A speed weekend with a difference began at the United Downs Raceway on Saturday afternoon with qualifying heats for the Saloon Stock Car National Championship, before the following day’s title race showdown at Smeatharpe Stadium. BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars contested the track’s World Championship qualifying round and the action on a warm afternoon was completed by 2-Litre National Bangers racing for the Lego Trophy.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
Forty-four BriSCA F2 Stock Cars were in action on an important step towards the World Championship Semi-Finals to be held at Smeatharpe Stadium on 23 August. Before the racing started, there was a chance for new British champion 667 Tommy Farrell to parade his silverware and show off his black-and-white chequered roof, although it didn’t bring him much luck over the rest of the day. Heat one brought success for long-distance traveller 578 Mark Gibbs, who chased down long-time leader 572 James Lindsay in the closing laps. Lindsay also lost out to 126 Jamie Avery on the final bend, while a spin for 12 Craig Driscoll, who will defend the F2 Challenge Trophy at St Day on 24 August, earlier in the lap denied him a qualifying place. 206 Matt Brewer led heat two until yellow flags to clear a pile-up initially involving Scottish visitor 629 Euan Millar, 663 Bryan Lindsay and 931 Rebecca Smith before 461 Tom Davison and 926 Josh Wilson piled in. 605 Richard Andrews then took over, followed by 468 Sam Weston who moved into the lead before another stoppage brought out by 895 Ben Goddard spinning and being collected by Wilson and 542 Steven Gilbert. 7 Gordon Moodie had already climbed to fourth and he immediately picked off Brewer before pushing Andrews wide to take second with five laps remaining. The Scot then closed in on Weston before putting him into the wall on the first bend of the final lap. Moodie took the win from 127 Matt Stoneman, 1 Luke Wrench and Andrews, with Weston recovering to take sixth. In the consolation, Brewer again lost a healthy lead to yellow flags with Bryan Lindsay’s car stranded and immobile in a dangerous position. This time Brewer held onto his lead until two laps to go when demoted by 390 Jessica Smith, who had dislodged Wilson for second a couple of laps earlier. Driscoll followed Smith past but the three leaders all had 418 Ben Borthwick closing in. Starting the final lap, Borthwick punted Brewer into Driscoll, delaying all three. As Smith escaped to victory, a cavalry charge down the back straight left Wilson in second, Goddard third, and Borthwick beat Brewer and Driscoll to fourth. Brewer again set the early pace in the final but, with only five lower-grade qualifiers, Driscoll didn’t have many cars ahead of his pole blue starting position. Having picked off James Lindsay for third, he settled in behind Andrews as they began to reel in Brewer. It took until well beyond half-distance, but they eventually caught their prey and then Driscoll pushed past Andrews to take the lead with two laps remaining. Motoring to victory and a big world qualifying points haul, Driscoll knew he could remove the blue tape from his wing after the following day’s racing. Second position for Andrews matched the career best final result for the former Speedway racer. Brewer held on to third ahead of 618 Ben Lockwood, 126 Jamie Avery and Jessica Smith as the star men struggled to make progress while they battled each other. Stoneman’s eighth was the best they could manage, while silver top 183 Charlie Guinchard was 10th having shifted Moodie with some force mid-race. Guinchard looked determined to improve his meagre points hauls with a charging display in the 29-car Grand National. But he was tipped into a half-spin in the aftermath of Scotsman 463 Ryan McGill gyrating. The upshot was chaos among the pack, with 27 Kieren Bradford taking an airborne excursion across the infield. That midfield action no doubt assisted the lower graders as Andrews charged to an untroubled victory, with Rebecca Smith almost as comfortable in second and Mark Gibbs third. Jamie Avery and 213 Tom Bennett traded fourth, with the Devon racer eventually prevailing over the Lincolnshire visitor.
Saloon Stock Cars
Thirty-two Saloons represented the highest ever turnout at St Day. They were split into four groups with each contesting three of four heats to determine the grid for the following afternoon’s National Championship final. There was a comfortable win for white top 314 Bryn Finch ahead of 329 Kegan Sampson in a quiet opener and Finch repeated his success in a more lively heat two. Finch sat out heat three where reigning champion 389 Ryan Santry’s attempt to recover from an early spin caused chaos in the pack. From the front of the blues, Sampson took the lead around half-distance. He had fellow East Anglians 641 Willie Skoyles Jr and 178 Kieran Bowman in pursuit but neither could catch him. Gunning for his hat-trick in heat four, Finch led until half-distance when 202 Cody Bradford moved ahead. With Sampson bearing down, 16-year-old Bradford dealt with heavy traffic over the closing laps with aplomb to seal victory, while 577 Harry Darby fought through the pack strongly for third. Finch slipped to sixth but had done enough to secure a front-row start for the next day’s big race, alongside polesitter Sampson. Bradford and Darby would start on row two, ahead of World Champion 720 Archie Brown (who had scored three top-six finishes) and surprise package 177 Chris Masters.
2-Litre National Bangers
Seventeen 2-litre National Bangers gathered to contest the Lego Trophy in honour of former racer and all-round good guy Brian Paramore. 186 Lewis Fasey returned to winning ways in heat one, where 266 Scott Gillbard put in a lively display in his smoky Jaguar X-type. 142 Tyler Brownless saw his day end very early when 648 Jamie Smith followed him in, and he was further assaulted by 315 Dan Osborne. 53 Chris James put paid to 333 Craig Partridge who then had his car totalled in the turnstile bend by Scott Gillbard. A drop to 11 cars for heat two did not diminish the action as 280 Jordan Fitzpatrick, 166 Luke Gillbard, James and Smith all piled into a wrecking train. 562 Jayden James and 31 Alfie Rogers dished out abuse to 315 Dan Osborne, with Smith also targeting James for a couple of shots. Fasey cruised to another victory from 662 Jared Roe, with Smith the only other recorded finisher. Only nine returned for the final where two-wheeled stunt driving was on display from the off, Roe only just preventing his car from going all the way over in an opening skirmish that saw 846 Jacob Read very briefly take the lead before he spun around. While Rogers was the target of some hits, Osborne did his best to hold up Fasey. But he couldn’t prevent the hard charger from completing his hat-trick and collecting the Lego Trophy. Roe was second again, with Osborne the only other finisher. Smith scored another DD win after a bruising contest which began with an exchange involving Luke Gillbard and 271 Jordan Coleman. Smith then attacked Coleman, as did Osborne, whilst Gillbard turned his attention to 200 Jai Simmons. Gillbard and Osborne then met head on, before Smith ended the battle with successive hits on Simmons.