Smeatharpe Stadium - Sunday 19th June 2011

Improved weather greeted racegoers for day two of the Summer Speedweekend.  If Saturday's racing was very good, then somehow, Sunday's was even better, with superb race action from the Saloon Stock Cars and BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, and ferocious action in the National Bangers.

Saloon Stock Cars

677 Eddie Darby won the National Championship, recapturing the title he first took in 2003.
National Points Champion 618 Stuart Shevill had worked through the night to repair his car, after suffering extensive damage when his throttle stuck open.  Shevill then won the Last Chance race, to lead home six more drivers for the rear of the 30-car title race.
In a thrilling first couple of laps, Darby bludgeoned his way to the front, whilst all around him, many of the fancied runners were delayed.  Darby built up a big lead, even though 149 Jamie Sampson refused to give up the chase.  Into the second half of the race, Sampson was thrown a lifeline, when the race was suspended following some heavy crashing in the west bend.  Sampson drew close on to Darby's bumper for the single file restart, but he was unable to challenge the westcountry star.  As Darby eased clear again, Sampson was drawn into an enthralling battle with 511 Craig Barnett and 18 Jamie Clayton.  As they fought for second place, Darby was able to round out the final few laps to claim victory.  Clayton grabbed second in a boisterous last bend shoot out, with Sampson third and Barnett fourth.
The two Allcomers races that followed brought wins for 499 David Aldous, and 315 Tristan Claydon - his first since progressing into the senior class.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

At sixteen years of age, 921 Jack Aldridge became the youngest ever winner of a recognised Championship in BriSCA F2 Stock Car racing's long history.
The meeting had not begun well for Aldridge, as he tangled with 124 Ollie Skeels on the opening lap of Teen Sensations, and both crashed out of that event.  It was Northern Ireland star 312 Christopher Kincaid who took the Teen Sensations victory, when he won from 768 Tom Adcroft and 302 Dale Moon who stole third on the last bend from 944 Ryan McCrory.
In the random draw for grid positions for the F2 Nationals, Aldridge drew pole position, 886 Chris Bradbury drew 12, 676 Neil Hooper 13, and 7 Gordon Moodie was some way back on grid 22.  At the drop of the green, Aldridge made a fine start, to instantly carve out a useful lead.  His main chaser was 522 Chris Mikulla, until Moodie swept through the pack to overhaul Mikulla and climb into second place.  Into the second half of the race, it was now a question of whether Moodie could reel in Aldridge.  As the laps ticked away, the gap continued to narrow, but with just a couple of laps left, Moodie's path was baulked by tangling backmarkers in the pits bend.  That was the moment when Aldridge knew he was home and dry.  Mikulla was second and 127 Matt Stoneman took fourth.
126 Jamie Avery won the other qualifying heat, and 783 James Rygor took the 25-car consolation.
The Steve Rich Memorial Trophy race saw 276 Murray Jones first home, as he continued the fine form he had shown in the F2 Nationals race, when he climbed 18 places to finish sixth.  Jones duly regained his red roof as a result of the final win, whilst Moodie was the runner-up and Ollie Skeels completed the top three.
Moodie finished off a fine weekend for himself by winning the Grand National for the second successive day.

National Bangers (under 1800cc)

Over 30 drivers contested a brutal day of heavy crashing in the latest World Championship qualifying round.
908 David Brown took top honours, in his nifty Volvo V60, which helped bring him a win in the final, and a healthy points haul for the day.
There were Best Presented awards for 246 Ryan Sparks, 242 Ben Ellacott and 239 Steve Carter, and it was Carter who was amongst the thick of the action, as he produced a thoroughly entertaining display of crashing and racing.
Carter won the opening heat, and was then heavily involved in an orgy of crashing in the pits bend in heat two.  After running in 284 Leon Benjafield, Carter was then clobbered by 252 Steve Bugler.  In charged 452 Anthony Sleeman, before 113 Aaron Brown also blasted Carter.  741 Alex Waterman fired in 988 Billy Dennison and 262 Robert Bugler, and then 50 Neil Rogers was twice sent hurtling into the pile-up - first by Sleeman and then by Brown.  Ellacott took the chequered flag, and then Brown won the final, ahead of Waterman and Sleeman.
Carter completed an excellent day with a DD success, when he saw off Sleeman with a hefty head-on.

BriSCA F2 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Teen Sensations 312 768 302 944 120 544 111 950 nof
Heat 1 126 124 189 374 76 954 105 685 992 297
F2 Nationals 921 7 522 127 401 276 676 990 886 315
Consolation 783 823 835 642 605 254 290 817 120 438
Final 276 7 124 126 120 921 522 886 401 438
Grand National 7 886 401 921 276 676 120 783 522 101
Grade Awards W 120 Y 124 B 276
Saloon Stock Cars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Last Chance 618 641 360 77 698 600 591 103 2 995 first 6 to final
Nationals 677 18 149 511 618 512 360 120 619 199
Allcomers 1 499 156 120 315 382 512 618 30 199 641
Allcomers 2 315 499 219 65 382 120 156 641 428 199
National Bangers 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Heat 1 239 989 451 113 988 131 133 741 862 nof
Heat 2 242 406 451 133 607 452 141 113 708 841
Final 908 741 452 239 409 451 989 242 45 708
King of Crash/DD 239
Best Presented 246 242 239
  • 19 June - Taunton
 

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