitting contest.