Northampton International Raceway - Friday 2nd April 2010
This year's Good Friday fixture for Autospeed at Northampton caught a soaker, with dreadful rain showers for most of the meeting, yet still there was some dramatic race action from all three classes on show.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
The F2s served up some exciting racing, and a host of spectacular crashes and incidents, none more so than during an extended Consolation event which required multiple stoppages and suspensions. There was also quite a lengthy delay when 441 Micky Branston had to be untangled from amongst the wires above the fence on the home straight.
It was 464 Matt Linfield who won the Consolation, after there had earlier been heat wins for World Champion 968 Micky Brennan and British Champion 886 Chris Bradbury. Brennan and Bradbury crossed swords in the Tommy Pitcher Trophy Final. Brennan brilliantly punted 538 Chevy Mills into Bradbury, which sent both cars into a tangle and delayed them considerably. However, as Brennan sought to take advantage, he lost power and was forced to retire to the infield in frustration. 676 Neil Hooper hit the front, but he could not resist Scotsman 647 Chris Burgoyne who overhauled him in the late stages. Burgoyne surged to the flag, but in a hugely significant last lap, Hooper was caught and passed by 152 Mick Sworder. Straight after the race, the first five finishers went direct to the weighing area, where Burgoyne failed the inside weight test. That handed the win to Sworder, with Hooper the runner-up and 186 George Turiccki in third.
A late charge by Bradbury saw him win the Grand National, when he edged out long time leader, teenager 255 Will Cobley, on the last bend.
Saloon Stock Cars
The 26-car showing of Saloon Stock Cars was the best so far this season for a tarmac fixture, and the three races yielded a different race winner each time. First to take the chequered was young Scottish sensation 600 Barry Russell. Heat two went the way of East Anglian 512 Darren Barnett, whilst 191 Shaun McMillan scored the first tarmac race win of his career when he took the final, ahead of fellow white grader Russell, and 641 Willie Skoyles Jnr.
National Hot Rods
A closely fought National Hot Rod final saw 780 Mike Loosemore hold on for the race winner's spoils, despite being chased home by 174 Jason Kew. Third was 3 Jeff Simpson.
Earlier in the day, there had been heat wins for 482 Jason Cooper, Kew, Loosemore and 271 Trevor Simpson.
Heat 1 |
968 |
154 |
877 |
844 |
326 |
606 |
152 |
60 |
254 |
15 |
Heat 2 |
886 |
255 |
647 |
186 |
538 |
779 |
101 |
24 |
710 |
954 |
Consolation |
464 |
854 |
511 |
469 |
676 |
702 |
7 |
315 |
445 |
605 |
Tommy Pitcher Final |
152 |
676 |
186 |
877 |
154 |
255 |
779 |
886 |
702 |
60 |
Grand National |
886 |
255 |
445 |
676 |
469 |
647 |
154 |
641 |
286 |
152 |
Grade Awards |
W 255 |
Y 844 |
B 538 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heat 1 |
482 |
6 |
305 |
27 |
95 |
303 |
61 |
31 |
271 |
333 |
Heat 2 |
174 |
130 |
65 |
3 |
911 |
85 |
491 |
780 |
155 |
72 |
Heat 3 |
780 |
174 |
170 |
491 |
85 |
305 |
65 |
911 |
41 |
95 |
Heat 4 |
271 |
303 |
482 |
3 |
27 |
130 |
503 |
72 |
278 |
31 |
Final |
780 |
174 |
3 |
85 |
72 |
911 |
170 |
303 |
6 |
467 |
Heat 1 |
600 |
618 |
512 |
219 |
18 |
641 |
428 |
499 |
120 |
199 |
Heat 2 |
512 |
511 |
499 |
490 |
618 |
219 |
156 |
96 |
18 |
360 |
Final |
191 |
600 |
641 |
120 |
511 |
499 |
512 |
149 |
115 |
127 |