Report: Mark Paulson
Pictures: Colin Casserley
Yorkshire’s finest, Frankie Wainman Jr, continued his fine start to 2016 in the BriSCA Formula One world qualifying round at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn, on Saturday night (30 April). Wainman looked the most likely victor all night and duly claimed the meeting final as well as two other top-four placings. Also in action were BriSCA Formula Two stock cars, where Lancashire’s Michael Lund was victorious, and Ministox, with Charlie Guinchard prevailing.
BriSCA Formula One Stock Cars
Forty-five cars were in attendance including a very impressive 27 lower graded drivers. That meant the White & Yellow grade non-points curtain raiser was open only to drivers who had not won a race on shale in 2016, and so raised 19 cars. 127 Austin Moore led from the start until five laps from home when he was passed by 280 Colin Nairn. Moore clung on to Nairn’s coat tails but was unable to fight back past, so Nairn won from Moore and 45 Nigel Harrhy, who was driving his tarmac car.
Heat one proper was led away by 75 Aaron Cozens as 445 Nigel Green was turned around on the home straight, delaying most of the red grade, and 515 Frankie Wainman Jr was then pushed wide by 318 Rob Speak. Cozens led for a couple of laps until he tangled with 28 Tom Boyer, one of the stars of the opening six weeks of the season, letting 244 Mick Rogers through. The White & Yellow grade champion stayed clear of a scrap between 231 Danny van Spijker and 446 Joe Booth (which ended in that order) to take the win. Wainman had risen to fifth place by halfway but seemed to struggle for pace a little thereafter, perhaps nursing some damage, eventually placing fourth. Fifth was 150 Mick Sworder, making his first appearance of the season, with 4 Dan Johnson sixth having tangled with 337 Dave Willis while battling for fourth.
Of the four white tops in heat two, novice 263 Chris Worrall started at the back, and Colin Nairn and 501 George Elwell immediately spun. That left 127 Austin Moore on his own out front. From there, he controlled the race to drive to not only his first win, but also his first points of 2016. Further back, yellow tops 25 Bradley Harrison and 45 Nigel Harrhy got hooked up, as did red tops 53 John Lund, 94 John Dowson Jr and 259 Paul Hines, significantly delaying all in the process. 22 Will Yarrow was the leading red graded driver for much of the race and worked his way into second, before being bumped wide by 16 Mat Newson with two laps to go. The local star could not catch the leader though, and Moore was clearly delighted with his victory.
Twenty-three cars returned for the consolation, including World Champion Speak who had retired from heat one with a puncture. Boyer led the opening laps until 198 Nigel Whalley took over, with the latter then building a big gap. It was a lead he wouldn’t relinquish, continuing the run of lower grade winners. Speak came home second ahead of 175 Karl Hawkins, Lund and Dowson who had risen to third before getting caught up in a tangle. Former World Champion 55 Craig Finnikin made it through in eighth after tangling with 313 Karl Roberts and Hines, with the latter suffering a broken thumb in the incident.
All but Yarrow, who was suffering clutch trouble, of the 32 qualifiers made it out for the final, although 36 Jordan Falding (ninth in his heat) pulled off early on. A home straight pile-up claimed a few as Boyer assumed an early lead before Nairn hit the front. The veteran led until halfway when Bradley Harrison moved ahead. By the time yellow flags were called a couple of laps later when the smartly-liveried 192 Luke Dennis clobbered the stranded Finnikin near the pit gate, the stars had made their way through the field. Harrison faced the daunting prospect of Sworder, Dowson, Speak, FWJ and Lund in his mirrors at the restart when without the yellows, he may have gone all the way. As it was, Dowson pulled off before the green. Sworder took the lead before Wainman passed both him and Harrison who then lost out to Speak too. Wainman had been having a ding-dong with Speak throughout and survived a big hit from the Manchester man before going on to take the win from Sworder. Newson had joined the lead pack and moved ahead of Speak, only to be on the end of another big hit on the final lap. Speak lost a front wheel in the process but still recovered to take fourth behind 2 Paul Harrison, with Newson dropping to tenth.
The grand national also featured 31 cars. Again Boyer burst into the lead but yellow flags were required for numerous incidents and a marker tyre on track. Two more cautions were required, the second for Boyer himself after Booth had moved in front and van Spijker had performed an impressive pirouette after clobbering a marker tyre. That delayed the charging Wainman who had risen to sixth before half-distance, so with Sworder sitting in second, it was the #150 that looked favourite for victory. That was until he spun, hooking out Newson in the process. Booth continued to lead from 462 Scott Davids and 445 Nigel Green, as Wainman’s recovery saw him pass Sworder and move back into the top six with four laps to go. Sworder stuck with him as the pair followed Dowson past Green. But then Sworder, perhaps sensing FWJ’s speed was just too great, saw an opportunity to stick his nose inside and quite clearly turned right on the #515. It delayed him more than the Yorkshireman though, with Frankie eventually placing fourth behind Booth, Davids and Dowson.
BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars
The 53-car entry included three Dutch visitors – H103 Chris van der Elst, H116 Barry Bauer and H124 Wim Peeters are all relative regulars at King’s Lynn – plus a rare shale outing for Northern Irish visitor NI747 Bradley McKinstry.
In heat one, white top 372 Stephen North built a comfortable lead over the opening few laps before being tipped into a marker tyre and spinning while lapping McKinstry. Van der Elst took over and built a healthy advantage of his own which was gradually whittled down by countryman Peeters. The Dutch silver top caught and passed with a lap to go, then van der Elst immediately spun away second place too. He recovered to fourth ahead of Bauer, but behind 298 Jake Walker in second and 788 Stephen Mallinson third.
The opening half of heat two was led by 235 Bradley Blyth until 630 Justin Parker moved ahead and was followed through by 662 Steve Wycherley. Blyth then crashed out with 81 Mark Clayton as 606 Andrew Palmer charged into the lead. Parker spun and was collected, while Clayton was again in the wars when he collected the tangled 158 Will Clement and 331 James di Giulio. That brought out yellow flags with Palmer leading from 871 Mark Simpson (with the buffer of 442 Graham Kelly between), 103 Carl Issitt and 226 Billy Webster with four laps to go. Palmer eased to the win from Simpson, but Issitt spun away third, handing it to Webster.
Blyth repeated his performance in the consolation, again leading until almost half distance as a bend four pile-up claimed many of the whites and yellows early on. Clement took over the lead before Blyth spun and required assistance, suspending the race. At the restart, Clement led from 741 Luke Branston, 260 Anthony Winters, 377 Daz Shaw and Issitt. This time Issitt made no mistake. He moved into second behind Branston as Clement dropped back, then took the lead with three to go. Issitt went on to win from 488 Liam Bentham and Shaw, with Branston holding onto fourth.
The F2 final was also one short of its full complement of 32 cars, with no white graders at all. So Clement made the early running from the yellow grade as 18 Matt Clayton went in very hard, with several of the yellows and blues getting caught up in the process. A tangle with van der Elst left 441 Micky Branston stranded across the track, bringing out yellow flags, with Clement leading from 995 Michael Lund, 597 Barry Clow and 289 James Waterfall, as Palmer retired while well-placed. The battling Peeters and 225 Tony Blackburn allowed the front four to build a gap until Clement and Clow both exited around half-distance. That handed the lead to Lund from Waterfall, Peeters, Webster and 38 Dave Polley. Lund built a good advantage as Waterfall dropped back in the closing stages, Lund going on to take a clear win from Webster. Polley made a last bend move on Issitt stick for third, with Waterfall also taking the #103 who came home fifth ahead of Peeters.
After brief spells in front for North and di Giulio, 55 Courtney Finnikin took the lead of the grand national. When yellow flags were called to assist 525 Jack Buxton, she had the buffer of 26 Gary Ford and Waterfall between her and the pursuing 19 Martin Ford and Webster. The pair quickly unlapped themselves, then Martin Ford moved ahead before more yellow flags. By this time Peeters had risen to second and he made his move with three laps to go, pushing Ford wide to take the win. Ford held on for second with Mallinson third.
Ministox
A very disappointing showing of just 14 Ministox still managed some decent racing with 8 Catherine Harris and 183 Charlie Guinchard again proving to be the pace-setters. Guinchard took the first heat from 269 Ben Chalkley, with Harris in fourth. 320 Bradley Bamford beat Guinchard to the flag in heat two, with Harris in fifth. Catherine came to the fore in the final where she had a good scrap with Guinchard for the lead, eventually losing out to a last bend lunge. 374 Kai Lindsay completed the trophy placings.