Northampton International Raceway - Good Friday 18th April 2014

Report by Steve Linfield

Autospeed’s traditional Good Friday meeting at Northampton’s Pr1mo International Raceway once again produced the goods in terms of car numbers, with the pit area busy for the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars, Saloon Stock Cars and National Hot Rods.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The BriSCA F2 Stock Cars entry was 47 cars, with unfortunately a few no shows from those that had booked, but never the less included drivers from all four corners of the country and just about all points in-between.  Prior to racing most of those eligible and present for the Young Guns and Teen Sensations championships gathered for the traditional photo call, for the launch of the 2013 campaign that will culminate at in the feature races at Smeatharpe on August 2 and 3.    The first heat came down to a last bend move from World Champion 783 James Rygor on 126 Jamie Avery which was perfectly timed and executed and he took victory.  Heat two saw 476 Ryan Wadling pick up from where he left off at the Hednesford and Birmingham World Championship qualifying rounds the previous weekend when he put in a great showing by charging to the win, but he was judged to have started just a little too quickly and he was penalised which promoted former double World Champion 732 Daz Kitson to what is these days a rare win.  The consolation required a complete re-start after a first lap tangle between 242 Ben Bate and 860 Andy Brewin left the latter’s car with a small fire.  Fresh from recording his career first win at Birmingham six days earlier, 979 Paul Moss went on to lead from flag to flag.   The Tommy Pitcher Memorial Trophy Final saw all 30 qualifiers on track, and with a healthy star grade presence, yet quick lower graders there seemed to be a desperation to make early ground.  The upshot was star grade bumpers all charging in on the first lap.  They were never all going to make it round turns three and four like that and it was the unfortunate 676 Neil Hooper who was at the front, was forced into the plating and rolled on impact.  This brought about a complete re-start and when take two commenced and very similar crash ensued, this time towards the front of the pack with the yellow grade all tripping over each other.  187 Peter McCallum hit the plating backwards and 542 Steve Gilbert almost achieved what Hooper had done a few minutes earlier, but ended up perched on top of it.  This brought out the caution flags with 91 Brett Townsend the leader.   He continued to lead after the re-start and was still there at halfway, but the early yellow had brought the star men closer and they duly moved to the front.  38 Dave Polley was the first of them for much of the first half of the race but he was passed by Rygor who then maintained the gap all the way to the flag to complete a fine heat and Final double.  Polley in turn was able to maintain the gap to 7 Gordon Moodie who completed the top three.   The Grand National saw former track champion 115 Michael Green make his way to the front but he tangled with a back marker and spun which put Moodie in the lead.  However a late hook up between 428 Ty Keveth and 528 Shane Hector brought out the yellow flags and set up a two lap dash re-start.  This put 886 Chris Bradbury on Moodie’s back bumper and although Gordon was away well at the flag, Bradbury stuck right with him and went in with a textbook last bend move which came off for victory, whilst Moodie was ultimately docked two places for being judged to have jumped the re-start.

Saloon Stock Cars

The Good Friday Saloon Stock Car entry record had stood at 41 cars from both 2007 and 2012 but was finally beaten this time with a fantastic 47 car turnout, which like the F2’s included drivers from all four corners of the UK, including five from Scotland and 132 Tommy McCrory from Northern Ireland whilst perhaps more significant was the greater number of East Anglian drivers in the entry.  The first heat got off to a bad start though, particularly for 2 Paul Tuppen who took a hefty backwards trip into the plating that necessitated in him requiring assistance from his car.   610 Trent Anthurton headed the re-start until 670 Ross Watters took over and then there was another yellow flag when 120 Shane Brown lost a front wheel on the home straight.  World Champion 618 Stuart Shevill relieved Watters of the lead after the re-start but had to withstand pressure from 401 Steve Webster all the way to the flag, with a last bend lunge from the latter just failing to come off.    With 33 cars on track, the second heat was spectacular all the way.  93 Stu Sculthorpe got into the lead but got caught up in an incident with backmarkers.  Watters took over until there was a yellow flag with McCory in trouble on turn four.  401 Webster took over after the re-start and went on to take the win, whilst as he was taking the flag 149 Jamie Sampson and 677 Eddie Darby had a large coming together with the plating on turns three and four.   Heat three once again saw plenty going on but was more straight-forward with 186 Todd Jones coming through for the win.   With the heavy action, it had taken its toll on what could have been a 40+ car Final but there were still over 30 in the race.  Arthurton was the early leader tracked by 161 Billy Smith and Watters.   The latter moved ahead of both and was in the lead by the halfway stage and then the second half was a game of chase through back marking traffic between he and Jones.  186 was within striking distance on starting the last lap, but he was unable to get near Watters and instead hit 149 Sampson.  This allowed Watters clear to the flag to round out a good day for the Scotsman.  Jones was thus second and Darby, on his return to racing, none the worse for his big earlier crash third.

National Hot Rods

The National Hot Rods reached round 10 of their World Championship qualifying round series and only one of the current top 20 in the standings was not present, and with proceedings very close in the chart and thoughts very much heading towards Ipswich in July, there was everything to go for.   However, with things in the class being very competitive, as is often the way, those towards the top of the chart and therefore towards the back of the grid had a tough afternoon in the office.  None as tough as the unfortunate 615 Chris Lehec though, as he suffered a stuck throttle in practice and had a huge coming together with the plating.  He himself was left shaken and bruised, whilst the car looked somewhat sorry for itself.   The first heat saw 217 Brett Walter get into the lead and he went on to win by at least the length of the straight.   The second heat saw an early yellow flag when 113 Stuart McLaird and 192 Tony Moss tangled and the former was left stranded.  136 Ivan Grayson was the long-time leader after the re-start but he fell back in the second half and 27 Mikey Godfrey moved to the lead.  Towards the end he had to fend off a spirited charge from veteran 31 Dick Hillard for the victory.   The third heat saw 940 Gary Woolsey, the Ulsterman who races exclusively in the English World Series, come through from the mid-pack to relieve 152 Shaun Taylor of the lead late on and take a good win.   Things had got a little heated towards the back of the pack though and point’s leader going into the meeting, 348 Shane Brereton found himself removed from the result for contact.   All of which set up the 35 lap Final.   The stats and lap chart will show that it was a flag to flag win for 152 Taylor, but it was not anywhere near as simple as that.  209 Kym Weaver had his driver’s door break loose and he was shown the ‘cross flag’ for technical disqualification, which he either chose to ignore or didn’t understand.  After several attempts this was upgraded to a black flag, but still the 209 car circulated and with it being judged as dangerous, the NHRPA Stewards were left with no option but to bring the race under caution to remove him from the race.  Suffice to say this brought the pack closer together for the resumption.  However, Taylor still held on whilst further back 304 Danny Fisk and 196 Dave York tangled up.  They were offline and the latter did re-join the race.  However, he did so right in with the race leaders and over the remaining laps was right in amongst them.  He was shown the blue flags, and did hold his racing line, but even so being at least two laps back, it did beg the question as to what he thought he was really doing.  The one on the move was 162 Carl Waller-Barrett with a round the outside charge, which was made more difficult by the back marking York.  However, he did get to the leader Taylor and despite getting very close and get his nose ahead on starting the last lap, he was unable to get by and thus it was Taylor who took the win.  Never the less, it was a good result in second for Waller-Barratt and 192 Moss was third.