Words Mark Paulson & Pics Damien Widdows

MOAT DRAWS BRIDGE OVER DIVIDE

Trackstar’s Dean Moat became the first 1300 saloon stock car driver from outside the Spedeworth family to win a major title in 2012 at King’s Lynn on Saturday night, 6 October. Since the formation of the 1300 Saloon Stock Car Association this year, all the big races had gone to Spedeworth and Spedeworth Scotland drivers. But in lifting the European Championship, Moat proved that Trackstar’s drivers are a force to be reckoned with. There were several titles on offer in the bangers as well, with 382 Jack Foster Jr, 837 Martin Wesby and 396 Graham Hyla victorious.

The largest contingent of 1300 saloon stox ever seen at the Norfolk Arena – a massive 40 cars – gathered at the Saddlebow Shaleway for the first major title to be held on the loose surface. With two of those being ‘evolution’ cars not yet approved for championship eligibility, and a couple more not making the track, the big race had a 36-car grid, still the largest field ever seen at Lynn. It lined up as follows:

As a former gold roof champion and 2011 points champion, 673 John Moat’s pole position would make him pre-race favourite. On his outside, 415 Jamie Blackman had never raced at Lynn before, leaving him unsure how to approach the race. British Champion 668 Fraser Clark, on the inside of row two, was in a similar position. Perhaps there is an argument for the 1300s taking a leaf out of the two-litre saloons’ book and running qualifying heats before the main event at major championship meetings.

Big names cursing their luck for drawing back-half grid slots were English Champion 23 Lee Pearce in his unusual Honda CRX, and the man he usurped on the last lap to take that English title, 447 Richard Hampshire. Two of 2011’s big title winners, 686 Pete Beldom and 88 Jason Scopes, had suffered likewise, while reigned European Champion 40 Steve Marten would start alongside Hampshire from the very back row of the grid.

After two slow rolling laps, Moat duly led them away and soon built up a decent cushion. The man on the move was 216 Dan Booth though. The Trackstar points champion-elect made light of his sixth row start to work his way into second in the opening laps. Still some way behind Moat, he was ready to pounce should “Ole Smiler” make a mistake or a caution be called.

The latter occurred within a few laps, hardly unexpected with such a large field of cars. A spun 215 Ben Yould was collected heavily by 381 Liam Easter, bringing out the waved yellows. On the restart, John Moat headed the queue from Booth and the leader’s elder son, 473 Dean. As the green flag dropped, Booth was slow away, allowing Moat Jr into second and Moat Sr to build a small gap once again.

That was how it stayed for some laps, with the three shale experts pulling away from the rest of the field. Blackman and 644 Nathan Godfrey were doing well to maintain top six positions, given their lack of experience, although the former eventually dropped further down the field. For top Scot Fraser Clark, having recovered from dropping a few places early on, the race would end in the fence with a smoking engine.

All three leaders dealt well with the traffic until Moat hit one backmarker awkwardly, was delayed enough to let his son and Booth right onto his tail and broke his driveshaft. A couple of slow laps dropping down the field preceded his inevitable retirement and marked the end of his challenge. Moat Jr then took up the running but looked under threat from Booth. But as the Spalding driver moved onto the tail of his Wisbech-based counterpart, the latter tipped 07 Ady Moden into a spin and across Booth’s path.

The 216 machine was delayed long enough for Moat to pull away and clinch the win. Booth held onto second, while the victor’s younger brother, 573 Shane Moat, came through for the third, having started outside the top 30! Godfrey was top non-Trackstar driver in fourth (although Lynn is his local track), ahead of Hampshire, from plumb last on the grid, while form man 316 Danny McCluskey completed the top six.

Three allcomers races followed the main event, although as is customary in the major titles, the new champion was unable to take part whilst his car underwent thorough scrutineering. Godfrey won the 34-car first, from the Nissan Almera-mounted 838 Ady Wales and 235 Danny Rainer. The latter had earlier been awarded a trophy for being the outstanding newcomer of 2012, courtesy of DDT Export.

Each of the allcomers featured excellent races between the lower graded drivers at the front of the field as the huge numbers of star men tripped over themselves. In the second, 653 Gemma Rainer was just about to slip inside 177 Chris Masters to take the lead in the closing stages, when 67 Craig Haxton Jr spun in front of her. 209 Jonny Pearce took advantage to pass Rainer and Masters and take to the front. But Masters managed to spin Pearce on the run to the flag to take the win from Gemma and Wales. Pearce recovered to fourth ahead of top star man Booth.

Jonny Pearce’s misfortune continued in the last race as he spun himself from the lead on the last lap, allowing Wales through for the win. Masters was runner-up, ahead of 169 Jason Nicholls and top star man Beldom.

The unlimted bangers were contesting their 25-and-under Championship of Great Britain. 830 Lee “Stretch” White (Volvo estate) was looking for his third title in four years, while 382 Jack Foster Jr (Scorpio estate) was hoping to continue a trend which had seen him finish the race third in 2010 and second last year. There were plenty of other big names in the 26-car field either seeking to stop those two or looking to challenge for honours themselves.

A closed-up grid saw the under-graded 572 Paul Scully (Volve estate) lead them away and soon build up a lead. The Rolls Royce of 768 Danny McSweeney was spun on the first lap’s back straight, taking several big hits and looking very much worse for wear. The race’s other Roller, that of 514 Charlie Taylor, put away 89 Joe Barratt (Omega) on the pit bend, with 390 David Gibson (Lexus) piling into the back. Almost simultaneously, Taylor’s running mate 111 Geoff Street (Jaguar) was followed in slightly further round the same bend by 89 Panda’s Predator team-mate 779 Luke “Munch” Allen. 411 Chucky’s Rover P4 was put in by 27 Will Longford’s Mk2 Granada, allowing Munch to obliterate the latter.

11 Ryan Leeks passed Scully for the lead but spun himself out, allowing the latter to resume in front. However, Foster was setting a cracking pace and moved ahead in an otherwise quiet last few laps, eventually winning by the length of a straight. Former Bear 726 Kalin Dawe completed the podium positons. Earlier, a race for over-25s had seen 5 Mo Crowson (Scorpio) triumph over the 20-car field, ahead of 22 Dave Vincent (Mk2 Granada) and 451 Willie Blackwell.

The first all-in race was for the annual King of the Fens title. 38 cars served up an all-action race in which 837 Martin Wesby (Scorpio estate) eventually prevailed, taking his second title on the Lynn shale in as many months. Gibson and Allen further bent Taylor’s Silver Shadow on the roadside bend, with 132 Robert James (Supra) and 791 Nicky Young (Omega estate) also involved.

128 Mark Atkins (Volvo estate) had led until the final straight when he was spun and got caught up 370 Mark French and 86 Charles Haller’s pile-up. The latter’s fresh Mk2 Granada damage had already picked up plenty of damage, including its passenger side read door being peeled off. It was then completely finished off by 247 Lee Clarke who was on his way to third place behind 22 Dave Vincent.

The first allcomers race saw 27 cars on track. There weren’t too many big crashes amongst the sideways driving but 132 “Bobbles” ran in Leeks on the powerstation bend before his smoking engine had chance to cry enough. Wesby raced to another win from Blackwell and 17 Kyle Overy (Volvo).

We were down to 20 cars for the final allcomers race, where 89 Panda put Young in hard. After the former had reversed out, Clarke went in to further squash Young’s already much shorter car, before Blackwell and Allen both repeated the action, but even harder. The all-action Clarke put 779 Munch in on the roadside bend as the lively 313 John Cullingford (Rover P5) also weighed in. Meanwhile, Overy spun 185 Polly Reade (Volvo estate) out of the lead to take the win. Runner-up Vincent was delayed on the last bend by 327 Mick Maskell Jr (Granada) but just held on from 280 Simon Goodale (Supra).

A second banger class were also in action for their version of the King of the Fens title. Over 30 two-litre (non-Mondeo) cars took to the track for the main event where 601 Chris “Bling” Medler delivered a head-on to 323 Shane Leeper’s small Honda Civic. 888 Lloyd Stark then dumped former World Champion 361 Chris Walden into Leeper’s stationary motor before 390 David Gibson piled in. 479 Joel Allen delivered a massive shot onto the stationary car of 370 Craig Gray as 396 Graham Hyla took his Vectra to the title from 81 Brad Quincey and 886 Lewis Stark.

Lewis Stark then won both allcomers races. The first was a quiet one and saw Quincey as runner-up once more, with 818 Lewis O’Keefe in third. The second, despite only featuring 18 cars was more lively. 340 Wes Freestone used his Sierra to follow in 155 Lloyd Mullings, with World Champion 399 Jonny Atkin and 337 Ashley Garrod then joining the fun. 338 Terry Garrod then finished Atkin off with a massive t-bone quite close to the fence. 730 Deane Mayes dumped O’Keefe into the parked Sierra to take second ahead of Vincent as the pair continue to vie for the track championship.