Smeatharpe Stadium - Sunday 15th September 2013

The second part of the two-day event at Smeatharpe was unfortunately blighted by very poor weather.  The rain was steady (at best) and heavy (at worst), and it fell throughout the afternoon, almost from the moment the first race started to grid.  Unsurprisingly, this had quite an effect on proceedings, and it would not be unfair to note that many drivers who enjoyed success during the meeting, may not have done so had it been dry conditions, but make the most of it they did.

Saloon Stock Cars

After Saturday night’s qualifying heats, 24 drivers had still not scored any points.  In all, 19 drivers duly took to the grid for the last chance qualifier as the first race on Sunday.  The rain which had been forecast arrived bang on cue, and started to fall just as the warm-up lap began.  The race proved to be straight forward stuff for 631 Peter Low, who managed a flag to flag win, ahead of 442 Simon Berry.  The next four places were filled by 103 Chris Horwell, 217 Sid Madgwick, 116 Diggy Smith and 158 Shane Davies, whilst the one who just missed out was lone Northern Irishman 153 Ryan Wright in seventh.

With the tie on points from the qualifying heats, 120 Shane Brown and 402 Shaun Webster tossed a coin to decide pole position.  This went in favour of Brown, but from then on, his luck well and truly ran out.  At the end of the rolling lap, just as the green flag fell, Brown he couldn’t get the 120 car in gear.  As Brown drifted to the infield on the home straight, the rest of the pack stormed by, leaving Brown to join in dead last, once he had found his gear.  Within those few seconds, it was effectively game over.

That left Shaun Webster a clear run into the first corner, but with the rain falling heavily, the track was very slippery, and it was little surprise to note so many early spinners, which included 18 Jamie Claydon and 306 Nigel Parker as well as 220 Casey Engelstone.  In conditions very similar to their family 1-2 in the 2007 World Final, it was the Webster brothers who led the way, with Steve Webster sweeping from the third row to second place early on.  Not long after he relieved Shaun of the lead to head the pack for the next four laps.

However, one driver who really did look to be at home in the rotten conditions was 56 Georgie Boult.  He moved past Shaun Webster and then when both were deep in amongst a clutch of backmarkers he went past Steve Webster to grab the lead.  Webster was unable to battle back, and Boult, the young driver who had celebrated his 18^th birthday only a few days previous, then began to charge further and further clear.

Steve Webster lost second momentarily when Parker again had a spin on turns three and four and this time it was in Webster’s path.  His brother moved into second but Steve was able to retake the place with no real issue soon after.   Just as Boult looked like he was headed for a convincing and comfortable victory, he encountered a real scare when he came to lap Shane Davies.  The former National Banger star appeared to push him wide after Boult had gone by and the 56 car even ran around the plating on turns three and four.  Boult survived it though and Davies then spun himself.   Once past that worrying moment, Boult was able to enjoy a clear run to the flag with an utterly dominant victory to add the European to the Irish Open success from earlier in the year.  Steve Webster made second ahead of Shaun Webster with all three of them really a step ahead of the rest.

With the weather dreadful, many decided to call it a day and headed home after the main race.  But, there were still plenty that did not and they helped to serve up some interesting moments.  The first Allcomers looked for all the while that it was heading to 176 Murray Jones.  However, when he came to lap 611 Adam Low, the Scotsman used the element of surprise to plant the 176 car in the plating.  Jones re-joined in the lead with a damaged car, and he was now under pressure from 199 Phil Powell, who tracked Jones and he went storming in with a last bend lunge which saw both cars spin.  So far ahead were they, that they were still the lead pair as they scrambled to recover, and in the run to the line Powell just got there ahead of Jones.   Aldous reeled in 26 Tommy Barnes to win the second Allcomers, which was notably less subscribed than the first one.  The Final saw a yellow flag after Wright had been given a hefty backwards whack into the plating courtesy of 661 Greame Shevill on the pits bend.  Peter Low was the leader until Jones took over and he went on to win, for his first victory since his return to the Saloon Stock Cars earlier in the year.  Barnes made second and Aldous was third.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Not that many of the F2 Stock Car contingent set sail for home, which meant that a most impressive showing of 89 drivers braved the wretched elements.  A full format meeting ensued, with four qualifying heats, two consolations, the World Revenge final, and O’er The Border Trophy Grand National to finish.  This was a real feast of F2 action, and whilst the heavy rain was annoying and made the going tough for spectactors and drivers’ crews, it did add to the compelling fascination of an enthralling set of races.

The quartet of heats went the way of southwest drivers with 254 Richard Beere, 890 Paul Rice, 830 Andrew Bennett and 290 Jay Tomkins victorious in heats one, two, three and four respectively.  768 Tom Adcroft scored a truly dominant win in the first consolation and 482 Dale Seneschall celebrated his success in the second consolation in style, with air punching as he crossed the line

The World Revenge Final boasted a whole host of extra prizes on offer and with a 35 car grid, despite the conditions, it proved to be a very watchable race.  102 Willie Draeger led until just before halfway when Bennett took over.  A big battle between 38 Dave Polley, 647 Chris Burgoyne and 676 Neil Hooper saw the former fair crash spectacularly with 14 Mike Priddle on the back straight, which brought out the yellow flags.  Bennett continued to lead at the re-start but Dreager lost out.  Beere gives chase but it was to be Bennett’s race.  The prizes were such that Bennett scooped four extra shock absorbers for the win, Beere collected two brand new wheels and third placed Hooper was rewarded with a pair of new tyres.  There were also brand new wings for the first white, yellow and blue grade finishers, and thus Seneschall, Bennett and Beere respectively, had yet more goodies to take home with them.

As is customary for World Final day/weekend, the Grand National featured the O’er The Border Trophy, presented by Willie and Sheona.  Despite truly miserable conditions, 22 drivers still gamely took to the grid.  401 Barry Goldin was the pick of the stars, but having reeled in long time leader Paul Rice, Goldin spun himself after a pits bend challenge.  Rice held on, Beere grabbed second to complete a great day for himself and Goldin recovered for third.