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Posted by ap The Grand opening meeting for season 2004 at Smeatharpe Stadium featured Saloon Stock cars, Stock Rods, Ministox, and Sierra Bangers up to 2 Litre. The heavy morning rain eventually moved away from the area, leaving a raceway that was always somewhere between wet and damp, making the choice of set up crucial. Saloon Stock Cars Stock Rods Ministox Bangers The Grand National featured some heavy action in and around the infield areas, until Brian Daniels (740) and 180 were declared the joint winners after a glorious head on to round off the days action. RESULTS Taunton 14.3.04 STOCK RODS MINISTOX BANGERS
on March 14, 2004, 10:42 pm
81.77.44.192
Smeatharpe 14 March 2004
It was a joy to see so many long distance visitors in the pits, despite the threat of poor weather. Mo Crowson (5) joining the very same Northerners who graced St Day with their presence last week.
This made for a very healthy 19 car grid, with Vince Stone (710) in a new to him Sierra leading the opening heat for a time. He was being tracked by newcomer Ian Frampton (244), until they both succumbed to the pressure from behind. Nick Courtier (114) took up the running, and he was looking good for the victory, until Darren Bradford (207) gradually caught him to set up a grandstand finish. Courtier did his best to fight off the advances of Bradford, but to no avail, as Bradford got the inside line going into the home straight for the last time, and he just took the victory by a nose at the line.
Richard Paris (11) led away heat two, and in fact made a good fist of leading the race for a long spell, until Courtier took up the running. This time, try as he might, Bradford, although gaining in second, could not make up the ground, and Courtier hung on to take the win. The final was run under the atmospheric floodlights, adding to the spectacle. Because a spectacle it most certainly was, as Paris once more headed the field. All this was set to change though as Frampton, ensnarled in a midfield battle, suddenly rode up the back straight fence, rolling over in the middle of the pack, and for a time was pushed along on his roof. Of course the yellows came out immediately, allowing the field to dramatically close, which set up a quite magnificent battle for the lead. Courtier very quickly moved Paris aside, but a fast moving Shaun Webster (402) came storming through to take up the running. To say the action came thick and fast after that is an understatement. Courtier, having been delayed in the battle for the lead was sent spinning by an out of sorts Eddie Darby (677), as he too recovered from a spin around, aided by Richard Baldwin (425). Paul Soper (654) was turned the wrong way around in a clash with Shaun Webster, which eventually allowed Shane Brown (720) and Mo Crowson (5), in the ex Eddie Darby machine, into first and second. Bumpers and hits were traded in every bend, but finally Brown held on from a delighted Crowson, whilst Steve Webster (401) pipped his brother for third.
A field of twenty cars just failed to reach sufficient numbers to spilt the cars into groups to allow three heats, but these days the Stock Rod drivers consist generally of drivers who are more prone to use their heads, so there was never a problem with the number of cars on track.
Sue Robinson (48) led heat one away, and indeed led for quite some time; even managing to lap some of the Starlet mounted red grade such was her progress. Eventually she was hunted down by Phil Drewitt (896), and after a couple of laps of door handling between the pair of them Drewitt took the lead and the victory on the final lap, with Robinson a fine second, whilst John Harding (898) made it up to third at the flag.
Robinson led from flag to flag in the final, but this was not without its uncomfortable moments, as Andy Thomas (27) closed in, before falling back into the clutches of Drewitt. This left Robinson the task of holding off the fast closing Wiltshire based driver, which she did very comfortably, to take her first ever final. Drewitt had to settle for second, whilst Thomas held off Chris Drake (913) for third. Ben Sealy was docked two places for contact with Michael Hibberd (125), knocking him down to seventh place.
Drake led the Grand National from flag to flag, with most progress from the star grade initially coming from Brendan Sealy (730), before Hibberd led Simon Daniels (984) through the field to make it up to second and third respectively.
The initial leader of heat one was Josie Dawe (907) from David Brown (908), before Craig Deer (970) came through to take up the running. Deer was to suffer at the hands of James Kingwell (927) who landed a telling blow on the newcomer, causing mayhem in the Honiton bend. Ashley Rundle (925) inherited the lead at this point, but the reigning points Champion had other ideas as he quickly established himself at the head of the field once more. Rundle claimed second place at the flag, whilst Becca Astin (911), heavily involved earlier in the spin around of Sam Lobb (918, took a fine third place.
Josie Dawe was the early leader of heat two, coming under pressure from Deer going into the Honiton bend, however he overcooked his challenge and he spun away his chance of success. This allowed Kingwell almost an unchallenged run to the front of the field, with Josie Dawe consolidating her recent run of good form by taking second, whilst Rundle took third. Nathan Maidment (935) took up the running in the final, and despite the attentions of Kingwell he dramatically managed to hold on to the lead, and the victory, whilst Brown took a fine third place.
Heat one for the Sierra Bangers was brought to a dramatic halt early on as Ian Govier (28) was run into the pit gate very heavily by Brett Ellacott (162). This necessitated a lengthy stoppage, whereby the St Johns present requested the Westcountry ambulance service to be called. Once they had arrived, and despite the fact that Autospeed have got all the cutting equipment necessary to remove doors, or roofs from cars, they requested help from the Devon Fire Brigade, so naturally this was a very long break in proceedings to enable the driver to be extricated from his car. Once this had been carried out the racing resumed, without Ellacott as he had been passed tools from the pits to repair his car. Jay Tompkin (290) the reigning European Champion took the victory from Martin Lake (114). Heat two featured more heavy action involving the pit gate area, as Justin Herbert (222) suffered at the hands of Tompkin, although Herbert was able to get out under his own steam. Ellacott took the victory, claiming numerous victims along the way.
A very lively final saw a back straight pile up almost before the race had begun, with tellingly Tompkin spinning out Lake before the green had been displayed. Richard Horwell (707) was the one who profited the most from the earlier misdemeanour by Tompkin, as although he was the victor on the road, it was Horwell who was acclaimed as the winner from only four finishers.
SALOON STOCK CARS
H1 207, 114, 11, 401, 5, 654, 199, 720, 382, 402
H2 114, 207, 5, 720, 654, 382, 11, 402, 244, 199
FL 720, 5, 401, 402, 199, 207, 654, 425, 677, 382
H1 896, 48, 898, 123, 475, 719, 730, 193, 17, 984
FL 48, 896, 27, 193, 125, 123, 475, 17, 898, 719
GN 193, 125, 984, 898, 719, 730, 17, 108, 131, 48
H1 927, 925, 911, 916, 970, 995, 910, 935, 908, 967
H2 927, 907, 925, 918, 910, 970, 995, 935, 916, 908
FL 935, 927, 908, 910, 925, 918, 916, 970, 911, 967
H1 290, 114, 249, 180, 265, 707
H2 162, 180, 740, 372, 838
FL 707, 290, 114, 740
DD 180/740
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