Photos: 1- 12 Dave Bastock, 13 - 24 Kevin Wickham, 25 - 31 Jim Harrod, 32 - 43 Colin Casserley, 44 - 55 Major Gilbert

Report: Mark Paulson

A top night of BriSCA action at the Adrian Flux Arena brought a main event success for #217 Lee Fairhurst in BriSCA F1, while #38 Dave Polley claimed the BriSCA F2 World of Shale title before #226 Billy Webster took the category’s meeting final.

BriSCA F1

With 46 cars from the Big League in attendance, a White & Yellow grade race kicked off proceedings featuring a 15-car grid. #268 Richard Woods hit the front immediately and could not be caught. #326 Mark Sargent made quick progress for second, while #532 Daz Kitson completed the top three after shoving #308 Steve Malkin Jr – who had run second early on – wide on the final bend.

Heat one proper was led away by #234 Terry Pearce, but the blue grade were on the move with #25 Bradley Harrison second in the early stages before getting shoved back again. Instead, #124 Kyle Gray moved into second and was well placed to benefit when yellow flags closed the pack back onto Pearce’s tail. Gray duly took the lead but then had to withstand two more yellow flag periods, by which time the hard-battling red-top trio of #515 Frankie Wainman Jr, #191 Josh Smith and #217 Lee Fairhurst had moved into second, third and fourth while swapping places constantly. FWJ managed to shake off the other pair and set about closing in to Gray. The youngster got a little ragged in the closing stages and Wainman latched onto his tail going down the back straight on the final lap. The pair both went into the final bend hard and rattled the fence as Wainman edged it on the run to the flag. Smith and Fairhurst followed them home. “That was one of the best races I’ve had this season,” beamed Wainman.

Malkin led heat two but pulled into retirement at the first stoppage, putting Kitson ahead from #338 Chris Brocksopp and #93 Sam Makim. But superstars #1 Tom Harris and #55 Craig Finnikin were charging through the pack. Finnikin passed Harris and the pair moved into fourth and fifth, before each demoting Makim. Harris then bumped inside Finnikin and both passed Brocksopp for second and third. The world champion dived inside Kitson for the lead with a lap to go, and Finnikin used the bumper to shift the Yorkshireman on the final bend, with #16 Mat Newson also squeezing by for third. Harris had been managing a misfire. “Luke’s wrecked it!” he laughed, having lent the car to Luke Davidson last time out.

Only seven of 20 cars finished an attritional consolation in which #166 Bobby Griffin overcame his heat problems to win. Having just missed out in his own heat, Pearce enjoyed a healthy early lead but Bradley Harrison again looked dangerous. #87 Samuel Brigg and Harrison had moved into second and third after an early caution when Pearce slowed to a halt on the home straight, which led to more yellow flags. Harrison then went on the attack but got out of shape on the back straight which let Griffin into second. He soon passed Brigg for the lead with Harrison following through. Brigg held off #321 Ed Neachell’s attacks for a couple of laps, and when the West Midlander got through, #175 Karl Hawkins followed. Neachell and Hawkins then enjoyed a good battle before Hawkins eased clear in third. When #120 Casey Englestone attacked Neachell going into the final lap, Neachell retaliated with force on the next bend, taking both out. Neachell limped round to the finish but that was all behind Griffin, Harrison and Hawkins out front.

Twenty-six of the 27 qualifiers returned for the John Swift Memorial final. With no yellow tops, Kitson led the way, but Makim had moved in front when an early caution was required. FWJ and Newson had spun on the back straight, with Newson shedding a tyre carcass to cause the stoppage. Bradley was again unlucky as he got hooked up with #24 Mark Adkins as they battled over third and fourth, then Makim and Kitson spun together the following lap, handing #20 Liam Gilbank the lead from #541 Willie Skoyles Jr. Makim had quickly recovered but then spun again and took Harris with him. When Harris couldn’t restart his engine, and was stranded facing the traffic on Turn 4, yellow flags were required, by which time Griffin had moved into second. On the resumption he quickly slipped inside into the lead before another caution was needed. When racing resumed, Fairhurst nudged past Gilbank into second then tried nosing inside Griffin but the leader initially saw him off. As the race reached half-distance, it settled down but, winding his brake balance forward as the track dried allowed Fairhurst another stab. As Griffin negotiated traffic, Fairhurst seized the opportunity to move ahead and then eased clear to take the win. Griffin held onto second from FWJ who was delighted to recover so well from his early spin, Hawkins, Gilbank and #34 Mal Brown.

A 25-car grand national rounded out proceedings. Makim immediately charged around the outside to lead and continued to do so until his left-front wheel departed the car. That handed Bradley Harrison the lead before a caution was required with three laps to go as #47 Simon Traves needed assistance. #220 Will Hunter had risen to second and made the move to lead within a lap of the restart. He went on to win from Harrison and Finnikin, while FWJ was squeezed into an inner marker tyre which launched the front of his car skyward in a huge moment before the gritty Yorkshireman amazingly carried on as if nothing had happened.

 

BriSCA F2

Over 60 cars were in attendance for the biggest event on the loose, the World of Shale Championship. First up was the World of Shale’s last-chance qualifier, with a 31-car grid after world champion #7 Gordon Moodie’s withdrawal through illness promoted #286 Ross Tyler to main race. From pole position, #414 Josh Rayner led the way and looked set to take the win, despite two caution periods, until #560 Luke Wrench passed him on the inside with three laps to go. #941 Jamie Lane ran well throughout and held onto third ahead of West Country star #542 Steven Gilbert, with the WoS qualifiers completed by #413 Richard Rayner and #818 Richard Howarth. Just missing out was multiple 1300cc Stock Car WoS champion #612 Dan Booth, as well as #780 Courtney Witts, whose tangle with #210 Tristan Claydon on the back straight caused the first caution, and #761 Richard Bowyer who took a heavy fencing after riding over #24 Jon Palmer’s car.

A few spots of rain fell during the grand parade for the 36-car World of Shale, but nothing to worry about, and if anything, the track was a touch on the dry side at the start. Having starred in a great finish to the meeting final at the track three weeks earlier, front row men #38 Dave Polley and #606 Andrew Palmer were all set to recommence the battle. Palmer usually favours wetter conditions, while Polley tends to have the advantage as the track dries. Polley initially jumped into the lead as #921 Jack Aldridge also slipped inside Palmer, but Palmer hit back immediately. But the conditions were always going to come to Polley quickly and when Palmer was slightly delayed by backmarking traffic he pounced, only to run too deep and allow Palmer back inside. However,  Polley soon made the move stick and extended his advantage as Palmer encountered a slightly unhelpful #968 Micky Brennan. It took Palmer a few laps to clear Brennan, by which time Polley was well ahead. Some way back, #905 Rob Mitchell led #183 Charlie Guinchard for third, but was spat wide as the European champion found a way past. The impressive #149 Reece Cox was also in contention for a trophy placing until suffering an engine failure with just a lap to go. So Polley came through to a relatively comfortable win, his second WoS title, ahead of Palmer, Guinchard and #136 Kyle Taylor, with Mitchell fifth and #55 Courtney Finnikin sixth. “It was a good little battle between us,” said Polley. “AP’s a bit faster when it’s wet and I’m a bit faster when it’s dry, so I hung in there at the start.”

Another big field of 33 cars returned for the consolation. #209 Kev Cope led the opening laps before slipping back, with Tyler taking over. #921 Jack Aldridge looked well placed when he got himself into second with skilful use of the bumper, but his car didn’t seem to have the ultimate pace, which allowed #69 Ben Chalkley and Brennan to pass. They couldn’t catch Tyler though, and had to settle for second and third, while #129 Charley Tomblin thundered Aldridge into the wall on the final bend to claim fourth.

Thirty-one of 35 qualifiers took their places in the meeting final which began with spins for former WoS champions #225 Tony Blackburn and Rob Mitchell who were collected by the pack. #584 Charlie Sime was the early leader from #413 Richard Rayner and #113 Pat Issitt, before Rayner took over. By half-distance, Rayner led from #9 Harley Thackra, Chalkley and #226 Billy Webster, who was the man on the move. He charged through to lead with three laps to go and went on to win from Rayner and Chalkley who then tangled after the flag. Thackra, Guinchard and Andrew Palmer completed the top six.

In place of the usual grand national, the F2s contested a Dash 4 Cash race with a very healthy purse supplied by a host of sponsors led by Polleysport, which also sponsored the World of Shale race. Twenty-five cars lined up in graded order but with grades closed up for a clutch start. #929 Harry Hensby was the early leader, but yellow top #136 Kyle Talyor quickly moved into second and took over when Hensby dropped out. He then pulled a margin as the rest battled behind. Star man Webster passed #724 Tom Pell for second, as the pair battled with Rob Mitchell and Polley, who had quickly recovered from an early spin. The squabble allowed Taylor to break clear and take the win, winning a massive £1800 in the process. “That’s as good as it gets really when you’re doing what you love and making some money out of it,” he said. “It’s going to make a massive difference to the rest of our season.” Webster just edged Pell for second, ahead of Mitchell and Polley. Pell, Mitchell and #48 Ricky Castell, as best non-winning yellow-top in 11^th, all took a share of the purse as the best in their respective grades.

BriSCA F1	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
W&Y	268	326	532	415	338	24	87	13	215	238	234	nof
Heat 1	515	124	191	217	212	526	541	216	34	47	234	215
Heat 2	1	55	16	532	5	338	93	415	24	2	268	463
Consolation	166	25	175	87	20	321	555	nof
Final	217	166	515	175	20	34	212	338	2	526	nof
Grand National	220	25	55	1	2	166	217	463	515	211	34	338
BriSCA F2	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
LCQ (Heat 1)	560	414	941	542	413	818	612	584	231	724	24	48
World of Shale (Heat 2)	38	606	183	136	905	55	226	9	124	225	941	113
Consolation	286	69	968	129	147	921	801	62	618	995	209	81
Final	226	413	69	9	183	606	618	129	941	968
Dash 4 Cash	136	226	724	905	38	225	377	129	968	55