Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 17th August 2020

The BriSCA Formula Two August Accumulator concluded on a wet night at Smeatharpe Stadium, with 920 Wayne Wadge lifting the overall title, while the O’er the Border Trophy and Ash Sampson Memorial were also contested. Saloon Stock Cars competed in the second round of their Summer Series and Stock Rods completed the bill.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The 36-car entry once again drew drivers from far and wide, including 387 Jason McDonald all the way from the north of Scotland, adding a new track to his CV for the second day running. The heats were contested in very wet conditions, with white top 736 Josh Weare once again impressing in the first as he led beyond half-distance. But 895 Ben Goddard chased him down and went on to take his second win of the season, one that looks set to make him a first-time red-top next month. Behind Goddard, 24 Jon Palmer and 560 Luke Wrench – joint leaders of the national points going into the meeting – entertained as they drove almost the whole race side by side, each trying different lines in the search for grip. Palmer eventually pipped Wrench to second. 572 James Lindsay built a big lead in the first half of heat two, but 302 Dale Moon and 464 Matt Linfield were the ones to watch as they carved through the field. Moon hit the front and held off wet-weather expert Linfield, who decided against a risky last-bend lunge as he settled for second with Lindsay third. 920 Wayne Wadge dominated the consolation, leading from flag to flag to win by more than a quarter of a lap from 979 Paul Moss, who held firm under attacks from 315 Justin Fisher and 418 Ben Borthwick in the closing stages. The final was for the O’er the Border Trophy which was returning to its original venue for the first time since 2013. The race was punctuated by a couple of caution periods after McDonald was spat out of the pack early on and left stranded on turn 3, and then 731 Sam Jacklin required recovering from a similar spot shortly afterwards. Jacklin had been collected after being cannoned into the wall by 542 Steven Gilbert’s hit on Palmer. That pair were looking particularly dangerous as they sat sixth and seventh in the queue on the second restart, which was led away by track debutant 992 Harley Burns, who continues to impress at each new track he visits. Palmer got ahead of Gilbert and the duo quickly moved into second and third, Palmer taking the lead when Burns ran wide. Palmer went on to take his second main event victory in two days, while Gilbert took second from Burns, who then followed the British Champion’s lines and held on well, before riding out a last-bend hit from 126 Jamie Avery, who was the quickest man on track in the closing stages. 539 Steve Hartnett and 418 Ben Borthwick completed the top six, as track points leader Wrench’s hopes were ended by a crash with 183 Charlie Guinchard, which prompted the hobbled silver top to make sure his teenage rival would also go no further. “Really dry yesterday, really wet today,” a satisfied Palmer told presenter Alan McLachlan after the race. “Steve had a go at me early in the race and I managed to offload it into Sam Jacklin,” he added. “My car was more set up to handle the first half the race so I thought if I can get rid of Jon early I’d be all right,” concurred Gilbert. Burns’s fine display was rewarded with a comfortable win in the Grand National for the Ash Sampson Memorial, which was preceded by Sampson’s grandfathers Roy Goodman and Mick Whittle leading the first of two rolling laps in his old cars. Burns’s fellow white-top Wadge followed him home, scoring enough points via the grade-based multiplier system to secure the August Accumulator title.

Saloon Stock Cars

Given the generous prizes on offer in their Summer Series, a 15-car turnout, matching that of St Day the day before, was a little disappointing. But those present put on a good show, as always. 476 Ryan Wadling hit the front of heat one early on and proceeded to win by almost half a lap from 980 Charlie Lobb and 399 Cole Atkins. National points leader 161 Billy Smith, who maintained his record of racing at every Saloon Stock Car meeting in the country this year, was out of luck when 10 Frank Little Jr spun in front of him and cost him a lap, and he was never a contender in heat two either, seeming to focus on fellow form driver 902 Junior Buster early on and falling a lap down. Smith then lost another lap when he was tagged by second-placed Wadling, which appeared to trigger a typical rampage from the East Anglian. After the contretemps with Wadling, which ended the latter’s chances, he cannoned 842 Lee Williams into 28 Ian Govier, which spun Govier out of the lead, then spun out new leader 277 Jack Grandon on the final lap, handing the win to 642 Nigel Thomas. It proved a welcome reward for Thomas having to change his engine after the previous day’s action. 199 Phil Powell, another who had plenty of work to do following the hard-hitting St Day session, came home second. As the attentions of Smith and Junior Buster continued to be on each other, Govier and Wadling again set the early pace in the final, but they were chased down by Lobb, who dived inside Govier for the lead with four laps to go. Wadling followed through a couple of laps later and Govier completed the top three. Just 10 cars survived for the Allcomers race which proved relatively quiet, Lobb passing Grandon for the win, with 399 Cole Atkins third.

Stock Rods

There was a healthy turnout of 16 Stock Rods, although 762 Charlie Edwards didn’t make it beyond practice. English Champion 437 Lewis Trickey offered a masterclass of passing around the outside on his way to victory in the heat. 441 Tom Major had taken the flag first but was docked two places for contact during a move in which he managed to dive inside both 770 Archie Farrell and 426 Keith Channon as they battled side by side for the lead. Farrell again took advantage of his white grade start to lead many laps in the final. But 227 Jody Hawkins’ spin proved his undoing, delaying Farrell enough for Major to pass, and bringing out yellow flags to close the rest of the field up. On the restart, Trickey picked off those in front including Farrell who fell to fifth, but couldn’t quite make a move stick on Major on the final bend, as 3 Matt Peters completed the top three. Trickey completed a profitable night with a stunning around-the-outside pass on Farrell to win the Grand National on the final bend having taken chunks out of his lead in the closing stages. 32 James Horwell was third, while Peters retired with mechanical problems, having been matching Trickey’s charge through the final until that point.