An entertaining domestic session at the Adrian Flux Arena featured the track’s 60th anniversary of BriSCA Formula Two racing. Track champion Alex Butcher took the honours. Also in action were 1400cc Stock Cars and Small Van Bangers
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
In an even split of cars, the opening heat was won by silver top #183 Charlie Guinchard after passing #910 Martin Janes on the final lap. Janes led the opening laps before being passed by #464 Matt Linfield but Linfield tangled up with a backmarker, letting Janes back in front. By that stage, the flying Guinchard had carved through from the back to take second. Amid heavy traffic, he bided his time before cutting inside at the start of the final lap to take victory and the new tyre that went with it. The hard-hitting #69 Ben Chalkley also came through for second, with #524 Michael Wallbank and #995 Michael Lund further demoting the unlucky Janes.
Heat 2 went to #393 Danny McCarthy. #999 Kai Start led until beyond half-distance before running wide and letting McCarthy through. Start then tangled with a backmarker, spinning out altogether. #136 Kyle Taylor took second when #39 Tom Bradley ran wide, but Bradley hung on to third ahead of local star #103 Jack Issitt.
A similar number took part in a chaotic consolation punctuated by three caution periods, when #244 George Woodcock and then #9 Harley Thackra were stranded in dangerous positions, before #336 Ben Barrett took a hard trip into the fence. #43 Marcus Gilbert took the win from #414 Josh Rayner and #223 Tony Partridge.
Thirty-five of the 36 qualifiers returned for the 60th Anniversary Final in which track champion #271 Alex Butcher took the honours from Guinchard and Chalkley. An early caution was required when #179 Beth Usher and #158 Will Clement was carried sideways down the home straight, with #776 Dan Roots and #62 Trevor Buckley taking big hits. #231 Bradley Clayton, Janes and Bradley all had spells in front before blue-top Butcher came through on the inside. Further yellow flags were required to assist McCarthy after he’d been clobbered having spun on the restart. Leader Butcher actually used them to his advantage, scampering clear while the other big names picked their way forward. Chalkley made it to second but was then delayed by a spinner, bringing Guinchard onto his tail. The silver top inevitably took the place but could not catch Butcher who held on for his second main event success at the track and the prize of three tyres.
“Nice to finish in front of him [Guinchard] for once, because he always seems to be me,” Butcher laughed. Guinchard and Chalkley were also rewarded with tyres as were the other best-in-grade drivers, including Gilbert, who held off #47 Greg McKenzie’s challenge for fourth.
With nearly 40 cars contesting the Grand National, an early stoppage was inevitable and the complete restart didn’t last much longer as a number of big hits went in with the track almost blocked. Clayton held sway until half-distance when a stoppage brought #226 Billy Webster onto his tail. Webster had taken advantage when #9 Harley Thackra briefly tangled with #305 Jordan Hampson as he challenged for second, but Thackra soon followed him into second. The top two remained unchanged to the flag, Webster winning before dashing for his overnight ferry to Holland. Thackra came under pressure from Chalkley but held on for second, while Butcher took advantage of the stoppages to climb to fourth from the lap handicap.
1400cc Stock Cars
The budget-friendly stock car formula raised 40 cars, which were each programmed in two from three heats.
Heat 1 produced a cracking finish after yellow flags for #244 Edward Selby’s blown engine brought #671 Leo Moore onto the tail of #438 Charlie Whitehall. The pair traded the lead on multiple occasions before Moore managed to spin Whitehall out. But #142 Jack Lower, #199 Danny Davies and #733 Kyle Picton latched onto Moore, with Lower snatching the lead at the start of the final lap. Davies obliged with a big last-bend lunge that shoved both Lower and Moore wide, but Lower held on to win by a nose from Picton, Moore and Davies.
Heat 2 couldn’t live up to that and, after some chaotic early laps, #368 relieved #133 Jake Brown of the lead and went on to record a comfortable victory. #191 Luke Leedell brought his unique Toyota Yaris home second, ahead of #401 Riley Shinn and the winner’s cousin, #388 Liam Santry.
A largely quiet Heat 3 exploded into another fantastic finish. #70 Manson Arnold passed #319 Conner Shinn for the lead with two laps remaining and #460 Garry Lusher also in contention. A big last-bend lunge from Lusher planted Shinn into Arnold and sent the leading pair wide. All three ran side by side in a drag race to the line, Arnold edging it for his maiden win from Shinn as Lusher took a heavy trip into the marker tyres.
Over 30 cars returned for the final which was won by #460 Garry Lusher after he tipped Conner Shinn out of the lead with three and a half laps remaining. #167 Jimmy Morris crossed the line second but had been shown the red cross for three laps before it was upgraded to a black flag which the Londoner continued to ignore. Instead it was his big rival #303 Jacob Bromley who came through for second ahead of Ole Smiler, #673 John Moat.
A well-sponsored eight-lap Dash for Cash ended the night, with 19 cars and grades closed up. Morris made up for his disappointment in the final by charging through from the back to take victory, passing second-placed Whitehall and third-placed Santry on the final lap, with plenty of big hits behind them.
Small Van Bangers
While the turnout of only 18 small vans was disappointing they more than made up for it with plenty of action on track. Hats off to #511 Jack Licquorice (Renault Extra), #419 Laura Quadling and #428 Nick Ashbridge (both Ford Escort vans) for bringing out older machinery against plenty of more modern stuff. Licquorice’s was also very smartly turned out, with brother #51 James (Vauxhall Combo) also sporting the family colours and #171 Andy Frost (Combo) also carrying a smart paint job.
Heat 1 was a 1-2-3 for car-based vans as #551 Brett Jackson (Vauxhall Corsa) passed #41 Thomas Dye (Ford Fiesta M6) on the final bend to win, with #26 Paul Lovick (Fiesta Mk6) third after early leader #639 Paul Vines (Fiesta Mk7) pulled off to retire. Quadling ran well in the early stages, spinning Asbridge from second, but she was then a victim of #479 Joel Allen’s antics as he sought to liven things up in reverse. Ashbridge did similar but was then blasted by Scottish visitor #687 James Slater (Vauxhall Combo), who also put away #721 Dan Clarke (Corsa D).
The heavy hitting continued in Heat 2, with #479 Jooble, Slater and fellow Scot #427 James Mellin (Fiesta Mk6) again in the thick of it. Mellin went on opposite to hit Jack Licquorice, tipping the Renault onto two wheels as it leant on a marker tyre. #93 Lewis Godfrey was another to get tipped over. Jackson came through to pass James Licquorice for the lead but the Allsorts man hit back on a restart, spinning Jackson out. So Licquorice won from Jackson and Lovick. “I had one chance and I took it,” smiled Licquorice. “His car’s pretty fast but he can’t beat diesel power!”
Final and DD to follow...