Photos: 1 - 15 Dave Bastock, 16 - 30 Jim Harrod, 31 - 45 Colin Casserley

Report: Mark Paulson

 

British champion #197 Ryan Harrison kicked off the second half of the BriSCA F1 Shootout with a heat-and-final double at King's Lynn as a good turnout of 40 V8-engined beasts were supported by the Ministox British Championship, successfully retained by #1 Jack Witts, and a field of lower-graded 1300cc Stock Car drivers. 

BriSCA F1

The action commenced with a race for White & Yellow graded drivers. Driving son Jake's car, #45 Nigel Harrhy made light work of the white tops to hit the front. He withstood race-long pressure from #541 Willie Skoyles Jr, including a nudge on the last bend, to take the win, with #415 Russell Cooper completing the top three.

Heat one proper, with 24 cars, was led throughout in impressive style by #496 Neil Holcroft. Superstar-graded #55 Craig Finnikin made the most of not being part of this year's Shootout, and therefore having an advantageous starting position, to carve through the field. He passed #93 Sam Makim for second with a lap to go but Holcroft was out of reach. Makim completed the top three, while the first 'Shooter' home was #197 Ryan Harrison who traded places with #1 Tom Harris early on as the pair scythed through the field. But points leader Harris could only manage seventh at the flag.

Holcroft looked like he could repeat his win in heat two, until yellow flags came out at half-distance to retrieve Harrhy's car, which was mid-track facing the traffic on the second bend. The race had to be stopped almost as soon as it restarted, as #500 Chris Lloyd rolled onto his side on the newly-watered track. Holcroft pulled off before the resumption, so #93 Sam Makim led the field away, before #21 Mark Gilbert moved inside to take up the running a lap later. Finnikin then moved ahead, with Harrison followed him through, and the latter had a few nibbles at Finnikin's back bumper over the remaining few laps before going in with a big last-bend hit. Both cars ran into the fence but Harrison scrambled out first for the win, from Finnikin, Gilbank and #515 Frankie Wainman Jr. "The car is singing tonight and every time I get in it, I'm having fun," said Harrison. "So put that together and it's dangerous combination."

Twenty-three cars returned for heat three, which #295 Louis Goodwin led until deposed by Skoyles. Harrhy survived an attack from #127 Austin Moore before #191 Josh Smith passed him for third, with #20 Liam Gilbank, #150 Mick Sworder and Harris following through. A mid-race stoppage was caused by a roll for #373 Dale Bennett, and brought the chasing pack onto Skoyles's tail. He opened a slight gap on the restart as the stars passed Goodwin, but was soon overahuled by Smith, Gilbank, Harris, #259 Paul Hines and #217 Lee Fairhurst.  Harris moved into second with three laps to, with Hines nudging Gilbank wide for third. It looked like Smith's lead was just a bit too big for Harris to mount a last-bend lunge, but the world champion went for it anyway. He made contact and spun the 191-car, only to get stuck behind it on the fence and allow Hines to nip through on the inside for the win. "Tom Harris never settles for second, does he?" said Hines. "He's had enough wins this year!" Gilbank and Fairhurst also benefited to take second and third as Smith and Harris scrambled home sixth and seventh.

The all-in final raised 33 cars and was predictably action-packed from the off. As Cooper hit the front, a big pile-up behind him on the fourth bend brought a marker tyre onto the track and led to an immediate caution period. The restart didn't last too long either as, after Makim rounded Cooper for the lead, Goodwin was fired up the fence, bringing out yellow flags once more. While Makim headed the queue from Holcroft, the writing looked on the wall for the lower-graders' chances as FWJ and Harris were already up to third and fourth, despite the lack of laps completed. The superstar pair qucikly passed Holcroft but Makim was a tougher nut to crack, setting a fine pace out front. After Harris nudged Wainman wide for second, he did manage to demote Makim too, but Makim was still to have a role in the outcome. He went in slightly too deep on the next bend and connected with Harris's rear bumper, half-spinning the world champion and completely spinning himself. Wainman was slightly delayed as he knocked Harris straight, letting Harrison through into the lead. From there, Harrison was comfortable, Wainman recovered to second and Harris third. The remainder of the race was quiet with the top three finishing in that order, followed home by Fairhurst, who was gunning for a hat-trick of final wins at the track, and Norfolk duo #120 Casey Englestone and #16 Mat Newson. "It's a shame we couldn't make a race of it, but obviously Tom and Frank got tangled," said Harrison. "It's nice to get an easy one!"

Makim looked like his strong showing would be rewarded with victory in the grand national which he dominated until the closing stages. Having shoved his way into second, Englestone went in with a big lunge on Makim with two laps to go. It took both into the fence, with Makim's car pushed onto its side and Englestone's hooked up with it, bringing out red flags and ending both their races. The chief benficiary was Harris, who had worked his way into third, but his car lost its pace on the restart and limped around to 12th, so former BriSCA F2 man #289 Jake Walker came through to win from FWJ and Hines.

 

Ministox

The 30-car entry of Ministox each contested two from three heats on their British Championship night. The first was won by #120 Finn Hunter-Johnson who made rapid early progress from the red grade before picking off the frontrunning #183 Mason Whittle and #335 Jake Woodhull. #223 Toby Partridge and #20 Freddie Hunter-Johnson followed him home, while defending champion #1 Jack Witts was seventh after his progress through the field was delayed by a spinner on the back straight. He then enjoyed a good battle with #85 Caiden Morrison.

Witts appeared to find another gear in heat two, charging through the pack with ease to shove #55 Lilly Finnikin wide and take the lead only just past half-distance. #87 Alfie Thompson was also running well in second, before being deposed by #293 Elexie Bartram and #475 Leah Sealy in the closing stages, with Whittle completed the top five.

A couple of stoppage punctuated heat three, the first when #15 Charlie Plater was collected on the scoreboard bend and the second when #955 Freya Finnikin spun on the home straight and was twice collected heavily. In between times, #28 Josh Wilson was on the rampage, not holding back with the bumper as he worked his way into the lead from #277 Thomas Rogers and Finn Hunter-Johnson. Rogers eased inside Wilson on the restart and pulled away for a comfortable win, while Wilson was spun out of second by Hunter-Johnson, who himself was then demoted by Sealy and #27 Luke Syrett-Barsby.

The British Championship final featured a closed-up grid, with starting positions within grades determined by the results of the heats. As Lilly Finnikin led away, a pile-up delayed several of the star drivers, but Finn Hunter-Johnson and Rogers quickly moved into second and third. Rogers charged through into the lead, but Witts was on the move behind. Spinning Finnikin delayed him slightly, but he soon regained his momentum and picked off Syrett-Barsby and Josh Wilson. Witts leant on Hunter-Johnson to get through into second and then gradually reeled in Rogers, passing him to take the lead with four laps to go. The top two were well clear, and Witts went on to successfully defend his title from Rogers, with #223 Toby Partridge edging #110 Evan Bullock for third.

1300cc Stock Cars

Added to the programme at short notice was an outing for the lower-graded drivers in 1300cc Stock Cars. Their opener brought a flag-to-flag victory for #84 Josh Mace. #83 Darren Smith shadowed him throughout but was unable to mount a challenge. #291 James Parnell completed the top three ahead of top yellow #421 Chris Taylor.

With the top three upgraded to yellow for heat two, it gave a chance for others to shine. #13 Sonny Wright led away but was soon passed by #893 Jordan Huggins. Former star grader #149 Todd Payne looked favourite for victory as he carved through. Wright running wide allowed Payne into second, and he then shoved Huggins wide for the lead. But Huggins responded to the challenge and the pair exchanged the lead multiple times for the rest of the race. Huggins led on the final lap and held on to win by running deep into the last corner. Payne, who didn't realise it was the final lap, had to settle for second ahead of Chris Taylor and Mace.

Being upgraded to blue for the final couldn't prevent Payne going on a burn from the stern. He was up to second by the time of a stoppage to assist #291 James Parnell, who had taken a hard trip into the fence. Payne and #422 Martin Taylor made light work of #904 Reece Crane on the restart and proceeded to pull clear, Payne taking a comfortable win and delighted that - for once - he hadn't blown an engine on the night. Taylor and #229 Caine Parnell completed the top three. 

 

BriSCA F1 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
Whites and Yellows	45	541	415	496	93	295	373	214	nof
Heat 1	496	55	93	197	541	22	1	515	217	127	259	150
Heat 2	197	55	21	515	212	16	93	555	175	20	463	326
Heat 3	259	20	217	212	541	191	1	463	166	555	211	392
Final	197	515	1	217	120	16	212	20	175	22	211	541
Grand National	289	515	259	197	217	16	555	191	211	175	541	1
Ministox	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th
Heat 1	120	223	20	611	183	335	1	85	76	425	277	110	27	212	925
Heat 2	1	293	475	87	183	76	110	55	335	425	64	51	443	269	28
Heat 3	277	475	27	120	20	569	85	55	28	51	611	443	180	231	64
British	1	277	223	110	28	293	85	27	475	183	120	335	20	925	569
1300cc Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Heat 1	84	83	291	421	229	422	149	673	62	904
Heat 2	893	149	421	84	422	291	673	13	888	327
Final	149	422	229	84	502	421	61	7	893	62