Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 25th April 2011

Easter Monday brought a day of bright Spring sunshine at Smeatharpe, as the holiday crowd lapped up some superb Stock Car action, culminating in a thrilling Chained Pairs race for the Bangers.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

676 Neil Hooper extended his lead in the Smeatharpe Track Championship, with a heat and final double that put the seal on a great Easter for the former English Open and European Champion.  Hooper, who had won the meeting final the day before at the Mendips Raceway, hunted down 830 Andrew Bennett in the Easter Monday feature final, to win the day's main prize, as presented by Chris Mikulla Snr of Beeches Holiday Park, Minehead.  Teenager 921 Jack Aldridge completed the top three.
Earlier in the day, another teenager, 544 James Rogers, won the opening heat to clinch his maiden F2 victory.
605 Liam Rowe, in his last meeting before an upgrading to star, then won a heavily populated consolation race.  Long time leader of the final, Bennett, led home fellow Cornish racer 835 Matt Westaway, in the Grand National, whilst Hooper returned to fifth from his one lap handicap.

Saloon Stock Cars

National Champion 120 Shane Brown was in imperious form as he swept to a hat-trick of victories.
A fine showing of 20 Saloon Stock Cars made for yet more first class racing.  Each of the three races followed a similar pattern, as Devon Champion 698 Danny Colliver swept into a commanding lead.  However, Brown tracked down his prey, and in each race he managed to overhaul Colliver by the time the chequered flag was due to fall.
Further down the grid, English Champion 48 Shaun Webster, 677 Eddie Darby and Scottish star 618 Stuart Shevill were heavily involved in a compelling day of Stock Car action.

Bangers

246 Ryan Sparks scored a memorable hat-trick of wins.  In the individual races, Sparks, last year's Supreme and Points Champion, scored a heat and final double.  Then, he teamed up with his brother, 247 Richard Sparks, to win the exciting Chained Pairs race at the end of the programme.
During the course of the afternoon, there were rollovers for 929 Sam Baker and 121 Graham Peers, whilst 275 Tony Woodside scored his first Bangers race win.