BUDDIES BLOGS
UK Sprint cars taking off
The season opener for the UK sprint cars took place at
Arena Essex raceway last weekend, and with a healthy field of cars assembled in
the pit area, the evenings racing looked promising.
A dry tack and warm evening ensured that all the cars were
able to put on a good show and the crowd were not disappointed.
Jimmy Bryan in his Charlotte County Speedway liveried car
was the star of the meeting, winning both heats and the feature final.
Dean White in the #10 Mr Kipling sponsored car, showed well all evening, as did
regular participants, Ashley Boam #191, Duncan panton #69 and Vince O’Connor
#6.
Debutant Pete Finnis in his smart looking Pepsi Max car
suffered mechanical gremlins, but showed potential. With another four cars
awaiting completion the season may well hot up in the coming months.
Smiffyman
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Ipswich Monday 5th April
At last a dry race meeting, so far every race meeting
I’ve been too this year have been wet, and on Good Friday I suffered a
potentially expensive casualty. My trusty 28 – 300mm telephoto lens
ended the meeting back in my camera bag with a nasty bout of moisture inside the
lens. A trip back to the mother ship (canon service) would have set
me back over £150 for repair. Thankfully, after two days in the airing
cupboard, it dried out, and was back in use yesterday.
On the rosta were the 1300cc stock cars, the crowd pleasing
bangers and my favourite the National Hot rods. The contact formulas always draw
a good crowd to Foxhall race way on a bank holiday and yesterday was no
exception. With a dry & dusty track the nationals were struggling to
find grip in their first race, which gave the opportunity for those at the front
of the grid to show their potential. Ray Harris in his Audi TT, made the
best of the start and picked up the win. Carl Waller- Barrett, picked up
the other heat & final, rounding out a good day for the novices.
The stock cars & bangers as always kept the crowd on
their feet; sadly for the drivers they could not keep all their wheels on the
raceway and some performed aerobatics for the appreciative audience.
Next meeting for me is the rolling Thunder Show at my local
track next Saturday, www.rollingthundershow.co.uk
Smiffyman
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With the Easter weekend upon us, I made
the trip to Rick’s old stomping ground, Brafield stadium, now known as
Northampton International raceway. Every Good Friday for the last few
years The south west’s promoter, Autospeed, take over the running of the
stadium, and the usual diet of national Hot rods, F2 stock cars and Saloon stock
cars always draws a good sized crowd. Despite predicted bad weather a lot of
spectators made the long haul from Devon & Cornwall for the meeting.
The racing was fast and furious, with
the two contact formulas getting well and truly stuck in, cars were seen trying
to vault the safety fence and sliding merrily along on their roofs.
The National hot rods put on a really good show and the their final of the day
saw Jason Kew and Mike Loosemore having a neck & neck dice for the last 10
laps. Mike came out the victor by about a half a bonnet’s length, this capped
off a god day for him, winning a heat along the way.
Smiffyman
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Playing in the puddles
The
second rolling thunder show of 2010 took place at Arena Essex on Saturday,
despite the weather being atrocious midway through the meeting, the drivers
equipped themselves well. The Pickups had the worst of the conditions, as
their heat race was interrupted by a downpour of typhoon proportions. With
the 500bhp monster sprint cars on the bill for the next meeting, let’s hope
for a dry event.
Smiffyman
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