STRONG SHOWING FROM LOCAL
DRIVERS AT NATIONAL OPENER

The National Stock Car season opened its doors for 2008 at 
the Norfolk Arena on Saturday night when the BriSCA 
Formula Two stock cars contested their first World 
Championship qualifying round of the year with the 2 Litre 
Saloon Stock Cars providing the rest of the racing programme.  
Whilst the entry for the saloons was almost entirely based in 
Lincolnshire and East Anglia, the Formula Twos provided a 
much more widespread entry of drivers including four from 
Holland but much of the success stayed in relatively local 
hands.

The 72 F2s raced initially over three qualifying heats with 
the first heat featuring a stoppage when 21 Lance Russell 
lost a wheel which was leapt over by 977 Dave Massey as 
the caution flags came out to try to prevent such an incident. 
The stoppage, and the closing up of the race grid before the 
restart, didn’t faze 798 Mark Sargent (Spalding) who had led 
the race since the third lap and kept clear of the chasing pack 
to record his first victory of the year at the first attempt. 
The second heat saw 89 Brian Harrison lead for the first half 
of the race but once again came a challenge From points 
nearer Kings Lynn with 519 Steven Lawrence sweeping past 
Harrison just after the half way mark and he motored on to 
victory. The third of the heats had more than its fair share 
of action with many cars having early clashes although most 
of them got away with it until the battle for second place 
saw 145 Graham Mole climb half onto the top of the bonnet 
of 589 Colin Eardley with the two sliding to a half before 886 
Chris Bradbury piled into them. 369 Ben Atkinson doggedly 
stuck to the front of the race for the first few laps, even 
surviving a hit from multi-champion 559 Bert Finnikin but 
the local luck held good yet again with 606 Andrew Palmer 
coming through just before half way and staying on to win 
the event.

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The              last chance for drivers to get into the Final was via the consolation              race which was a packed grid although the race went fairly smoothly              for much of the way. Stock car photographer-turned-driver Barry Weatherhead              (Towcester) climbed half way up the safety plating after a clash with              Mark Adkins (Mirfield) but both were able to continue once they came              back down to terra firma. The race result was declared a lap early              when Steve Wycherley (Holbeach) lost a wheel with old-hand Dave Brennan              (Nelson) taking the first “away” victory of the night.              The Final was extremely fast and this fact was underlined by the rate              at which the star and superstar drivers came from the back of the              starting grid to the front of the race. It took only half a dozen              laps for Allen Cooper (Huntingdon) to make his way to the front although              he only remained there for a lap before Carl Issitt swept through              and went on to take the win in the first Final of the year. Cooper              kept in touch to record second place which he was extremely happy              with whilst Bradbury bounced back from his earlier crash to get third.              A Grand National event closed proceedings with Cooper still so pleased              from his result in the Final that he as able to emerge smiling from              a major shunt where his car finished up perched in the air on top              of the car of Stuart Cayzer (Haverhill). Bradbury completed his turnaround              of fortunes by winning this race.

The              saloon stock cars started their season with a good field of 32 cars              and some very fast and tough racing action, as fans are accustomed              to seeing from this formula. Fast was the main theme of the first              race with Simon Royal (Brandon) making the early running before Ivan              Street (Somersham) roared through to take a relatively rare chequered              flag. The biggest incident came just after the chequered flag had              fallen when Matt Banwell (Lynn) crashed out and was hit hard by Mick              Osler (Downham Market) with Royal then piling into the back of the              incident. Andy Santry (Cambridge) was the early leader of the second              race and was fortunate when Todd Jones (Carshalton) and Nigel Parker              (Norwich) both dived at him at the same time and took each other out              briefly. However, it was Luke Grief (Peterborough) who was fastest              on track and he swept through to take the win. Jones had a change              of fortunes in the Final and gained the lead on the second lap after              which none of the other competitors were able to catch him. Grief              put up the best challenge but was still three and a half seconds behind              at the end of the race with Royal finally getting the just rewards              for some good driving earlier in the night by taking third spot. The              last race of the night featured one of the biggest hits when Parker              was spun out on the home straight and was hit head-on by Jones. Such              was the force of the crash that a large section of steelwork was ripped              from the front of Parkers car and the race was suspended whilst this              was removed from the track. The stoppage certainly worked to the advantage              of Scott Aldridge (Lynn) who restarted the last few laps behind the              leading Royal and a very rapid drive from Aldridge saw him take a              very convincing victory.

Race              action returns to the Norfolk Arena on Saturday 15th March (6:30pm)              when the Unlimited Bangers headline the meeting in their East Anglian              championship whilst 2 Litre Bangers and 1300 Stock Cars complete the              racing line-up.