The two shale experts on the front row must have fancied their chances, especially with some of the other favoured runners a little further back. But the four yellow tops on the first four rows were there on merit and would not be pushovers. Lurking just behind them, the irrepressible Speak would definitely be in the thick of it. Sadly, local youngster Ollie Skeels was excluded from taking up his starting slot for excessive speed over the infield in his previous race, combined with alleged abusive language towards an official.

With time moving on, there was little pre-race build up and only a single rolling lap. Shaw burst into an immediate lead but was turned across the bows of his pursuers, leading to a big pile-up on the first bend. The canny Speak dived underneath to move straight into the lead before a caution period was required to clear up the carnage. Sadly, after impressing all evening, Rogers was one of six cars eliminated on the spot, but most of the leading runners had made it through relatively unscathed. Shaw recovered to line up second in the queue, ahead of Palmer, Turiccki, Goldin, Bradbury and Wagner – the latter three having already made good progress – all acknowledged shale experts.

When the green flag flew, Speak put the hammer down and started to pull a gap as Shaw slipped backwards, passed first by Palmer before Turiccki, Wagner, Bradbury and Goldin also went by. Palmer quickly caught Speak and attacked him. He got through but Speak fought straight back past. But with Turiccki now on their tails, the 186 car managed to slip inside the pair of them to take up the running. In such a big field of cars, backmarkers will always have a role to play, and Turiccki was unlucky to get caught up in a melee on bend one. That allowed Speak back into the lead and proceeded Turiccki’s retirement a lap later. The incident had left a heavy marker tyre on the racing line and it looked like another period of waved yellows may be necessary. But the unfortunate 662 Steve Wycherley clobbered it, ripping a wheel off in the process but also taking the wreckage, including his own and Coleman’s cars, out to the fence, clearing the inside line and allowing the race to continue.

Meantime, Speak was pulling out a gap and it was starting to look like the rest were fighting for second. Bradbury had taken up that position and managed to hold off Wagner and Goldin all the way to the flag. He couldn’t catch Speak though, who drove the remaining laps with speed and control to race to the title and evoke memories of his 1990s heyday. Although he had hoped for better, Bradbury couldn’t be disappointed to finish second in a spectacular race, especially after the way his night had started. For Wagner, third was a repeat of his placing at last September’s World of Shale Championship at the same venue, while Goldin just missed out on what would have been his seventh top-three in the British Championship.

Also in action on Saturday night were the Brisca Formula One stock cars in a world qualifying round and, completing an all-Brisca line-up, the under-16s in their Ministox. A mid-40s turnout of F1s led to a full-format meeting being run, plus a whites-and-yellows race to kick off proceedings. That was won with a red-and-chequered finish by the flying Dutchman H231 Daniel van Spijker from top rookie 245 Carl Swift and perennial entertainer 307 Tim Warwick.

The first heat proper fielded slightly fewer than half the field. 515 Frankie Wainman Jr found himself taken in so hard on bend three that his wing detached itself on one side and folded down beside his car. He dragged it round for a short distance but pulled off as yellow flags came out to assist 223 Garry Townsend. 388 Paul Ford led away the restart and started to pull a gap as third-placed 496 Neil Holcroft spun. The leading red-top at this stage was 191 Josh Smith who was making rapid progress through the field. Yellow flags were soon called for again though as 259 Paul Hines and 53 John Lund tangled and went hard into the fence. The former was hooked up on it, while the latter became the second driver to dislodge his wing in a matter of minutes, although in Lund’s case it simply turned around. Ford again led them away but with four laps to go Smith pushed him wide to take the lead. However, unfortunately he sustained a puncture in the processes which saw him drop back again. Through the commotion came the World Champion 1 Lee Fairhurst, belying his lack of experience at King’s Lynn to take the win. 51 Dylan Williams-Maynard also forced his way through to second, while Ford hung on for third. Smith meanwhile was shedding great chunks of rubber but did manage to hang on to eighth place.

A larger number of 26 cars were in the second heat which was less eventful but did see big names 84 Tom Harris and 150 Mick Sworder caught up in a pile-up, leading to the latter’s retirement. Out front, van Spijker drover an excellent race to dominate and take his second win of the night, only to lose it when he failed to take his car to be weighed immediately afterwards. That was unfortunate but at least he would get the chance to try and make it three out of three (on the road at least) in the consolation. Instead 2 Paul Harrison took the win from the impressively fast 4 Dan Johnson and 21 Mark Gilbank, with British Champion 55 Craig Finnikin fourth.

Lots of big names were left to qualify through the consolation, including both Wainman brothers, Sworder, Lund and Hines. Sworder pulled off immediately to continue a miserable night, while the slippery conditions caught out both van Spijker and 377 Jamie Jackson who pirouetted almost in synchronisation at the head of the field. The latter kept hold of the lead until repeating the feat a lap later, this time leading to a caution period, with 97 Murray Harrison retiring from the lead. Heading the queue at the restart were 394 Chris Claire and 212 Danny Wainman. Claire did a superb job in his day-glo car to hold Wainman off for several laps as the pair pulled away from the rest. Even when Wainman did find a way through, Claire fought back to regain the lead. Danny wasn’t about to let him get away with that though, putting him away hard. The squabble had allowed Junior Wainman and Lund to catch up, having had their own battle. As Danny pulled away from the recovered Claire, Frankie put the bumper in, but only succeeded in taking them both wide before riding up over Claire’s car. Both were delayed and ended up sixth and seventh, as 12 Michael Scriven passed Lund for second. Wainman’s win was his first in an F1 at Lynn and came after a blow-out had taken him out of the running in his heat.

Almost a full field returned for the final, where the blue grade jumped the first attempt to start the race. After that, there were no further stoppages and so we were treated to a very fast-paced raced on the quickly drying track. On a night where there were many punctures, Finnikin, who had won the first final of the year here, was to suffer this time, while Ford was also unlucky to retire from the lead. Johnson showed prodigious pace whilst picking his way through the field to claim his second meeting final from the last three outings at Lynn. Scriven was second with Fairhurst third, showing that he can’t be discounted from defending his title when the World Final is staged at the Norfolk Arena in September. Paul Harrison, Norfolk’s own 16 Matt Newson and 94 John Dowson completed the top six.

Things finally went Sworder’s way in the grand national as he came out on top of a massive field to finally take what seems to be his customary win at Saddlebow Road. The hard-hitting race featured multiple pile ups and a couple of suspensions, the second in part to ensure 263 James Tucker left the raceway having had his rear bumper completely ripped off. Sworder pulled away for a comfortable win which he dedicated to his son Charlie, who he thought had been unfairly docked places in the Minsistox final. 335 Mark Woodhull and Harris had a good scrap over second, until Johnson mugged the pair of them, claiming an impressive second from the full lap handicap, while Newson also came through for third.

The youngsters in the Ministox again provided plenty of good racing. Heat wins went to 8 Catherine Harris and Leicestershire’s 242 Joe Nickolls. They, along with 152 Charlie Sworder dominated proceedings, results-wise, and it would be those three who battled for the final. Sworder took the flag but was docked two places for jumping the start, allowing Harris to complete a heat and final double, with Nickolls second.

The F1s return to action at King’s Lynn in five weeks’ time, 29 June, while the F2s now have a long hiatus at the track – not returning until the night before the F1 World Final, 20 September. In the meantime, the meetings come thick and fast for the big 2-litre saloon stock cars and the rest of Trackstar’s domestic formulae.