Photos: Damien Widdows
Report: Mark Paulson
Spedeworth’s #23 Lee Pearce became the first visiting driver to lift the 1300cc Stock Car World Championship at King’s Lynn when he triumphed on Saturday night (3 August). In truth, it would have been more an upset if he had failed to do so, such has been Pearce’s recent form on the loose.
The Steve Newman Memorial, an event close to the hearts of so many, was also contested by both the 1300s and their bigger cousins, the two-litre Saloon Stock Cars, with #561 Steve Murphy and #131 Timmy Barnes taking the honours. Also in action were 1500cc Bangers, with #292 Harry Airey taking the main event.
1300cc Stock Cars
In two previous stagings at King’s Lynn, the 1300 World had been won by home drivers on both occasions. The Trackstar drivers faced a tough challenge to keep that run going, with a quality entry of visitors contributing to the massive 60-car turnout, albeit one that fell a little short of the record entry three years ago.
First up was the last-chance qualifying race, with eight places on the World Final grid up for grabs. Running mates #560 Andrew Milner and #561 Steve Murphy set the pace, with Murphy taking the lead around the outside in sideways style in his rear-wheel drive Toyota Starlet, before opening a lead. But Milner chased him down and moved ahead, before losing out to #276 Stephen Walden in the closing stages after a caution period for debris. Walden took the win on what was set to be his last night of racing, from Milner and #428 Ben Airey, with #61 John Klyn fourth. The qualifying places were filled by tarmac form-man #98 Niki Jarvis, #24 Matthew Malone, #49 Bradley Boulden and #682 Paul Sparrow, as Murphy lost out with a sick engine. First reserve #690 Jack Wilkins would scrape onto the grid for the big race after Airey withdrew with a blown engine.
The 39-car grid for the World Final was ordered according to the three promotions’ seedings, with draws taking place between each of the equivalent seeds. That left Scotsman #122 Zak Gilmour on pole position, the European champion starting alongside Trackstar top-dog #303 Jacob Bromley on the front row. Spedeworth’s #23 Lee Pearce was joined by home driver #142 Jack Lower on row two, with Spedeworth man #104 Paul Brown Jr and Lochgelly’s #126 Danny Whyte completing the top six.
After a chorus of fireworks, Bromley got inside Gilmour, with Pearce following, to lead at the end of lap one, while #400 Kevin Shinn charged around the fence on the opening turns to climb from 12th to fourth.
There was an early yellow-flag period for a loose wheel, after which Pearce caught Bromley napping to take the lead, only for Bromley to get back in front a lap later, with Shinn moving into third. Pearce got back inside to take the lead before a second set of yellow flags, and stayed there until another caution period, caused by #243 Pete Osborne being stranded across the home straight.
When the race resumed, Gilmour got back into third but the man on the move was #121 Luke Morphey, the 2016 runner-up. From row four of the grid, Morphey passed Shinn and Gilmour then demoted Bromley as he got delayed in traffic. Pearce also had some trouble among the backmarkers and Morphey seized the opportunity to take the lead. Seeking to succeed his brother George and become the third member of his family to take the title in just five years, Morphey was flying as the track dried. But then his car started smoking, allowing Pearce back on terms, and the #121 machine pulled off into retirement shortly after losing the lead.
That left Pearce with a big advantage and, although he was tagged by the retiring Jarvis with a couple of laps to go, he was looking comfortable until a final caution period was called with a lap to go. Milner had suffered a heavy fencing and then been collected, bringing out the yellow flags.
Pearce had the safety-net of backmarker Malone between him and Bromley at the restart and safely negotiated the one-lap dash to lift his first world title after three previous podium finishes. Bromley followed him home, with a charging #167 Jimmy Morris, from mid-grid, third. Gilmour drove well to claim fourth ahead of local star #216 Dan Booth, with Shinn dropping to sixth ahead of #317 Lauren Overy and #149 Todd Payne.
“I’ve been nervous all week, to be honest,” admitted Pearce. “Everyone’s put pressure on me – ‘It’s your year.’
“I feel sorry for Luke [Morphey] – he had problems towards the end of the race and he probably would have won.
“I’ve raced 25 years; world champion at last.”
“It’s gutting,” said disappointed runner-up Bromley. “But fair play to him – he’s a good driver. I can’t complain – second is better than nowhere.”
The consolation was won by a delighted Murphy, taking the lead from #422 Martin Taylor on the final lap. “I can’t stand front-wheel drive cars,” he said of his choice of classic motor. “I’m loving it. Bought it for a laugh. I’m having a laugh, living the dream.”
Over 30 cars gridded for the Steve Newman Memorial meeting final, which was led by John Klyn until he spun on the home straight, letting Murphy through for another win, with Taylor and Payne following him home. “You can’t beat the classics!” said Steve’s son Billy with a smile as he handed him the coveted trophy.
A three-abreast clutch-start dash for cash completed the 1300s’ night and brought predictable chaos. In the initial attempt, Murphy was treated to a huge roll down the home straight. Luke Morphey surged into the lead of the re-run, and made up for some of his World Final disappointment by taking home a fat wad of cash, with #246 Derek Russell and Payne second and third.
Two-Litre Saloon Stock Cars
Two weeks before the World Final, the Saloon entry was down to 28 cars, meaning that the Steve Newman Memorial was at the start of the main programme, following a white and yellow grade race won by #341 Austen Freestone.
#192 Robert Heanes led the early running before #389 Ryan Santry took over after a caution period. Santry himself was then the cause of another stoppage after he was put into the fence. That left Scotsman #600 Barry Russell leading from #570 Simon Venni, #116 Diggy Smith and #131 Timmy Barnes. Smith worked his way through into the lead but the front four were close together and the decisive move came when Barnes surged from fourth to first in one go. “I had to put the bumper in when those three were messing about!” he laughed afterwards. Russell survived some attacks from #161 Billy Smith – making his return after an extended spell on the sidelines – to take second, while Venni was third. He sneaked though into that position on the final bend when Diggy Smith’s lunge on #349 Michael Allard delayed himself slightly.
Two allcomers races followed, with slightly depleted numbers following the earlier action. The first was won by #730 Deane Mayes, despite suffering with his car jumping out of gear, from Billy Smith and #182 Lewis Gallie, who was also making his seasonal debut. Barnes took his second win of the night in the curtain-closer, taking the lead from Santry on the penultimate lap and surviving Santry’s last-bend lunge. Freestone completed the top three.
1500cc Bangers
Thirty-seven Bangers provided decent support. Their first race, won by #113 Dan Wright, was relatively quiet, highlighted by #26 Paul Lovick following in #138 Jason Smy after the chequered flag.
Wright dominated heat two until the final bend, when #307 Martin Kent pulled off a successful last-bend lunge for the win. #178 Kieran Bowman earned the race entertainer award for a lively showing which included joining a wrecking train with #441 Lee Horwood and #51 James Licquorice.
In the final, #292 Harry Airey sneaked through on the final bend to win after battling duo #141 Jake Stewart and #495 Aston Gibbons took each other into the fence. #517 Sid Cooper outlasted the opposition to take the destruction derby.