United Downs Raceway - Sunday 30th July 2023

Despite the late- July fixture weather conditions being anything but representative of summer, there were plenty of exciting moments despite relatively modest numbers of BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, Saloon Stock Cars and 2 Litre Bangers.  Ahead of racing, 133 Terry Hill was invited to lead the Grand Parade, in recognition of his National Bangers Championship of the World victory at Smeatharpe the previous weekend.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The entry of 24 drivers was reduced when 467 Tim Farrell suffered a stuck open throttle in practice which ended his day before it began.  In heat one, 663 Bryan Lindsay set the early pace, chased by 828 Julian Coombes.  However, neither had an answer to 127 Matt Stoneman who romped to victory.  It was a similar story in heat two, although on this occasion 302 Dale Moon trailed after Stoneman, and finished as the runner-up.  Heat three began with 24 Jon Palmer flying up over the kerb heading into turn one, which resulted in him spinning around.  The lead was grabbed by 141 Harry Neath-Rogers, until he was challenged by stalwart 14 Mike Priddle.  In turn, 605 Richie Andrews hit the front, and he looked set for victory until a late run by 980 Charlie Lobb brought him into contention.  Lobb dived at Andrews in the final bend, and as the two drivers stormed to the line, Andrews held on to win by 0.019 seconds in an astonishing finish.  The Remembering Rog #95 Trophy final had a most chaotic start when the white grade got in a frightful mess on the exit of turn four.  A complete re-run was ordered, and similar mayhem occurred, this time amongst the yellow tops, with Andrews the unlucky driver at the front of the queue.  At the third time of asking, the race got going, with Priddle settling into the lead, ahead of 777 John Vickery.  There were spins for 315 Charlie Fisher and 27 Kieren Bradford, before 418 Ben Borthwick clambered over the bonnet of Coombes in the pits bend.  On lap eight, Lobb relieved Priddle of the lead, and at halfway he was comfortably clear of Moon, Stoneman and 468 Sam Weston as the star graders took command.  Although Stoneman moved into second, Lobb was too far down the road.  Lobb duly recorded a second successive St Day final win and was delighted to have achieved a first feature race victory from the star grade.  Stoneman and Moon completed the top three.  Neath-Rogers led the Grand National early on, but Stoneman continued his scintillating form, as he took over by the halfway stage, and he recorded a third win of the day.

Saloon Stock Cars

A dozen drivers produced a trio of interesting races, with a different winner each time.  A winner at St Day last time, 314 Bryn Finch led the opening heat until the second half of the race, with 672 Si Paris and 720 Archie Brown chasing him down.  Finch was still ahead as the lap boards appeared, but Brown overhauled him three laps from home, and UK Champion 677 Warren Darby stole second from Finch in the closing stages.  An early tangle involving Finch and 111 Thomas Ruby brought heat two to a temporary halt, with 27 Jason Kingwell at the front for the restart.  577 Harry Darby got ahead when the race resumed, and he led home Brown and 902 Junior Buster.  White graders Ruby and 112 Rich James made a great start to the Final, and Ruby was still leading at the midway point.  281 Marc Chenery led the pursuit and grabbed the lead in the final third of the race.  As Chenery took the win, the wind took the chequered flag, whilst Brown advanced up the order following a lively last bend, with Warren Darby in third.

2 Litre Bangers

Numbers of 2 Litre Bangers were disappointingly low, but after quiet Old Skool races, their day came to life in style with an explosive Allcomers race to National Banger rules.  621 Scott Kendall took the opening race, which began with an untidy tangle involving 133 Terry Hill, 846 Jacob Read and 662 Jared Roe.  There was a flag-to-flag win for 280 Harry Ricketts in heat two, as 233 Liam Parkin dumped Read and 988 Ryan Thomas, before spinning Thomas aside a lap later.  In the Final, Thomas was again bundled aside, and the race brewed to a thrilling finish.  Kendall led into the last bend, with 786 Grant Harris on his tail.  Gold top Hill came charging in, trying to send Harris into Kendall.  All three ran deep into the bend, but despite the heavy contact, the order remained unchanged as they scrambled to the line; Kendall scoring his second win.  The Allcomers began with Read being run in by Kendall, after the start-finish line.  That left him wide open to being blasted by Kendall next time aound.  Parkin hit the fence and spun, and that left just three cars circulating.  Hill took the win, leading home Ricketts, but having passed the chequered flag, Hill thundered Thomas into the turn one plating, where he was then collected by Ricketts.  Thomas was a little shaken, but eventually emerged from his battered car.