Coinciding with the last throws of summer, glorious Bank Holiday Sunday sunshine greeted the packed hordes of racegoers who assembled at the United Downs Raceway for Cornish Caravan Chaos, at the end of a busy programme.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The final entry of cars came to 22 after a couple of late cancellations, one of which was defending Challenge Trophy holder 12 Craig Driscoll. A two thirds format was deployed, the first heat was led for the vast majority by eventual winner 890 Paul Rice, after 663 Bryan Lindsay and 235 Alfie Brimble had brief spells in the lead. 127 Matt Stoneman was second, and Silver roof 183 Charlie Guinchard (on the hunt for National Points Series points) was third. 572 James Lindsay led heat two until the lap boards appeared and he fell down the order. Rice took over out front and had a good gap by the time the chequered flag fell. The star graders had found themselves hampered by a spun 979 Paul Moss in the opening laps of the race, with 7 Gordon Moodie the first star/superstar home in second and 464 Matt Linfield, who benefitted from Moss’ spin, in third. 578 Mark Gibbs and British Champion 667 Tommy Farrell tangled at the beginning of heat three, with both ending up retiring to the infield. James Lindsay led until the lap boards again when 980 Charlie Lobb made his way into the lead. Lobb stayed there until the end, heading home 126 Jamie Avery and 605 Richie Andrews. Further back, the first battle of the afternoon between Moodie and Guinchard saw Guinchard pinch sixth place on the last lap. James Lindsay was the first leader of the Challenge Trophy Final, with the blue graders the first to show, led by Andrews. As the race reached its halfway stage, Lindsay found himself under pressure from Andrews, Rice and Lobb, and the trio made their way into the leading places shortly afterwards. While Andrews was never too far clear, his hopes of a win disappeared when lapping 820 John Ovenden – he got out of shape at the far end of the track and came to a halt against a marker tyre on the infield. This handed the lead to Lobb, with Rice in close order, while the blue top battle ahead had helped bring Moodie into contention. Less than two laps from home, Lobb had to yield the lead to Rice while Moodie also made his way past. Rice made the last lap count and was out of Moodie’s range for a last bend lunge, to complete a hat-trick of wins, thereby claiming the F2 Challenge Trophy and The Grader’s Award. Lobb and Moodie crossed the line side-by-side, with Moodie four hundredths of a second ahead. The start of the Grand National saw the red graders scattered on turn four, with 418 Ben Borthwick and 569 Adam Langridge connecting with the plating. Andrews, looking to make up for disappointment in the Final, was the first to catch runaway white top James Lindsay before the latter was shown the technical exclusion flag for a loose inside rear wheel guard. Lobb and Moodie joined Andrews in the battle for the lead, and with the lap boards out Moodie made his move. Lobb stayed in touch but ultimately Moodie was too far clear, and the Scotsman went on to become the first star or superstar winner at the track since the middle of June. Lobb and Andrews completed the top three, while Grade Awards went the way of James Lindsay (White), Matt Linfield (Yellow) and Paul Rice (Blue).

Saloon Stock Cars

In the midst of an incredibly busy August for the formula, the car count stalled at nine, but there was no shortage of action from the drivers at the track. While 84 Carl Boswell led for a lap or two, 314 Bryn Finch was the main pacesetter in the opening race. 759 Taylor Whitford ended up in a spin after a tangle with 151 Levi List and 199 Phil Powell, while multi-champion 720 Archie Brown had hit the front with five to go. Finch managed to keep pace with Brown for long enough for 577 Harry Darby to bring himself into contention, and with a couple of laps remaining he made his move which unsettled both Finch and Brown. Harry Darby lost time too though, and the move ultimately helped Brown to take the win. 677 Warren Darby appeared in second place, but Harry Darby moved him wide on the final corner to take the runners-up spot. Having been relegated back to second in the early stages of the opener, Boswell wasted no time in removing Finch from the lead by spinning him to the infield at the start of heat two. Harry Darby and Brown were the leaders of the star grade charge, but it was only with three laps to go that they caught Boswell. Boswell fell behind Harry Darby but was close enough for Brown to try and knock both wide on the final lap. Harry Darby had too big a gap however and went on to win ahead of Brown and Warren Darby, who benefitted from Brown’s manoeuvre to nip by Boswell on the run to the line. Brown made his intentions very clear at the start of the Cornish Championship Final, moving Warren Darby, 902 Brad Compton-Sage and List wide before the top drivers had passed the green flag. The paucity of cars meant that Brown and Warren Darby found themselves battling for second before too long at all, but it wasn’t until the lap boards were out that Boswell was within range. Warren Darby tried to knock Boswell into Brown a lap or so later but that only unsettled the 677 car and allowed Brown to break free at the front and go on to take the win. The final two laps saw a sensational five-car battle for second place between both Darby brothers, Boswell, Compton-Sage and List, with Harry Darby breaking free to seal the position. Compton-Sage moved Warren Darby wide on the last bend for third, while List spun Darby across the line and managed to pip the 677 car to fourth, to end a highly entertaining afternoon’s racing despite the low car numbers.

ORCi Stock Rods

It was Adam Ignaczak Trophy day for the Stock Rods, who were making their final south west appearance before the World Championship at St Day at the end of September. A two from three format was deployed with 24 cars in the pits, and 149 Dan Curtis was into the lead almost instantaneously in heat one after 287 Mark Hatch was slow away. There was a brief tangle between 79 Brian Edmond and 204 Georgie Polley on the back straight but both drivers were able to hold on to their cars, while 415 Sean Gillett was forced into retirement a lap later having been squeezed out to the plating on turn one by the wayward Hatch. At the front, Curtis was caught by 231 Simon Bassett around halfway through, but some excellent defensive driving kept him at the head of the pack until the chequered flag fell. Bassett was second and 220 Richard Short third. 891 Martyn Cleave was the first leader of the second heat, but 51 Aiden Vincent took over after moving around the outside of the 891 car. One lap later, and Vincent had taken the lead clearly, but third-placed 286 Martin Walker was sidelined with a technical disqualification (loose exhaust) and Cleave also retired to the infield, leaving Vincent miles clear out front. Second place went to Gillett and Bassett was third. 77 Tom Larcombe and Mark Hatch were early spinners in the second heat, and with Hatch’s car sitting dangerously close to the home straight racing line the yellow flags were called. Aiden Vincent had a big lead at the time of the caution, but he was able to build it back up when the race resumed. 909 Justin Washer was secure for most of the race in second, while National Champion 914 Callum Faulconbridge’s move to the outside line paid off as he took third after a battle with 285 Martin Walker and 944 Callum Hosie. The Final for the Adam Ignaczak Trophy was gridded based on points scored across the heats, with Aiden Vincent and Bassett sharing the front row. After the traditional playing of Adam’s favourite karaoke song, “Coward of the County” by Kenny Rogers, the race got underway with Vincent diving into an early lead. Bassett slotted into second and Washer third, but the race was then to be halted with 779 Ross Sweetland left facing the traffic on the home straight. Aiden Vincent led the field away and extended the gap to Bassett and Washer behind – particularly after lapping Mark Hatch. Vincent drove away from the field to take a comfortable and emotional victory in view of his family’s close association with Adam Ignaczak. Bassett had his hands full with Washer and Gillett in the battle for second. In the end, places two to four remained the same with Bassett and Washer completing the podium places.

Bangers

A rare non-points scoring meeting for the Bangers still raised twenty six cars. The first heat was only a couple of laps old when the red flags appeared for 196 Phil Chapman, who rolled at the pit gate. 184 Brad Eddy, a very late addition to the meeting, led the restart and was clear when the chequered flag fell, leading home 78 Max Weare and 249 Brandon Curtis. The second heat began with a six-car train, led by 69 Stephen Clough and 26 Niall Dunn clouting the fence on the first corner, which helped Curtis build an early lead. On the back straight, a battle emerged between 323 Barry Phillips, 814 Will Trevorrow and latterly 11 Grubby Frankson, Trevorrow’s car in particular looking sorry for itself by the end of the race. Curtis held off a late charge from 511 Dan Crosbie to take the win, celebrating by punching the air for more than half a lap of the circuit during the run down spell. Eddy completed the top three. Clough, Weare and Barry Phillips found themselves tangled at the pit gate at the start of the Final, with 823 Tyler Phillips obliterating the static 69 car a lap later, becoming stuck in the process. This, combined with a heavy trip to the plating for 966 James Payne, brought out the red flags. 268 Kerry Birch led the restart while Eddy and Crosbie were dispatched on the first corner. Sole remaining red grader 451 Nigel Belfield took full advantage of the early stoppage and took the lead a lap or so later and was well clear by the end of the race. There were a couple of spins for track debutant 474 Liam Cudlipp, the second after assistance by 161 Anton Ferris while Curtis collected the 474 car over the back wheel. Behind Belfield, second went to 881 Caitlin Emery and third to a delighted 193 Ollie Turner.

Cornish Caravan Chaos

The five car/caravan field included fresh cars for 312 Leeta Rawling-Aldridge and 314 Anthony Hambley, as well as entries from 726 Lewis Senford, 786 Grant Harris and 474 Liam Cudlipp – the latter the only driver who had raced during the afternoon’s Banger races as well. A sixth caravan was placed temptingly on the back straight. The action came thick and fast but led to a stalemate with cars buried in the back of caravans. After a temporary halt, to extricate some cars, the race resumed and Senford performed the move of the race, attacking the abandoned caravan on the back straight, standing it up on end in a fabulous piece of auto sculpture. Harris was hugely destructive on his way around the circuit, and he completed the most laps before the race ended when Harris and Cudlipp met head-on to rapturous applause.