United Downs Raceway - Sunday 26th August 2012

Report by John Wyatt

A dull and breezy United Downs Raceway greeted the good sized crowd that arrived for the annual Blockbuster meeting for the Unlimited National Bangers - with car numbers disappointingly down on previous years. Also disappointingly down was the amount of contact and heavy crashing, particularly after last year's classic, but the racing was good at times - even if some of the results were a little predictable. Also on the eleven-race programme were the mighty Saloon Stock Cars and the lively youngsters in the Ministox, both competing for their Cornish Championship's.
 
Unlimited National Bangers - Blockbuster
 
Just 27 cars assembled in the pit area, including three Mk2 Granada saloons, 'used' ones for defending Champion 528 Alan 'Jethro' Hunt and 820 Martin 'Maggot' Perkins - with the pick of the bunch being a 'fresh' example from 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey, superbly turned out as usual. There were a couple of Yanks, a Chevy Caprice for 99 David 'Bam' Spooner, and a ripe '81 Buick Sabre for 'Dingle' Tom Perkins. A 'fresh' Toyota Supra for 514 Marty Eighteen, a well 'used' Lexus 400 for 650 and 891 Darren Wade returned his 'Day to Triumph' triple-race-winning-Pinto-engined Triumph 2000  - with the rest of the field made up of the usual Volvo 240s, 'Frog-eye' Fords and Jaguar XJs - including a smart version for 341 Andrew Jones, back after a lengthy suspension. It was certainly a good day to be racing a blue coloured car - as that was the colour of each of the four different race winners ! The Blockbuster Final was the first event for the bangers and saw 26 cars line up after 716 Bryn Thomas pulled off before the start. Defending Champion 528 Alan 'Jethro' Hunt was an early spinner on lap 1, along with 47 Marcus A'Lee, and that looked like that for the Reading man but he was soon off again and watching him throw the Mk2 Granny around the bends was an absolute joy to watch, using every inch of the track. Also going very well in a Granada was 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey, the DWO superstar resisting the temptation to crash in his persuit of early leader 452 Anthony 'Lurch' Sleeman and the money, followed closely by team-mate 162 Brett 'Bad Boy' Ellacott, and, for a time 341 'Jonesey'. With 4 laps left to run, in what has to be said was a bit of a 'roddy' race, 190 'Pikey' did catch and cleanly pass 452 'Lurch', but what was more surprising was that 528 'Jethro' was sniffing at the rear end of 3rd place man 162 'Bad Boy'. As 190 'Pikey' began his final lap, well clear now of 2nd place man 'Lurch', with 162 'Bad Boy' and 528 'Jethro' following closely, it looked as though this was going to be the result but as is often the case in oval racing the last corner of the final lap is where results are decided. As 'Pikey' took the chequered flag, 452 'Lurch' got a bit throttle-happy into turn 3, spinning his Frog-eye, 528 'Jethro' pushed 162 'Bad Boy' wide into the same corner, the pair both passing 452 'Lurch' as he tried to straighten his car. As 162 'Bad Boy' tries to recover on the exit of turn 4, 528 'Jethro' leans him into the fence and it is the defending Champion that crosses the line in 2nd, with 452 'Lurch' coming across the line in reverse to snatch 3rd from the unlucky 162 'Bad Boy' who managed to drag his walled Frog-eye home in 4th. A spectacular end then to a fast and furious race, with the lack of any big crashes certainly not spoiling things at all. 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey a popular and certainly deserving winner with a faultless drive, but for me the man of the race had to be 528 Alan 'Jethro' Hunt, who knows what the eventual outcome would have been if he hadn't spun on the opening lap. And how refreshing to see Mk2 Granadas in the first two places, you don't see that very often these days ! The first allcomers race was a lively affair and fielded 20 starters and as 528 'Jethro' lined up at the back, he must have noticed that both 162 'Bad Boy' and 190 'Pikey' were lined up immediately behind him ! At the green though 162 passed 528 cleanly - and then piled into 648 Jamie Smith on turn 1. 341 'Jonesey' was having fun in this one too, powering into 862 Darryl 'Dippy' Cock on turn 1, then exchanging blows with 99 'Bam' in the yank. Meanwhile at the front it was 714 Paul 'No Show' Smaldon that was doing the laps and indeed it was the Newton Abbot man that went on to take a popular win in his well-used Frog-eye, with fellow DWO man 190 'Pikey' eventually coming through in 2nd in the mint Granada. Just before the flag though 47 Marcus A'Lee picked up 341 'Jonesey' in the Jag and followed him into the turn 1 fence, before taking one himself up the chuff from 162 'Bad Boy' - which certainly seemed to please the pit-bend crowd ! The second allcomers race produced 15 starters - including 341 'Jonesey', having changed the complete front axle and steering rack on his Jag between races in order to cause further punishement, particularly to 99 'Bam' ! The first thing the 341 man hit though was an infield tyre, after spinning out un-aided at the start. 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey was again the pace-setter in this one, after early leader, fellow Mk2 Granada man 820 'Maggot' had come to grief on the main straight - for a few laps though it had been a Mk2 Granada 1-2-3, as 528 'Jethro' had moved into 3rd behind 190 Bailey. After 820's demise it looked as though 190 'Pikey' was going to go on to record his second win of the day but just as it seemed he had it all sewn up a front-nearside puncture slowed him up enough to allow the flying 528 'Jethro' through in the closing laps for the win. 190 'Pikey' did manage to get the still immaculate Granada home in 2nd, with 452 'Lurch' coming through in 3rd. So, an excellent day at the office for 528 Alan 'Jethro' Hunt, the Reading man picking up a deserved sizeable wad of cash, surely enough for large portions of KFC on his way back up the M5 ! He and his rapid Granada will be back at Smeatharpe next weekend for the World Final. The King of Crash/DD raised 8 cars, which surprisingly included 162 'Bad Boy' in his still relatively straight Frog-eye, but not surprisingly 341 'Jonesey' in his well-blitzed XJ ! After a little heavy action, it was down to 341 Jones, 47 A'Lee in his XJ and 17 Kyle Overy, who then quite bizarrely drove his Volvo estate full-length on opposite down the start/finish straight into a large infield marker tyre, and that's where he stayed - well, at least until 341 Jones gave him a stiff rear-ender which was the final act of the afternoon, with 47 A'Lee stuck fast the chequered flag came down on 341 'Jonesey', a deserving winner for an entertaining 'come-back'. Let's hope it lasts....................       
 
Saloon Stock Cars - Cornish Championship

 
This was the first visit to United Downs since the English Championship in early May for the Saloon Stock Cars. That day 120 Shane Brown was the man to beat, winning the title with comparative ease, surprisingly Brown was not on the entry list this afternoon, no doubt still licking his wounds after failing to lift the World title at Smeatharpe earlier in the month. Joining the other 14 St Day regulars were two long-distance travellers, Scotsmen 71 Gordon Alexander and Scottish Champion 618 Stuart Shevill jnr - the latter experiencing both the highs and the lows (literally) on his visit to the far South West. Winning heat 2 in superb style and then having an air-line blow-out on his transporter as he left the track, dropping the luxurious coach's rear air supension on the deck. The entry included 178 Mike Davies, making his debut in the formula, the Menheniot driver at the wheel of the re-painted car 382 Danny Hunt used in the World Final. Heat 1 saw Essex-boy 2 Paul Tuppen take the early lead but he came a cropper on turn 1 just after half-distance, sliding on some dropped oil and clobbering the fence, handing the lead briefly to 995 Ben Goddard. 56 Georgie Boult then passed 995 Goddard, but this was only briefly too as World Champoin 1 Eddie Darby slipped cleanly past the youngster on turn 3. Darby's lead didn't last long either, as 103 Chris Horwell pushed both him and 56 Boulty wide into turn 3 in a bid for the front but 995 Goddard somehow managed to go down the inside of all three of them to take it up once more ! 1 Darby recovered to spin 103 Horwell on turn 1, before setting off in persuit of leader 995 Goddard. As the last lap board came out, it looked for a moment that Goddard might just be far enough ahead but he wasn't, and the World Champion caught him into the final bend, pushing him wide enough to just slip past on the inside, with 995 Goddard recovering for 2nd and 199 Phil Powell finishing 3rd. Heat 2 saw 995 Goddard once again at the front, with World Champion Darby again making an excellent start from the back. By half-distance 100 Ian Govier had taken over at the front but 1 Darby had moved up into 2nd - with designs on the lead. And sure enough as the two cars come down the main straight, 1 Darby puts the bumper in on the 100 Govier car as they arrive at turn 3 but makes a real pigs-ear of it and both cars clobber the wall, as the two drivers wrestle themselves around the turn 100 Govier spins the World Champion to lead once more. Behind him now though is Scottish Champion 618 Stuart Shevill and he makes short work of relieving 100 Govier of the lead, when the Taunton man goes wide on turn 1. 56 Georgie Boult is the next man to pass 100 Govier to move into 2nd, with long-distance traveller 71 Gordon Alexander then passing the 100 car into 3rd, and this is the positions to the chequered flag. A good win then for the popular Scotsman Shevill, some reward for the supreme effort both he and his team put in, good result for 56 Boulty too and visitor 71 Alexander, mastering the tricky United Downs track well. The 'South West Sweepers' sponsored Cornish Championship Final was a runaway victory for 995 Ben Goddard, starting on the inside of the front row the Burnham-on-Sea youngster went on to record a flag-to-flag win in what was a fast run race. Once again though World Champion 1 Eddie Darby made a superb start from the back of the grid but even he could do little to catch the orange 995 car, eventually settling for 2nd after overhauling 56 Georgie Boult on the last corner of the final lap. A fine win then for the charismatic Goddard, only the second win in the Saloons in his short career since graduating from the Ministox, with fellow ex-Ministox driver, the loveable 56 Boulty in 3rd, separated by 'old-boy' World Champion Darby !    

ORCi Ministocks - Cornish Championship
 

There were three welcome visitors among the ranks of the juniors in the Ministox, East Anglian 118 Sadie Betts, Kent yellow grader 119 Harry Steward, son of former Stock Rod multi-champion Tick Steward, and Spedeworth Points Champion 143 Danny Hansford, each no doubt  eager to snatch the Cornish Championship away from the South West again, as young Southerner Georgie Boult had done the previous year. There were enough cars to run a two-from-three heat format and race 1 saw 12 cars out on track including the super-smart new SRP built car of 987 Ethan Pope. Visitor 119 Harry Steward was the real star in this one, moving into the lead on lap 3 from the yellow grade, and never looking back, his victory even more impressive as it was his first visit to the tricky United Downs raceway. 989 Joe Marquand did well to finish in 2nd, with fellow blue grader 907 Ben Sillifant in 3rd. Heat 2 again included 119 Steward, and once again the youngster from Bromley impressed, taking the lead on lap 3, but losing it again to 946 Emily Hector a lap later, these two young drivers entertaining the large crowd as they battled for the lead before 119 Steward stamped his authority on things with 4 laps to run and pulled clear at the front to take his second win of the afternoon. The battling 946 Miss Hector finished an excellent 2nd, with 2012 form-man 901 Cameron Lawrence 3rd in this one. With no 119 Harry Steward in heat 3 we were going to have a different winner and it was 946 Emily Hector that took the lead on lap 2 and never looked back, going on to take the win convincingly from 901 Cameron Lawrence - though a good battle for 3rd place between 989 Joe Marquand, 977 Kieren Bradford and 942 Steven Gilbert kept the crowd entertained, with the Doublebois youngster Gilbert eventually getting the place. The 'S.P.Services' sponsored Cornish Championship all-in Final is the biggest event of the season for the Ministox at United Downs and after visiting drivers had 'stolen' the title for the past few years it was a determined field of 'locals' that lined up on the raceway. Starting in qualifying order in groups of six, it was a front row of 119 Harry Steward and 946 Emily Hector that led the field away. 946 Hector made an awful start as 119 Steward took it up, she was down to 5th place on the opening lap. 901 Cameron Lawrence then pushed 119 Steward wide to move to the front as 916 Keiran Brodie spun on turn 4 and 942 Steven Gilbert moved into 2nd. Just as things got really exciting though the waved yellow flags came out for the stranded 916 Brodie and the cars lined up for the re-start. As the cars moved off the order was 901 Lawrence, 942 Gilbert and 907 Ben Sillifant but at the green it was 942 Gilbert who made a cracking start, catching 901 Lawrence napping and taking the lead as the cars came down the start/finish straight. 907 Sillifant spun away his 3rd place which was taken by the lively 986 Sophie Fasey, with visitor 143 Danny Hansford moving into 4th, next thing the waved yellows come out for the 907 Sillifant car that is in a dangerous position and the cars line up for another re-start. 942 Gilbert again makes an excellent start at the green but so does 901 Lawrence and the Newton Abbot youngster manages to get his nose in front as the leaders head down the main straight, before 942 Gilbert re-takes the place on turn 2 - with 986 Sophie Fasey also joining in the fun, the three young drivers having an excellent battle at the front. 986 Fasey then moves into 2nd as we reach half-distance, with 143 Hansford now up to 3rd at the expense of 901 Lawrence and 942 Gilbert increasing his lead at the head of the pack. At the flag it was the flying Cornish(young)man 942 Steven Gilbert that took a thoroughly deserved win, from the talented 986 Sophie Fasey, with visitor 143 Danny Hansford a good 3rd, bringing the coveted Cornish Championship title 'home' to where it belongs, on the Gilbert sideboard in Doublebois ! Fittingly the winners trophies were presented by the outgoing Champion, Saloon Stock young star 56 Goergie Boult who was sportingly praiseful of Gilbert's win. Next stop the Devon title on the morrow.............