F2WF14 - 13 Days to Go - The Semi Report

My thanks to Steve from Stoxmania for this excellent report from the Semis

The venue for the Brisca F2 Semi-Finals this year was Mildenhall for the first time in a good many years, the weather forecast was for some heavy showers and maybe this influenced the crowd size as it seemed lower than might have been expected which is a real pity for a fantastic venue and a promoter who really deserves some solid support after their recent problems with fools in wigs. Anyway after enjoying Whale and Chips from the superb on site chip shop it was time to settle down for the semi-finals and then the heavens opened!

In reality both races were fairly typical semi-final affairs with few willing to chance taking themselves out but both did have their talking points nonetheless;

Goldin for Gold?

As the semi-one drivers came out for a parade and to collect their medals the previously well -prepared track was a quagmire and it was clear that the tarmac boys had effectively kissed their chances goodbye unless they were in more specialist borrowed machinery, to this end we saw Neil Hooper in a Bingley shale special complete with a Rob Speak wing, George Macmillan was in the Polley tank (what chances of Dave making the consolation semi, will his wrist be mended in time?) (Jho - can't race in it because he didn't race in the semi) and familiar looking DK car bore the number 187 of Pete McCallum.

The race got underway with several early spinners as expected, Hooper and Burgoyne the most obviously impacted; the Chris Burgoyne car was running so low over the mud that it resembled a plough in the early laps. Chris Bradbury had taken an strong early lead and was using the bumper to keep it that way until he tangled with Mark Gibbs a few laps in delaying him enough for Barry Goldin to go through into the lead but Bradbury fought back very effectively until inadvertently collected by a spinning 259 which saw him trapped by the fence only getting free when the yellows were starting to come out which must surely have been more than a full lap later.

On the restart there is still over two thirds of the race distance to cover but Hooper, Burgoyne, Mark Simpson and Ollie Skeels are parked on the centre with the running order being Goldin from Sam Wagner and Daz Shaw with a few back markers sprinkled between the second and third places but the key debate was where Bradbury should start, surely at the back and a lap down but it seems not with the steward placing him just a few cars from the back but crucially on the same lap as the leaders (a view upheld after an enquiry and video evidence I believe). The remainder of the race was less uneventful other than Bradbury was flying and Liam Bentham's car had lost that much of the side panels that we could see through it but he finished well in the places. Half time in proceedings and so far only one Scot through to Cowdenbeath. Commiserations to Kelvyn Whalley and Wagner who both succumbed to mechanical problems in the dying laps whilst still in with a shout;

Result: 401, 886, 377, 100, 488, 542, 995, 954 560, 597

The Coleman's Gold Mine;

Further car swaps found Wee Dennis Middler out in a 77 car and Adam Rubery in the Sarge rental machine.

The cars came onto the now perfect track (even having been watered lightly) for the second semi-final with loud boos ringing out for Gordon Moodie and a fair few for Rob Speak, obviously the boos were mixed with cheers depending on what side people were on but it was clear that the general consensus was not in Moodie's favour. The mood was building, this was what the crowd has been waiting for, could Speak catch and dispatch the tartan terror?

Moodie had clearly had his thinking hat on and lead the field away on a very slow rolling lap making his start at the worst point on the track for Speak as he moved clear away at the front of the pack. Liam Rennie's race lasted barely a lap as he spun into retirement and when we looked back Speak was already up into second and driving on the very edge, nobody was looking elsewhere and Moodie was rapidly reeled in as we waiting for the killer blow. Was it kidology or a word from the steward, we will never know but Speak calmly half spun Moodie and took the lead without ordeal, just at this point Micky Brennan spun on the pit bent and receive a heavy head-on for his trouble bringing out the yellow flags.

At the restart the order was Speak from Moodie, a lap down Rubery and then Josh Coleman. Ir was very quiet with everyone watching front two but speak got the break and moved clear with Moodie railroaded and slowing losing several places, the race then became a little more settled until Speak slowed towards the end and Coleman pounced on the last bend to take a very good win.

Result: 615, 218, 788, 49, 136, 7, 448, 19, 846, 641

When interviewed after the race Rob Speak did indicate that he would not contest the world final so we will have to see what develops over the next couple of weeks as the majority of fans surely want to see him there. Whatever happens most of the Scots will be hoping to qualify via the Consolation race of their favoured surface and circuit as to date only Macmillan, Moodie and Middler are through. More success for some of the lesser lights includes qualification for Kyle Taylor and John Wright so hopefully they will enjoy the big race, also commiserations to Mossy who raced every qualifying round but will have to try again in the consolation.
Thanks to Derek Cayzer for his excellent videos....