The United Downs Raceway began its season of summer fixtures with a four formula spectacular when early morning rain relented in time for an afternoon of racing, the majority of which took place in the dry.

Bangers

Just shy of 50 Bangers contested their latest fixture, which was full of lively action.  Heat one was led for much of the way by 193 Ollie Turner but when he got caught up amongst backmarkers, 96 Craig Cornelius took over.  However, he was almost removed when trying to lap 696 Jago Carveth.  Cornelius survived, and saw out the remaining laps to win from Track Champion 196 Phil Chapman, but there was misfortune for Turner, who crashed out just metres from the line.  Heat two featured the return of 203 Kieran Kealy in an especially smart car.  The race was illuminated by a mischievous performance from 96 Harley Carr-Flamank, who removed two separate leaders.  The race began with star graders 390 Alfie Tomkins and 786 Grant Harris tangling, even before they passed the green flag.  78 Max Weare hit the front, but was taken out by backmarker Carr-Flamank.  That saw 54 Jake Moore inherit the lead, but he too was edged out by Carr-Flamank, and in turn that opened the door for 290 Jay Tomkins to take over.   Late on, 662 Jared Roe challenged Tomkins and grabbed the lead, to head him home.  The consolation had barely run one lap when 24 Matt Taylor required assistance after crashing out with 959 Justin Payne on the home straight.  The re-run started with a pile-up on the back straight, and with many drivers delayed, Turner found himself with an enormous lead.  That played neatly into his hands, and he went on to win by a huge distance, with Weare and Moore the next pair over the line.  The final was stopped early on, when Harris and Alfie Tomkins clashed again.  Moore and Weare led the restart, but were hunted down by Cornelius.  He swept past to hit the front, but Roe was also on a charge.  Yet, as he attempted to move fourth, 451 Nigel Belfield spun Roe, who was then collected by 290 Jay Tomkins.  Cornelius secured his second win of the day, with 198 Owen Nichol the runner-up and Belfield was third.  An abundance of action followed in the Allcomers, although 153 Rhiannon Tavender was most unfortunate to be spun at the end of the home straight and there she got collected by several drives in the oncoming pack.  Red flags were called, and a re-run was ordered.  A further stoppage was needed when 249 Brandon Curtis opted to evacuate his car, whilst 458 Layton Mush had blatantly run into the stationary car of with 354 Simon Phillips the race leader at the time.  When the race resumed, 919 Oscar Berry displaced Phillips at the front, but he was subsequently overhauled by 31 Liam Shipway.  Some squabbling lower down the order led to 621 Scott Kendall picking up Simon Phillips and burying him into the turn one plating.  Shipway won by a decent margin, with 768 Tyler Cock the runner-up as only seven cars went the distance, including 198 Owen Nichol, whose disfigured car crabbed wonderfully to the finish line.

Ministox

The English Open Championship for the youngsters attracted a season’s best showing in Cornwall with 23 cars.  The majority were south west based, although 644 Owen Marshall impressively made the long, long journey from Scotland.  From pole position 117 Max Starr made the early running in the opening heat.  A three-way battle for the lead then ensued, involving 257 Kieran Hibberd, 114 Charlie Lomas and 575 Caden Clark.  In the chaos, Clark was spun, Lomas was delayed and Hibberd found himself with a strong advantage which he maintained to the end, winning comfortably from 475 Mason Sealy and 27 Leo Rabone.  Lomas bounced back to win the second heat comfortably.  He took an early lead and was never troubled, whilst most of the focus was the scrap for second.  176 Jake Jones held second until the final lap, and looked to have fended off the challenge from Sealy, but in the run to the line, Sealy spun Jones, who was demoted to third.  Heat three was suspended twice, firstly when 99 Jayden Roff got in a tangle with 710 Louie Stuckey, and then when 235 Kaitlin Harris was left facing the wrong way on the back straight.   Jones kept sufficiently clear of Rabone to take the chequered and 522 Jacob Mikulla completed the top three.  Jones and Sealy shared the front row for the title race.  In the early stages, Jones kept Sealy at bay, but the British Champion sent Jones wide to grab the lead.  As the laps ticked by, Sealy was out of harm’s way despite Jones chasing hard, with Rabone on his tail in third.  The outcome was beginning to look assured, but four laps from home, Starr and 132 Rowan McAleer spun together in turn three.  That brought about a race suspension, and Sealy came under attack when the race resumed, being shoved wide in turns one and two.  Jones took over the lead, and Rabone briefly moved into second.  Sealy responded, and overhauled Rabone to return to second place.  However, a lap later, as he attacked Jones, his car lost power, and as he drifted to the infield to retire from the race, he knew his hopes were gone.  Jones and Rabone were in close order for the remaining laps, but Rabone’s last bend challenge was not enough to shift Jones, who held on for his first title at the end of an enthralling contest.  Roff completed the top three, whilst 920 Wayne Wadge’s own last bend challenge went awry.  Hibberd glanced up the fence on two wheels, and Wadge came to an abrupt stop in turn four.

Special Rods

The guest formula from the Mendips Raceway raised a dozen drivers, with former Saloon Stock Car racer 68 Pete Jennings the first to make his mark.  After a light tangle with 118 Iain Truman, Jennings stormed to the front and won the first heat convincingly.  Jennings made it back-to-back wins in heat two, despite a late charge up the order by 278 Andrew Bressington.  264 Shane Jennings again made the running in the final, but a good start by 445 Niki Loader saw him close on Pete Jennings and they were then joined by 701 Ben Brice.  As they jostled for position behind race leader Shane Jennings, Loader made the telling move to claim the lead and Brice followed him into second place.  That;s the way the lead two positions remained, with Pete Jennings completing the top three.

Old Skool Bangers

Another lowly car count from the Old Skool Bangers did include some newcomers to the grid, but proceedings were totally dominated by 362 Johnny James who won all four races.  In the first heat, he was a clear winner from 86 Leon Fasey, and even though 390 Alfie Tomkins led much of heat two, James still reeled him in before flag fall.  That race saw 726 Lewis Senford bundle 776 Terry Senford into the turnstile bend fencing early on.  452 Anthony Sleeman was the leader of the final until the midway point, at which stage another double Senford clash looked likely.  However, as Terry Senford swerved to the infield, Lewis Senford offered him a Nescafe handshake as he sped by on the track.  James took command, to go on and win from Leon Fasey and 186 Lewis Fasey.  Tomkins seemed poised to win the Allcomers, but James was not to be denied.  As he swept by on the closing lap, Tomkins tried to respond but only tangled with Leon Fasey and both cars clouted the fence just metres from the finish line.  Leon Fasey did not finish, whilst Tomkins dropped to seventh.