Photos: 1-16 Dave Bastock, 17-27 Colin Casserley, 28-41 Jim Harrod, 42-48 Colin Casserley
Report: Mark Paulson
It was an all-BriSCA night at the Adrian Flux Arena, King's Lynn, as Formula One and Formula Two stock cars came to town. The Big League were contesting a World Championship qualifying round, as #97 Ryan Harrison stamped his authority on proceedings with an imperious hat-trick. In the F2s, #113 Pat Issitt took the main event.
BriSCA Formula One
A turnout of 43 cars contested the early-season World Championship qualifying round. After a minute's silence for the late Brian Gilbank, action commenced with a 22-car 10-lap dash for white and yellow graded drivers. #82 Karl Mosley continued to impress with the pace he showed at the track three weeks ago - but this time he converted it into a result, leading from start to finish. #453 Tommy Andrew was similarly little troubled in second, his best result since graduating from V8 Hotstox, as some of the fancied yellow-tops got caught up in tangles. But #345 Jake Harrhy, winner of the final at Skegness eight days ago, charged through to third.
Twenty cars were in heat one proper, where #580 Matty Allman led the early stages but was gradually caught by Dutchman #554 Sierd de Vries who took the lead before Allman spun out. But the star men were charging through, with #5 Charlie Sworder, #515 Frankie Wainman Jr and #418 Niels Tesselaar engaged in a terrific scrap. While Tesselaar was forced out by a puncture, Sworder and Wainman made it into second and third, with Wainman then nudging Sworder wide for second. Yellow flags were called on half-distance, with white-tops #375 Craig Liddle and #301 Mark Allen stranded on the first bend. Anyone who though de Vries would be a sitting duck was proven wrong as de Vries controlled the remainder of the race after the restart. The remaining laps were in fact pretty quiet, as Wainman held second, Sworder third and #212 Danny Wainman fourth. British champion #526 Finn Sargent made fifth, while #73 Chris Cowley was sixth after #259 Paul Hines slowed with car trouble on the last two laps.
On his first outing of the season, #97 Ryan Harrison demonstrated he remains the boss of the Adrian Flux Arena as he charged from the back to win heat two. Tommy Andrew led the 21-car field in the early stages but was passed by #163 Mark Balmer before half-distance. But Balmer tangled with backmarker #352 Bradley Blyth on the back straight and was forced, just as Harrison came through to take up the running. A stoppage was called to get Balmer out of harm's way, but Harrison was untroubled for the remaining five laps, winning comfortably from #166 Bobby Griffn. "I'm not feeling 100%," said a croaky Harrison, '"but you can always come to King's Lynn and have some fun on a Saturday night."
The 17-car consolation looked set to go to #295 Louis Goodwin. The white-top led until four laps from home when his car cried enough. A lap earlier, Goodwin faced a challenge for the lead from Harrhy but the latter picked up a puncture in the process. Mark Balmer inherited the lead and went on to win from #175 Karl Hawkins and #525 Nigel de Kock.
The final tracked 25 cars and might have brought the second win of the night for Balmer, but instead it was Harrison who completed his double. Balmer batted off Allman's early challenge to pull away out front, but was hauled back when yellow flags came out with two cars broadside on the back straight. #95 Rob Mitchell was running second ahead of Allman but, somewhat ominously, Harrison was already running fourth, having got the better of FWJ through the traffic. Harrison immediately took third, then got inside Mitchell for second a lap later. Out front, Balmer was starting to struggle with a loose right-rear wheel, and was unable to hold off Harrison's challenge despite a valiant effort. Griffin soon followed into second and Wainman third with the order remaining unchanged to the flag. As Balmer faded, #410 Jelle Tesselaar made fourth, ahead of Mitchell and #16 Mat Newson. "That one's for Colin," said Harrison, having scooped the additional £500 prize money put up by Mark Kilf and Beachwood Contractors on what have been the 80th birthday of Colin Knibbs.
Harrison vowed to complete a maximum score in the grand national and he did just that. With four laps to go, and having climbed to 10th overall from the lap handicap, Harrison ensured there would be a yellow flag by firing in de Kock and Sargent. That closed the pack up, with Harrhy leading from Balmer and Mitchell. The Tesselaars sandwiched FWJ in fourth, fifth and sixth. Two laps later, Harrison was into second with more yellow flags required to rescue #20 Liam Gilbank from the exit of Turn 4. The result then seemed inevitable but Harrhy made a good restart. Nevertheless, Harrison was ahead within a lap and roared to victory before celebrating with donuts on the back straight (having first obtained permission). "I wanted that one," said Harrison. "I won heat and final a couple of times last year and just missed out in the national."
BriSCA Formula Two
There was also a strong turnout of 59 BriSCA F2s for a World of Shale qualifying round, which takes on extra significance this year as the Adrian Flux Arena will host the World of Shale itself in October.
Before the meeting proper, there was a white-top whirlwind race, with 15 C-grade drivers taking part. #888 David Stevens led the opening laps before losing out to #205 Brandon Young. But Young was being caught by #77 Tom Earl, who had earlier tipped #198 Andy 'Donut' Steward into a half spin to take third. Earl put the bumper in on Turns 1 and 2 with three laps to go, before clinching victory - his first in the formula, albeit in a non-scoring race - while #116 Courtney Smith also got ahead of Young. Earl earned himself a new tyre for his efforts, courtesy of Entyre Supplies and fellow racer #24 Jon Palmer who had made the long trip from Plymouth.
Heat one proper raised 26 cars, as some of the programmed white-tops weren't able to get turned around in time. It began with a slow-motion roll for #104 Chris Keenan after he was scooped up the front of #464 Matt Linfield's car. The complete restart didn't last much longer, with a multi-car pile-up on the first bend, while at the other end of the track, #117 Ryan Leeks became the race's second roller. At the third attempt, Stevens and Earl again set the pace. Earl nudged Stevens wide to take the lead and the pair pulled well clear in an attritional race. As Earl won from Stevens, #223 Toby Partridge was third, ahead of former Saloon Stock Car and circuit racing man #386 Daniel Petters. #103 Jack Issitt looked set to break into the top three only for his car to fail in the closing stages. #968 Micky Brennan was the leading star in fifth, ahead of #39 Tom Bradley and the returning #788 Stephen Mallinson.
One-time World Championship runner-up #662 Steve Wycherley made a mockery of his white-grade status by dominating heat two. Young kept with him for much of the race before plummeting in the closing stages. #992 Harley Burns was challenging for second when he spun, tangling with a backmarker before half-distance. Instead it was star man #47 Greg McKenzie who came through to second, just not quite close enough to challenge on the final bend. #129 Charley Tomblin wa a close third, ahead of silver-top #183 Charlie Guinchard who shoved #226 Billy Webster wide for fourth.
A busy field of nearly 30 cars contested the consolation. #925 Jake Wilson quickly worked his way into the lead and remained there when yellow flags were called after second and third-placed #344 Luke Woodhull and #543 Connor Blake - the opening-night final winner - crashed out with backmarking #597 Barry Clow. Unfortunately for Wilson, a non-functional raceiver meant he was unable to take the restart. #118 Danny Wragg inherited the lead but spun exiting the second bend on the freshly-watered track. The rest all piled into the wall and #527 James Riggall came out in front, from #186 George Turiccki. But with #9 Harley Thackra copping some big damage after being heavily collected, there was another stoppage. Riggall seemed well at home in the track conditions and got a good break, as #992 Harley Burns, who had suffered a spin earlier in the race, demoted Turiccki. Burns just made contact with a last-bend lunge on Riggall but the positions were unchanged, Riggall winning from Burns and Turiccki, with only 10 cars making the finish.
Thirty-two of 34 qualifiers took their places in the final which had an early yellow flag to retrieve Earl, his hat-trick hopes over. McKenzie and Guinchard had just hooked up and tangled, dropping to the rear of the field, but they at least managed to remain on the lead lap. The restarted race was soon red-flagged when #346 Ashley England, #414 Josh Rayner and Tomblin piled into the fourth-bend fence, with Rayner finishing on his roof, underneath Tomblin. All drivers were OK, and the wreckage was swiftly cleared by the expert team of marshals. Stevens led away the restart but #113 Pat Issitt was ahead within a lap, swiftly followed by #58 Charlie England. The pair pulled out a big lead as the stars charged through, led by Brennan. By the time Brennan had reached third he was already a quarter of lap down, and that gap extended as the hard-hitting Guinchard and #69 Ben Chalkley pushed their way through. Issitt continued to pull away as he clinched his career third King's Lynn final win. England held on to second, with Guinchard unable to catch the two yellow-tops. Brennan was fourth as Chalkley slipped to fifth, just holding off #324 James Thackra.
Guinchard made light work of the hectic early laps of the 29-car grand national to run second behind Charlie. From there, he appeared to be a nailed on bet for victory. But England kept him at bay for several laps, with #103 Jack Issitt running in close order as the top three pulled clear. Guinchard shoved England wide to take the lead with four laps to go, but England held second. A lap later, Issitt made his move - and a fine move it was. He cannoned England into Guinchard, the leader half spun and Issitt grabbed the lead. England held second - only to spin himself out on the following lap. So Guinchard was gifted second but Issitt cleared off to make it two wins on the night for the Spalding brothers. Behind Brennan and Burns, the elder Issitt brother managed fifth from the full-lap handicap.