Photos: 1 - 12 Dave Bastock, 13 - 21 Major Gilbert, 22 - 33 Kevin Wickham, 34 - 45 Colin Casserley, 46 - 57 Jim Harrod

Report: Mark Paulson

 

The first BriSCA Formula One meeting of 2023 at King's Lynn produced an entertaining night's racing with #587 Sam Brigg putting misfortune in the second half of last season behind him to return to his early-2022 form and take a commanding victory in the main event. A fine entry of Saloon Stocks thrilled with their usual all-action style as world champion #349 Michael Allard claimed and heat-and-final double. Ministox completed the bill, with #425 Boden Murfin winning their final.

BriSCA F1 Stock Cars

A decent turnout of 31 cars defied some naysayers' negative expectations for the Big League season opener. First up was the 2022 White & Yellow Grade Series Final, doubling up as heat one in a two-from-three format. An entertaining race began with #268 Richard Woods diving between the leading white graders and triggering a pile-up behind, only to run wide and let #303 Karl Whiteman back ahead. When Whiteman spun, it was #415 Russell Cooper who took over briefly, only for #93 Sam Makim to get inside. Makim held on for a few laps only to spin himself, and with Woods also pulling off, it let #120 Casey Englestone ahead. After a caution period with two laps to run, Englestone ran wide, letting #502 Ricky Wilson power past with better traction off the bend. But a lap later, Wilson was caught out on the second bend. Cooper and Englestone went through, with Englestone then pushing past on the final bend to take the win in his smarttly revamped car. Cooper had picked up a puncture and spun out, letting Makim take second, but Cooper recovered for third. Birthday boy Cooper then had more to smile about when he was presented with a birthday cake in addition to his trophy!

Wilson almost immediately hit the front of heat two but #55 Craig Finnikin was absolutely flying and was fourth behind Wilson, #457 Callum Gill and #463 James Morris when a caution was required to assist #115 Craig McLoughlin who had been collected. It didn't take Finnikin long to work his way through to the front before half distance, with #16 Mat Newson and #446 Joe Booth following into second and third. Finnikin looked set for a dominant victory only to get caught out by a backmarker tangle and spin out. That gave Newson the lead and he went on to win. Booth appeared to have a massive blow up with three laps to go but managed to nurse the car home second. BriSCA Formula Two world champion #138 Dave Polley, having his first outing in BriSCA F1, punted Wilson wide for what became third.

A heavy shower before heat three made the opening laps trick for a fairly thin field. Amazingly, blue top #326 Mark Sargent hit the front by the back straight on lap one. He then traded the lead with #587 Sam Brigg before Finnikin and Newson powered through after an early caution period. The two lookd set for a comfortable race until both began to hit trouble late on. Finnikin nursed his smoking car home for the win but Newson lost second to Brigg. #20 Liam Gilbank was fourth as Sargent slipped to fifth.

Twenty-three cars returned for the final, with Finnikin among them although sadly his car wouldn't last long. #392 Lewis Evans quickly hit the front before slowing to retirement and letting Englestone ahead. His lead didn't last long as Brigg got inside and proceeded to build a big advantage. Englestone briefly lost second to Cooper before fighting back in traffic. Brigg's lead was wiped out when a fire underneath #499 Marc Clayton's car caused a race suspension. But, with Dutch visitor H112 Arjan Ligthart providing a cushion at the restart, Brigg was able to streak clear and complete a comprehensive win. Englestone was spun out by #463 James Morris on the final lap, but Morris then lost out to #20 Liam Gilbank and Newson on the last bend.

#545 Will Adams got an early break in the grand national before being caught and passed by Gill just before half-distance. Finnikin was again in form and shoved Adams wide for second with four laps to go, but he was unable to catch hometown man Gill who took his maiden win in the formula. Adams held third ahead of Morris and Newson who was delayed by an early tangle on the back straight.

2L Saloon Stock Cars

Also running in a two-from-three format, were the two-litre Saloon Stock Cars, already making their second appearance of the season at the track. The opening race, for white and yellow grade drivers, was held on a very greasy track after the rain suffered at the venue on Friday. Amid a chaotic few laps of spins, it was newcomer #211 Will Cole who held the lead and raced to victory ahead of #40 Jake Stringer and experienced 1300cc pilot #167 Jimmy Morris, returning to the bigger formula and rear-wheel-drive machinery.

The blues, reds and champions joined the fray for a 29-car field in heat two. #250 Sam Parrin led the early stages but blue graders #238 Alfie Aldous and #760 Joey Reynolds were the men on the move. As Parrin suffered a couple of spins, Aldous moved ahead. But, after Aldous had spun #600 Barry Russell earlier, Russell retaliated by turning the leader around. That let Reynolds ahead but Aldous quickly recovered to second. The youngster and multi-champion #349 Michael Allard demoted Reynolds once more, and then Allard pushed Aldous wide to take a decisive lead. Reynolds was pipped to third on the line by #329 Kegan Sampson.

Another packed field contested heat three with Cole again looking good as he spun hire-car driver #841 Jack Ansell (winner of the Banger final here last week) from the lead. #399 Cole Atkins made rapid early progress and quickly rose to second before taking the lead when Aldous rejoined in front of the leaders, and Cole was fired into the marker tyres. Atkins was being chased by #389 Ryan Santry, #131 Timmy Barnes and #26 Tommy Barnes. The younger Barnes moved into second and then spun Atkins out, only to get caught behind the #399 car. That let Santry, Tommy Barnes and Allard through with a third of the race to run. Tommy Barnes was set to launch an attack on Santry, only to get caught out by a backmarker mid-corner. That gave Santry the breathing space he needed and he marched to victory ahead of Tommy, Allard and Timmy.

Parrin and Cole traded the lead of the 30-car final before Cole was spun by the backmarking Tommy Barnes. That handed Parrin a healthy lead from Timmy Barnes, Allard and the returning #218 Jacob Downey. Barnes quickly caught Parrin and pushed past with Allard following through with around five laps to go. Allard shadowed Barnes over the remaining laps and was able to pounce when Downey hit trouble in front of them under the scoreboard. So the 2022 world champion took his second win of the night ahead of the 2021 world champion and #319 Richard Regan. Allard spoke for all when he said: "Brilliant racing. The tack's been pukka tonight considering the weather."

Ministox

A good showing of nearly 30 Ministox ran all-in. #220 George Englestone led away the opening heat, with #269 Freddie Rogers working his way into second. But #611 Jamie Hanson was scything through from the superstar grade, reaching third within a few laps. After a caution period, the pair demoted Englestone who then slipped back and retired, but Rogers continued to hold off Hansen. After another caution, Rogers repelled Hanson's last-bend lunge in a two-lap dash to the flag, with #155 Archie Grindey making third.

Englestone again built a commanding lead in heat two and this time he held it all the way to the flag, bringing a popular maiden win for the local white top. Rogers knocked #213 Mia-Louise Rogers wide for second and closed Englestone down but wasn't quite close enough to connect with a last-bend lunge.

Once again it was Englestone clear out front in the final. This time he was caught out when #55 Freya Finnikin rode the back straight wall and came back down into his path. That handed Freddie Rogers the lead only for his car to pack up. #51 Joelan Maynard briefly moved in front but was shoved by #64 Sam Critchley, which took both cars wide and allowed #223 Toby Partridge and #425 Boden Murfin to move ahead. After a caution period, the order didn't change until the final lap. With a backmarker in front of the leaders, Partridge had to take a shallow line into the final bend, playing into Murfin's hands. Murfin's last-bend lunge duly shifted Partridge wide and allowed him to win. Critchley and Maynard completed the top four.

 

BriSCA F1 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
Heat 1	120	93	415	45	457	502	H112	548	345	nof
Heat 2	16	446	138	463	526	335	326	457	545	20	502	124
Heat 3	55	587	16	20	326	463	120	415	H112	nof
Final	587	20	16	463	335	93	415	185	H112	345	nof
Grand National	457	55	545	463	16	185	335	587	526	H112	381	415
2L Saloon Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1	211	40	167	328	316	261	H40	52	100	562
Heat 2	349	238	329	760	389	26	319	116	131	570
Heat 3	389	26	349	131	525	116	730	319	561	211
Final	349	131	319	250	730	525	238	399	341	561
Ministox	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1	269	611	155	51	732	425	223	64	21	200
Heat 2	220	269	105	183	732	223	200	43	425	64
Final	425	223	64	51	183	105	732	155	711	231