Smeatharpe Stadium - Sunday 4th March 2012

(Report by John Wyatt)

A bitterly cold wind replaced the morning showers at a blustery season opener for the BriSCA F2s, Saloon Stock cars and Bangers at Smeatharpe. Undaunted by the weather a good showing of cars/drivers filled the pit-area for what promised to be an entertaining, if chilly, afternoon with many keen to show off their new cars, new paint-jobs and in some cases, renewed enthusiasm. With many in attendance also racing the night before at either Birmingham or Kings Lynn it was a thoroughly good effort all round - though one or two, particularly in the Saloon Stock formula, might have wished they hadn't bothered.......

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

With 29 cars available a two-from-three heat format was adopted, but what the entry lacked in numbers it certainly made up for in class with some high profile visitors including National Points Champion 7 Gordon Moodie and surprise arrival, fresh from a heat and final win at Birmingham the previous night, 886 Chris Bradbury. Some beautiful new cars on show too with 522 Chris Mikulla's gorgeous RCE machine the pick of the bunch - though the new car of popular veteran 167 Bill Batten drew the biggest crowd of admirers. Big news was that Bill, at the youthful age of 65, was calling it a day at the end of the season after a legendary career, probably to concentrate on a little tinkering in the garden and re-tiling the bathroom.......or not !

Although cold, the track condition for the first F2 race of the Autospeed season was dry. Heat 1, sponsored by MDP Services, fielded 20 cars, with 602 James Horwell on the inside of the front row and 544 James Rogers the outside, with the line-up including 7 Scotsman Gordon Moodie, 886 Chris Bradbury and the beautiful 522 car of Chris Mikulla at the rear of the grid. 544 was the early leader from 602 Horwell while at the back Bradbury had made an excellent start, getting the drop on Moodie and up among the blue grade by lap 2 in what was a very quick race. Lap 5 and 550 Andy Sobey moves up into 2nd while 886 Bradbury was already up into 10th, meanwhile 734 Glenn Sanders, in his first race since switching from the Stock Rods was finding his new formula difficult to get to grips with. At half-distace it was still 544 who headed the pack from the ever-closer 550 and 602, a lap later and Bradbury was up to 5th and 7 Moodie up to 7th, as 189 Paul Butcher spins on turn 1. The leader, 544 Rogers, then began to pull away from 2nd place Sobey as he began to get to grips with the Smeatharpe track, as 835 Matt Westaway moved past 602 Horwell for 3rd, with Bradbury also passing the 602 car and now into 4th and 935 Nathan Maidment soon up into 5th. Two laps to go and 7 Moodie has relagated 602 Horwell to 7th, a lap later and Bradbury moves past 835 Westaway to take 3rd and this is how they finish.

Heat 2 saw 18 starters on the raceway with 602 Horwell on the inside of the front row and 135 Mike Lees on the outside, the 'Stars' in this one including Smeatharpe Points Champion 676 Neil Hooper, 315 Justin Fisher, the veteran 167 Bill Batten and silver roof 7 Moodie. With almost perfect track conditions it was 135 Lees who made the better start - as 797 Dan Moss, who had been racing unsuccessfully on the shale at Kings Lynn the night before, got shown the black cross for jumping the start. At the back of the field 7 Moodie introduced his front bumper to the rear one of 676 Hooper as they went into turn 2 at speed, pushing the Exmouth man wide and slipping up the inside - with Hooper returning the compliment on turn 3, re-taking the place - only for Moodie to repeat the exercise again when they both got to turn 2, but this time a little harder which left the 676 car still mobile but too far back to retaliate. 135 Lees still headed the chasing pack but he now had 31 Simon Bassett for company, the youngster from St Austell making a welcome return after a back injury sidelined him for most of the previous season, with 602 Horwell still clinging on to 3rd, and 797 Moss also there or there-abouts. 676 Hooper briefly caught up with 7 Moodie but this just seemed to give the Fife man the hurry up he needed as he then proceeded to blast his way through towards the front, as 916 Luke Thomas got tangled up on turn 4. At half-distance it was 797 who had somehow moved up into the lead after passing 31 Bassett, from 935 Maidment, after 135 Lees had a problem - with the flying Scotsman Moodie already up to 6th after passing the superbly turned out car of 700 Adam Rubery. As the lap boards came out it was still the 'black-crossed' 797 Moss who headed the pack but the writing was on the wall as Moodie was now up into 3rd and going quicker than ever, with 189 Paul Butcher in another very smart car now up into 6th and Rubery 4th. With 2 laps to go the top three still looked like this: 797, 935, 7, with 676 Hooper passing 31 Bassett on the main straight. Last lap and 935 Maidment manages to slip down the inside of Moss on turn 1 who now has 7 Moodie right on his back bumper and as the three cars approach turn 3 for the last time Moodie executes a masterful move pushing the unfortunate Moss just hard enough into the rear of the 935 car, taking the two youngsters out wide enough to nip past the pair on the inside to take a brilliant win to the huge cheers from the admiring crowd. 935 Maidment recovered to take a well deserved 2nd but 797 Moss is docked two places to 4th for the earlier starting incident leaving 676 Hooper as the other place man, with 700 Rubery 5th and 31 Bassett an excellent 6th. Superb stuff then from the BriSCA F2s.

Heat 3 sees the Duratec powered car of 550 Andy Sobey on the front row alongside heat 1 winner 544 James Rogers, among the 17 starters is 886 Bradbury but at the start is 550 Sobey that makes an excellent start and take the lead on turn 3, with 302 Dale Moon starting well also and moving into 3rd position. As the race progresses it is clear that Sobey means business and the Launceston man moves further ahead of 2nd place Rogers as 302 Moon closes in on the 544 car. 734 Glenn Sanders was having another hard time adapting to his new formula, wisely taking an outside line to allow the more experienced drivers through. 830 Andrew Bennett briefly held onto 4th as 302 Moon put further pressure on 2nd place man 544. Further back Bradbury was moving through the pack with 676 Hooper shadowing closely and it wasn't long before the two star men were up into 6th and 7th places - but as regards pace were getting no nearer to the leader 550 Sobey who was really motoring and almost a full straight in front of his nearest rival Rogers, who was having big difficulties putting any distance at all between himself and young Moon in 3rd. 916 Luke Thomas was going well also in 5th but with his mirror becoming ever more full of both Bradbury and Hooper, it wasn't long before he was down to 7th, then he only had 522 Chris Mikulla to contend with.........! As half-distance came, 302 Moon made his move and took over 2nd but Sobey's lead by now was simply too great for the Penwithick youngster to make any impression. Meanwhile a little further behind, with three laps left to run 676 Hooper managed to briefly pass 886 Bradbury for 4th on the exit of turn 2 but the Winnersh driver pushed the 676 car wide on turn 4 and re-took the place and as the remaining lap boards came and went it finished with a superb and very popular win for 550 Sobey from the constantly improving 302 Moon, with another excellent performance from 544 Rogers home in 3rd just in front of 886 Bradbury and 676 Hooper, with 533 Mikulla bringing his beautiful RCE car in a creditable 6th. Undoubtably the race belonged to 550 Andy Sobey, the extremely likeable driver doesn't win many races - usually about one every two years - but when he does he seems to win in convincing style, just as he did the final at St Day two years ago.

An excellent field lined up for the afternoon's MDP Services final with 602 Horwell and 544 Rogers making up the front row of the 25 car line-up. Worth noting was the showing of the white flag with the blue centre spot as the cars lined up warning the drivers that there was oil somewhere on the track - and after a lap or two it became quite evident that the slippery stuff was somewhere on turn 4....... As the green flag dropped it was 602 Horwell who made the better start, leading the cars around turn 4 for the first time, the corner almost catching several drivers out, including 886 Bradbury who was forced into a half-spin but recovered and 167 Bill Batten tangling with 522 Mikulla at the same spot. 105 Ross Rowe was also having problems here spinning his car on the slippery surface but thankfully all concerned got going again. At the front it was still 544 Rogers from 602 Horwell, with 797 Moss going very well also as 734 Sanders spun, you guessed it, at turn 4 and 189 Paul Butcher with problems, coming to a standstill on the start/finish straight with a bent rear axle after a confrontation with the fence. 797 moves up into 2nd with 935 Maidment now into 3rd and these two are having a right old battle which ends when Maidment passes the Boy-from-Fowey to take up the chase of 544 Rogers, 126 Jamie Avery now up into 4th. 676 Hooper meanwhile is exchanging some bumper paint with 290 Jay Tomkins as both battle their way in persuit of the leaders and at half-distance the order is 544 Rogers from 935 Maidment just from 797 Moss, 126 Avery and 290 Tomkins. Next lap sees 935 Nathan Maidment hit the front and 676 Hooper move up into 4th at the expense of 126, as 7 Moodie moves into 6th. 886 Bradbury then takes 290 Tomkins and sets his sights on 7 Moodie. With 3 laps to go the order is now: 935, 544, 797, 676, 7 and 886 but then 544, under a lot of pressure from the higher grades, goes wide through turn 4 allowing 797 Moss up into 2nd. As 935 Maidment begins his final lap 7 Moodie has passed 676 Hooper and as he arrives at turn 3 gives 544 the hurry-up, pushing the white grader wide on the last corner which sees him, Moodie, up to 3rd behind 797 Mossy and 676 Hooper up into 4th - with the recovering 544 Rogers now down to 5th and this is how they finish, with 886 Bradbury only managing 6th place. So, an excellent drive from young Nathan who thoroughly deserved the win but credit too to 797 Dan Moss and 544 James Rogers keeping their respective heads among such talented stars.

The Grand National had 950 on the outside of the front row with 602 Horwell on the inside, behind handicap man, final winner 935 Nathan Maidment ahead of a 25 car line-up. 544 was the early leader after 602 Horwell had a problem around turn 2, but 734 Sanders and 916 Thomas had already had a big coming togeteher on turn 3 which brought out the waved yellows and then red flags to signal a complete re-start. Thankfully both drivers were okay, a real baptism of fire for the ex Stock Rod man too as handicap man Maidment led away the field for the second time of asking. 544 Rogers was the early leader once more, whilst at the back 676 Hooper the first of the star men to show, 550 Sobey slotted nicely into 2nd from 797 Moss and a hard charging 302 Dale Moon. 7 Moodie was soon hustling 676 Hooper as 302 Moon moved past 797 Moss to take up 3rd, Hooper moved up to 11th but then tangled with the unfortunate 76 Chris Rowe on turn 4, leaving him with a puncture and retirement and 676 Hooper way back down the field. At the sharp end it was still 544 Rogers but 550 Sobey was now very close but he had a very quick 302 Moon for company, these three pulling away at the front. 105 Ross Rowe was also on a mission as was 700 adam Rubery and these two were soon up with 797 Moss, a lap later and 700 Rubery had passed Rowe and 189 Butcher now latched on to the 105 man's rear bumper, with 7 Gordon Moodie also getting into his stride and closing on the front runners, followed by 886 Bradbury. At half-distance it was still 544 Rogers who lead but 302 Mooner had taken 550 Sobey for 2nd and he now had 700 Rubery for company, further back 676 Hooper was recovering ground after his earlier problems, helped around the turn 4 bend by the bumper of 290 Tomkins at one point ! With five laps left to run 302 Moon launched an attack on 544 Rogers via the inside line through turn 1 and emerged triumphant, taking the lead and then pulling clear as the two cars sped down the main straight, with 700 Rubery the next man in 3rd. With two laps to go 544 goes wide through turn 3 which allows 700 Rubery through into 2nd but by this time 302 Moon is far enough ahead to take the win but not before 544 goes wide again allowing both 7 Moodie and 886 Bradbury through to eventually finish 5th. Once again an excellent display from the BriSCA F2s and five different winners. 302 Dale Moon thoroughly deserving his GN win, his car sporting a revolutionary new 'Cab-tech' designed wing that really looked the business - three-months time and everybody is gonna want one ! 'Dragons Den' then for Father Mark...... 

Saloon Stock Cars

A slightly disappointing turnout of 17 cars arrived at Smeatharpe for the season opener in the year that will see the coveted World Final run at the Devon track. Visiting interest was top class with National Points and Scottish Champion 318 Stuart Shevill Jnr in attendence after a dismal night before on the shale at King Lynn, Sheffield based 401 Steve Webster and Southerners 2 Paul Tuppen and 56 Georgie Boult lining up to do battle with the cream of the South-West including World Champion 1 Eddie Darby, ex multi-champion 120 Shane Brown and 382 Danny Hunt in the pretty and indeed unique BMW bodied car. There were also one or two track debuts among the entries - including 314 Jamie Barraclough coming over from Spedeworth Superstox - and a good assortment of new or re-furbished cars.

Heat 1, sponsored by Autospares of Bridgwater, fielded 16 cars and with no white graders in attendence it was the yellow grade pair of 11 Richard Paris and 995 Ben Goddard that made up the front row. After an initial aborted start for some over-enthusiastic rolling lap antics from the blue grade, the cars lined up again and we were under way and straight off there was action as 11 and 995 tangled at the start which allowed popular Essex boy 2 Paul Tuppen through to take it up, with 995 Goddard recovering to go 2nd and 11 Paris down to 3rd as 916 Ross Thomas gets spun on to the infield but continues. By lap 3 Tuppen is already in complete control and pulling away, almost half a straight ahead of 401 Steve Webster who has moved up into 2nd from 65 Ian Willis and 120 Shane Brown now 4th and World Champion 1 Eddie Darby already up into 7th. Next lap and 2 Tuppen is even further ahead but 65 Willis has slipped one up the inside of 401 Webster to take over 2nd as 618 Stuart Shevili gets spun out on turn 2, Webster then comes under a lot of pressure from 120 Brown as 11 Paris spins on turn 3 and 100 Ian Govier pulls onto the infield with a problem. National Points Champion Shevill is the next driver to retire to the infield as Tuppen carves his way through the back markers with ease and 401 Webster re-takes 2nd. At half-distance it is 2 Tuppen by a country mile but from 120 Brown now who has moved up into 2nd and fellow West Country man 1 Darby now 3rd having battled past 401 Webster who was not giving up the place without a fight, then comes 30 Barry Hollett. With 4 laps left to run the leader looks oh-so comfortable at the front as 30 Hollett slips up the inside of 401 Webster to move up to 4th, and indeed this is the order they finish. 2 Paul Tuppen making it look very easy taking the chequered flag, though 120 Brown did get a little closer before the end but certainly not close enough to cause the much travelled man from Rainham any problems. It was a popular win and will remind me not to pull his leg in future about needing a new car - as I did in the pits at the start of the meeting ! The present and future was obviously orange, and an orange car, it would seem, was going to be the one to have this afternoon - such a shame then that 100 Govier had re-painted his previously orange machine blue.......

Heat 2 saw yellow graders 11 Richard Paris on the inside of the front row with 995 Ben Goddard again on his outside ahead of a 16 car field, 618 Stuart Shevill had obviously got his car going again after his early retitrement in the opening heat and lined up at the back of the grid alongside World Champion Darby. At the green it was 11 Paris that made the early running as 2 Tuppen span aside the 49 car, 916 Ross Thomas then took over at the front from 11 Paris with 314 Jamie Barraclough 3rd and 2 Paul Tuppen up into 4th - but he then got spun as he crossed the start/finish line to continue right at the back of the pack. World Champion Darby then gives 30 Barry Hollett a big one up the chuff as they rounded turn 3 but somehow he managed to hang on as the red graders jostled for position, clobbering eachother and the fence  which allowed the lower grade drivers to get away. 382 Hunt is the first casualty pulling onto the infield just as the waved yellow flags come out for a stranded car at the end of the start/finish straight. The unfortunate 618 Shevil, 401 Webster and 30 Hollett join 382 Hunt's BMW on the centre in retirement as 916 Thomas leads them away for the re-start with 10 laps left to run, from 11 Paris. A mistake by 314 allows 65 Ian Willis and then 995 Goddard past but he then goes wide out of turn 4 allowing 120 Shane Brown and 1 Eddie Darby through, the two multi-champions neck-and-neck as they cross the line in persuit of the leaders. Next lap and 65 'Pasty' slips one up the inside of 11 Paris to take up 2nd with 120 Brown now up into 4th and Darby 5th, the latter giving the 120 man a little nudge as they round turns 3 and 4, before passing him as they head down the main straight. As the laps ran down 916 Thomas looked comfortable at the front, which is more than you could say for 11 Paris in 3rd who was coming under a lot of pressure from 1 Darby, the World Champion passing the Paignton driver on turn 2 - leaving his mirror then full of the 120 Brown machine, who then passed the 11 car on the inside at turn 4. The positions stayed the same right up until the final lap, though 65 Willis was getting ever closer to leader 916 Thomas and 1 Darby even nearer to Willis and as the leading trio came into turn 3 65 Willis who,to my mind anyway, didn't look close enough went flat-out for the lunge to remove 916 Thomas but mis-judged his run and missed (only by a cigarette paper) and clattered into the turn 4 fence, allowing 1 Darby through as 916 Thomas crossed the line to take a very well deserved win intact. 65 Willis recovering to finish 3rd after a brave effort just from 120 Brown - an excellent display from the Saloons once more.

The Autospares of Bridgwater final saw 11 Paris on the inside of the front row and 314 Barraclough the outside ahead of 15 starters that once again included 618 Shevill, the National Points Champion looking to salvage something from what had been an absolutely disasterous weekend. 11 Paris got his nose in front at the start but went wide out of turn 2 handing the lead over to 916 Ross Thomas, as 2 Paul Tuppen makes good use of his insde line moving up into 4th, 11 Paris then gets into a spin but manages to recover and continue on his way as 314 Barraclough retires to the infield. At the front 995 Ben Goddard has now taken over the lead from 916 Thomas as 11 Paris clobbers the turn 3 fence. 996 Goddard, in only his second season in the Saloons after graduating from Ministox, is driving an excellent race at the front and at half-distance is keeping 2nd place man 916 Thomas at bay with ease, wishing he was having the same luck was Scotsman 618 Shevill who crosses the start/finish line in a very sick sounding car and into retirement for the third time in the afternoon. Meanwhile 916 Thomas is coming under a lot of pressure from 199 Phil Powell who in turn is being caught by 1 Eddie Darby. With 3 laps left to run 995 Goddard is well clear of Thomas, 199 Powell, 1 Darby and 30 Barry Hollett, next lap and Darby moves up into 3rd, followed by 30 Hollett putting 199 Powell down to 5th and towards the clutches of 120 Shane Brown but the Bridgwater man is not quite within striking distance and the top five hold their positions as the chequered flags comes down on the orange coloured car of 995 Ben Goddard giving the young driver from Burnham-on-Sea not only his maiden final win but his first win ever in the saloons - top marks to him ! Credit also to 916 Ross Thomas for an excellent afternoon's work, a 2nd in the final to add to his earlier heat win. 

To finish the afternoon for the Saloons, a 'Dash for Cash' event was organised but unfortunately only five cars came out to contest it and one of those, 382 Danny Hunt's car, expired before the start and failed to take the green flag. So, with a cool £100 up for grabs it was going to be interesting to see if the lure of folding money was going to change the competing drivers usual style over the six lap dash. 56 Georgie Boult, 120 Shane Brown, 199 Phil Powell and 30 Barry Hollett lined up on the start/finish straight. As the green flag dropped it was 56 Boult who hit the front first but 30 Hollett passed him into turn 1, going very wide through turn 2 and clouting the wall but keeping his right foot hard down to somehow retain the lead along the main straight, with 120 Brown in 2nd and 199 Powell 3rd. Lap two and Hollett goes wide again and this time Brown shoots down the inside and hits the front briefly then thinks better of it and backs off, obviously thinking that Hollett will hook him out as they exit the bend, next lap and 199 Powell gives 120 Brown a nudge into turn 1, no doubt the thought of the £100 clouding the Taunton man's judgement as you wouldn't normally see the 199 man putting the bumper in on Mr Brown I'm sure ! Eventually Brown does get the better of Hollett, spinning the 30 car out of harms way and taking up the lead, with 56 Boult now up into 2nd but too far back to make an impression. 120 Brown it was who took the chequered and the cash and with it bringing the curtain down on a good afternoon's action from the mighty Saloon Stocks.

Bangers

A superb entry of 73 cars graced the pit-area for their British Championship qualifying round and there was the usual smart start-of-the-season fresh paint-jobs and fresh cars in abundance - with the pretty silver Ford Focus of 383 Andre McLellan one of the more unusual, though it had seen a little action at St Day earlier in the year. Big news was that 194 Alister Buchan had a new car for the meeting - another BMW 3 series to replace the battered machine that he had been campaigning for what seemed a lifetime !

Heat 1, sponsored by Sparky's Taxis, produced 25 starters, including the 194 BMW, and it was 668 Paul Mortimer who made the early running before losing out to 38 Kevin Styles. With all the usual action around the raceway it was difficult to see who was doing what but amongst the carnage 668 Mortimer did manage to spin 38 Styles to re-take the lead but not long after 555 Greg Radmore passed him to head the pack, with 232 David Thomas also moving up through the field. With 5 laps left to run it was still 555 Radmore at the front from 232, with 158 Sean McCarthy closing in on the leaders also as 455 Shane Kennard spun not for the first time. Meanwhile 194 Buchan had a brief but heavy encounter with the wall on the exit of turn 4, the impact leaving his star-studded BMW certainly looking the worse for wear as 158 McCarthy took over 2nd place behind the smart Mondeo of 555. At the chequered flag it was indeed the Willand man Radmore who took the win from 158 McCarthy and 232 Thomas back down to 3rd.

Heat 2 had 22 starters with 83 Ben Styles starting on the inside of the front row and 58 Greg Stevens, all the way down from Aldershot, the outside. The race began with 10 Iain Sparks spinning on turn 1 almost as soon as the green flag dropped as 83 Styles took it up from 100 and 320 Dan Abbott and 816 Martin Gill gets spun on turn 2 and 775 Tom Clark also a spinner. As the race progressed 83 continued at the front, 816 gets spun and a big pile-up forms turn 2, lap 6 and 775 then spins leader Styles which moves 100 up a place with 320 Abbott now into 3rd. 775 Clark, although a lap down, is lapping with the leaders and proceeds to spin out almost everyone in his path, including 176 Ben King, thus leaving the track clear for the leading trio ! With all this help it is 100 who takes a good win from 320 Abbott and early leader 83 Styles home in 3rd. With 775 spinning out 176 King again on the run-down lap for good measure !

Heat 3 raised an excellent 26 starters with 436 Robbie Cole on the inside of the front row and 578 Tom Rowe on the outside, but it was 881 Gary Emery that took the early lead, though a storming start from the blue grade by 46 Dennis Richards almost upset his plans, also going well was 28 Steve Linly. 881 then had a moment with a back marker that slowed him down which then gave the advantage to 46 Richards with 28 Linly in the bright orange Mondeo looking a serious contender as was 138 Mike Rice also. Lap 5 and the 28 car moves into the lead as 101 spins, quickly joined by 89 James Toohey with more than a little help from 441 Dan Sutherland, 138 Mike Rice is also looking handy and eager to get amongst the leaders and as the lap boards come and go moves into 3rd behind 46 Richards but neither can catch the flying Linly who brings the 28 car home to a deserved victory.

The consolation was a hectic affair and saw 36 cars on the raceway all eager to claim the remaining four places for the afternoon's final including the now very battered 194 BMW of veteran Buchan - the oldest man still racing in this formula I believe. At the green the Ford Escort of 331 Duncan Kennard takes it up as 10 Iain Sparks spins on turn 3 and then spins 176 Ben King, 293 Adrian Broadway and 38 Kevin Styles then meet nose-to-nose before 293 takes further punishment from 194 Buchan, who then in turn gets hit in the side by 58 Greg Stevens - no respect for their elders these guys. With carnage all around the track it was difficult to see who was where position wise but the action continued with 383 Andre McLellan putting himself about a bit in the Focus. 331 Kennard it seemed was still keeping himself out of trouble at the front and Silver roof 246 Ryan Sparks was making steady progress too from the back of the grid, as 775 Tom Clark tangles with 475 Ben Sealy. With two laps left to run it looked like leader 331 had it all done-and-dusted but as so often is the case, the flying Sparks in 246 timed his run to perfection and powered his Honda through on the final lap to take the win, 331 a creditable 2nd with 735 3rd and 475 Sealy making up the four qualifiers through to the afternoon's final. A very lively race indeed from the bangers.

The aforementioned final had 34 qualifiers all chasing valuable British Championship points, with front row starter 83 Ben Styles in a well-used Mondeo estate hitting the front at the green, with 668 Paul Mortimer following in 2nd. Strangely, 247 Richard Sparks and 246 Ryan Sparks had a bit of a coming-together at the start of this one but both continued, as 83 Styles extended his lead at the front over 668 Mortimer, with earlier heat winner 28 Linly - wearing one of the most bizarre crash helmets I have ever seen (!) - also making good progress through the packed field and soon up into 3rd. 83 was already carving his way through the backmarkers with precision, extending his big lead further over 668 and 28 Linly as 406 Chris Bridger gets spun by 735. As the leader continues to lap the pack he suddenly comes under attack from the lap-adrift car of 247 Richard Sparks, the sleek nose of the little 247 Civic getting up under the raised rear of the Mondeo estate and actually lifting the Ford's rear wheels a few inches off the ground as the two cars come around turn 4 !! But the Mondeo man is not at all put off by this and soon powers away from the 247 car and increases his lead a little further. 87 Paul Lawer also has a go at the leading 83 car but to no avail and at half-distance Styles is way out in front and clearly enjoying himself. But, with 5 laps left to run 83 spins on turn 4 but so far in front is the man from Exeter that he is able to recover his composure and continue on his leading way, right to the chequered flag as it turned out, with 28 Steve Linly good value again for 2nd and 235 Toby Brooks a creditable 3rd.

The last race of the day was the allcomers and I counted a staggering 50 cars out on track for this one, with 89 James Tuohey on the inside of the front row and 578 Tom Rowe on his outside. A big pile-up at the end of the start/finish straight accounted for a good few casualties at the start of this one, with almost half the field piling in before the waved yellow and then red flags signalled a complete re-start, 18 cars eventually coming to grief among the carnage. 816 and 668 led away the 32 surviving cars at the re-start with 816 Martin Gill the early leader, and 185 Richard Coaker an early spinner. 668 Mortimer then moved into the lead as everywhere the action was coming thick and fast, 83 Styles relieved 668 of 1st place while further down the field that man Ryan Sparks in the 246 cars was charging through the pack once more. 83 continued at the front up to and after half-distance, even finding the time to spin a few competitors along the way, while 668 Mortimer had changed tactics and began clobbering anyone he fancied as 246 Sparks continued his progress through the field and was soon among the front runners. With three laps left to run Sparks was now within striking distance of the Styles Mondeo estate and a lap later was in the lead, keeping his head to the chequered flag and thus taking his second win of the afternoon. A quite amazing achievement considering how many cars he had to pass from his starting position right at the rear of the grid, 83 finished in a deserved 2nd place and 511 Dan Crosbie 3rd, bringing to an end an enjoyable if cold afternoon's entertainment.