With over 120 stock cars in attendance, it was always going to be an action packed opening to the regular season at King’s Lynn’s Adrian Flux Arena on Saturday night, 28 February. Incessant rain sadly did its best to put a dampener on proceedings, but the enthusiastic racers in an array of newly built or rebuilt machinery, still left the crowd with plenty to smile about. Both the Two-Litre Saloon Stock Cars and 1300cc Stock Cars were contesting the Clive Grief Memorial, their annual curtain-raiser, where victories went to white top 144 Daniel Bullock and a man with a wealth of experience across several formulas, 702 Allen Cooper. The BriSCA Formula Two season always starts here with a well-attended world qualifying round, and 2015 was no different, with fans’ favourite 798 Mark Sargent charging to a maximum WQR score with a heat and final double.

BriSCA Formula Two

The 50-car turnout included World Champion 1 George MacMillan and 641 Dennis Middler from Scotland, plus H281 Danny van Spijker, H305 Ron van Wamelen, H667 Rudolf de Beer and H799 Ad Kamps from Holland. Visitors also came from all over England on a quest to open their world championship qualifying accounts.

Following an emotional minute’s applause for the life of former F2 stalwart Steve Green Jr, 25 took part in the opening heat, just after the rain began. De Beer led until he spun on lap three, letting 431 Andy Gibbs in front. There he stayed until it all went wrong in the final three laps. First, blue top 226 Billy Webster pushed him wide to take the lead and then Gibbs retired. Webster held on to take a comfortable win from 124 Ollie Skeels and 289 James Waterfall. Final bend action was provided by MacMillan who cannoned the lapped Middler into 184 Aaron Vaight to snatch fifth place and secure his place in the final.

While a couple of cars lighter, heat two featured more of the shale experts and would see a number fail to qualify at the first time of asking. 283 Gary Allen led the white grade away but 798 Mark Sargent made good progress from the yellows and usurped him for the lead on lap four. He proceeded to reel off the laps, winning from 19 Martin Ford and 630 Justin Parker. An early tangle between 606 Andrew Palmer and 219 Rob Mitchell meant they failed to qualify, while a late spin could have led to 905 Rob Mitchell joining his brother in the consolation, but he recovered in time to take seventh at the flag, just behind leading superstar 823 Sam Wagner. Former national points champion 38 Dave Polley was another casualty.

Twenty-two returned for a second attempt via the consolation which proved to be simply a case of survival. 158 William Clement and de Beer led the early laps before 741 Luke Branston put the bumper in take the lead. Van Wamelen quickly moved ahead though and stayed in front until he spun just a few laps from home. That let Branston back in front and he duly took the flag, only to be docked two places for jumping the start. So the win was inherited by 225 Tony Blackburn from Palmer. Mitchell and Polley also made it through, with all 12 finishers qualifying for the final.

Three cars failed to take their places on the grid for the final which saw Sargent shoot from the back of the yellow grade into the lead within a couple of laps. He set a blistering pace but the hard work might have been undone by a caution period called when a brown-coloured (like many by this stage of proceedings!) red top went hard into the fence. No bother though; Sargent simply pulled away again to win with comfort, celebrating with some crowd-pleasing donuts. Behind him, Palmer had been the leading red top in the restart queue, in fifth place. He quickly rose to second but could make little impression on Sargent’s lead thereafter. 871 Mark Simpson (fifth in his heat) completed the top three, ahead of Wagner, Blackburn and 488 Liam Bentham.

Given the weather, it was unsurprising that only 13 returned for the grand national. That would give Webster his second win of the night from Simpson and Palmer. With no cautions, Sargent found it difficult to make progress from the lap handicap and came home 10^th.

So, with a maximum score, Sargent leads the early world qualifying points from Palmer and Simpson, but there is a long way to go yet on the road to Hednesford in September. The F2s are back in action at the Adrian Flux Arena on 28 March, when they are joined by BriSCA Formula One Stock Cars and Ministox.

Two-Litre Saloon Stock Cars

The 44-car Saloon entry included many very well-turned-out new or rebuilt cars which were a credit to the drivers. There were also debuts in the formula for 157 Max Stott and 177 Chris Masters, plus first appearances in these cars at King’s Lynn for 174 James Reid and 525 Wes Starmer following their debuts at Mildenhall in early January. There was also a return for veteran 4 Paul Brown after spending some time in 1300cc Stock Cars and not racing at all for the last couple of years.

The two-thirds splits for the heats were based on grades, with the white and yellow grade opener tracking 20 cars and being the only race of the night to take place before the heavens opened. 259 Daz Purdy led away in his smart new car but was spun by 800 Scott Greenslade, also at the wheel of a new machine. Yellow flags were called for 128 Craig Banwell, stranded on the home straight, with Greenslade retiring before the green with a puncture. That let 144 Daniel Bullock in but Stott’s immaculate new machine soon hit the front and began to pull away. However, over the closing laps he was reeled in by Starmer who put the bumper in on the final bend to take the win. While Stott was only nudged wide, he spun in the heavier material on the outside and struggled to get going again, dropping to seventh at the flag.

The whites were joined by the blues, reds and champions for heat two, with 27 cars on track. In the tricky conditions Bullock (third in heat one), 591 Aaron Morris (in a superb-looking new car) and 306 Daniel Parker (likewise) all had spells in front before spinning, while the latter would later retire after blowing his radiator by clobbering the wall. 156 Darren Goudy moved in front but he was passed by 6 Simon Welton who was picking a careful line around the inside. Welton held on to win from Goudy and World Champion 499 David Aldous who recovered from an early spin.

The yellows replaced the whites for heat thee which fielded 26 cars. 389 Ryan Santry and 217 Sid Madgwick had spells in front early on, before Stott moved ahead around halfway. Aldous then took advantage of traffic to move in front, only for Stott to show that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the formula, as he hit back and then pulled away to take the flag. His celebrations were short-lived however, when a lap sheet check revealed 304 Martyn Parker to be the true winner from Stott and Aldous.

Conditions had taken their toll by the time of the Clive Grief Memorial final which was open to all but fielded only 26 cars. While the rain had eased, the damage had been done and the race would prove to be mainly about survival. 350 Thomas Parrin led until he hit the spun 182 Lewis Gallie, letting fellow white-top Bullock take up the running. He built a margin big enough to have a spin of his own without losing the lead as he raced to the win from Welton and 698 Danny Colliver, another with an impressive new car.

Just 10 returned for the meeting-closing all-comers race which, save for an uncharacteristic number of spins for Aldous, was relatively quiet. Parrin survived this time to take the flag from Colliver and Santry.

The big Saloons return in a fortnight’s time when another large entry is expected.

1300cc Stock Cars

A pleasing entry of 32 cars were present, including British Champion 371 Mark Bloss and Trackstar’s National Points Champion 340 Wes Freestone in a terrific-looking new car, complete with silver roof. 653 Gemma Rainer was also at the wheel of a well presented new machine, and several others had smartened their car up considerably and/or upgraded.

The little cars contested their Clive Grief Memorial first up, with all present taking part. After 22 Ian Cowern led away, it was the smartly presented car of 400 Kevin Shinn that did much of the leading, either side of a caution period called after several were caught up in a second bend pile-up. 702 Allen Cooper eventually moved in front though and pulled clear to take the win from Shinn and 673 John Moat, now using son Dean’s car after the latter’s graduation to the two-litre machines.

Less than half braved the conditions for their first all-comers race. Shinn prevailed in a good battle with 333 Daniel Weavers over the first half of the race but was eventually caught and passed by former Reliant Robin World of Shale Champion 704 Stuart Henderson. Shinn followed him home, while 780 Simon Sparrow beat Weavers to the flag in third.

Shinn led the 10-car second all-comers until two laps from home when Sparrow spun him out to take the lead. But Henderson was catching and put the bumper in on the final bend, squeezing past on the run to the line to take the win, with Cooper this time completing the top three.

The 1300cc Stock Cars return on the Saturday of Easter weekend, 4 April, when they will be racing alongside the Two-Litre Saloons and Unlimited Bangers.

2L Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1 (WY)	525	538	144	74	259	214	157	182	nof
Heat 2 (WBR)	6	156	499	641	591	428	698	144	730	670
Heat 3 (YBR)	304	157	499	6	156	730	641	389	570	349
Clive Grief Memorial	144	6	698	360	499	349	570	156	304	538
All Comers	350	698	389	156	349	182	nof

F2 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1	226	124	289	49	1	184	441	281	178	290
Heat 2	798	19	630	81	871	823	905	377	488	995
Consolation	225	606	741	219	H305	38	595	538	301	585
Final	798	606	871	823	225	488	219	905	184	289
Grand National	226	871	606	905	1	225	219	488	449	798

1300 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Clive Grief Memorial	702	400	673	409	333	444	794	22	385	517
All Comers 1	704	400	780	333	409	444	653	747	517	nof
All Comers 2	704	780	702	444	340	400	333	409	653	nof