United Downs Raceway - Sunday 24th August 2014

The annual Blockbuster fixture saw a change to the financial inducements for the unlimited cc National Bangers, with the £2000 prize money pooled, to afford Appearance Bonuses for all who were in attendance.  The day began with a huge degree of awkwardness, as VOSA positioned themselves outside the United Downs Raceway, and proceeded to check and inspect just about every single competitor who arrived to take part in the meeting.  The upshot of the delay was that insufficient drivers were available for the pre-meeting Grand Parade which had to be shelved until later in the afternoon.

National Bangers – unlimited cc

In total, 21 drivers were present for Blockbuster – with a mix of different cars on display.  153 David James and 841 Tom Perkins each had the remarkably ugly Nissan Previa people carrier as their choice of vehicle – a choice neither is likely to make again.  There was a series 2 Jaguar for 162 Brett Ellacott and 451 Nigel Belfield, whilst 384 John Golden had a series 2 Coupe.  97 Craig Deer raced the one-time St Austell Motor Auctions Vauxhall Carlton limo, but without any doubt whatsoever, 668 Wayne Goldsmith had the car of the day – a beefy looking Yank – the formidable Chrysler Imperial.  Ellacott, Belfield, Golden and Goldsmith each won Best Presented Awards as well, along with 452 Anthony Sleeman and 190 Steve Bailey.

First up for the big cars was the Blockbuster final, which saw Ellacott blitz the limo of Craig Deer on the home straight, and then railroad it around the track for almost one complete lap, before depositing it in the back of a four car heap on the exit of turn four.  As Deer and Ellacott came to a halt, parked in the rear of the Previa of Perkins, next in was the Previa of James, to complete an impressive line of seven cars parked nose to tail.  Unfortunately, Perkins was in need of assistance, and the race was duly halted.  Defending Champion 514 Marty Eighteen had been the race leader, but he failed to grid for the restart.  That left Bailey in the lead, from 341 Andrew Jones, 382 Tom Hutchings and Golden – those four being the only ones on the lead lap.  When proceedings re-commenced, Ellacott spun aside 148 Reece Frayne, and both drivers were then in the firing line for Goldsmith, who blasted them with his hefty Yank.  383 Andre McLellan gamely tried to spin the Yank on the back straight, but Ellacott joined in, and turned McLellan aside in the melee.  McLellan rejoined, and on his next attempt, he did turn the Yank around on the home straight, before being spun again himself, this time by Jones.  All the while, Bailey was untroubled out front, and he won at a canter, with Jones and Golden joining him on the rostrum.  45 Anthony Croshaw was the winner of the first Allcomers race, as he sped to victory in his nifty Mercedes.  At the request of the drivers, the next Allcomers was combined with the DD.  Bailey took the flag in the race, but with the final hit – on 648 Jamie Smith, it was Jones who won the DD, to also book a place in the Championship of the World at Smeatharpe on 7 September.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The F2s numbered 23 cars, and thus ran to a 2 from 3 format.  302 Dale Moon swept to the win in the opening heat from 740 Neil Langworthy.  Heat two saw 890 Paul Rice get out front, and although superstar 886 Chris Bradbury chased him down, Rice ran out a convincing winner.  Heat three was the race of the day.  White grader 572 James Lindsay led and led and led.  He was some way clear of the rest, but in the late stages, 254 Richard Beere managed to get him in his sights.  Into the final lap, Beere was right with Lindsay, and he made a last bend challenge.  Lindsay stood firm, and looked to have defended the attack, but just at the last, the 572 car started to spin.  Beere nipped by, and Lindsay was left stranded on turn four, with a halfshaft problem that regrettably ended his day, just 50 metres or so from what would have been a maiden win.  The final was halted very early on, with 996 Phil Chapman stranded on the back straight.  Bradbury had already made excellent progress, and whilst 517 Richard James did get ahead on the restart, Bradbury then assumed command, and won comprehensively from 111 Lewis Geach and 315 Justin Fisher, as red tops filled the top four positions.  575 Tom Clark and 627 Gary Sillifant were first and second in the GN, and Bradbury worked his way back to eighth from the mandatory one lap handicap.

Saloon Stock Cars

The trio of races for the Saloon Stock Cars were close-fought, and very competitive, which served to mask the low car count.  National Champion 401 Steve Webster came from the back of the grid to the front to win the opening heat, and 677 Eddie Darby took heat two, despite being shadowed for much of the race by 995 Ben Goddard.  Darby was never fully clear of Goddard, but in turn, Goddard was never quite in a position to land a blow.  The Cornish Championship saw 717 Richard James get out in the lead, and he held quite an advantage at one point.  Webster broke free from the pack of those chasing, and in the late stages, he just managed to ease ahead to win.  James was second, and Darby completed the top three.

2 Litre National Bangers

The last World qualifying round of the year for the National Bangers, saw an eclectic entry of 2 litre National Bangers, including 387 Ben Bishop and 110 Kenny Cloke, who were each on their first appearances of the season.  133 Terry Hill swept the board, winning both heats and the final, to post a maximum points score, ahead of his planned first outing in an unlimited cc National Banger at the Championship of the World at Smeatharpe on 7 September.  There was plenty of first bend action in the opening heat, whilst 162 Brett Ellacott effected a huge burial of 650 Jamie Seery in heat two.  The Final saw 190 Steve Bailey follow-in Cloke, which then left Bailey open to a shot from Seery, which seemed to meet with much approval from Bailey.