United Downs Raceway - Sunday 28th May 2023

In blazing early summer sunshine, a busy day packed with races brought some exciting action to the United Downs Raceway.

Stock Rods

Another stunning car count from the non-contact Stock Rods saw a two from three format deployed.  Heat one brought an emphatic victory for 51 Aiden Vincent.  The former Ministox racer marked his Stock Rod debut with a flawless flag-to-flag success.  In a busy pack behind, 909 Justin Washer caught the eye with his dogged determination to pass other cars around the outside, and fifth place was his reward.  An untidy start to heat two saw 204 Georgie Polley and 149 Dan Curtis tangle at the end of the back straight, with Curtis spinning out of contention.  Thereafter, Polley defended the inside line stoutly, forcing those in pursuit to look for an outside line pass.  944 Callum Hosie and Washer both did so, but they could not reel in 9 Chris Drake and 231 Simon Bassett who filled the top two places.  Vincent led again in heat three, but when he retired to the infield, 31 Adam McAleer inherited first place.  Drake had McAleer in his sights, and duly found a way past.  However, in the closing stages, Drake went wide when lapping 768 Tyler Cock, and McAleer pounced to regain the lead and steal the win. The points from the heats had brought Drake and Bassett the reward of a front row start for the Adam Ignaczak Trophy final.  At the drop of the green, Drake defended his position, leaving Bassett to fend off the dual attacks of Hosie and Washer.  Drake looked to be edging clear as the laps ticked by.  Meanwhile, the trio behind him squabbled furiously over second place, until a dramatic incident on the back straight altered the complexion of the race.  Hosie almost grabbed the inside line from Bassett as the cars passed the pit gate.  Bassett stood firm but got slightly out of shape as Washer rounded the pair of them on the outside.  As Bassett looked to settle heading into turn three, he clipped Washer, sending him wide.  Bassett clawed on to second place, but on the exit of turn four, as he ran wide, with Washer on his outside, Hosie nestled into the inside line.  Hosie moved into second and defending Adam Ignaczak Trophy holder 151 Simon Vincent followed him past Bassett to grab third.  Within a lap, Bassett and Washer had retired to the infield with damage, and the attention turned to Hosie’s pursuit of Drake.  With each passing lap, Hosie got closer and closer, before executing a superb switchback move through the pits bend.  Heading in deep, Hosie looked to have drifted wide, but as Drake covered the move, he left enough of a gap on the inside line for Hosie to dart though and claim the lead.  Hosie saw out the remaining laps to regain the trophy he won previously in 2018, Drake had to be content with second and Vincent was third at the end of a compelling contest.  The Grand National came down to a duel between Aiden Vincent and 73 James Brenton.  The youngster looked to have the race in his hands, but late on he made a small mistake, and Brenton nipped by to secure a first ever win in the non-contact class.

2 Litre Bangers

The latest round of the Supreme Championship for 2 Litre Bangers attracted an eclectic entry of 16 drivers, including a most welcome return from injury for 278 Shaun Brokenshire.  In a lively start to the first heat, 747 Nicky Seery was spun around in the turnstile bend, and 355 Aaron Dark temporarily found himself airborne at the other end.  275 Liam Best was turned aside on the back straight, and 846 Jacob Read departed to the infield on the home straight.  246 Ryan Sparks built a huge lead at the front, and after 233 Liam Parkin was bundled into the plating in turn four, 868 Stuart Parish launched a telling attack on Brokenshire, getting him sideways at the turnstile end.  A lively race for Best included Seery spinning him around on the back straight, whilst Brokenshire careered wildly on to the home straight infield, inadvertently bumping into 190 Steve Bailey who had retired there with mechanical issues just a lap or so previously.  Sparks won convincingly, with 83 Ben Styles and 59 Mike Hamley some distance behind.  A combination of Read, Hamley and Brokenshire edged 988 Ryan Thomas wide and into the plating at the turnstile end when heat two began, which left the Thomas car as an obstacle for the rest to avoid during subsequent laps.  Bailey swiftly got into the lead, and won comfortably, as 83 Ben Styles fought off the attentions of Dark, to finish as the runner-up.  Bailey took another win in the final which had begun with another spin for Best and saw Brokenshire turn Parish around in the turnstile bend late on.  Sparks and Styles completed the top three.  Just four drivers returned for the Allcomers, with Parish unsuccessful in his efforts to bury Best.  Nonetheless, Best was spun around, and Dark took the chance to blast him.  Dark gamely dawdled, to allow Parish to storm into him on the home straight, whilst Bailey sailed untroubled to another win.

Ministox

Despite the slightly lower than usual numbers, the youngsters still served up some intriguing action.  The opening heat was suspended after 770 Austin Farrell clouted the safety fence on his own.  This negated the decent lead which sisters 242 Amy Williams and 742 Kacey Williams had been enjoying, and the former was swiftly spun aside when the race resumed.  Thereafter, 290 Alfie Tomkins, 202 Cody Bradford and 207 Alfie Flecken embarked on a fascinating battle, eventually finishing in that order.  Heat two saw 313 Oakley Hayes progress from the Novice grade to the front of the grid, and he took his chance superbly to build up a big lead.  By the midway point, Hayes was still well clear, and the prospect of a first ever win began to look increasingly more likely.  Yet, with only a couple of laps remaining, 902 Reagan Davies and Kacey Williams were left facing the wrong way on the exit of turn four.  Hayes was first to encounter them, and he half spun.  His lead instantly evaporated, and Tomkins swept by, to lead home 567 Mia Batten and Bradford, who had survived a brief tangle with Flecken that took both cars to the edge of the home straight infield.  An explosive final for the Snell Family Trophy saw Batten and 870 Bert Farrell career over the infield.  There was a race suspension for 922 Kaydi Butcher, and soon after another for Hayes after he was collected by 617 Christina Sillifant whilst spun and facing the wrong way in turn two.  Tomkins charged through the mayhem to complete a hat-trick of wins, with Flecken and Bradford rounding out the top three.