United Downs Raceway - Sunday 8th July 2012

Whilst the rest of the country drowned in endless floods of rain, bright sunshine greeted the good folk that arrived at the United Downs Raceway for one of the premier BriSCA F2 meetings of the season at the Cornish track - the annual World Championship Qualifying Round. Also on the packed programme were the National Bangers, Stock Rods and the ever-lively youngsters in the Ministox. Three of the four formulas had double winners - with the Stock Rods having probably the most over-the-top celebration of a win in the formula's history!

A nice touch too was to see that several drivers - in ALL the assembled formulas - had painted their front bumpers yellow, in rememberance of Saloon Stock driver 311 Steve Newman. A wonderful gesture by all concerned.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

A disappointing total of only 27 cars arrived to battle for valuable World Championship Qualifying points, but out of those that did make the effort it was a good day for the Autospeed regulars. As well as a rare visit from reigning World Champion 871 Mark Simpson, there was visiting interest from the North West and Scotland, in the shape of 180 Danny Ward and 888 Paul Ford. Also part of the entry was fancied runner 676 Neil Hooper, back from a month's suspension, the Exmouth man was raring to go after his enforced 'holiday' - still, he had managed to finish tiling his bathroom and his garden is certainly looking nice....... Lack of cars meant a two-from-three heat format was adopted and with track conditions almost perfect heat 1 got under way. World Champion Simpson was among the starters but even he had no ansewr to the pace of yellow grader 797 Dan Moss, the 'Boy-from-Fowey' showing the higher grade drivers the way to do it as he swept to an excellent victory, chased throughout by 835 Matt Westaway and TART team-mate 189 Paul Butcher. With the gold roofed Simpson struggling a little to get to grips with the challenging United Downs track. Normality was restored a little in heat 2, with the fastest man in pre-race practise 522 Chris Mikulla eventually finishing victorious. But only after two caution periods, for an incident between 756 Richard Thomas and the unfortunate 734 Glenn Sanders and later an intimate coming-together between ladies favourite 302 Dale Moon and everybody's favourite 990 Paul Rice - both when 797 Moss had once again been leading. 254 Richard Beere finishing 2nd with 797 Moss coming home in 3rd. A small shower of rain joined the cars on the track for heat 3 but a little dampness was not going to cause too much concern for 189 Paul Butcher, the Dursley man taking the victory after passing long-time leader from the white grade 785 Liam Deeble with 3 laps to run. Deeble did manage to hang on to 2nd, after an excellent drive, with 126 Jamie Avery a creditable 3rd from the reds after fending off the returned 676 Hooper. The rain had all gone by the time it came to run the 'Neil Truran Motorsport' sponsored final, with the track in excellent condition once more. 785 Deeble, the only white grade present, was the expected early leader, closely followed by 476 Ryan Wadling with 797 Moss already looking handy in 3rd. 921 Jack Aldridge was the first of the 'star' men to show, but 189 Butcher was once again storming from the blues, showing that he was just as good in the dry as he had been earlier in the wet. 476 Wadling took over at the front just before half-distance, as 797 Moss moved up into 2nd and 189 Butcher into 3rd. As the lap boards came out 797 Moss passed 476 Wadling cleanly to take it up, shortly followed by 189 Butcher, with 921 Aldridge now joining in the fun. With three laps to run 189 Butcher slips inside his team-mate on turn 3, followed almost immediately by 921 Aldridge and we have a real battle on our hands. Try as he might, the current 'Novice of the Year' just cannot find that little bit extra and as the leading two cars come around the last bend for the final time is not quite close enough to mount a telling attack on the flying Butcher and although contact is made it is 189 that takes a popular win, just keeping a bonnet's length ahead of 2nd place man 921 Aldridge, with the ever impressive 797 Moss a creditable 3rd. Loveable veteran 167 Bill Batten was an excellent 4th, so good to see the Liverton man re-discovering some of the old form, but the day belonged to 189 Paul Butcher, two wins and an earlier 3rd place a deserved reward for a superb afternoon's driving. Best order the red paint now I think ! 921 Jack Aldridge was top-notch for me too. With the top four in this one collecting magnificent trophies put up by the sponsor. The Grand National eventually went the way of 254 Richard Beere after long-time leader 124 Ollie Skeels had retired with mechanical problems but not before a spectacular incident on turn 2 had brought about a stoppage after the car of Scotsman 888 Paul Ford had almost climbed into the car of the unfortunate 315 Justin Fisher. Thankfully, after a little attention from the medical staff, all was well with the popular Newton Abbot man - which was more than could be said for the roof of his car. 676 Neil Hooper had his best result of the afternoon finishing in 2nd, with 167 Batten recording another good finish in 3rd.

National Bangers

Only 17 2.0 Litre Bangers arrived to contest their World Championship Qualifying Round, even more disappointing was the fact that they were all Mondeos. Among the entry were 'gold roofed' DWO men 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey and 162 Brett 'Bad Boy' Ellacott, with various coathangers and DWO wannabe's also among the line-up.  One driver that was neither was 114 Nick Courtier, making the best of his front row start to take the lead in heat 1, surprise early retirement was 190 Bailey, pulling the car up on lap 1. Notable action in this one was when 841 'Dingle' Tom Perkins put 45 Anthony 'Lips' Croshaw hard into the fence on turn 3 on the first lap, the impact ending the 45 car's race, 162 Ellacott dishing out a similar portion to the Mondeo Estate of 211 Louis Loveridge also on turn 3 - which brought out the red flags. 114 Courtier led the re-start and cruised to an easy win from 133 Terry Hill, with 162 Ellacott continuing to liven things up, burying 47 Marcus A'Lee into the turn 1 fence among others. Heat 2 saw 190 'Pikey' back out among the 15 starters, which also included 45 'Lips' - with the severely bent 648 car of Jamie Smith looking as if it had just finished a DD rather than just starting a heat ! The winner of heat 1, Courtier, started this one right at the back but that did little to ruin his chances as he stormed through the field from the green, moving into 3rd by lap 3, as 190 'Pikey' opened his crashing account by surprisingly spinning 45 Croshaw on the main straight ! 133 Hill was looking menacing, putting leader 50 Neil Rogers into the fence on turn 2 - with 162 Ellacott then launching himself into the side of the stricken 50 Roger's car for good measure. 382 Tommy Hutchings is the next one to attack the 50 car, giving it a stiff one up the back, next on the scene is 101 Andrew Bishop who does the same to 382 Hutchings, just as 311 Simon Rogers arrives and steams straight into 101 Bishop's rear-end, with 452 'Lurch' then doing likewise to 311 Rogers - causing a track blockage on turn 3. This means that the leaders have to take to the infield to get past, some, like 114 Courtier judge it just right, but others, like 190 'Pikey', don't, the DWO man coming to a dead stop after the front of his car catches the top of the inner banking - almost ripping off the Mondeo's O/S/F suspension. 162 Ellacott continues to add to the damage on turn 3, piling flat-out into the 311 Rogers' car as 114 Courtier again finds the right line through the wrecks, and although 162 Ellacott does his level best to stop him it is 114 Courtier who takes his second win of the day, with 162 Ellacott the runner-up. The 'St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre' sponsored final begins in spectacular style, with 45 Croshaw once again in the wars - or should that be walls - as 83 Ben Styles picks him up halfway down the main straight, fires him into the fence, with the 45 car then rolling several times, just as this is happening 114 Courtier is put hard into the wall on turn 4 by 190 Bailey, with 382 Hutchings also hitting the 114 car and the yellow flags come out.  Just six cars make the re-start and you could be forgiven for thinking we were watching National Hot Rods rather than National Bangers, as the only hint of any action at all was when 891 Darren Wade got a O/S/F puncture........ 190 Steve 'Pikey' Bailey cruised to the win, some consolation for a somewhat lacklustre afternoon, followed by 452 'Lurch' and 133 Hill.

Stock Rods

16 cars arrived at the United Downs track, with current Autospeed Points Champion 181 Lindsey Jones at the wheel of a somewhat 'used' black Corsa, rather than his normal race machine that had been severely damaged whilst racing at Smeatharpe  last month. The substitute car apparently belonging to the wife, so God help him if he as much as scratches it....... Heat 1 was an almost flag-to-flag victory for 196 Phil Chapman, the Ministox graduate driving an excellent race from the white grade, with his lead never looking in any doubt. Fellow white grader 437 Lewis Trickey came home in 2nd with 92 Adam Daniels the only one of the 'star' men to make any impression, finishing in 3rd. The second Stock Rod race was the Final and a brief shower of rain had begun as the 14 cars took to the track, making conditions just a little bit more interesting. After a 'rolling start' it was 83 Adam Ignaczak that took it up, the relative new-comer to the formula keeping the chasing field at bay for a lot of the race by adopting a tight inside line around the raceway (which he is quite entitled to do) and forcing any potential over-taker's to go the long way round the outside. Certainly the man to watch in this one was 306 Neil Truran in the RWD Toyota Starlet, not least because of his drifting style around the bends but also for the traction the little car was finding down the straights as he literally carved his way through the field from the red grade. When the 83 car of Ignaczak caught up with the back markers, forcing him off-line, this was the opportunity for the pack to pounce but as some dithered, 306 Truran just stormed through, passing three cars down the outside along the start/finish straight, including 83 Ignaczak, and putting his immaculate Toyota into the lead, much to the delight of the crowd ! 136 Steve Gooch was the first to react and followed Truran through into 2nd before the other driver's had woken up and at the flag it was indeed the popular St Austell man Truran that took a fine victory, from 136 Gooch - and 181 Jones in the Corsa of 'er indoors home in 3rd. What followed was almost as entertaining as the race itself, as super-showman Truran received his trophy he climbed onto the roof of the Starlet, jumping up and down with delight, with the roof panel getting ever closer to the little car's floor with every jump!!  The track had dried out again by the time the GN was run and this time it was 437 Lewis Trickey that took an almost flag-to-flag victory, leading home 196 Chapman in a reverse finish to heat 1, the two white grade men both driving faultlessly to give the more established drivers no chance. With 136 Stevie Gooch the best-of-the-rest picking up another good result in 3rd.

Ministox

The afternoon began for the youngsters with their traditional summer fancy dress parade - with 910 Tom Cadby a popular winner with his 'Scooby-Doo' entry, complete with superbly turned out 'Mystery Machine'. While 942 Steven Gilbert's not quite so elaborate entry, a tennis racket laid on the roof of his Mini, a reminder of some event or other taking place somewhere in South London the same afternoon by all accounts - but then he did throw sweets to the youngsters in the crowd as he went round so that made up for the original lack of effort, and he didn't burst into girly tears when he failed to win the Final either...........! Once again no visiting interest but had there been I seriously doubt whether the results would have been much different as the mood 901 Cameron Lawrence was in I think he could have beaten anyone ! The Newton Abbot youngster not only won heat 1, he went on to win heat 2 and the 'JAM Signs' sponsored final too ! Three of the established Autospeed regulars, 986 Sophie Fasey, 946 Emily Hector and 942 Steven Gilbert arrived at United Downs on the back of a superb 1-2-3 finish in the final at Birmingham the previous weekend and all must have had high hopes of a winner's trophy or two, but apart from a brace of runner-up awards and a 3rd for 986 Fasey, it wasn't to be. Heat 1 began in spectacular style with 989 Joe Marquand climbing the fence on turns 1 and 2 in a wall-of-death attempt, his car ending up on its side bringing about an immediate stoppage. Thankfully young Joe was perfectly okay, and both he and his car were back out later in the afternoon. There was a further stoppage in this one when 932 Sam Moore came to a standstill in a dangerous position but at the third time of asking the race was run and finishing behind winner Lawrence was 986 Fasey and 910 Tom Cadby. Heat 2 was no less exciting with another stoppage, this time after 994 Toby Johnson had a problem, taking an unintentional hit from the lively 986 Sophie Fasey. There was a further stoppage when 916 Keiran Brodie's car stopped at the end of the start/finish straight. All credit to 989 Joe Marquand in this one, finishing 2nd behind Lawrence after his big moment in heat 1, with 986 Fasey this time picking up the 3rd place trophy. 901 Lawrence took the lead on lap 3 in the final from his starting position at the rear of the yellow grade, and his hat-trick of wins never looked in doubt. 986 Fasey once again finished in the runner-up position, with 910 Cadby again coming home in 3rd - an exact repeat of heat 1. So, many congratulations to 901 Cameron Lawrence, certainly a driver with a big future ahead of him - with 986 Sophie Fasey continuing to impress also.