A thoroughly packed day of multiple races and a bulging pit area rammed with drivers produced a deluge of entertainment.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
With a disappointing sprinkling of no-shows, the entry of F2s was rather modest, and led to a two from three heat format. The opening heat brought a comprehensive win for 315 Charlie Fisher. Early on, 895 Ben Goddard relieved 856 Jamie Cocks of the lead, but Fisher hunted Goddard down and swept by with three laps to go. Further down the order, 418 Ben Borthwick, 542 Steven Gilbert and 213 Tom Bennett produced an exciting battle for the minor places. 128 Jake Ralfs stormed to a straightforward win in heat two. Ralfs sped away from the front of the grid and was untroubled on his way to the chequered flag. 121 Vinnie Neath-Rogers was a little way behind, but still clear in second place. Heat three was a competitive contest. Ralfs led a long way, until a clutch of blue tops swept past, with 468 Sam Weston and 736 Josh Weare the first to get ahead. Weare continued to chase but was never able to get close enough to mount a telling challenge, and thus Weston was victorious. There was only one driver absent from the grid for the Voice of Autospeed Trophy final which was to result in an absolutely stunning climax. In traditional fashion, ahead of the race, an excerpt of Bill Dalley’s commentary was played over the PA system. The cars then set off and 856 Jamie Cocks set the pace. He was subsequently relegated by Ralfs and in turn, 605 Richie Andrews had just got into the lead when the race was suspended on lap eleven with 870 Bruno Farrell stranded on the exit of turn two. That closed the grid for the single file restart, and whilst Andrews pulled clear, he was reeled in by Borthwick who took over as the lap boards appeared. However, Borthwick was himself being chased by Bennett and Fisher. That was the order entering the final lap, and indeed the final bend, when Bennett dived at Borthwick, edging him wide. Just as Bennett looked to have grabbed the lead, Fisher almost stole past on the inside line. In a sprint to the line, Bennett held on by the narrowest of margins in a phenomenally exciting finish. The top three drivers then completed their lap of honour with a ride in one of the super smart lorries from sponsors Steve Wills Haulage. Ralfs scored a second win in the Grand National, leaving the rest trailing in his wake as he continued a fine start to the new season.
National Micro Bangers
A dozen small cars made for a peculiar first heat. The race went almost the whole distance without incident before huge amount of crashing in turn one. 166 Luke Gillbard bundled 366 Ian Mills into the fence, which triggered a train. 648 Jamie Smith stormed into Mills, before being clobbered by 82 Joe Gingell. Next in was 773 Blossom Congdon, followed by 6 Troy Jones who had just taken the chequered flag on his track debut. Second place finisher 662 Jared Roe was fired towards the wreckage by 208 Kieran Barrett, before Luke Gillbard completed the crashing by parking in the back of Jones. Another destructive race followed as Roe buried 254 Brandon Blight, and the two were joined at speed by 266 Scott Gillbard. Race leader Barrett then blasted the static Roe car. Barrett was declared the race winner, with Scott Gillbard the only other finisher. Luke Gillbard led home his brother Scott, Smith and Congdon in a five lap dash final, before the Destruction Derby began. Congdon was first to be eliminated and then came a bizarre incident with Smith parking up, and getting hit by Luke Gillbard. Then Scott Gillbard made it a three way shunt, but as the trio of cars trundled forward, his car went on fire. As he tried to exit the burning car, the other two drivers were oblivious, and they snaked their way into the turnstile bend. Eventually, Scott Gillbard had to jump free, leaving his car ablaze but snagged on his brother’s car. The fire was extinguished, and after a series of clashes, Luke Gillbard outlasted Smith to claim the win.
Bangers
A bumper entry of 50 drivers packed the pit area, and produced plenty of lively, speedy race action. Ministox graduate 390 Alfie Tomkins stormed to an emphatic victory in the opening heat, with his father, 290 Jay Tomkins, speeding through to second in the closing stages. When 556 Pete Hollis lost a wheel early in heat two as part of a multi-car crash on the back straight, the race was halted. 233 Riley McKnight led off the restart and became embroiled in a thrilling squabble with 153 Rhiannon Tavender and 786 Grant Harris. It was Harris who got ahead, with Tavender losing out despite a game and gallant attempt to challenge for the lead. The consolation began in spectacular fashion as 142 Tyler Brownless rolled over in turn four. For the re-run, a trio of white tops filled the first three places, as 551 Jack Belfield scored a maiden win, leading home 808 Damien Thomas and 777 Callum Congdon. Just as was the case in the heat, the Tomkins father and son duo filled the top two places in the final. Teenager Alfie Tomkins took command after Congdon and 193 Ollie Turner had led the early stages. Tomkins then defended his lead against a spirited challenge by Tavender. However, just when he looked to be away and gone, he tangled with Tavender and careered wildly on two wheels on the back straight before regaining his momentum. Whilst Jay Tomkins closed on his son in the latter stages, he was never in range to mount an attack. 81 Gary Emery completed the top three. 714 Ryan Sowden was involved in a rollover at the start of the Allcomers, but once that had been tidied up, Alfie Tomkins completed a hat-trick of wins, with 198 Owen Nichol the runner-up on this occasion.
Ministox
The first heat was only a few laps old when 770 Delilah Farrell got out of shape on the back straight which also caught out 718 Alfie Brown. 202 Cody Bradford made short work of the restart and won from 475 Mason Sealy, whilst 27 Leo Rabone spun 257 Kieran Hibberd on the dash to the line to steal third with metres to spare. Heat two was halted just after the midway point and resumed with a most untidy restart. Whilst Bradford hit the front quickly, it was all a little too quick, and he was subsequently docked four places for overtaking two cars before the green flag. That promoted 920 Wayne Wadge to first place, with Sealy and 559 Aiden Phillips rounding out the top three. In the final, Wadge attempted to challenge 710 Louie Stuckey for the lead, only to be spun inside out. That ended Wadge’s hopes, and Stuckey was duly penalised in the final result. Bradford bundled his way through to cross the line first, surviving a frantic last bend charge by Sealy who spun and dropped back to eighth. After some confusion caused by temperamental transponders, the top three was eventually settled as Bradford, 176 Jack Jones and Phillips.