United Downs Raceway - Sunday 9th October 2011

Dull and overcast conditions greeted Cornish racegoers to the United Downs Raceway at St Day for the final BriSCA F2 meeting of the season where a good showing of drivers gathered to contest the annual Old Motor Cycle Club Trophy - and to determine who, out of 676 Neil Hooper and 315 Justin Fisher, would become the 2011 Track Champion.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Thankfully the morning rain ceased as the cars came onto the track for the opening race - the White & Yellow Final but with conditions on the slippery side, to say the least, it was 830 Andrew Bennett who made the best of the available grip to take a convincing win. There was a spectacular last corner incident involving 707 Jeremy Moss and 954 Jamie Beere, who crossed the line completely sideways with the 707 car firmly mounted across the front bumper of the 954 car. Amidst the chaos 797 Dan Moss stole the runner-up position.
 
Heat two was no less exciting with action from almost the drop of the green flag when 290 Jay Tomkins rolled after clipping the fence and an assortment of cars at the end of the start/finish straight. After the re-run it was returnee 935 Nathan Maidment who ran out an easy winner from Bennett, recovering after a half-spin, with 676 Neil Hooper closing fast.
 
Heat three began with problems for 950 Lewis Holden resulting in a red flag on the opening lap, and on the re-run it was white grader 785 Liam Deeble who opened up a commanding lead only to see it vanish after a second stoppage. That re-start saw Maidment take up the lead before a hard-charging Hooper caught and passed the young man from Milborne Port to take the win, with 315 Justin Fisher taking third to add a little more spice to the battle for the St Day Track Championship.
 
The Old Motor Cycle Club Trophy Final was an absolute cracker, with the track now dry it was fast and furious - with a £25 lap-leader bonus adding extra incentive to the drivers. From his 'C' grade starting position it was Liam Deeble who took up an early lead, managing to stay in front for three laps and collecting £75 for his efforts before 992 Ian Jefferies brought out the waved yellow flags after losing a wheel. After the re-start it was young 302 Dale Moon who took up the running, managing to lead up until lap 16 - even surviving yet another re-start after 990 Paul Rice also parted company with a wheel - until, with the following pack getting ever closer, he clipped the inner curb on the exit of turn four which allowed defending champion Hooper to take over at the front and indeed hold on to take the win, £100 lap-leader bonus and retain the coveted Old Motor Cycle Club Trophy for another year. Four cars came into the final bend almost side-by-side and after the dust settled it was 783 James Rygor who emerged in an excellent second place, with Fisher in third and a spirited drive from 167 Billy Batten saw him into fourth.

A further upshot to the events of the race, was that 916 Luke Thomas remained at the top of the season's lap leader board for F2 finals at St Day, and duly collected the All Saints Championship trophy.
 
The Grand National served up a fitting climax to the F2 season in Cornwall. From the compulsory one lap handicap, Hooper looked to have his work cut out if he was to make up the three point deficit to Fisher for the Track Championship. Maidment took up the early running, with Fisher tangling with Moon and Bennett seemingly not helping his cause. 835 Matt Westaway was running well in second until a race stoppage bought the field to a standstill. The re-start saw Maidment again at the front, from Westaway and a recovering Fisher. Hooper at this stage was down in 16th. But as the race progressed it was Hooper who was charging through the field, with Fisher seemingly going backwards down the order as he lost place after place. With the lap boards out, Hooper caught the luckless Fisher and as the two cars come out of turn four all eyes are on what was surely going to be the deciding move, and sure enough it was. Fisher partly spun on the exit of turn four, and that took him across the path of Hooper. The two friends and rivals clashed and veered out towards the safety fence.  Fisher clipped the fence and then so did Hooper, as both cars slid almost sideways across the start/finish line. This all happened with the pack bearing down on them, and in a wave of cars, Fisher and Hooper were carried along down the straight. Fisher battled back to the inside line entering turn one, but Hooper had lost his steering going into turn one and he clattered into the turnstile bend fence hard. As Hooper ground to a halt, Fisher was then spun a lap later by Dan Moss, but in the grand scheme of the Track Championship it did not matter, as Fisher's slender three-point advantage was still intact. Almost unseen after all this action, leader Maidment comes across the finishing line to take the chequered flag only to be docked two places for an earlier 'jump-start' to one of the restarts, handing the win to a deserving James Rygor, with Matt Westaway finishing an excellent second.

Stock Rods

In very difficult conditions it was visitor 136 Steve Gooch who was on a flyer in heat one, after a stoppage for a problem with 46 Shane Hector robbed 286 Rich Crowther of a healthy lead. Gooch, from West Drayton, stamped his authority on this one and collecting a well deserved win, with 92 Adam Daniels home in second. Heat two saw teenager Crowther lead from flag to flag for a maiden victory in the Stock Rod formula after graduating from the Ministox earlier in the season, 909 Justin Washer following him home in his unusual Peugeot 106. Heat three went the way of Gooch yet again, the drying track obviously suiting the visitor, with another former Ministox driver 853 Sam Matthews finishing a creditable second. The Final was a lively affair with the two former Ministox drivers, Crowther and Matthews, having a right old dice at the front - both showing great skill and style that is a credit to both. But it was the crafted skill of experienced racer Washer, with a couple of excellent outside-line passes, that gave the Salisbury man the win, with Crowther hanging on for second and Matthews for third.

Bangers

An excellent turn out of approximately 50 Bangers resulted in the usual spectacular and exciting racing, with action all around the crowded raceway. After a rollover for 441 Dan Sutherland had forced a re-run of th efirst heat, 881 Gary Emery made the most of his 'C' grade start to take the win with reasonable ease, from 45 Mike Reed and 46 Dennis Richards. Heat two was another lively affair with 235 Toby Brooks stamping his authority on the race early on and keeping his head to take the win, even surviving a stoppage for a problem on lap three. 246 Ryan Sparks made excellent progress through the pack to take second, with 60 Andy Bulled hanging on for third. 26 starters for the consolation, which included a rollover back on to his wheels for 309 Grant Williams. After some heavy action on turn four it was 451 Mickey Reed who emerged victorious after spinning aside the rapid 677 Glenn Nash on the last lap. Devon Champion, the ever-youthful 186 Leon Fasey, progressed through the mayhem to come home in second, with 511 Dan Crosbie good value for third. The Final fielded 26 starters and after spirited drives again by Emery and Brooks it was Supreme Champion Sparks once more from the back of the grid who came through to take the victory - leaving it to the very last bend to dispose of leader Emery, who somehow managed to gather it all back up to come home in second, whilst Brooks hung on for third. The Allcomers began with a lot of carnage and some heavy action but after a lengthy stoppage for a problem with the unfortunate 647 Terri Whatley, only five cars were available for the re-start over the remaining nine laps. Incredibly, with just five cars on the track, 68 David Stone managed a double rollover in the turnstile bend. The race was restarted again, and after a surprisingly close duel it was 929 Sam Baker who came out on top, but only just from 441 Dan Sutherland and Dennis Richards - with 607 Gary Sillifant a distant fourth but worth the mention at least for bringing his rapidly disintergrating car home at all!