Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 4th July 2022

Following on from the previous day’s meeting at St Day, Smeatharpe Stadium hosted its annual BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars World Championship qualifying round. The Stock Rods were also back in action on the latest round of their own Road to Gold, while Old Skool Unlimited cc Bangers completed the bill.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

A busy schedule, the price of fuel and the World Final itself being on shale no doubt contributed to a slightly disappointing turnout of 34 cars, two of which failed to make it beyond practice, but there was still plenty of action. Following the traditional grand parade, the drivers gathered for a minute’s applause for the late Bill Batten, after his brother-in-law Martin Farrell paid tribute to the four-time World Champion. Heat one was swiftly brought under caution with 91 Harrison Bryant immobile on the Honiton bend after a clash with 605 Richard Andrews. New Scottish champion 903 Ben Spence had also crashed with fellow southern racer 464 Matt Linfield on the pit bend but the two were able to rejoin, albeit a lap down. Aided by the caution, 783 James Rygor carved through to relieve 475 Leah Sealy of the lead within three laps. The 2013 World Champion took an untroubled win but Sealy impressed to hold on to second ahead of 667 Tommy Farrell and 184 Aaron Vaight. 528 Shane Hector was thundered into the wall at the start of heat two and then careered into the infield armco. 390 Jessica Smith quickly settled into second behind 821 Gary Walker before taking the lead. She continued to lead until chased down by the previous afternoon’s final winner, 890 Paul Rice, in the closing stages. After a couple of nibbles, Rice nudged Smith wide to take the lead with two laps to go, and held it to the flag. Smith was second, while 606 Andrew Palmer passed 578 Mark Gibbs for third late on. 127 Matt Stoneman just held fifth despite running wide on the final bend. Ten qualifying places were up for grabs in the consolation, to make a 26-car final. In a mostly lower-graded field, ex-F1 man 321 Ed Neachell was turned hard into the wall on the home straight and left broadside across the track, leading to a complete re-run. 509 Jordan Butcher then was untroubled as he led from flag to flag for a maiden victory. 251 Craig Driscoll’s last-bend challenge on 533 Johnny Egg allowed 464 Matt Linfield to nip past both and snatch second. The final, for the A1 Windows & Doors Trophy, began with a high-speed tangle on the home straight which fired Rygor into the wall and Sealy to the infield with a puncture, and required yellow flags. 525 Charlie Knight and 828 Julian Coombes had spells in front, but Rice was again the man on the move. He bumped past Coombes into the lead on one-quarter distance, with superstar Palmer following in his wake and Stoneman up to third despite a quick spin before the early stoppage. Rice saw his advantage wiped out by a second caution just before half-distance when Knight spun on the home straight. But it was no hindrance for the Ideford racer whose pace allowed him to edge away again on the resumption. Stoneman nudged Palmer wide for second but could not catch the leader with the order of the top three then remaining unchanged. 542 Steven Gilbert, Farrell and Driscoll completed the top six as Andrews slipped to seventh, which was still rewarded with the Mike Priddle-sponsored crate of cider. After Butcher dropped out, Smith led the way in the Grand National, under pressure from Andrews, with Stoneman, Rygor and Gilbert each making light work of their charge through to third, fourth and fifth positions, and Farrell not far behind. Further back, a feud between Driscoll and 736 Josh Weare provided some alternative entertainment. As the star men passed Andrews, it briefly relieved the pressure on Smith but she was powerless to resist their charge. Stoneman went on to win from Rygor and Farrell, with Gilbert shoving Andrews wide for fourth on the final bend, and Smith slipping to seventh.

Stock Rods

Another strong showing of 24 Stock Rods brought about the customary split to contest two from three heats. After passing 982 Sophie Daughtrey for the lead of heat one at around one-quarter distance, 862 Darryl Cock built a big margin that could not be overcome by the chasing pack. The action came behind as the star men, led by 151 Simon Vincent, made rapid progress. When Vincent got boxed in behind second-placed 286 Martin Walker Jr, it allowed 909 Justin Washer to make the most of the outside line and pass both, followed by 944 Callum Hosie. Contact between Washer and Hosie then pitched Washer into a spin on the back straight and, although Hosie was initially docked two places, this was then rescinded, leaving him second. Vincent was unable to find a way past Walker, who held third. The star-graded drivers found their progress in heat two hampered by being bottled up behind 101 Dave Horwell, who was eventually shuffled back and spun. Daughtrey led until nearly half-distance before dropping to ninth as 275 Jeremy Hatch took his second win of the weekend ahead of 916 Luke Thomas and leading red-top 351 Rhys Langdown. A couple of spins for Dave Horwell led to early yellow flags in heat three, after which Cock passed 84 Paul Faralewski for the lead. His advantage was overcome by Thomas while Faralewski was further demoted by Hosie, who was again making the outside line work well. Hosie reeled in Thomas but the latter just held on for victory, with Faralewski third. 285 Martin Walker Sr headed a big squabble for fourth, from which 437 Lewis Trickey was spat out on the final lap. A fractious meeting final saw Faralewski out front. He survived a caution period and looked like he was going to hold on for a maiden Stock Rod win, until a late charge by Washer brought him into contention. However, in his haste to get to the front, Washer barged Hatch wide in the pits bend to claim second place. From there, Washer chased after Faralewski and got past him to take the chequered, but the Black Cross issued for the indiscretion with Hatch was upheld. Washer was docked to third, leaving Faralewski victorious and Hatch as the runner-up.

Old Skool Unlimited cc Bangers

Twenty-one of the big rear-wheel-drive machines made for a busy raceway. Heat one boiled down to a one-lap dash after a caution was called when 278 Shaun Brokenshire (BMW) clobbered a marker tyre onto the racing line. Long-time leader 382 Danny Hunt (Lexus) held on to win from 362 Johnny James (BMW) and 186 Lewis Fasey (Ford Scorpio). The Jaguar of 125 John Stokes was a lively presence in heat two which was stopped when 891 Darren Wade’s Triumph lost a wheel. Thirty years after winning the World Championship at Wimbledon, 114 Nick Courtier showed he still has a turn of pace as he took his Ford Granada Mk2 to a comfortable win over Hunt and Fasey. A relatively quiet final was led from start to finish by Fasey. His father Leon (Scorpio estate) had initially run second before 246 Ryan Sparks (Lexus) and Johnny James powered past, with Brokenshire further demoting Fasey Sr. James got the better of Sparks for second but could not catch Fasey Jr. James completed another lucrative evening in terms of points, when he won a relatively routine Allcomers race.