Smeatharpe Stadium - Sunday 13th March 2016

The main 2016 season at Smeatharpe Stadium got underway with a busy pit area and programme of events featuring the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, Saloon Stock Cars, ORCi Stock Rods and 2 litre Old Skool National Bangers, all on a sunny if chilly early Spring afternoon.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Despite a clashing World Championship qualifying round taking place at Barford on the same day, the BriSCA F2 entry was greatly enhanced by the presence of World and European Champion 101 Kelvyn Marshall, National Points Champion 100 George MacMillan, British Champion 700 Adam Rubery and English Open Champion 38 Dave Polley.  Factor in a highly pleasing southwest entry, and several newcomers to added to a total of 43 entrants, although three failed to negotiate pre meeting practice.  To further make the point and celebrate the 13 car white grade total, they were given their own race to open the meeting, with trophies supplied by Neil Truran Motorsport.  The grid was decided via public draw, conducted on track in the proper manner and after pole starter 460 Matt Weston held sway for a long time it was 750 Lewis Holden who took over and went on to win with 689 Joe Marquand and 920 Wayne Wadge filling the trophy positions, which netted each of them a gallon of engine oil.  The two heats produced fast and furious racing with Rubery winning the first and 126 Jamie Avery the second, by some distance.  The consolation saw 404 Jamie Pepper come within a quarter of a lap of his first win, but was pipped by 768 Tom Adcroft on the last turn.  The MDP Services Trophy Final was led off by 920 Wayne Wadge and with lots of places and positions, as well as blows being traded amongst the star men, he held on throughout the early stages.  This was until a yellow flag on lap six when 24 Jon Palmer rolled after a tangle with MacMillan.  352 Dave Sansom relieved Wadge of the lead at the re-start until he was challenged by 783 James Rygor.  The 2013 World Champion appeared hesitant in his challenge on Sansom and this was his undoing for this race as when he did pass the 352 car, Sansom came barrelling back at him and sent both wide.  This allowed Rubery to slip up the inside and 676 Neil Hooper too.  These two pulled clear of the rest and when, with three laps to run, Rubery was delayed by a brace of spinning backmarkers, Hooper seized the opportunity to make his move.  He made it stick and went on to win.  Rubery held on for second and Rygor made third.  The Grand National continued in the same way, and an almost carbon copy tete-a-tete between Sansom and Rygor, only this time 352 stopped 783 in his tracks.  There was also another coming together between Palmer and MacMillan, but once Sansom had seen off Rygor’s challenge he went on to record the win.  Quite simply, this was an excellent opening meeting of the season for the F2’s.

Saloon Stock Cars

In contrast to the F2’s, there is no denying that the Saloon Stock Car entry was frustratingly lower than hoped for, but, having said that still plenty of scope for optimism.  The three races were very competitive and also produced different winners.  84 Carl Boswell just held on to win the first heat after being spun across the line as he came across the stricken 276 Ben King within sight of the flag.  475 Ben Sealy won heat two and then in the Final 891 Andrew Pridham was never headed.  The main battle was between the star men 158 Shane Davies and 677 Eddie Darby and latterly 199 Phil Powell, which became the scrap for second place.  Davies and Darby swapped places, 677 came back at 158 on the last bend and Powell spun Davies across the line in a real scramble.

Stock Rods

It was good to see some visiting interesting from Ringwood Raceway to help boost the Stock Rod entry.   There was to be no catching the white graded 944 Callum Hosie in either the heat or Final though, as he won both by considerable margins.  54 John Tait and 3 Matt Peters were the placemen in the Final.   Hosie impressively managed to get amongst the pack in the Grand National, after he started on the traditional lap handicap.   Veteran racer 705 Dave Ham went on to win.

2 Litre Old Skool National Bangers

Proving the popularity of the Old Skool format for the 2 litre National Bangers, there were over 40 cars in attendance, and not all the popular Ford Mondeo as choice of car either.  With a very busy track, it was always going to be hectic in the opening heat and this was the case with many going out in a large pile up on the home straight.  938 Ashley Rice picked his way through it to win, with his brother 138 Dan Rice the runner-up.  The second heat saw victory for 190 Steve Bailey, on a relatively surprise appearance.  The Final saw an early crash and race stoppage involving 455 Shane Kennard.  Shane had to be extracted from his car and was taken to Hospital for precautionary checks, where he was later diagnosed with whiplash and bruising.   After the unavoidable delay for this, the completely re-run race was led by Dan Rice until he was spun by 910 Katie Dawe and she went on to take a good win.  Rice recovered for second whilst third was almost a dead heat between Bailey and 83 Ben Styles, with the latter just getting the nod by a very slender margin.  Even taking into account the earlier action, there were a disappointing number of cars for the Allcomers.  Bailey took his second win of the day, whilst credit to local newcomer 506 James Woolacott who took on and encouraged Bailey, 74 Adam Hitchcock and 133 Terry Hill to attack his ailing car.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
White Top race 750 689 920 418 907 460 663 861 296 nof
Heat 1 700 783 676 522 315 100 468 745 689 111
Heat 2 126 542 890 101 920 24 352 38 750 127
Consolation 768 404 476 828 39 418 328 663 528 437
Final 676 700 783 38 352 101 542 828 745 522
Grand National 352 38 315 100 522 890 127 476 468 676
Grade Awards W 920 Y 828 B 352
Saloon Stock Cars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Heat 1 84 475 891 677 199 158 698 619 901 28
Heat 2 475 619 677 158 199 698 995 28 901 276
Final 891 677 158 199 475 84 995 901 28 nof
Stock Rods 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Heat 944 54 3 234 9 909 776 437 41 nof
Final 944 54 3 705 437 45 909 9 776 40
Grand National 705 9 776 437 215 40 944 3 41 nof
2L National Bangers Old Skool 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Heat 1 938 138 836 100 133 83 13 25 270 190
Heat 2 190 138 804 938 87 27 133 912 100 376
Final 910 138 83 190 912 133 74 100 836 87
Allcomers 190 133 74 506 nof
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