Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 29th August 2011

A splendid day of Bank Holiday fun saw action from all the formulas on duty.

BriSCA F2

The F2 entry of 35 cars was actually the best in the UK on tarmac for the whole weekend, and it included a track debut for long distance traveller 596 Richie Mead and a return after a few months away for 167 Bill Batten.  676 Neil Hooper and 276 Murray Jones won the heats before 290 Jay Tomkins took the consolation.  The Final was a rumbustious affair, with big blows being exchanged between Hooper and 24 Jon Palmer and also a succession of yellow flags for crashes and tangles.  After 916 Luke Thomas had led early on, Jones hit the front and took up the running.  He remained calm and composed during all the stoppages and re-starts to score a convincing win, which secured his return to the star grade.  921 Jack Aldridge was second and 783 James Rygor third, and Rygor then went on to win the GN.

Saloon Stock Cars

A reasonable showing of 16 Saloon Stock Cars saw 65 Ian Willis continue his winning ways in heat one and then 103 Chris Horwell took heat two.  94 Mark Johnson led the early stages of the Final until Willis took over.  Willis then went on to open out what looked to have been an unassailable lead.  However when Willis spun the back marking 118 Ian Harris, it sent Harris into the inner marker tyres and then a gentle rollover.  That brought out the yellow flags, and saw the pack bunch up.  From the restart, 48 Shaun Webster and 1 Eddie Darby seized the opportunity to go first and second.  Just as a last lap showdown looked likely, Johnson re-joined the race right at the wrong moment and inadvertently baulked Darby, which negated the prospect of a lunge on Webster.  Thus, Webster took the win, from Darby, with Willis third..

Micro National Bangers

Whilst not overly subscribed, the Micro Bangers Triples race, not for the first time, proved to be hugely entertaining.  From a three abreast start, 141 Toby Tiddy, 131 Stephen Cock and 862 Darryl Cock sped into a commanding lead.  However, 248 John Sparks, 246 Ryan Sparks and 278 Shaun Brokenshire built up some fine momentum to chased down the lead trio.  Yet, right at the last, as they looked to challenge, Brokenshire broke free off the rear of his triple, bringing about their exclusion, and thus, Mr Tidly, Cocksey and Dippy became British Champions.
607 Gary Sillifant scored another National Banger win in the first heat, and 246 Ryan Sparks took heat two.  The final saw Toby Tiddy speed to victory in his Ford KA, and at the end of a storming DD, it was Shaun Brokenshire who somehow kept his crippled car going the longest to claim the win.

Ministox

The entry of Ministox for the Devon Championship was very nearly the same as the previous afternoon at St Day, and was comfortably the best car count at Smeatharpe for the season.  The first heat saw 108 Mark Cooper take the win and then heat two went the way of 121 Marcus Skeels, as he even held off the challenge of those behind despite a late yellow flag.  Slightly comically, 128 Craig Banwell and 177 Billy Banwell contrived to take each other out in one of the re-starts.  The last heat came down to a great race between 167 Tommy Aylward and 936 Alfie Whitelegg with the lead being swapped between them until it was decided with an excellent last bend lunge from Aylward who scored a win on his track debut.  The points from the heats put the two lower graded drivers, Aylward and Cooper, on the front.  Aylward did lead the opening lap but the force of the pack behind sent him wide soon after and then 198 Brandon Osborne took over.  However he then lost out to 991 Ryan Hoskin but Osborne came back at him.  155 Sid Madgwick and 156 George Boult then joined in to make it a highly entertaining four-way scrap.  Madgwick was the one who got the better of it and once he hit the front he pulled clear and went on to win.  Hoskin held on for second, with Osborne third and Boult fourth in his last ever Ministox race.