Photos: 1-6 Dave Bastock, 7-12 Ant Jenkins, 13-21 Matt Bull, 22-27 Kevin Wickham, 28-33 Andy Crayford, 34-40 Colin Casserley

Report: Mark Paulson

The opening day of the national stock car racing season began in traditional fashion with the Adrian Flux Arena hosting the first 2024 World Championship qualifying round for BriSCA Formula Two stock cars. It drew a fine entry of cars, as did the supporting Saloon Stock Cars and 1300cc Stock Cars. Local driver #543 Connor Blake had the night of his career so far, winning the F2 final, while #9 Harley Thackra took the Aaron Patch Memorial race. #389 Ryan Santry won the Charlene Kingston Memorial race for Saloon Stock Cars, while #502 Tyler Bloomfield was the 1300cc main event winner. 

BriSCA Formula Two

The 73-car turnout required three heats. Before the first, racers, officials and spectators observed a minute's applause in memory of Aaron Patch, the regular F2 shale racer who tragically died suddenly at the age of 34 shortly before Christmas, and long-time fan Gerry Cole.

The first heat featured Aaron's younger brother #388 Ash Patch, as well as #323 Alex Potts in the car Aaron had raced so accomplishedly. Both unforutnately suffered in the difficult conditions early in the meeting that were an inevitable result of the extreme rainfall suffered for the preceding week. #527 James Riggall quickly made progress through the field to challenge #209 Kev Cope for the lead, but when the two tangled in the closing stages, #801 Jack Cave came through to take the win from Riggall and veteran racer #70 Brian Shadbolt.

A lengthy track grade before heat two produced much improved conditions and significantly higher speeds. Local driver #43 Marcus Gilbert was untroubled out front, even after a caution period with five laps remaining. #129 Charley Tomblin  was unable to challenge and had to settle for second with #47 Greg McKenzie third. World champion #7 Gordon Moodie made good progress in the late stages to take fifth.

#597 Barry Clow led the early stages of heat three before being caught by #113 Pat Issitt. But Issitt wasn't going to have it easy; he briefly got ahead, only to be hit hard into a spin by Clow. That let #69 Ben Chalkley into an impressively early lead from his star-grade start. While Clow spun down the order, Chalkley was untroubled out front, winning from #992 Harley Burns, track champion #414 Josh Rayner and silver-top #183 Charlie Guinchard.

A busy track of 36 cars contested the consolation, which was unsurprisingly punctuated by a couple of caution periods. Clow edged clear from #393 Danny McCarthy, with #606 Andrew Palmer charging into second. Palmer's challenge on McCarthy delayed both though, letting #647 Chris Burgoyne into second, only for the Scot to spin on the back straight. He was collected by Palmer and and the latter's namesake #24 Jon Palmer, one of a number of West Country visitors, significantly delaying all three. After the second caution, Clow got turned around, with #543 Connor Blake moving ahead from visiting Scotsman #3 Liam Rennie and #39 Tom Bradley. Rennie and Bradley then worked their way in ahead and held off Blake to the flag. A rare visit from West Midlander #700 Adam Rubery was rewarded with fourth ahead of Dutch drivers H248 Wout Hoffmans and H249 Mick Verlaan. Both Palmers also managed to make the cut.

Thirty-nine of the 40 qualifiers took their places in the final. As Moodie and #968 Micky Brennan tangled at the back of the field, dropping off the lead lap, Blake shot into the lead, which he held onto after a caution period. #136 Kyle Taylor pushed past Gilbert for second, and survived an attack from Burns, who was then dispatched into the wall by the swarming pack. #47 Greg McKenzie grabbed third before half-distance and then moved into second as the top three opened a big advantage over the rest. Out front, Blake belied his white-grade status, clearly gelling with his new car as he demonstrated terrific pace. McKenzie and Taylor could not live with him, and Blake duly scorched to a maiden final win which earns a swift promotion to the yellow grade. Behind McKenzie and Taylor, Guinchard, Rayner and Rennie completed the top six, with Moodie managing seventh and heat winner Chalkley ninth.

An incredible 47 cars took part in the grand national, held in memory of Aaron Patch, wihich had a terrific purse provided by many generous sponsors. Unsurprisingly, it was pretty chaotic, with multiple cautions. Barry Clow did much of the early leading but, among the star men, Moodie looked a strong contender until he got stuck behind a spun car after one of the cautions. It was #9 Harley Thackra who eventually relieved Clow of the lead, pushing past just before half-distance, having already demoted Taylor from second. But Taylor hit straight back to take the lead on the next corner, while McKenzie took third when #618 Ben Lockwood was delayed by a backmarker. Taylor continued to lead until he had trouble lapping the delayed Chalkley in the closing stages. That allowed Thackra back onto his tail, and the youngster pushed past and into the lead with one lap to go, with McKenzie following through. Thackra held on to win the magnificent trophy ahead of McKenzie and Taylor, while Rennie (superstar), #233 Toby Partridge (yellow) and #597 Barry Clow (white) also won trophies for being best placed in their grades. Similarly H186 Ricardo Schmidt (best overseas) and #116 Courtney Smith (best female) were also rewarded.

 

Saloon Stock Cars

There were nearly 40 of the big Saloons present, including a debut for fourth-generation driver #226 Bleu Barnes. The opening heat was for white and yellow graded drivers, with 15 cars on track. It was dominated by #333 Dan Weavers in his very smart car, winning by more than half a lap from #192 Robert Heanes and #370 Rowan Venni. Scottish visitor #631 Peter Low drove a strong race to fourth place.

The big names joined the fray for the 30-car heat two, with plenty of the hard-hitting action Saloons are renowned for. #151 Levi List hit the front as the white-tops tangled, but it was #48 Brad Dyer back ahead by the time of a caution for #214 Tom Yould's smouldering car. Dyer then traded the lead with #760 Joey Reynolds for a few laps before Reynolds motored clear for victory. National points champion #349 Michael Allard was tipped into a half-spin as he challenged Dyer on the last lap, but he managed to push Dyer into an infield marker tyre as he got back into shape. The quickly recovered Allard was then spun again on the run to the flag as #389 Ryan Santry came through to second from #156 Darren Goudy.

A fast-paced heat three ran from flag to flag without stoppages and brought a win for #131 Timmy Barnes. The lower graders were quickly overhauled by those from the rear half of the grid, with #561 Aaron Totham hitting the front. He was chased by #341 Austen Freestone until the King's Lynn local got embroiled in some battles. But Barnes was on a charge and got himself ahead, with Totham holding on to second from #389 Ryan Santry. Allard's tough night continued when he was tipped into another spin.

The Charlene Kingston Memorial final produced a superb race befitting the title. The early lead was disputed by Low and Banger convert #474 Michael Kent before they crashed out. That handed the advantage to #399 Cole Atkins, with Freestone hot on his heels. The pair traded the lead before Barnes chase them down and joined in. He dived inside to briefly move ahead, but that created a gap for Santry to pass the lot. Freestone swiftly got back inside to lead and then built a small margin as a huge scrap developed behind. Allard got into second before Santry got back in front, and the pair managed to reel Freestone back in. They both got ahead with two laps to go, and Santry went on to win, from Allard and Barnes. The trio and leading white-top Kent received their trophies from the Kingston family, with all agreeing it was a "proper stock car race." Freestone, Goudy and Atkins completed the top six. 

1300cc Stock Cars

The 1300s' white and yellow opener fielded 17 cars, with experienced racer #412 Jordan Gay making light of the difficult early conditions to win from the ultra-smart new car of #382 Joe Bamford and #83 Darren Smith.

Heat one proper had 26 cars and went to the way of #401 Riley Shinn, who built up a good early lead. Fellow white top #502 Tyler Bloomfield was second ahead of veteran campaigner #670 John Moat.

Heat two produced an intriguing finish as Moat held off his son #573 Shane Moat. Both were in new cars, Moat Sr in a hastily finished Fiesta, and Junior piloting a smartly presented Vauxhall Tigra B. #460 Garry Lusher did much of the early leading before Moat Sr got in front, followed by his son. After a caution, it took only a lap for Shane to get in front, but another lap and his father was back ahead. They remained in that order, with #401 Riley Shinn also in the mix, but pipped to third by superstar #167 Jimmy Morris.

Bloomfield never looked like being beaten in the final as he scorched to a dominant win. Morris worked his way through from the back, passing Lusher and #149 Todd Payne in the closing laps en route to second, while #450 Luke Jackson followed in his wake to claim third.

 

This meeting is on Speedhive/ MyLaps

 

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1	801	527	70	34	186	979	209	H139	259	915
Heat 2	43	129	47	7	H186	386	336	618	707	217
Heat 3	69	992	414	183	9	995	968	136	103	926
Consolation	3	39	543	700	H248	H249	24	606	542	H449
Final	543	47	136	183	414	3	7	700	69	618
Grand National	9	47	136	3	129	618	414	H186	103	995
Saloon Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1 (W&Y)	333	192	370	631	151	177	474	226	137	236
Heat 2	760	389	156	131	341	120	238	151	161	26
Heat 3	131	561	389	129	341	26	730	474	525	618
Final	389	349	131	341	156	399	26	238	120	730
1300cc Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Whites & Yellows	412	382	83	191	30	460	209	401	13	nof
Heat 1	401	502	673	535	83	167	473	149	30	671
Heat 2	673	573	167	401	535	460	450	502	904	382
Final	502	167	450	149	460	13	671	535	30	08