F2WF13 - 13 Days to Go - World Final Virgin - 163 Craig Wallace

Yesterday we focused on the father, Jimmy Wallace the 1988 and 1989 World Champion. Today we focus on the son, Scottish superstar, Craig Wallace (163) who is a man of few words!!

NAME:                                    Craig Wallace
NUMBER:                                   163
PREVIOUS FORMULAE:          None
CURRENT F2:                       Home Built
SPONSORS:           My Dad (main sponsor ) &   K.G.Stewart Plant hire Ratho, The Winton Arms Pencaitland, Customized Choppers Haddington, E.Burgoyne & Sons Airth, & R.S.Motorsport Co.Durham

NICKNAMES:                           None
FAVOURITE TRACK:       Crimond & Cowdenbeath
TRACKS RACED AT:       Cowdenbeath, Knockhill, Crimond, Skegness, Barford, Bristol
                               
JHo -Craig, congratulations on qualifying for the big one - how does it feel to be in the World?

CW- It is great to qualify at Taunton seeing my dad won there.

JHo -Nervous?

CW - No just going to take it as it comes.

JHo - What's your game plan? How do you see it panning out for you?

CW - I will wait and see what happens in the first few laps.

JHo- If you became world champion - whats the first thing you would do?
CW - Pick up the prize money.

JHo -Away from the world, what else would you like to achieve in the sport? 
CW -Win as many races as possible.

JHo -Do you feel any pressure having your dad as a world champion?
 CW - Yes its a lot to live up to.

JHo - Any thank yous
CW - Thanks to my dad & sponsors and to everyone else who has helped out.

F2WF13 - 14 Days to Go - 1988- Wallace wins

A fortnight left to go, and today we look back at 25 years ago....when the gold went Scottish for the first time.....

An excited 8 year old woke up on a mid September morning. Little Jonny was about to visit his 3rd stock car track. Taunton was the venue of the World Final, and I can remember my grandad telling me about the big races in the past and that it was going be a big meeting. We got up to the track in  what seemed an age for an 8 year old and set up camp just beside race control, deckchairs in hand, avoiding the cow pats. Sadly, my mint Tic Tacs fell in said cow excrement, and I had no sugary sustenance to keep me going.

Sadly my favourite driver at the time, Dave Luscombe (642) spun out whilst leading during a soggy semi final at Bristol - somethings never change! So he had to defend his title from the back. No consolation semis back then, the top dozen and that was it.

So to the race, local favourites such as Mike James (617) in his Ivor Greenwood car, along with the Scottish favourites such as Alistair Hunter (574), former Superstox World Champion Gordon MacDougall (41) and a young lad from Haddington, in East Lothian, Jimmy Wallace (16).

The race was brutal, as Wallace recalls "Mike James was in self destruct mode and I just picked up the places and nobody was catching me" Jamesy had taken out MacDougall whilst leading. Lead changes galore, and it was Wallace who came through to take the gold. The first Scottish driver to do so, and Wallace was World Champion . The Scot felt "absolutely great" to be the champion, but winning on "foreign" territory didn't faze him "To win the world championship is great it didnt matter where it was". Fellow Scot Hunter followed him home, with now Mendips Promoter, Graham Bunter (28) took 3rd place. Defending champion Luscombe fought through to finish a credible 4th.

The following year, Wallace was to double up his title. The popular Newton Abbot track was the venue, and following semis on shale at Boston and Crewe, it gave the grid a bit of a weird look. 

However for Wallace it was all the more sweeter. "Winning the second year was even better as my chances of retaining the title were not good as Chalky White and Malcolm Locke were favorites and in front of me". He was almost out of the race. "The race started and I got caught up on Alister King's (74) car, then a few laps later the red flag came out for an injured Gary Hooper (686),

So it was a total restart,  After the restart I just picked the ones in front off one by one and won the race by a good margin"

So Wallace started the trend for King, Burgoyne and Moodie as Scottish World Champions, and one day maybe son Craig - who starts his first world final will taste gold....

Years of heartbreak followed, would I ever see a Westcountryman cross the line to take the gold. Well that came in 2004, but the sport has changed for the better.

F2WF13 - 15 days to go ! World Final Virgin - 817 Tim Bailey

15 days to go....

Everyone remembers their first time, and sneaking in is midlands blue top Tim Bailey (817)

NAME Timothy Bailey

NUMBER 817
PREVIOUS FORMULAE ORCi Ministox, Stock Rods 

CURRENT F2 2012/13 Mitchell Race Engineering
SPONSORS Hopleys Farm Service Station
NICKNAMES Tim
FAVOURITE TRACK Skegness

TRACKS RACED AT Barford, Birmingham, Bristol, Buxton, Coventry, Hednesford, Northampton, Skegness, Taunton. Including other formulae, Arena Essex, Cowdenbeath, Grimley, Ipswich, Mildenhall

JHo -Tim, congratulations on qualifying for the big one - how does it feel to be in the World?
TB - Thank you. It feels great! After neither my Brother or Dad have made it this far it's nice to have our name finally on the grid. I'm excited at the opportunity of being in the world, although I would also like to be watching it as it looks like it's going to be an awesome race with the people in it! 

                                                      

JHo - Nervous?

TB - No not really, I'm just trying see it as another race haha although most likely when I get onto the grid, lined up and belted in, looking around into the crowd at who's there and who's on track, I will be shitting myself. :)

JHo - What's your game plan? How do you see it panning out for you?
TB - My game plan is to try and keep all the wheels on it! With luck I've had this year I'd be happy with that haha. With it being such a big race you never know, after the first corner (and 3rd restart!) I'd be happy with a finish as long as I was competitive and a top 10 finish would be amazing, anything else is a bonus! 

JHo - If you became world champion - whats the first thing you would do?
TB - Woah! Steady on there! Your talking to 817 not number 7 :). 

JHo - Away from the world, what else would you like to achieve in the sport?
TB - Win a final, get to red grade and maintain it and enjoy my racing.

About to burn rubber, and wear out some tyres too....

That's the way to do it!

JHo - Whats been your best moment?
TB - Up to now, exchanging blows with Speaky at Northampton WQR. Also qualifying on pole for the UK Open last year

JHo - If you won the lottery what would you do??
TB - Buy a touring car, have a massive house and land for playing with cars and buy my brother a digger! 

JHo - Any Thank yous?

TB - I would like to thank my family, especially my Dad for the help they've gave me getting to this point now and putting up with me. Also Rob Mitchell for the service he's given us this year, with parts and the endless supply of bumpers :)

F2WF13 - 16 Days to Go - The Facts that Count

A few pub ammo facts for the discerning anorak, 16 days to go

TAUNTON STATS

Only one driver has won the world title twice at the same track - Bill Batten (667) at Taunton in 1977 and 1982.

Colin Higman (778) is the only driver to have defended his title at Taunton in 1976.

This will be the 6th time that Taunton has hosted the World Final. Bristol also has 6, but Northampton has had it 7.

This is the 3rd layout of Taunton to hold the World Final, the track being widened twice since 1994.

NUMBERS

9 drivers have won the title twice.

3 drivers have won the title three times

Of the confirmed entries for the world, there are 14 years of World Titles, with a 15th in the consolation semi.

This will be the 9th World Final that Autospeed have promoted, and the 5th track they have used.

POSITIONING

Rob Speak has NEVER lost a world final starting on pole. The last final he started on pole (not the front row) was in 1999 at Buxton.

The last driver to win off pole position was Gordon Moodie (79) at Mildenhall in 2006.

The furthest back a winner has come from is row 15, when Mark Simpson (871) skipped through the King's Lynn mud.

For the past 3 years, George MacMillan (100) and Sam Wagner (823) have shared the same row

OLD FARTS

The oldest qualifier is Paul Butcher (189) who has made 3 world final appearances, but this is the most forward has been  - his debut was Bristol 1984!! The oldest world champ being Bill Batten who was 57 when he won at Barford.

YOUNG GUNS

The youngest driver potentially could be Liam Rennie (3). Of the qualifiers, Ollie Skeels (124) is the age, the youngest world champ being 18 year old Chris Burgoyne (647) in 2002

BIRTHDAY BOYS

Of course Bill Batten won the world title on his 57th Birthday in 2004. 21st Birthday celebrations saw Micky Brennan (968) take the key to the door as well as the gold in 2009. Dave Luscombe (642) took his birthday win in 1987 at Skegness!

If it is to be continued, PJ Moss (979) turns 18 if the plucky youngster makes the cut on the 14th September!

F2WF13 - 17 Days to Go! Welcome to Taunton....ish

17 days to go , and here's an essential travel guide and history lesson to all those Taunton virgins.


The track of Taunton is located about a mile and half away from the village of Smeatharpe, which straddles the Devon and Somerset border. It is on the site of an old military airfield, which was RAF Upottery.

Opened in 1944, it was used by the Royal Air Force, United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy. During the war it was used primarily as a transport airfield and for antisubmarine patrols. After the war it was closed in 1948. It was rapidly built, hence the bumpy nature of the road in to the track, it also played a part on the battle of Normandy.

In 2001, the airfield was used in the famed TV series "Band of Brothers", and also in that year, the site was earmarked as a site for a pyre when foot and mouth hit that year. Thankfully, this became a non starter due to the

The airfield since then has been used for private flights. Like Dunkeswell, just up the road, it became used for motorsport. Along with motorcross, drifting and straightlining, it has become a motorsport centre.

The track was built towards the tail end of 1973 and opened in 1974, under Roy Goodman's Five Star Promotions. A post and wire track, with an old bus as race control, it  had a temporary feel, with the threat of global thermal nuclear war, it had to be, just incase the Ruskies pushed the button. Goodman promoted until 1995, when Autospeed took on the track after being made homeless by the closure of Newton Abbot. They set about making changes to the track, plating the fence, which had been post and wire and extending the length of the track. Within a couple of years, the track to its format that it is now, and is becoming quite the venue.

The town of Honiton is the nearest major town, about 8 miles from the Track. It's famed for its Lace Market, and Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made out of Honiton Lace. The town caught fire in the 1800's, and is a major stop off point on the emmet run to the sun every summer, such is its proximity to the A303.

Those wishing to stock up on essentials, note there is only an Aldi and Lidl for major supermarket purchases.

Taunton, some 12 miles away from the track is the county town of Somerset. Like most county towns, it has all the ammenties you require. Not sure if Dominos would deliver to the the track, but it might be worth a punt! All major supermarkets are there. We know this because Mike Priddle nicked trolleys for the Rog Wilcock Trolley Dash round the track a few years back!

For the more alcoholic amongst us, the local tipple has always been cider. None of this Cidre or Magners pussy nonsense, the stuff they drink is Scrumpy! A good Scrumpy should be cloudy to drink and not fizzy at all, and preferrably sold in a 5 litre drum that you'd get screenwash in. Some people say it has the same effect! The nearest scrumpers to the track is Tricky Warren Scrumpy, who actually provide the track bar, so if you fancy a slurp of the good stuff, they are the guys to see. Warning, you can go from hero to zero in no time at all. Legless and smiling.

So as you decamp and take your inoculations for the journey south, take this in mind!

F2WF13 - 18 Days to Go! The Form Guide.....

So with 18 days to go til the big one, what have we learnt from the weekend's racing. Let's round up whats been happening, and try and deduce a few things

MAC100 TROPHY GOES TO MIDDLER

Cowdenbeath saw plenty of folk pay tribute to the late, great, George Macmillan, including 9 of the 10 superstars, and several blasts from the past coming out for another go to pay tribute to the former British Champion who was so cruelly taken from us last September... After heat wins for Alan Edmiston and Chris Burgoyne, it was Dennis Middler who supersized his heat win to a final win and long awaited return to red. Wee Den's smile could only be beaten at the Semi final meeting when he was greeted by 4 beautiful women! On hand to present trophies was one time Formula 2 review contributor now BTCC commentator David Addison, along with host Louise Goodman (former Schumacher pit lane botherer) and legend Tim Harvey to do trophies. So impressed were they they named checked the meeting during their coverage of Knockhill on ITV4. A well presented meeting with lots of beautiful touches.

HOOPER BUMPS HIS WAY TO VICTORY

So Bank Holiday Sunday, and we are at St Day for the first time, alongside the infamous Blockbuster, which years ago, used to attract loads of bangers in its time at St Columb. The fans were queued up at 1030, when most drivers (no name, no packdrill) were still in bed! It was a day of devastation, best summed up by heat. F2 debutant Phil Chapman (996) spun at the top bend and collected the unfortunate Paul Moss(979) and Lewis Holden (950), who in turn collected the chasing pack including Neil Hooper (676) and Liam Rowe (605). The main beneficary, the ladies favourite himself, Dale Moon (302) who took the win. Rowe stated his form and took the race win in heat 2. Jay Tonkin (290) took the third heat, and all eyes where on the final. Neil Hooper (676) signalled a chain of events as his feud with Liam Rowe (605) continued for the 3rd final in a row. With the Radnor driver in the wall, a cloud of dust came about which also saw a lot of fancied runners, including the rapid reds Mikulla and Rygor. Unchallenged Hooper took over for a fairly easy win, although double St Day final winner Ashley Rundle overtook Hooper on a restart. However it was Rundle and Simon Edwards that rounded out the top 3.

Perhaps you wouldnt have crashed if you had your hands on the wheel!!

BRADDERS BACK TO FINAL WIN, AS GORDON SKIPS

It was the ultimate meeting before the World and in the pits, main protagonists, Sam Wagner (823), Gordon Moodie (7) and Chris Bradbury took the opportunity to take a last chance of victory. After a boring processional heat win for Moodie, the 2nd heat saw a more lively affair. Neil Hooper (676) held out for the win from Simon Edwards (430) and plucky white top Shane Hector (528) who decided to have a go at the last bend! With a broken rotor arm seeing to Bradbury in the heat, he readied himself for the final with a rare consi trip.  It was going to be a showdown, but as the green dropped, Bradders got away but Moodie missed a gear and give it Bradbury the gap he needed. Indeed Bradders took final win number 8. Edwards took a 2nd podium, whilst, Moodie recovered to 3rd.


So what have we learnt? Absolutely nothing. To those in the world final, the track will be at least 10 degrees cooler when racetime comes on the 14th. Some cars will only need a setup for just one corner, or mother Nature might be an extremely cruel mistress and rain on our parade.

F2WF13 - 19 Days To Go - Brennan's Year

Nunna nunna nineteen as Paul Hardcastle would have said back in the 80's, but another big 80's hit was from Toni Basil - Mickey! An extremely tenuous musical link, but eh who cares! Lets have a look at the 2nd golden year for our world champ, Micky Brennan (1)

Last year's World Final win saw him take and dish out the hits in a war of attrition that could have seen any one of 6 cars Micky became part of an illustrius club of only 9 members with 2 or more World titles

After winning plaudits for his 1st year as champion, setting an example of how a world champ should be, showing off the gold from the north to the south, gaining fans and respect the country over.

So what about the 2nd time?

A predominantly gold car was the cry. And the first driver in 20 years to race under the number 1 as world champion. A car which stole the show at the NEC, and the trademark Brennan grin was there aswell. A real statement of intent from the Nelson driver. However with the number 1 having a bit of a hoodoo, no one having a good year with it on their car, even Rob Speak didn't!

Definately bold, but could this action be followed up. Early season form saw the #1 car begin to dominate the early meetings with a few Birminghams and his usual stomping grounds of Buxton and Barford also. He also took in an early Cowdenbeath too.

June saw him take the Irish Open became another title alongside the gold roof, as one of the tourists over at Ballymena and Nutts Corner. Then he went west, as St Day and Taunton were raced with a limited amount of success, although a GN win was the highlight.
With the world champions meeting at Skegness, Micky showed his ability as he won the number 1 challenge- as all 3 champions of all 3 premier formulae did a spot of match racing, as he took on Eddie Darby and Lee Fairhurst, in matched laps in all 3 formulae. He also had a nice little run in with Chris Bradbury, which in the UK Open final saw Bradders do a "Polley" on  Brennan.

So after a trip to Holland and an apparent trip to Austria on the cards, his role of ambassador has been very good.

The gentleman to the last, he has chosen not to take his place in the consolation semi final, preferring to start at the very back, and allowing someone else to get their chance.

A third title will bring ultimate greatness and be placed into the higher echelons of the sport, however from the very back of the grid, and with a lot of fancied runners infront of him, his task will be great.

F2WF13 - 20 Days to Go - 1994 Les n Speak

A score of days to go to the big one, and whilst we are in the throws of a Bank Holday weekend, lets reminisce of a time when dastardly acts and retribution took place at the home of the 2013 World Final


The Saturday before the World Final was always used to be a nervous time. No more so than in 1994, when the following day, the World Final was to be one of the most controversial of them all.

Now I have a confession to make, I had a small part to play in this incident. It was the start of Uncles Mike and Neil Lampshire's racing career and mostly their car spent an awful lot of time down at my dad's workshop. The month of August saw plenty of race wins and many stood up and took notice. Les approached Mike to set up his ex John Harding car for the World Final, having fallen out with Higgy. So there was a red top car at my house. A red top! The 14 year old Jonny was still a bit excited .

The Saturday before the big day, we were visited by Les and his son, 6 year old Jonathon, who was no doubt thinking off his sherbert dib dab trading empire. As he sat chatting to, not with, my mum and dad, my sister and I finished polishing both the 737 and 24 cars. So in part, I played my part.

With very few foreigners lined up, the re-emergence of Les Palmer (IOM24) gave promoter Roy Goodman another option to give it a more world wide feel. A decision which could have had repercussions later on in the day

So after Speaky dispensed with the world champ Ian King (804) and Bill Batten (167) at Newton Abbot Semi and local form man Peter Gilbert (542) negotiated a tricky semi at Warton, the grid had the makings of a classic.

Sadly, due to a wrist injury sustained following a follow in by Gilbert at Newton a few weeks before, Colin Higman (778) did not take up his position behind the Cornishman. There was talk of Eric "Dink Dink" Brown (175) having a little nudge at the Speak back bumper, and there was the threat of Bill Batten (167), form man, and dangerous from his consolation semi final position.

The World Final got rolling as the green dropped, Speak turned right on Gilbert and drove him into the post and wire. Chaos ensued behind, bringing out the reds and a complete restart. The 542 car was extracted from its wire web and got ready for the second attempt, only for a near carbon copy of the first start to happen. This time, however, it was terminal for "The Undertaker". Speak sped away and got clear, only Bill Batten (167) fresh from his consolation win was catching, and he was miles away.  After John Mickel (4) rolled on the infield, the 24 came off the infield and tried, firstly to sideswipe the 218 car. As the track then had no infield marker tyres and was much smaller, it was easier for Palmer to attack from the infield. Black flag was shown, and ignored by the Plymouthian tax exile. Another attempt and this time, he parked up as the Speak beast wouldn't die. Donuts as Speak took the chequered, and then came the revenge. The parked 24 car was rammed not once, but twice in a spate of vengence.

The official result should have read 218, Daylight, 167, 152.

Whether it was right or wrong for Palmer to do what he did, he attempted to do what a lot of people would have done in their wildest dreams. Speak certainly took out his frustration, however probably not advisable to do it in a packed infield. Speak was at the top of his game then, truly unstoppable and he was not going to be beaten there. With title number 3, he entered the Parthenon of greatness, as only 2 others could claim to be a treble world champion.

After the results, Palmer was banned for period, only to have it overturned in the courts. Speak got a 6 month ban for dangerous and unsporting behaviour, which made 1995 very interesting indeed!

F2WF13 - 21 Days to Go

So here we are, the big build up to the big one, and for me this year, it is very big. The world final is on my doorstep. It's coming home....

Just a little bit excited.... let me show you how much.... using the gift of Youtube, Muse and a few videos found online, including the in car camera of S100!

Semi Saturated!

Ello all...

So all roads led Mendips way as for the second week in a row, but the pink this time was packed away, and it was time to sort out the grid for the world.

It was semi time. It was also the last set of shoots for the Jho Charity Calendar. But, like the Cornish comedian Jethro, I was bledey lucky to get there, as no end of problems beset myself in the run up towards the meeting. Driving to Tescos on Tuesday night, my car started to play up. Now with a car full of girls booked to ride up, and with military precision, the use of the car was going to be vital. So I asked my dad to have a look, to which, he pulled the bonnet catch clear off. Bugger. With the fan deciding to do its own thing, it was off to the garage on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, the progonosis came through, part required, not here til monday. Fuck! So after a quick rejig between me and Stef, I took the Lampy Skoda and sorted the job out. A 7:15am start, unheard of for a Bristol meeting, we got on the road, picked up Steph, Alana and Becky and stopped (via McDonald's) in Bristol at  9:45am. It absolutely pissed it down. I suddenly got really really depressed and worried as we had 6 cars to shoot for the calendar. Thankfully, through a combination of factors, welcoming changing rooms (my thanks again to the Bradburys for the use of their van) a break in the rain and an indefatigable spirit from the girls, we managed, with many costume changes, to get the shots done, which lightened the mood in the pits. There was even a last minute model change during the Gordon Moodie scene as seen below....

First heat was run in monsoon conditions as the assorted others came along to play. Hewaswater farming rainman Andrew Bennett (830), fresh from a Polley dressing down, led away until about 2 to go, when Adam Rubery (700) took over, and took the win, a small consolation on missing our on the semis and also a last minute appeal to be on the calendar!

A nice build up to the big one. Lively Linfield certainly was that, as he proclaimed that his trademark gridwalk would not be continued after the World Final because people have "stolen" it. A wise man once said "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". Another man said, "there are no new ideas, only spins on existing ones". And a particularly vociferous "start your engines" from Mr Starter, Andy Chant got us under way....


So all eyes were on the skies as the rain fell from above and the track was still trecherous. Bradbury got away form the pack and the expected Brennan lunge seemed to be dissipated by the wet weather. Sam Wagner (823) took his opportunity and fired the World Champ into Barry Goldin (401)and moved clear.Yellows came out as the Champs were stranded on the bottom bend. Come the restart, Bradders drove away, but behind a nice scrap was developing between Sam Wagner and Chris Burgyone (647). Further back, Neil Hooper (676) was on the charge, but his race came to an end as a result of the John Fortune (964) bumper. Fortune led a charge behind which included westcountry yellow tops Dale Moon (302) and Chris Rowe (76).
Bradbury took the win from Wagner, Burgoyne, then the virtually anonymous Gordon Moodie (7), an impressive drive from Jamie Avery (126) for 5th. Chris Mikulla (522) splashed his way to 6th. Fortune, Moon, Rowe and Tim Bailey (817) rounded out the 10.

Champions exit. Courtesy of Thunder Pix

Semi 2 on paper was the quieter semi. However it was the better semi. From the off Speak got the jump from GeoMac (100). Meanwhile, George Turrucki, Robbie Dawson, Tom Adcroft and Wullie Draeger tangled halfway down the back straight, which allowed curtailed their days. Adcroft post race was clearly aggrieved and upset as the yellow flags didn't come out soon enough, and to be fair to Adcroft he had a point as the 102 car was balanced on his bonnet. Come the restart, it was apparent that the 100 car was quicker the 218 one. Macmillan swooped on Speak, and passed him. As the boards came out it was clear that the 100 car was going to take the win.The last lap board came out and as George headed down the back straight, Richard Stott (169) spun infront of the Scot. He took the high road, and Speaky took the low, and he got to chequered before he. So an unlikely win for Speak, Macmillan taking 2nd. Polley got close to nicking 2nd. Fourth home was 2011 Champ Mark Simspon (871). Local "veteran" Paul Butcher (189) drove well to get in 5th. Young Guns Jack Aldridge (921) and Ollie Skeels (124) took 6th and 7th. Mark Dews (178), Richard Beere (254) and Craig Wallace (163) qualfied also.

There were a fair amount of cars lining up for the Consolation, so the decision was made to split them. Dan Moss (797) drove away in the consolation 1. Meanwhile in Semi 2, Liam Rowe (605) took it.

The final was a dry affair, and whilst most eyes where on the semi finalists, a group of tarts broke away. Both the Mosses, Paul and Dan led them away, pursued by the previous weeks final winner Nathan Maidment (935) and Rowe. Yellow flags came out for Rowe, after Neil Hooper (676) dispensed with him up the top bend, and Bradbury, Aldridge and Speak decided to join the party. However, yellow flag after yellow flag, the 935 car hit the front and stayed there, as try as he might Hooper could not catch the flying Milborne Port based driver. After Aldridge tried, but failed to pass both Speak and Bradbury, it was the multi champion Speak who finished third, who then in turn got the inside line for semi 2. But for Maidment, a spot of prophecy given to him by myself that he could have as many as 7 or 8 grade changes in a year is coming to fruition.

Points of Order

Scrutineering took a long, long time. The uber pernickety Blackwell was on charge on his own, when usual checkmasters Roy Dyke and Colin Higman were away. Total gridlock in the pits with 80 there and not able to get about.
Maybe for the world, designate a role to each to a team of scrutineers, one on tracking, one on helmets, one on weight and so on. One driver reported a wait of an hour to be seen, and plenty were moaning about the delays.

Mr Steward and Mr Starter will be getting a full fat face full of fucks from legendary twitter ranter Jo Polley-Goldin after our Barry was chucked out under the "cause of the stoppage rule" which was fairly but harshly applied. If there was a massive pile up with 15 cars up the top bend, which brought out a yellow, would all 15 cars be removed. I doubt it! What it highlights is that once again, some tracks dispense with this rule, and there is a real lack of consistency which causes controversy when the rule is correctly applied.

Bit keen to bring out the reds in Semi 1, when all cars hadn't completed the course and some confusion followed.

An awful lot of wheelguard coming adrift yesterday, and I saw at least one successful semi finalist cross the line with a wheel guard adrift. No technical disqualification flag was shown to the ones that did have them flapping about in the wind.

Quite a few drivers loaded up and buggered off home after their Semis. Understandable considering the weather and distances.

Starts were exemplary, a clear strategy. End of the silver fence at the exit of turn 4, green flag press the loud pedal and lets rock. Keep that for the normal domestic meetings and you'll get no complaints from me, and no more pringles!

Despite the weather, the meeting was top class, and well run. Even the Robins were suprisingly entertaining as a knockabout sideshow.


So the grid I hear thee ask!

Inside	Row	Outside
218 Rob Speak	1	886 Chris Bradbury
100 George Macmillan	2	823 Sam Wagner
Johnny Clogs	3	Paddy Irishman
38 Dave Polley	4	647 Chris Burgoyne
871 Mark Simpson	5	7 Gordon Moodie
Van Der Valk	6	Pwr Shwr
189 Paul Butcher	7	126 Jamie Avery
921 Jack Aldridge	8	522 Chris Mikulla
Irish Eyesasmiling	9	Herman the German
124 Ollie Skeels	10	964 John Fortune
178 Mark Dews	11	302 Dale Moon
Belgian Bun	12	Crazy Fersure Spacecake
254 Richard Beere	13	76 Chris Rowe
163 Craig Wallace	14	817 Tim Bailey
Isle of Man Man	15	Kiwi Fruit
Consi 1	16	Consi 2
Consi 3	17	Consi 4
Consi 5	18	Consi 6
1 Micky Brennan (unless bettered)

And the consolation semi could be a world grid too!

Inside	Row	Outside
1 Micky Brennan	1	401 Barry Goldin
186 George Turricki	2	3 Liam Rennie
768 Tom Adcroft	3	270 Mark Gibbs
101 Kelvyn Whalley	4	480 Garry Sime
488 Liam Bentham	5	315 Justin Fisher
783 James Rygor	6	476 Ryan Wadling
641 Dennis Middler	7	20 Dave Tagell
290 Jay Tonkin	8	53 Phil Mann
676 Neil Hooper	9	14 Mike Priddle
605 Liam Rowe	10	725 Paul Broatch
596 Richie Mead	11	299 Steve Smith
935 Nathan Maidment	12	64 Marc Fortune
618 Ben Lockwood	13	169 Richard Stott
580 Alan Edmiston	14	979 Paul Moss
866 Bobby Griffin	15	995 Michael Lund
797 Dan Moss	16	597 Barry Clow
352 Dave Sansom	17	102 Wullie Draeger
854 Robbie Dawson	18	890 Paul Rice