United Downs Raceway - Mayday Sunday 1st May 2022

Dismal weather did its best to put a dampener on the Mayday Monday proceedings at the United Downs Raceway, but that did not detract from an action-filled afternoon.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

A 26-car showing of BriSCA F2s resulted in a two from three format.  On a soaking wet track, 828 Julian Coombes bustled his way into an early lead, chased by 979 Paul Moss and 418 Ben Borthwick.  895 Ben Goddard was also running strongly until he spun just before halfway, at which stage Borthwick took over at the front.  In heat two, Moss relieved 510 Matt Stone of the lead and was out front at the midway stage.  With Moss clear in the lead and 35 Charlie Fisher in second, the focus was on an excellent squabble brewed between 890 Paul Rice, 783 James Rygor, 27 Kieren Bradford and 689 Joe Marquand for third, which Marquand settled on the last bend when he spun Rice to grab the place.  Heat three began with Goddard and 53 Phil Mann spinning, and 605 Richie Andrews did likewise soon after.  Coombes held the lead until Borthwick swept by, but with the win looking assured, Borthwick spun unaided, and 542 Steven Gilbert gleefully picked up the pieces to lead home 352 Dave Sansom.  The Snell Family Trophy final started with a succession of chaos in the turnstile bend.  Sansom spun early on, and then Andrews and Coombes became entangled in turn two.  Showing his best form yet, Stone settled into a decent lead at the head of the field.  A yellow top train of Goddard, Moss and Fisher then swept by to move to the front, but the race was suspended after Bradford and 320 Matt Hatch collided and were stranded in turn four.  When the race resumed, Rice, who was the highest placed star grader at the time, edged into second and then grabbed the lead, with Marquand in pursuit.  The gap between them remained constant for a time, until the leaders were delayed when Sansom and 667 Tommy Farrell tangled.  Marquand closed on Rice, but despite his efforts, he could not get on terms, and it was Rice who landed the stunning trophy.  184 Aaron Vaight completed the top three.  Stone showed more encouraging form in the Grand National, as he led the formative stages, but by the halfway point it was Rygor in control, and he cruised to a flawless victory.

Saloon Stock Cars

The entry of Saloon Stock Cars was disappointing, but not for the first time at St Day, the low numbers did not detract from an entertaining display.  In the opening heat, 33 Pete Hollett and 28 Ian Govier were the early leaders, but on his first south west appearance of the season, 277 Jack Grandon stormed into the lead and took his first win of the year.  Heat two began in similar fashion, but misfortune befell Grandon, who had a stuck throttle issue, and he took a wild ride around the turnstile bend plating, not once, but twice.  Hollett held the lead from start to finish in this race, and 84 Carl Boswell stole second late on.  The final was arguably the race of the day.  Govier grabbed the lead and was still clear of 677 Warren Darby as the race moved into its second half.  Govier’s lead at the front began to shrink, but so too did the gap between Darby and third placed Boswell.  As Darby got ahead, Boswell moved into second, and with a text book challenge on the final bend, Boswell bundled Darby wide to steal the victory – a perfect present for himself on his birthday.  As Darby recovered, 319 Richard Regan nipped by for second.

Old Skool Unlimited cc Bangers

What a glorious sight the big Bangers made, and with a liberal dose of ‘extras’, there were 26 drivers in action, including first timers in the Lorry Breaker Series, 247 Richard Sparks in an old Triumph, 776 Terry Senford in a Mk2 Granada, 452 Anthony Sleeman in a Mk2 Granada Estate and 99 David Spooner, who stole the show with his Ford Torino Estate.  The lead at the start of the opening heat was disputed between Sparks and 185 Richard Coaker.  No sooner had Sparks got ahead, than he found himself spun on the exit of turn four, where the pack bashed their way through the blockage, leaving the rear end of the Triumph looking a sorry state.  Cars spun, and cars slid on the soaked track, but Coaker kept a cool head to score an emphatic win ahead of 246 Ryan Sparks.  Once into an early lead in heat two, 954 Jamie Beere stormed to a convincing victory.  Senford’s attempt to spin 59 Mike Hamley went awry, as they ground to a halt on the back straight, and with 8 Darren Rundle in close order, he blasted Senford, much to Senford’s clear annoyance.  Beere took the chequered, with 278 Shaun Brokenshire the runner-up.  225 Rich Edmonds and 148 Reece Frayne initially set the pace in the final, until 382 Danny Hunt took over, just as a track blockage in turn one forced a race stoppage.  Hunt took command of the restarted race, to hold off the challenge of his father, 282 Steve Hunt, and 362 Johnny James completed the top three.  The Allcomers saw Steve Hunt victorious, as he became the fourth different winner of the afternoon.