Photos: 1 - 10 Dave Bastock, 11 - 20 Paul Tully, 21 - 32 Colin Casserley, 33 - 42 Major Gilbert
Report: Mark Paulson
BriSCA Formula One stock cars tore up the King’s Lynn shale for third time this season on Saturday night (25 May). No-one could handle #84 Tom Harris as he scorched to a heat and final double. Also in action were BriSCA Formula Two stock cars and National Ministox; both served up entertaining racing, with #606 Andrew Palmer and #1 Jack Witts taking the main honours.
BriSCA F1
There were 45 cars in action, including Dutch visitor H575 Yoren Winands, with the evening starting with the usual race for white & yellow graded drivers only. #483 Wayne Marshall led much of the way and was joined out front by #496 Neil Holcroft, #268 Richard Woods and #415 Russell Cooper in a terrific four-way scrap. The lead changed hands on numerous occasions and was settled by a big last-bend lunge from Cooper on Marshall. It almost allowed Holcroft to sneak through on the inside but Cooper held on from Holcroft, Woods and Marshall.
After #533 Callum Oakes-Kitson crashed out, heat one proper was led by #215 Geoff Nickolls until past half-distance when #127 Austin Moore took over, with Nickolls then further delayed by backmarkers. Norfolk’s own #16 Mat Newson was the man on the move though, with #217 Lee Fairhurst following in his wheeltracks as they cut through the field. Newson moved ahead with four laps to go and survived a slow puncture in the last couple of laps to take a victory that was popular on the terraces. Fairhurst followed him home, with Moore third and #463 James Morris fourth.
Heat two looked the tougher of the two, with an extra superstar and a red grade that was packed with former superstars. From the reds, #150 Mick Sworder was flying but his hopes were ended by a clash with a backmarker that ripped off a front wheel. As the wheel rolled down the track, a caution was required with Holcroft leading the queue from #137 Sam Jacklin. Already up to seventh was #84 Tom Harris but his progress was hampered by a half-spin for third-placed #372 Colin Goodswen, which let #4 Dan Johnson past. It was Johnson who duly hit the front on halfway, from Harris and #242 Joe Nickolls, with the Wainman brothers Frankie (#515) and Danny (#212) sandwiching #55 Craig Finnikin, who was back at King’s Lynn after missing the April meeting. Harris gradually closed in on his archrival Johnson, and made light work of passing him with two laps to go. So Harris won from Johnson, while FWJ rose to third ahead of #197 Ryan Harrison, on his first Lynn outing of the season, and Finnikin.
As only eight qualified from each heat, the consolation was packed with 25 cars and 16 final places on offer. A couple of caution periods punctuated a race led from flag to flag by Woods. Sworder climbed to second, following #124 Kyle Gray past Geoff Nickolls with six laps to go, then pushing Gray aside a couple of laps later. Gray held on to third, from #37 Chris Cowley and the entertaining Nickolls as only 12 cars survived a hectic race.
That meant there were 28 cars for the Mo Jones Memorial Final, although Yorens pulled off before the green flag. Sole white-top Wood’s challenge was soon over when he collected the aftermath of an opening lap crash instigated by #335 Mark Woodhull clipping a marker tyre and causing chaos among his fellow red graders. That claimed Harrison and Fairhurst, while FWJ was another big name in the wars when he got turned into the back-straight fence at full pelt. Johnson gyrated after clipping the stopped car of #211 Phoebe Wainman, who got clobbered several times while parked-up on the scoreboard bend, holding tight each time before she managed to get going again.
Sworder was another to spin on the heavily-watered track, as Danny Wainman, Newson and Harris set the pace among the stars while Moore led from Joe Nickolls, #244 Mick Rogers and Gray. The red-top trio’s progress was inevitable though and it looked just to be a case of which one would win. The race was decided when Wainman spun under pressure from Newson and Harris slipped through on the inside of both to take the lead. Form man Harris went on to win from Newson and #12 Michael Scriven, with #259 Paul Hines, Finnikin and #169 Billy Johnson completing the top six.
“When the track is that wet you’ve got to have luck on your side to get through the tangles,” said Harris. “I’ve learnt a lot in America and I think it’s showing. We’re not chasing points. Jamie [Davidson, Harris’s sponsor] says ‘win’ and that’s what we’re here for – second isn’t good enough.”
The grand national provided the largest grid of the night at 31 cars so it wasn’t surprising to see an early yellow flag for a road bend pile-up. That gave Harris the opportunity to get onto the back of the pack from his full-lap handicap and, such was his pace earlier in the meeting, that a 69-point maximum was looking a genuine possibility. The odds were narrowing when Harris hit second before half-distance, but it was second to Harrison, who was showing rapid pace himself. While Harris nibbled away at Harrison’s lead, it wasn’t enough, and ‘The Boss’ held on to win. Harris had to be content with a mere 63 points for his night’s work in second, with Dan Johnson beating the Wainman brothers to third.
BriSCA F2
The 51-strong field of BriSCA F2 stock cars also included a Dutch visitor – double world champion H124 Wim Peeters, debuting his new TLF. He wouldn’t have the best of nights in it as the man who he’d collected it from, four time World of Shale champion #606 Andrew Palmer, reasserted his authority on the loose.
Heat one provided a dominant win for #768 Jack Thompson, who made a mockery of his white grade status. He quickly built a huge lead and was never challenged. #941 Jamie Lane looked like he might be on for a good result until he slowed to retirement from second with a broken half-shaft. So it was European champion #788 Stephen Mallinson who was next past the finishing post after making good progress from the back in tandem with #26 Gary Ford before the latter’s race unravelled. Star-graded lady driver #55 Courtney Finnikin was third, from F2 returnee #70 Brian Shadbolt.
Heat two was stopped virtually before it had started when #413 Richard Rayner was sent up the wall into a roll. Yellow-top #524 Michael Wallbank was heading for victory in the restarted race before a stoppage with five laps to go. That was caused when #682 Jason Cooper and #226 Billy Webster, who were both running well, tangled and Cooper became the race’s second rollover victim. #905 Rob Mitchell and Palmer were third and fourth behind Wallbank and #715 Scott Aldridge at the time of the stoppage. The red-roofed duo picked them off with Mitchell winning from Palmer, Aldridge and Wallbank.
Webster just missed out on qualifying as a result of his delay in that race, so took part in the 26-car consolation that also featured Peeters and Ford. It was led for several laps by Gary’s sister, #130 Emma Ford, before #324 Jordan Thackra took over. Thackra drove a strong race but was passed by 981 Ian Bailey with five laps to go. But Bailey tangled with Gary Ford on the final bend, dropping to tenth and allowing Thackra to take a popular win, despite having to be carried across the line himself when his throttle cable snapped on the final bend. Peeters was second, with the ever-spectacular #78 Henry King third, as some of the stars failed to make the top 16 to qualify for the final. Shale supreme champion Webster hit mechanical problems and his slowing car caught out Ford, who got turned into the back straight wall when he was running well.
Thirty-six cars came out for the final, but #88 Stefan Miller was lost to a fire in his air filter before the cars were even rolling. After a pile-up among the 15-strong yellow grade, a caution was required a few laps later when #86 Jess Ward (one of three female qualifiers) collected teen sensation #564 David Shearing. By that stage, Thompson had built another big lead and had a cushion of multiple backmarkers ahead of #298 Jake Walker and #12 Daniel Ford in second and third, with Palmer a few cars further back. But Thompson started to be reeled in by Ford and Palmer, and it was Palmer who took the lead around half-distance, with Ford and Wallbank following through. Wallbank and King managed to pass Ford before both being spun in one go by Walker, with Mallinson also getting caught up in the incident. So Palmer took a clear win from Walker in second and March final winner Ford third. Thompson held on to an impressive fourth ahead of #995 Michael Lund and Finnikin.
“Billy Webster was missing so it was a chance to make some points back on him,” said Palmer, who had taken full advantage. “We had a quiet year last year and I didn’t think I’d come back as keen, but I’m enjoying it, that’s the main thing,” added the Peterborough man ahead of trips to Bristol and Belle Vue over the next two days.
“I thought I was going to have two on the trot,” reckoned Ford, “but I tripped over some backmarkers.”
Thirty-two cars returned for the grand national in which Miller reversed his fortunes by taking the win. Emma Ford again led some laps before Miller took over and held firm to win from Thompson and Mallinson.
National Ministox
The 28-car Ministox entry contested two heats which, added to the results of their March meeting, would determine the starting positions within grades for the King’s Lynn Open championship.
The opening heat brought a win for novice driver #99 Sid Smith, who also played a part in determining the outcome of heat two when he spun in the path of the charging #381 Tyrone Evans, whose brother Lewis (#392) went on to win from national champion #1 Jack Witts.
The superstars scythed through the field, which had started in a closed-up grid, in the final. #93 Ian Lewis held firm for some time before being passed by Witts, but Lewis Evans managed to get inside both to take the lead. The pair moved well clear, with Witts making his move for the lead with two laps to go. Evans tried to hit back immediately, but it didn’t work, allowing Witts to build a small margin. Going into the final bend, Evans didn’t really look close enough for a lunge but he didn’t shut off and launched the car in, not quite making contact. So Witts held on to retain his title, with Evans heading #391 Rebecca Smith for third.