Smeatharpe Stadium - Monday 28th August 2023

The last Bank Holiday prior to Christmas was held on a warm but breezy afternoon with a typically large and appreciative crowd on hand to enjoy the day’s entertainment which was served up in efficient fashion by the drivers and officials, building to the fun climax of Caravan Chaos.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The opening race doubled as the track’s White and Yellow series final and as such had a plethora of prizes on offer.  The grid assembled and featured an impressive showing of 15 cars.  777 Jon Vickery led until just after half distance when he was caught and passed by 736 Josh Weare.  Behind, 475 Leah Sealy forcefully sent 141 Harry Neath Rogers and 194 Luke Johnson into the pit bend plating to move up to third with five laps to go.  However, the laps ran out, and Sealy went no higher up the order as Weare and Vickery cruised to first and second.  Heat two featured the remaining cars including five lower graders ineligible for the previous race having not scored points at any previous Smeatharpe meetings.  27 Kieren Bradford took up the running at the front but with just over a third of the race still to go, he was caught by a speedy looking 960 Adie Whitehead on one of his occasional appearances at the track; the north west driver proceeding home to the flag.  The consolation was an entertaining affair, for whilst 828 Julian Coombes led, behind him there was tremendous trading of bumper blows between 542 Steven Gilbert, 980 Charlie Lobb, 676 Neil Hooper and the aforementioned Johnson which only served to allow Coombes to build an unassailable lead. 315 Charlie Fisher’s race ended in a heap on turn four with 572 James Lindsay also being deposited in the bend after a brief tangle with 259 Daz Purdy.  Coombes remained well clear and won ahead of Lobb with Gilbert in third.  The Final did not get very far when the yellows were required for 528 Shane Hector who was spun around in the west bend.  On the restart Vickery was overhauled by Sealy with 127 Matt Stoneman closing fast.  However, Stoneman’s challenge faltered as he remarked in the post-race interview that his brake callipers had begun to fail and prevented any chance of overhauling Sealy.  Whitehead reeled in Stoneman to grab second, but it was teenager Sealy who successfully defended the Club 21 Trophy for her second ever career final win.  The Grand National also saw an early caution as Gilbert’s challenging season continued with another mishap, this time a tangle with Purdy.  Bradford quickly got past Vickery on the restart with Sealy up to ninth from the lap handicap.  Another tremendous battle ensued for the minor spots with 468 Sam Weston, 979 Paul Moss, 460 Adam Pearce and Sealy all battling for position, Weston eventually leading them home in sixth.  Yet that was some way back on Bradford who picked up the winner’s trophy, with Weare the runner-up.

Saloon Stock Cars

The final chance for drivers to enjoy some race preparation ahead of their World Final in a month’s time attracted a decent 21 car entry.  The opening heat saw 277 Jack Grandon piled into the pit bend by the pit bend as 28 Ian Govier spun around.  418 Mitchell Driver led initially but he was caught and passed by 99 Jacob Roff.  151 Levi List and 672 Simon Paris came to blows with Paris exiting the race. Devon Champion Roff sped home for victory but the last bend saw a fine challenge by 760 Joey Reynolds on 199 Phil Powell.  As the veteran driver was sent spinning out of the top ten, it allowed Reynolds to snatch seventh place.  The opening exchanges of heat two sees 677 Warren Darby bundle into Grandon and Reynolds, although he would soon feel the retaliatory blows as List continued to make new friends and acquaintances with much of the field.  720 Archie Brown forced his way to front after overhauling long time leader 444 Kieran Bellringer, the young star grader taking the win as the other cars scrabbled across the line.  There is no brotherly love shown at the start of the Final as Warren Darby punts 577 Harry Darby around and out of the race.  Up front, Driver was again into the lead.  84 Carl Boswell and 129 Will Morphey enjoyed a fantastic tussle which saw them swap places lap after lap.  List moved up into the lead, but Driver brilliantly struck back ending List’s chances as he spun him around on the back straight.  However, Driver then spun around himself, which allowed Brown to grab the lead as he made a successful defence of the Club 21 trophy.  Grandon was the runner-up and Roff rounded out the top three.  The Allcomers got off to a controversial start as List and Paris came together on turn two, with 281 Marc Chenery also an unwitting victim.  The List and Paris sideshow continued, with the two protagonists then incurring the wrath of the steward for some histrionics on the infield as the race continued around them.  Reynolds paid scant regard to the nonsense, and he overhauled 561 Aaron Totham for the win.

2 Litre Old Skool Bangers

The entry of cars fell regrettably short to deliver anything remarkable during the afternoon, although all credit to those drivers which did support the fixture.  The opening race was devoid of anything of note as 786 Grant Harris sped to victory.  280 Harry Ricketts led heat two from the green flag until the last lap when 662 Jared Rowe found a way up the inside to take the chequered flag with 83 Ben Styles finishing a close third.  The Final saw 59 Mike Hamley and 756 Troy Hooper make repeated attempts to annoy the other, but that aside it was a straightforward victory for Styles who in doing so took to the top of the points chart.  123 Sam Baker and Ricketts finished second and third respectively.  The Allcomers saw 113 Jack Gill become the fourth different winner of the afternoon.

Caravan Chaos

The last event of the day was Caravan Chaos which saw five car and caravan combos, plus an extra caravan positioned strategically on the back straight.  The majority of spectators had stayed for the spectacle, and it wasn’t long before they rewarded with widespread destruction.  The track was strewn with bits of caravans left, right and centre, as 113 Jack Gill 455 Shane Kennard, 919 Oscar Berry, 786 Grant Harris and 422 Tristan Beresford flung their cars and caravans around the track.  There was a brief pause to allow the cars to be released from the ensuing wreckage, before part two of the event eventually ended with Haris the last car running to the cheers of the appreciative crowd.