Arena Essex - Sunday 11th May 2014

Report by Steve Linfield

It was a return for Autospeed to Arena Essex for the first time since August 2012, this time in a meeting co-promotion with owner promoters PRI.  This signalled the return of the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars to the venue for the first time since that date as well as the first of two dates here this year for the Saloon Stock Cars with support from the PRI Rookie Bangers, which had an Autospeed twist as it was a qualifying round for the British Championship, to be staged at Smeatharpe on June 8.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Just as was the case at the corresponding meeting in 2012, the BriSCA F2’s World Championship qualifying round at the track clashed with a popular two day event at Skegness, and this did have an effect on the entry.  But, that said, with so few locally based drivers in the southeast region the entry of 23 cars could have been a lot worse with entrants from all four corners of England.  What was a little more disappointing were a handful of drivers who had booked, but did not cancel and simply failed to show.  It is Autospeed policy that the feature Final is the biggest race of the day, particularly on a World Championship qualifying round and thus a two from three heat format was deployed.  The first heat saw F2 newcomer 35 Stuart Moss Jnr take some catching, but 886 Chris Bradbury did, with just a couple of laps to spare but he himself had to withstand a late challenge from 700 Adam Rubery.   Heat two saw Moss once again pull clear from his white graded start and this time he was not headed and took the flag on what would have been his maiden win.  However, his car failed the post-race scrutineering checks and it was 823 Sam Wagner who was promoted to the victory.  Bradbury stormed to the front by halfway in heat three to take another win, which led to the question as to whether he could be stopped in the Final.   There was a very early yellow flag when 532 Callum Oakes-Kitson was dumped into the Armco by the pit gate and was left stranded and then the re-start only went a couple of laps more when 126 Jamie Avery was stranded on the exit of turn four.   When the race finally did get going 828 Julian Coombes was relieved of his early lead by 979 Paul Moss, but he was then in turn re-passed by 35 Moss.  However, aided by the two early caution periods, Bradbury was well into his stride.  However, Moss did give him something to think about and was still there at the three quarter stage, but Bradbury put the 886 car ahead with four laps to run and went on to complete his hat-trick of victories and maximum World qualifying score.  Rubery was actually close enough to try a last bend lunge, but Bradbury had that well covered.  Never the less it was a fine effort from Rubery to make second and likewise Moss in third, previous experience or otherwise it was a fine BriSCA debut.  With the track championship at stake the question was how far up Bradbury could make it from his lap handicap start.  Rubery was the only one realistically close enough to beat him to it and he did all he could by taking the victory, but Bradbury stormed to fifth which was enough to round out a fine day in the 886 office.

Saloon Stock Cars

25 Saloon Stock Cars was a pleasing total and like the F2’s, the drivers came from North, South, East and West.   The first heat saw 538 Jake Swann open out a large early lead that looked like it may be unassailable.  However a big engine blow for 2 Paul Tuppen on the home straight then coated turn one in the resulting oil slick.  The ensuing pile up could have been far worse, but it was bad enough for 386 Dan Petters who went clattering into the plating to bring about a race stoppage.  Swann’s lead was thus eradicated and the re-start and when they got racing again it was highly spectacular stuff.  161 Billy Smith took over the lead but when he was spun, and re-joined amongst the leaders he set about all and sundry and especially 401 Steve Webster who found himself totally messed up by the mischievous Smith.  At the front though, it was 677 Eddie Darby who took the flag.   Heat two once again saw Swann lead off and pull clear whilst Webster and Darby found themselves tripped up and/or delayed by 26 Tommy Barnes and 349 Michael Allard respectively.   Swann lost the lead momentarily to 610 Trent Arthurton but then 698 Danny Colliver went past and he went on to take his first win of the season, and significantly, the first victory in Saloon Stock Cars for a car powered by a Ford Zetec engine.   The Essex Championship Final was again lead by Swann whilst further back in the early battles, 420 Ivan Street found that four into one doesn’t go, even on the wide open spaces of Arena Essex and was squeezed heavily into the Armco.  This tore pieces of his Saloon off and resulted in a yellow flag for the debris.   Swann headed the resumption with 730 Dean Mayes in second but Darby looked menacing up into the top six at this early stage.  However, he lost time in a tangle up with Colliver and 161 Smith but quickly made it up to relieve 610 Arthurton of the lead that he had only just gained.  But it was not all plain sailing for Eddie as Smith appeared to do a (failed) stop and wait attack on the 677 car and then he encountered a playful backmarker in 23 Lee Pearce.  Probably nothing Darby had not seen before though and he took the victory ahead of 401 Webster and 641 Willie Skoyles.

Rookie Bangers

58 Bangers were in attendance which were mainly locally based drivers but top travelling effort of the day came from 845 Albert Haines who make the long journey from his base in Cornwall.  413 Rob Knight and 586 Jamie Webb were the heat winners before the consolation came down to a spectacular conclusion when 110 Matt Young spun 931 James Payne across the line, but just failed to beat him.   The Final saw three seeded places in the Semi Finals of British Championship meeting at Smeatharpe next month up for grabs. It proved to be a race of attrition with only eight lasting the course from the 28 starters.  929 Matt Lewis went on to win by some distance from 949 Nathan King whilst  one of the hard luck stories was 199 Darren Mouser who crashed from third place within inches of the finish line and this promoted 397 Billy Reeves to the third and other qualifying place.