Report: Mark Paulson

Pics: Holly Nash

Lakenheath’s Tom Fox secured the UK Championship for Micro Bangers at King’s Lynn on Saturday night (1 October) after a determined drive on a wet track. Essex-based Lee White was crowned King of the Fens in Two-Litre (non-Mondeo Bangers) and Middlesbrough’s Sam Wagner won the BriSCA F2 meeting final – that after Derbyshire racer Jake Walker had won the White & Yellow Grade Series Final.

Micro Bangers

The wet weather obviously put some drivers off from the expected entry of around 100 cars, but there was still an impressive figure of more than 80 in action, headed by defending champion 337 Ashley Garrod.

A last-chance qualifier was first up, with 43 cars on track providing the Micros’ usual brand of carnage. 666 Kieran Challis led the early stages until 20 Phil Clarke took over. Initially under pressure from 375 Alex Hensby, he held sway until three from home when 218 Darren Cardy moved in front. Cardy held on to take the win, with 851 Adam Storr passing Clarke just before the flag. The top 12 all advanced to the big race, joined by top entertainer 51 James Licquorice.

There were 35 for the UK Championship, with the Incarace draw leaving 282 Bobby Daniels and 185 Dave Bonnett on the front row. Third row starter 55 Ricky Ivatt hit the front when the green flag fell and was leading after one lap from 322 Tom Fox, 691 Ryan Bartrum and defending champion Garrod when a stoppage was called. In the next stage of the race, Garrod was blasted by 247 Jon Bailey, and though he survived, his car was left in sorry state, crabbing along. A home straight wrecking train involving Licquorice, 634 Ben Green and Hensby then led to another red flag, with Ivatt still leading from Fox, and World of Shale Champion 88 Lyndon Stark up to third. A pile-up at the end of the home straight claimed many and saw Ivatt held up, allowing Stark into the lead. However, Ivatt fought straight back, before both were delayed in the first-bend pile-up. That let Fox into the lead which he kept until the end, to take his first major title, winning from 37 Dave Lewis and 99 Ricky Ivatt.

Three allcomers races followed. The first fielded around 45 cars, with the predictable carnage ensuing. However, it ran from flag to flag without a stoppage and was dominated by 175 Karl Corsby. He celebrated his success by following in 821 Ryan Preston after the flag. The second was stopped when one of the Team Bilge outfit took a pounding at the end of the home straight, with the resumption led much of the way by team-mate 133 Damien Whall. He was passed by Storr and 830 Lee White, with White then pushing Storr wide to take the win. Corsby then doubled-up by taking the third allcomers race too, coming home ahead of White and 514 Charlie Taylor.

Two-Litre Bangers

A disappointing 21-car entry of Two-Litre Bangers included two rear-wheel drive motors: 551 Brett Jackson returned his Mk3 Granada from the World of Shale, while 170 Chris Shipp piloted a BMW 3-Series. 407 Sean O’Neill led the way in heat one until being taken out by 604 Ross Cooper, allowing 830 Lee White – one of many drivers doubling-up in both classes – to come through for the win. Heat two was a quiet race led by 352 Ben Mynott until he slowed and pulled off with four laps to go. That handed the lead to 79 Ricky Twell and he went on to win, celebrating with a follow-in on 220 Tom Pavitt after the chequered flag. The 11-car final was started with grades closed up, and had to be stopped for a brief fire on board Twell’s machine. Defending champion 11 Ryan Leeks led away the restart but White nudged past in a decisive move to take the win. Brothers 339 Jack and 337 Ashley Garrod followed past with two laps to go to complete the trophy placings, with Cooper then outlasting the opposition to win the destruction derby.

BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars

A few cancellations in the week of the meeting were no doubt related to the poor weather forecast, and left 39 F2s in the pits, one of which – 259 Simon Farrington – failed to race on the night. Among their number was 7 Gordon Moodie, making his second consecutive appearance at the track, this time hiring the Stefan Millar machine rather than using his own venerable motor.

Heat one doubled-up as the White & Yellow Grade Series Final, with 15 qualifiers in action. 235 Bradley Blyth led them away before 26 Gary Ford hit the front, as there were several spins in the difficult conditions. Ford led from 55 Courtney Finnikin and 417 Allan Weston but when the leader half-spun, Weston dumped Finnikin wide to take up the running, with 925 Paul Wilson following through. Weston then spun and was clipped by Wilson, but with Finnikin having been pushed wide by sole red-top 298 Jake Walker just moments earlier, it allowed the latter into the lead before half-distance. The race then settled down, with Ford eventually relieving Finnikin of second with two-and-a-half laps to go. The lady racer clipped the back straight wall a lap later, allowing 662 Steve Wycherley pas for third. So Walker took the flag well clear of Ford and Wycherley, with Weston just beating Finnikin to fourth.

The remainder went in heat two, from which another eight cars would qualify for the final. After 282 Ant Riley led early on, 13 Andy Ford took control before being passed just after half-distance by 38 Dave Polley. When Polley clipped a parked car it allowed Ford and 606 Andrew Palmer onto his tail, and although Polley recovered, Palmer was able to move into second before Ford dropped back further. Polley went on to win from Palmer and 788 Stephen Mallinson.

The 21-car consolation was due to provide 14 finalists but in the end only nine cars finished. 630 Justin Parker led them away, before being relieved of the lead by 108 John Riley. 735 Mick Haworth had climbed up and over 283 Gary Allen’s car right at the start and could only be freed when yellow flags were called to allow a safe exit for 905 Rob Mitchell who had tangled with Andy Ford a couple of laps later. Riley continued to lead but 103 Carl Issitt was relentlessly picking his way through and took up the running before half-distance. Moodie was also making good progress and dived inside Riley for second with three laps to go but something appeared to break as they came together, forcing the Scotsman to limp home in sixth. 81 Matt Clayton passed the pair as they tangled, but Riley recovered for third.

Just 22 cars returned for the final, with Moodie then pulling off on the rolling lap. Riley bumped his way past Parker at the end of the first lap to take the lead, as further back, 225 Tony Blackburn was scything through the field until he clipped a marker tyre and spun. Riley continued to lead from Parker, Finnikin and Gary Ford. Next came Weston until the conditions caught him out, as he fishtailed down the straight, leaving the following Wycherley and Palmer with nowhere to go and resulting in them all hitting a marker tyre and bouncing into the fence in a big heap. The latter pair’s races were ended, and Palmer’s hopes of snatching the King’s Lynn track championship crown for the first time since 2011 also took a fatal blow. Meanwhile, 136 Kyle Taylor had come to grief on the exit of bend four which brought out yellow flags with Riley leading from Parker and Finnikin, who had the lapped Mallinson between them. Mallinson quickly got himself back on the lead lap as Parker spun, before Gary Ford shunted Finnikin into Riley which delayed all three. 823 Sam Wagner took the chance to dive into the lead from Walker and Ford as the race reached half-distance. Walker did his best to keep Wagner honest, enjoying a brief spell in front before Wagner hit back. Behind them, 871 Mark Simpson passed Ford for third, with Polley then spinning the Yorkshireman to take fourth. That became second when Walker and Simpson tangled out, as Wagner held on to take the win. Webster followed Polley home in third, clinching the track championship in the process.

The conditions had taken their toll by the time of the allcomers race, with just 14 cars remaining. Finnikin led the opening half of the race, her advantage building when Blackburn and 597 Barry Clow tangled. But she ran wide at half-distance, allowing Walker into a lead he wouldn’t lose. Polley and Simpson eventually also demoted her, while Moodie managed his best result of the night in sixth and Wagner coming home seventh from the lap handicap.