Ding ding!.... St Day 29/5/11

An extremely large crowd turned up at the United Downs Raceway in potential conditions to make Peter Kay's dinner lady shout "it's spitttting, get em in iiiiiiit's spittting". However the combined rain dances of the Moss' failed to materialise, and 24 cars in the pits, a really good turn out considering the Bristol clash.

Heat 1 started a lively affair with Luke Thomas (916) and Simon Bassett (31) getting hooked up in the top bend, bringing a complete restart. The early breakaways appeared to be from the downgraded Paul Rice who was looking very lively, but came off worse in a blue top battle. This allowed the current top man in the Westcountry, Neil Hooper (676) to take a near faultless win, and booked himself a meeting with our Shannon, seeing that he moaned about missing out last time!

Hoops supes, and a rare Jho pic as Natty Lamp was having camera issues

Heat 2 saw much of the same, Simon Bassett cursing his luck again, and it was the Flying Fish, Justin Fisher who took up the running from Chris Rowe (76) now in his new Motorworld. As his back panel now states "join the dark side and get a free cookie". Not sure how busy Mrs Hardings' baking tray, but it certainly seems as the new Harding cars are the mutts nutts, and John should be busy for a while...Initially 1-2-3 for the black Motorworlds, however, as Hooper doubled up, Fisher second (315), and Rowe third (76). Liam Rowe (605) ran third for a fair while and was chasing and catching Fisher, when his prop shaft broke off. Justin was then awarded membership to the prestigious order of the pringle....

With no Hooper for the 3rd heat, and a steadier start for Fisher, who cruised to his first heat of the day, and much barracking again from Nelly, meant another cuddle for Shannon from everyone's favourite Fish....Liam Rowe (605) recovered the prop mishap and finished a close second. Although he recovered from smoking out all the marshalls in his bus.

With the final in bone dry conditions, it was set to go. After an aborted start, early running was set by Luke Thomas (916). Neil Hooper (676) signalled his intent by dispatching both fellow reds Liam Rowe (605) and John Dawe (907). After a few yellows for the hapless Simon Bassett (again) and for Ashley Rundle (116), meant it was a shoot out between Motorworlds and heat winners. Hooper pulled rank and took the win from Fisher, an impressive Jay Tonkin (290) in third, and fellow clay country citizen Dale Moon (302) in fourth.

The GN was again a lively affair. Simon Bassett (31) proved that perserverance prevails, finally getting some luck that he has been showing, Fisher then doubled up by taking the GN, followed home by Bassett, and Liam Rowe in third, who then swapped his Tooz for his Darleyford Transport bus...it probably had a life before hand transporting me to Young Farmers discos back in the day!

The Bangers Cornish championship provided some entertainment, and the slowest painstakingly brutal Bus DD (incidently won by the Radnor Red Top Rowe) had the swelling crowd in raptures.

Still couldn't hear any commentary. Was it a better meeting than Bristol, I don't know, but the support made up for it.....