Photos: 1 - 16 Dave Bastock, 17 - 32 Jim Harrod, 33 - 48 Ant Jenkins
Report: Mark Paulson
The nation's premier open-wheeled stock car formulas put on a fine show at a sunny King's Lynn as, after relatively quiet heat races, the BriSCA F1 and BriSCA F2 meeting finals were action-packed. #235 Mick Haworth was a popular white-top winner of the F1 final, while #183 Charlie Guinchard continued his stellar form by taking the F2 honours.
BriSCA F1 Stock Cars
Continuing his fine form at the track, #587 Sam Brigg took a relatively comfortable victory in the opening non-points race for White & Yellow graded drivers. Brigg calmly picked off the white-tops in front, relieving #32 Chris Farnell of the lead with two laps to go. Farnell held onto second, as both drivers who will be upgraded to star-grade status from May proved why. #541 Willie Skoyles Jr came through for third, ahead of #268 Richard Woods and #545 Will Adams, who rode out a big hit on the final bend from #532 Daz Kitson.
Norfolk man #16 Mat Newson was a popular victor of heat one proper. Adams led the early stages until chased down by Skoyles, who was then looking good out front. But Skoyles spun after connecting with backmarker #392 Lewis Evans - who had earlier girated on the freshly-watered track - and lost nearly a lap. That let #127 Austin Moore hit the front, but Newson immediately took over and drove to an untroubled win. Moore held onto second from #212 Danny Wainman.
After winning the last three finals at the track, #197 Ryan Harrison struck the first blow in his ongoing battle for supremacy in the formula with #1 Tom Harris in heat two. Harris got the better of the early skirmishes between the pair and #515 Frankie Wainman Jr, then quickly carved his way through the field. He was second to the flying Brigg befoe half-distance and took over the lead when Brigg dropped out. Harris built a big advantage, only to pick up a front right puncture by the time Harrison had made his way through to second. Harris was then easy prey as Harrison eased to victory from #191 Josh Smith and #555 Frankie Wainman Jr Jr. Harris managed to limp home eighth, while FWJ would have to go again in the consolation after retiring from the race.
After missing his heat, Farnell dominated the consolation. After a stop-start opening few laps, Farnell never looked like being beaten, even after a twitch brought #525 Nigel de Kock closer to him. Farnell then eased away again, while Frankie Wainman Jr passed de Kock for second late on. The Dutchman shrugged off #259 Paul Hines's last-bend lunge for third.
With #211 Phoebe Wainman (engine), #415 Russell Cooper (damage) and #526 Finn Sargent (gearbox) missing, 27 cars took their places in the final which ran flag to flag without stoppages. #235 Mick Haworth took over from early leader Adams to lead the way, and never looked back. Harrison got the better of his fellow superstars early on and led the way as they carved through the pack. Harris got close enough to make contact mid-race but Harrison held sway before pulling away again as the track dried. Harrison was third behind Haworth and #249 Joff Gibson as the race entered its final five laps, and managed to pass Gibson a couple of laps later. But ex-F2 man Haworth - in a Harrison-built car - was too far gone; Harrison could make little impression and Haworth took his maiden final win by almost the length of a straight, denying his car builder four in a row in the process. Harris made contact with Gibson in the final bend but Gibson held on for third. Harris, Moore and Newson completed the top six.
"I don't know what to say," said Haworth. "The last lap and the last two bends, I was looking for the orange lights [of superstars chasing him down]. I'm over the moon."
"If I'm going to finish second, I want to finish second to a Harrison car," said Harrison.
Harrison completed a profitable night with a win in the grand national. Again, he got the better of the other superstars early on and made rapid progress through the field, tracked all the way by Harris. By the time Harrison gave #94 John Dowson a big hit to take second before half-distance, he was over 1/4 lap behind leader Farnell. But Harrison and Harris quickly closed that gap, with the top three together as the race entered its final five laps. Harrison spun Farnell and for a moment it looked like he might get caught up himself, only for a big whack from Harris behind to push him past the erstwhile leader. Harris remained on Harrison's tail and made contact exiting Turn 2 on the final lap. But that pushed the world champion onto the wetter inside surface and sent him slightly sideways, giving Harrison a clear run to the flag.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
After a few late withdrawals, the BriSCA F2 field was down to 44 cars for their 200th meeting at King's Lynn, featuring an enhanced purse. First up was a White-Top Whirlwind event for the lower-graded drivers, featuring 16 cars. It was led from start to finish by #58 Charlie England, surviving a last-bend lunge from #247 Ricky Castell. Castell had passed #707 Daniel Vaughan a couple of laps of earlier, with Vaughan then spinning out and dropping to fifth as #51 Stuart Sculthorpe completed the top three in the Ayrton Mills car.
Heat one proper, with 21 cars, was led for most of the way by #209 Kev Cope, until Castell spun him out with five laps to go. Castell went on to win from #888 David Stevens - who earned himself a tyre as the best (non-winning) white/yellow - and #76 Aaron Cozens. Leadng star man was #183 Charlie Guinchard in fifth, having helped #801 Jack Cave around in the closing stages.
Unlike Castell, it wouldn't go so well for England in his heat as he immediately tangled with #543 Connor Blake and dropped to the tail of the field then later crashed out again with #929 Harry Hensby. #51 Stuart Sculthorpe took up the running and built a decent lead. But #129 Charley Tomblin and #38 Dave Polley were flying through the field and had risen to second and third by halfway. Tomblin caught Sculthorpe and, after a few nibbles, nudged him wide to take the lead with two laps to go. Sculthorpe managed to resist Polley's big last-bend lunge and further nudges on the way to the line to take second, with Polley completing a 1-2-3 for chassis he had built. "You've got to stick it [the bumper] in, otherwise you won't win!" laughed Tomblin.
Sixteen places in the final were on offer in the consolation but there were only 12 finishers. #597 Barry Clow, who missed the White-Top Whirlwind due to a puncture and then suffered with a failed differential in his heat, led it throughout. Trouble with backmarkers in the closing stages brought #414 Josh Rayner - who missed his heat - onto his tail, but Clow rode out his last-bend-lunge to take the win. #142 Jonathan Hadfield was third and #844 Jack Prosser claimed the prize tyre in fourth.
The 31-car final produced a fitting spectacle for the big-money 200th final. Vaughan led the opening stages, either side of a stoppage to assist #544 James Rogers. He extended his advantage after Stevens was spun by Castell, who then ran wide, letting #136 Kyle Taylor into second from Clow. The latter was quickly passed by Guinchard, with Polley following through. Guinchard passed Taylor for second, then got ahead of Vaughan for the lead, only to immediately trip over a backmarker and let Vaughan back through, with Taylor second. Guinchard was quickly back on the offensive though, passing Taylor when he was delayed by a back-straight skirmish, then closing up to Vaughan when the leader was slightly delayed by a spinner in front. Guinchard got back inside Vaughan to take the lead with five laps to go, with Vaughan then losing out as Taylor came through.
As Guinchard raced to his third meeting final win in six days (on two surfaces), with Taylor second, #149 Reece Cox bumped #618 Ben Lockwood wide on the final bend for third. Polley also nipped through for fourth, having been delayed by an altercation with Clow earlier. Castell completed a strong night for the white-top in sixth, while Vaughan had a nice consolation by claiming a £280 bonus for leading 14 laps.
"That why we all love shale racing - it's unpredictable," said Guinchard. "The car was absolutely on rails. I think I'm a bit of a 'traffic' man - I'm good at getting through the cars." On his title prospects, he added: "I've got the European now, but that British at Aldershot, the World Final here - anything in front of me is getting destroyed and I'm having them!"
The grand national was punctuated by a number of stoppages, which helped Tomblin make quick progress to the front, followed by Polley. The pair benefited when #724 Pell and Sculthorpe took each other out when battling for the lead, and Polley then passed Tomblin to take a decisive lead just after half-distance. Behind them, Guinchard put in a massive hit on Cox to take third, but Cox hit back on the next bend, Guinchard's damage putting him out. Tomblin appeared to lose a little pace in the closing stages, trading places with #69 Ben Chalkley three times in the final two laps, as Chalkley secured second. Tomblin was third and Cox fourth.