Pictures: Dave Bastock
Report: Mark Paulson
BriSCA Formula One Shootout leader 390 Stuart Smith Jr took another step towards winning the silver roof with a crushing display at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn, on Saturday (21 October). A win in the final, combined with two more second place finishes meant that for the second consecutive King’s Lynn meeting, Smith wasn’t far off a maximum score. Also on the programme, 730 Deane Mayes won a dramatic Driver of the Year race in Saloon Stock Cars, and 187 Craig Smith took the main honours in the V8 Hotstox.
BriSCA F1
A season-high (just) turnout of 46 cars included another fine showing of six Dutchmen to liven up proceedings. They again joined the white & yellow grade drivers in a non-points opener, which was won by 216 Jack France by a quarter of a lap. He was followed home by 338 Chris Brocksopp and 45 Nigel Harrhy after 74 Martin Chadwick and 326 Mark Sargent – who had been running second and third – hooked up. Sadly for Harrhy, it proved to be his last track action of the night, owing to electrical gremlins.
After an indifferent run of recent form, world champion 445 Nigel Green hit back with a win in heat one proper. Closely tracked by local man 16 Mat Newson, he had risen to third by half-distance, then passed Brocksopp for second shortly afterwards. There was a lot of ground to make up on Chadwick, but Green gradually reeled him in, overtaking on the inside of bends one and two of the final lap. Chadwick and Brocksopp held on to second and third, but Newson retired after getting caught up with 483 Wayne Marshall. Fellow ‘Shooters’ 422 Ben Riley, 217 Lee Fairhurst and 259 Paul Hines qualified for the final in fifth to seventh places respectively.
In heat two, 55 Craig Finnikin and 390 Stuart Smith Jr traded places in the early stages, but as they worked their way to the front, Smith looked happy to follow in Finnikin’s wheel tracks, perhaps content to settle for second, given his healthy points lead. 21 Mark Gilbank followed them home third, Wainman brothers 515 Frankie and 212 Danny qualifying in fourth and sixth. Early leaders 451 Martin Spiers and Sargeant exited after tangling up.
They therefore took their places in the consolation which proved very profitable for the lower graders. France and Chadwick built a big advantage over the rest early on, with Chadwick moving ahead shortly after half-distance. Behind them, Newson was charging through the pack. He eventually managed to catch and pass France, but ran out of laps to overcome Chadwick’s lead.
It started to rain as the 32 finalists entered the arena, but luckily eased off by the time the race got underway. A complete restart was required when H179 Sjaak Kenite rolled onto his side, and then there was another red very early on at the second attempt, this time when 166 Bobby Griffin rolled. Chadwick led away the restart, but Sargeant – fourth in the consolation – soon demoted him. Behind that pair, the charging Smith, closely followed by Green, FWJ and Finnikin, had risen to third by half-distance. He then picked off those in front, assuming the lead with three laps to go and holding on to a comfortable win. Sargeant held onto second but was docked two places to fourth after being adjudged to have jumped the restart, promoting Green and Finnikin to the trophy places. Wainman claimed a decent score in fifth, but Fairhurst – second in the pre-meeting points – failed to score after being eliminated at the second stoppage.
“It’s brilliant to race around here,” said Smith afterwards. “It’s the best track in the country, bar none. I just wish it had been a little bit more exciting for the crowd. Fantastic crowd tonight – thank you for coming.”
Although he was aided by a couple of yellow flags, Smith’s rise to second in the grand national from the lap handicap was equally – if not more – impressive than his final win. Sargeant had led until crashing out, then FWJ made the running. Newson rose to second before a smoky engine ended his hopes, so Smith came through to complete another massive points haul, with Finnikin third.
Saloon Stock Cars
Racing for the Heavy Metal Brigade begun with the White & Yellow Grade Series Final. Punctuated by yellow flags to assist 448 Martin Kibble, then reds after a roll for debutant 119 Scott Clarke (in the Banwell hire car), 26 Tommy Barnes came through to take the title for a second time. 888 Shane Emerson was second, with 733 Kyle Picton claiming third after spinning out 321 Marcus Skeels on the final bend.
Next up was the Driver of the Year race, with its grid based on points scored weighted by grade over the season. That left 304 Martyn Parker and 157 Max Stott well placed on the front row. Stott soon moved into the lead from second-row starter Barnes, while world champion 306 Daniel Parker and 499 David Aldous rose to third and fourth. A spin for Barnes dropped him to fourth while the old master Aldous picked off those in front to take the lead. Parker’s challenge on Stott allowed Barnes to make up lost ground and move into second, with 730 Deane Mayes also joining the group by the time that yellow flags were required to assist 399 Cole Atkins.
In the queue at the restart, Aldous had two backmarkers as a cushion between himself and Barnes, who had Stott, Daniel Parker and Mayes on his tail. But that buffer proved useless when Barnes jumped the start and immediately spun Aldous out. He went on to take the flag comfortably but was inevitably docked two places for the clear jump – not that that helped Aldous, who clearly felt hard done by and didn’t reappear for the rest of the meeting. Barnes’s penalty promoted Mayes to the win, despite him suffering a spin early on, with Stott placing second. 349 Michael Allard picked up some useful points towards the track championship in fourth, but with main rival Daniel Parker just behind in fifth, while Scotsman 38 Barry Glen impressed with sixth.
Two allcomers races, the first dedicated to the late Dave Lovick, completed the Saloons’ action. Both were lively affairs with big hits being dished out, as 409 Carl Pears was treated to a trip up the wall in the first, which was won by 570 Simon Venni from 24 Richard Skeels and 158 Shane Davies. Picton had led much of the way and did the same in the second, until he was spun out on the last lap by 128 Craig Banwell. But Banwell’s checked momentum allowed Allard to pull off a last bend move for the win, from Banwell second and 131 Timmy Barnes third, as Venni buried Daniel Parker.
V8 Hotstox
A decent showing of 24 V8 Hotstox were in action for their second outing at the track this season. They produced three lively races, with 187 Craig Smith proving the man to beat.
In heat one, he caught and passed 77 Rudi Coleano, then exchanged the lead with 288 Jon Brown, before 211 Phoebe Wainman moved ahead with five laps to go, with Smith eventually retiring. Wainman took the win from Brown and 498 Olly Spencer. White-grader Coleano then held on all the way to win heat two from Smith and Spencer.
In the final, Smith worked his way into the lead relatively quickly, building a margin back to 450 Sam Mee, 490 Craig Thompson, 298 Tom Spencer and Brown. But Tom Spencer tangled with 482 Steve Thompson, sending the latter on a wild ride up around the fence. Mee was catching Smith over the closing laps, but it wasn’t enough, so Smith won from Mee and Brown, with world champion 1 Adam Joyce managing by far his best result of the night in fourth.