United Downs Raceway - Sunday 29th July 2012

Morning showers gave way to bright but breezy conditions as the United Downs Raceway played host to the annual Caravan Chaos meeting. Also on the programme were the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, Autospeed Bangers and the youngsters in the Ministox. For some reason this mid-summer date is usually a little down on car turn-out and this year was unfortunately no exception, a shame as there were some superb trophies on offer from meeting sponsors Steve Hoskin Construction. It was an afternoon of multiple-wins in all three formulas - with an F2 driver winning three races and both a Ministock and Autospeed Banger driver winning two, when both could quite easily have completed hatricks also.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Although very disappointingly down on numbers, with just 18 cars in attendance, the afternoon's racing from the BriSCA F2s was still fast, furious and at times spectacular. With a rare and almost faultless display from one young driver, 797 Dan Moss, being a particular highlight. At the start of the meeting 522 Chris Mikulla was heading the track's F2 points chart, and the popular Congresbury driver must have felt he had a good chance of scoring some more valuable points but whereas 797 Moss was definitely the Bradley Wiggins of the meeting, Mikulla was more the Mark Cavedish...... With no visiting interest it was down to the Autospeed locals to entertain, and it was certainly good to see young 835 Matt Westaway among the starting line-up after the severe fencing he received the previous week at Smeatharpe. Running to an 'all-in' two heats and a final format, all available cars lined up for heat 1 including the very smart ex 522 Chris Mikulla car of 991 Ryan Hoskin, the youngster's very first taste of the United Downs raceway in the F2s after graduating from the Ministox earlier in the month. It was not to be a fairytale start though for young Ryan, but a dream start it was to the afternoon  for 797 Dan Moss. Another couple of drivers not exactly enjoying a good start to their afternoon's were 167 Bill Batten and 315 Justin Fisher, the two red graders tangling on turn 3 resulting in a spectacular roll for veteran Batten, ending up with the 167 car flat on its roof and bringing about an immediate stoppage. Thankfully Bill emerged from his upturned machine with only a few scratches but his car looked very the worse for wear, as did Fisher's, the front end of the 315 car sustaining a lot of damage. A mention must go to 835 Matt Westaway who on seeing the crash immediately placed his car by the incident, shielding both Batten and Fisher as the other cars came around the bend. At the re-start 991 Hoskin led the field away but the flying 797 Dan Moss was soon past from the yellows and despite a further two stoppages, one for a coming together between 254 Richard Beere and 685 Adam Deeble on the start/finish straight, went on to win comfortably. 676 Neil Hooper, in his 'old' car finished in 2nd after giving 991 Hoskin a big hurry up into turn 3, with points leader 522 Mikulla home in 3rd. Heat 2 was slightly delayed to allow 315 Justin Fisher to get his hastily repaired car out, a feat he and his many helpers managed to do and he joined the other 16 cars on the raceway. 676 Hooper received the black cross at the start of this one as 476 Ryan Wadling took the early lead but by lap 3 that man 797 Moss was cleanly through down the inside on turn 2 and that was that. 676 Hooper was soon up to 2nd, with 605 Liam Rowe up into 3rd, shadowed by 522 Mikulla but eventhough Hooper closed a little at the front 797 Moss was far enough ahead to avoid any attack and took his second win of the day. Although 476 Hooper crossed the line in 2nd, he was docked two places for a jumped start which relagated him to 4th and 605 Rowe and 522 Mikulla up into 2nd and 3rd - with 315 Justin Fisher managing to bring his repaired car home in 8th. The final only saw 15 cars out on track, and this was reduced to 14 when ladies favourite 302 Dale Moon pulled the car off before the start. 229 Jon Kind took an early lead but by lap 2 it was 797 Moss up into 2nd and looking menacing once more, with 676 Hooper again making rapid progress from the red grade. It did look like 229 Kind was going to make a race of it but before half-distance he was forced to retire with a problem, leaving 797 Moss to once again lead the pack, followed by 254 Richard Beere. 476 Ryan Wadling was the next driver to retire, from 3rd place, which promoted 676 Hooper, 522 Mikulla and 605 Rowe, the three red graders having a right good tear up for 3rd, 4th and 5th. With the lap boards shown, 797 Moss' lead never looked under threat and at the flag it was the Boy-from-Fowey that took his third win of the day, one he thoroughly deserved too, with 254 Beere an excellent 2nd, keeping ahead of 3rd place man 676 Hooper. These three collecting their superb trophies courtesy of sponsors Steve Hoskin Construction. Underated white grader 785 Liam Deeble took an early lead in the Grand National, almost catching handicap man 797 Dan Moss at one point and managing to avoid a big coming together between 476 Ryan Wadling, 685 Adam Deeble and 522 Chris Mikulla on the exit of turn 4. 954 Jamie Beere though soon took over at the front but once again 676 Neil Hooper was storming through the field from the reds and as we reached half-distance it was the Exmouth star that took the lead, with 254 Richard Beere moving up into 3rd. With three laps to go, 315 Justin Fisher passed 254 Beere for 3rd but could do little to close the gap on 2nd place man 954 Beere and at the flag it was an easy win for 676 Hooper. 785 Liam Deeble picked up the best in grade award for the whites, an award he has now won at each of the five F2 meetings at United Downs this season, an excellent achievement as he has had some good competition. 797 Moss obviously collected the yellow grade award, with 954 Beere jnr the deserved blue.

Autospeed Bangers

Another good showing from the Autospeed Bangers produced 40 cars, with the pick of the bunch 'smart car' wise being 28 Steve Linly's Mondeo and 929 Sam Baker's Nissan but like both the other formulas there was one driver that stood out from the rest, winning two of his three races - that said, it might well have been all three as 10 Ian Sparks had led the other one quite convincingly until over-cooking it a lap or two before the end. Another driver on good form was 358, but not a single winner's trophy for multi-champion 246 Ryan Sparks, though he came close with a 2nd and a 3rd. 372 Jay Matthews won a fast and relatively incident free 20 car heat 1 in his unusual Honda Aerodeck Estate, just surviving a last corner lunge from 247 Richard Sparks. 19 cars lined up for heat 2, including 246 Ryan Sparks in his still smart Devon Championship winning Honda Accord. In a fast race it was an impressive flag-to-flag victory for 358, with veteran 194 Alistair Buchan driving well in his battered BMW Compact finishing in an excellent 2nd. 20 cars made it out for the lively consolation and after a couple of early spinners it was 10 Iain Sparks in a well used Rover 200 that made it all look easy, pulling out a good lead and looking favourite to take the win, that was until lap 9 when he spun out on turn 3, completely unaided, allowing a grateful 235 Toby Brooks to take the lead and eventually the chequered flag. 10 Sparks recovered for 2nd with 938 Ashley Rice home in 3rd. The final saw 24 cars take to the track with pole position man 10 Iain Sparks making the best of his front row start to take the lead. Action began early in this one as 654 Mark Pope spun on lap 1, he reversed down turn 2 at speed and in his enthusiasm to rejoin drove onto the infield and somehow managed to clip the inner banking which launched the car spectacularly into the air before it came back to earth squarly on its roof, bringing out the reds. With 247 Richard Sparks sportingly positioning his Honda in order to shield the upturned car. Once again 10 Sparks made the most of his front row start to take it up at the green but 358 kept the pressure on, at one time passing the Farm Boy's Rover before settling into 2nd. As the leaders began their penultimate lap, 354 Mark Sear and 28 Steve Linly clashed going into the pits bend, and as a result 130 Chris Durrant found himself bundled hard into the wall on turn one, with the unfortunate driver causing some concern and the waved yellows being shown and the result called. An excellent victory for 10 Sparks, with 358 equally impressive in 2nd and 246 Ryan Sparks some way back in 3rd, with the only downside being the injuries to 130 Durrant, hopefully all is now well. The allcomers produced just 16 starters, with several drivers electing to save their cars for the Caravan Chaos event a little later on. There was plenty of action in this one, all around the raceway, as 994 Kirstin Stone took the early lead, with 10 Iain Sparks going very well once more in his battered Rover. By half-distance 10 Sparks had taken over at the front, his car lifting its inside rear wheel a good six-inches off the ground as he went around turn 1 each lap ! At the flag it was the flying Sparks that took a very convincing second win of the afternoon, from namesake 246 Ryan Sparks, with 372 Jay Matthews home in 3rd in the Honda Aerodeck after an entertaining race.

ORCi Ministox

The youngsters in the Ministox enjoyed another entertaining afternoon, with one driver, 901 Cameron Lawrence very much carrying on from where he left off at the previous meeting at United Downs where he won all three Ministox races. Among the entry was the new Sussex Champion 942 Steven Gilbert, the young superstar from Doublebois  back after a mid-week sortie to Spedeworth country to wrestle this prestigious award from the Southerners on their own doorstep at Arlington ! 16 cars started heat 1 and after an initial stoppage for a problem for 935 James Flint, it was business as usual as 901 Lawrence hit the front and disappeared into the distance. At the flag it was indeed the 901 driver that came home first, with 942 Gilbert just surviving a last bend attack from 903 Adam Neville to collect 2nd. Heat 2 looked like being a repeat of the earlier race as 901 Lawrence soon found his way to the front and began pulling out a healthy lead, that was until lap 7 when 931 Jack Manhire came to a stop in a dangerous position bringing out the waved yellows. With the talented 986 Sophie Fasey now right on his tail 901 Lawrence led the field away at the re-start but with two laps to run 986 Fasey made her move, pushing the 901 car wide into turn 3 to take it up, with 907 Ben Sillifant and 989 Joe Marquand also following her through. At the flag it was a fair win for 986 Fasey, but without the stoppage who knows what might have happened, 907 Sillifant and 989 Marquand were the place men. Normality was restored in the final (!), with 901 Cameron Lawrence once again dominant after reeling in early leader 916 Keiran Bodie with 5 laps to go. 989 Joe Marquand had a bit of a moment when his N/S/F wheel broke as he exited turn 4 but thankfully he managed to get the car to a place of safety on the infield. 986 Sophie Fasey did manage to work her way up into 2nd before the end but couldn't catch leader 901 Lawrence who took his second Final win in as many meetings, with 907 Ben Sillifant picking up 3rd to add to his earlier 2nd place in heat.

Caravan Chaos

The Caravan Chaos side of things was run, as usual, in aid of the 'Handstand Appeal' for little local handicapped lad Marshal Janson - and it was really good to see the inspirational young man, now five years old, in attendance with his proud father Moss. There was an excellent turnout of 12 caravans - with one 'spare' one left across the track on the exit of turn 4 for good measure. As expected it was absolute carnage, with action all around the raceway with the antics of 242 Ben Ellacott certainly worth a mention. 845 Albert Haines had lost the body of his caravan and the chassis attached to the back of his car formed a kind of ramp, along comes the rapid 242 Ellacott down the start/finish straight, his Mondeo launching itself up and over the 845 car, completely clearing it and landing back on all four wheels - with the 242 caravan chassis still attached. Next lap and the 242 driver attempts the same move, with 845 Haines clearly waving him in, but this time the 845 'ramp' is a little lower, with the highest end just below the top of the 845 car's rear window, up goes Ellacott, the front subframe of his car just catching the roof of the 845 machine, sending him into a roll with the 242 car coming to rest upside down on the entry to turn 1 ! Spectacular stuff indeed, with 242 Ellacott exiting his wrecked car to the enthusiastic applause of the appreciative crowd. Also worth a mention was 154 Barry Pike who lost control coming down the start/finish straight at speed, hit one of the infield tractor marker tyres, the impact rolling the car onto its side, the driver again vacating his upturned car to loud applause. 87 Paul Lawer was the eventual deserving winner of the 'Caravan Chaos' trophy - also picking up an extra £50 award for managing to keep his caravan in one piece longer than anyone else ! Great stuff !