Report by Mark Paulson

Smeatharpe Stadium’s BriSCA Formula Two Stock Car World Championship qualifying round played out under scorching sun. A strong field of Saloon Stock Cars provided spellbinding support, while there were the usual fun and frolics from Back 2 Basics Bangers.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The previous day’s British Championship at St Day took its toll on an entry that had looked to set to top 60 cars. An eventual 47-car turnout was still split into three heats. The opener was won from the superstar grade by Lincolnshire traveller 213 Tom Bennett, while 24 Jon Palmer withstood a last-bend hit from new British Champion 992 Harley Burns for second. Yellow top 405 Josh Hamstead escaped to win Heat 2 from veteran 676 Neil Hooper and 931 Rebecca Smith. Action came from the squabbling red tops, including the likes of 606 Andrew Palmer, 155 Archie Grindey and 736 Josh Weare, who delayed each other to the extent that none made the top eight qualifying positions. Heat 3 was highlighted by a titanic battle between World Champion 7 Gordon Moodie and teenager 8 Jimi Marshall, who traded blows throughout as they only just scraped into the top eight. Local man 315 Charlie Fisher took a relatively comfortable victory. Twenty-two cars returned for a second attempt in the consolation which was led by 262 Charlie Cocks until beyond half-distance when 828 Julian Coombes took over. Coombes was pursued by 288 Paul Ford until the Scotsman was nudged wide by 186 Kasey Jones with three laps remaining. Jones was catching Coombes but couldn’t quite get close enough to mount a challenge, while 220 Freddie Hunter-Johnson beat Ford to third.
All 32 qualifiers made it on track for the Final. 185 Jessica Webb led the early stages as Hunter-Johnson was planted into the wall and 390 Jessica Smith spun, delaying several stars. From the front of the yellow grade, 931 Rebecca Smith caught and passed Webb to take the lead before half-distance. She extended her advantage while Webb continued to hold second as battles raged throughout the order. 31 Lewis Geach ran third after shoving aside running mate 605 Richard Andrews, and 926 Josh Wilson took advantage of the squabble to grab fourth. Wilson then despatched Geach and, with two laps to go, had star men 183 Charlie Guinchard and Burns on his tail as they closed in on Webb. Smith, meanwhile, had checked out and was half a lap clear when she took the flag to win the A1 Windows & Doors-sponsored World qualifying round for the second year running. It marked a return to the blue grade for Smith, where she believes she belongs, after her scoring has been impacted by a dual-surface campaign this year. “I’d like to think I’m a good blue top,” she said. Webb admitted she “was trying not to look” as she was hunted down in the closing stages. But she held on to take her best result since switching from Outlaw racing this year, completing a rare female 1-2. Guinchard dislodged Wilson from third but ran out of laps to challenge Webb. “I gave it all I had,” said the silver top, acknowledging how competitive the racing is in the south-west. Behind Wilson, Burns and Moodie completed the top six.
The Grand National was the busiest race of the day, with 34 cars on track. An action-packed race featured four yellow-flag periods.  Early on, 667 Tommy Farrell followed in Kasey Jones in the pits bend, a second chapter to their clash at St Day in early May.  Jones received heavy damage, whilst Farrell will be facing a month on the naughty step.  As the race resumed, 127 Matt Stoneman was among those to take the biggest hits, getting turned into the wall on the home straight. Stoneman managed to reverse to safety but left Hamstead stranded on the racing line. Further entertainment came from Guinchard and Palmer ‘having words’ during the resulting caution period – a frank exchange of views as they snarled their way into single file, lining up third and fourth on the restart, behind Geach and 235 Alfie Brimble. But while Guinchard picked off those in front, home favourite Palmer got his challenge wrong and had to fight back from fifth after the final stoppage. Burns had come through to third in the meantime, then passed Geach for second, but was unable to prevent Guinchard taking the flag. As Geach was shuffled back, Palmer recovered to third after a good battle with 880 Jack Witts, with Jessica Smith also involved.

Saloon Stock Cars

Racing began with a charity ladies race in aid of Devon Air Ambulance. Thirteen intrepid ladies took to the track although 720 Macy Brown was thwarted by a stalled engine as they gridded up. Even a healthy time allowance and the combined efforts of World Champions Shane and Archie Brown were unable to get the car running – a fuel pump issue being the cause. It was a good job that racing took place on the longest day as numerous similar issues at later stoppages contributed to a marathon contest. 506 Charlie Thomson took a hefty head-on hit from 759 Lee Whitford after being spun by a charging 870 Stella Farrell, which left her winded but able to walk away after catching her breath. Farrell had just taken the lead, after chasing down 84 Steph Boswell, when yellow flags were called. She continued to outpace Boswell to the flag, the pair well clear of third-placed 7 Kelly Witts.
Twenty-one cars for the main meeting was the track’s best domestic turnout for 12 months and enough to ensure a double-points final. 870 Bert Farrell made the most of his drop to the white grade to win a relatively quiet Heat 1 from 314 Bryn Finch and 577 Harry Darby. The action stepped up several notches in a breathtaking Heat 2. Finch built up a big lead at the front while 84 Carl Boswell and 33 Pete Hollett engaged in some tit-for-tat shots and, further back, the sextet of stars and champions continually traded blows. The big names delayed each other to such an extent that they were caught by Finch who then found himself caught up in the traffic. Finch tried to steer clear of trouble and continued to hold a big advantage, despite clearly being held up, until he was shoved wide with a lap remaining. 199 Phil Powell surged into the lead and, though Finch attempted to retaliate on the next bend, the veteran held on for victory. Finch had to settle for another second place, with Farrell third and Darby the leading red-top down in sixth in what was an enthralling race. Farrell set the pace in the Final, chased by 111 Thomas Ruby. From the back, 902 Junior Buster made rapid progress to reach third before half-distance and, with 178 Kieran Bowman in tow, it became a four-way battle for the lead. Junior Buster picked off Ruby then pushed past Farrell to take the lead with three laps remaining. He went on to record his second consecutive Final win at the track, albeit separated by 11 weeks. Bowman nosed inside Farrell for second and got the nod in a drag race to the line after Farrell responded with a last-bend lunge.

Back 2 Basics Bangers

A mid-20s turnout of Back 2 Basics Bangers was enough to provide plenty of entertainment. A Turn 3 pile-up claimed several in Heat 1 as the Honda Civic of 255 Phil Killone kept just out of reach of a fast-closing 333 Craig Partridge (Toyota Celica) to take the win. In Heat 2, the leading Rob Toms (Vauxhall Astra) was sent head-on into the spun 519 Jason Witney, which put 788 Darren Morgan’s Astra in front. Incredibly, Morgan’s pace was unabated despite running on three wheels having lost his inside rear early on. As in Heat 1, Partridge emerged as the main hunter, but – despite some wayward moments – Morgan made the most of his reduced weight to hold on for the win. The Final began with a big pile-up on the pit bend before a wrecking train developed at the opposite end, with Morgan forgoing the chance of more success by piling in. 890 Leszek Malinowski took up the running in his Mk6 Ford Fiesta. Once again it was Partridge chasing the leader down and once again he had to settle for second as ‘Pavarotti’ took the win. 491 Charlie Fulbrook was third.  The Destruction Derby saw 987 Craig Lapping dish complete a stunning jacking train on the back straight, firing into 386 Ryan Wagstaffe, who had joined 195 Josh Giles and 410 Ben Lapping.  The hits continued, amidst tyre squealing and plumes of tyre smoke on the exit of turn four, but eventually, Partridge outlasted the rest to seal victory.