Bright Spring sunshine greeted racegoers for the new national season’s second St Day fixture, where there was an increased car count of BriSCA F2 Stock Cars.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
There were 30 F2s in the pit area for the second St Day fixture of the season, and thanks to some fine sponsorship from Jay Tomkins Snap-on, there was plenty to race for, and all drivers were presented with a Snap-on mug during the Grand Parade. Heat one had an early race suspension, when 528 Shane Hector needed to be retrieved from the turnstile bend fence. Whilst 24 Jon Palmer, 127 Matt Stoneman, 315 Justin Fisher and 111 Lewis Geach engaged in an exciting battle, 302 Dale Moon got clear away and won comfortably. Heat two began in chaotic fashion when 118 Josh Toll briefly tangled with 398 Ian England, and during the skirmish 539 Stevie Hartnett lost a wheel. A complete re-run was called, and 542 Steven Gilbert hunted down England to claim the win, whilst 251 Craig Driscoll’s engine dropped a valve and the whole of the pits bend was enveloped in white smoke. 572 James Lindsay built up an unassailable lead in the consolation, but there was a truly bizarre conclusion to the race. Lindsay took the chequered, but was in such a rush to do celebratory donuts, that he did not wait for the red flag. Other drivers took this as a signal to stop racing too, and the circuit almost came to a standstill. Runner-up 24 Jon Palmer slowed, to gallantly push the ailing Hartnett over the line for a lowly ninth place, and almost a full minute after the chequered, the race finally came to a halt when ten placemen were confirmed by the electronic lapscoring which had waited patiently for drivers to react correctly to the flags. The meeting final was typical of St Day, with drivers racing to the limit, on the ragged edge. A crash at the turnstile end on lap four left Toll needing a double tractor recovery, whilst Moon injured his foot. 828 Julian Coombes was leading at the time of the stoppage, but Geach pounced on him when the race resumed, and it was Geach at the front when the race was cautioned again on lap ten, this time with Fisher beached on the kerb on the exit of turn four. Again there was an exciting contest involving Palmer and Stoneman, with 418 Ben Borthwick also involved, but that prevented them getting to second place 522 Chris Mikulla, who was in turn unable to get close enough to mount any challenge on Geach, who duly won to gain a swift return to the blue grade. Stoneman got the better of Palmer in a lively confrontation in the Grand National, which ended a thrilling afternoon from the F2s.
Saloon Stock Cars
After the heavily populated grids at Smeatharpe a week ago, things were a little sparse at St Day, with just eleven drivers present, and regrettably, 902 Junior Buster suffered mechanical woes which prevented him from participating. 980 Charlie Lobb was swiftly away in the first heat, but a little too swiftly, for he received the black cross. As the race developed, Scotsman 620 Aaryn Triggs reeled Lobb in, but his last bend challenge could not shift the youngster. Nonetheless, Triggs did gain the win, as Lobb was docked two places for the eager start. In heat two, Lobb was not to be denied, as he cruised to a faultless first ever Saloon Stock Car victory, with Triggs the runner-up. In the final, Lobb again set the pace, and as the laps ticked away, 199 Phil Powell emerged as the leading threat. However, time ran out on Powell, who had to settle for second, as Lobb collected his second win.
Back 2 Basics Bangers (unders)
The opening race for the Back 2 Basics Bangers saw 386 Ryan Wagstaffe roll over in turn one. In the re-run, 242 Ben Ellacott made short work of things, to win from 912 Simon Rees. The second heat began with a four car charge into the turnstile bend fence; 306 Dawn Rogers coming off worse as that was as far as she went. 690 Tristan Clement led, but he could not fend off 17 Tim King who duly stormed to the chequered. The final saw drivers race anti-clockwise, and that brought about several spills and incidents. Clement and 333 Craig Partridge duelled for the lead; the latter still with a CD playing in his car’s stereo! 313 Callum Brown and 53 Chris James enjoyed a couple of crashes together, whilst Partridge eventually got ahead of Clement to grab the win, with Ellacott in third place.
Heat 1 |
302 |
127 |
315 |
522 |
325 |
111 |
895 |
828 |
first 8 |
to final |
Heat 2 |
542 |
418 |
398 |
468 |
689 |
105 |
196 |
734 |
first 8 |
to final |
Consolation |
572 |
24 |
460 |
528 |
663 |
241 |
222 |
118 |
539 |
228 |
Final |
111 |
522 |
418 |
127 |
24 |
542 |
302 |
689 |
828 |
398 |
Grand National |
127 |
418 |
542 |
315 |
468 |
24 |
522 |
689 |
828 |
572 |
Grade Awards |
W 572 |
Y 111 |
B 418 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heat 1 |
620 |
56 |
980 |
199 |
276 |
00 |
447 |
642 |
nof |
|
Heat 2 |
980 |
620 |
56 |
199 |
276 |
00 |
447 |
642 |
130 |
nof |
Final |
980 |
199 |
620 |
56 |
276 |
447 |
00 |
642 |
130 |
nof |
Heat 1 |
242 |
912 |
333 |
17 |
690 |
145 |
53 |
853 |
34 |
nof |
Heat 2 |
17 |
690 |
912 |
242 |
145 |
182 |
853 |
34 |
53 |
838 |
Final |
333 |
690 |
242 |
17 |
34 |
912 |
838 |
nof |
|
|