KLWF11 - 7 days to go - Preview - inside

So lets have a look at the runners and riders, and have a bit of fun with it. Today we look at the runners that start on the inside row...

Pictures come courtesy of Martyn Robinson.

Chris BURGOYNE (647)
Chris has won this title before and this marks his best chance to win since he took gold at Cowdenbeath in 2002. Shale form is limited to the odd knockabout once in a while - looked good at the last Kings Lynn. In with a shout if others fall out - but a very dogged and determined driver - could he double up his gold?

James THACKRA (324)

Former British and European champion, James has been always there and there abouts. Not afraid of shale, just chooses not too nowadays.

Has led a world final, only to be done the very next corner!

The darkest of dark horses, could he sneak a win here?

Andrew PALMER (606)

The man on shale this season, and for many seasons previous. This is his first real chance to grab gold. Has mixed with all the main title contenders and beat them all.

If he comes through the first corner carnage, he is a real contender

823 Sam WAGNER

Mr Consistent in Briscaland, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, he's always

in the shake up in the results. Good on shale, good on tar, hence his position.

Could be in with a shout, few would begrudge!

154 Steve GREEN Jnr

Bit of an unknown quantity, as mostly a big track tarmac specialist. Shale form is unknown.

If it was Skeg again, no problem, however will probably go backwards

700 Adam RUBERY
Another driver who would have preferred a tarmac world final. A real Hednesford specialist, this knowledge saw him progress. Shale form is unknown, but has worn gold before - albeit in Rebels.
Unlikely to make much progress, might be a casualty

 676 Neil HOOPER

 The south west's current number one, in what is currently a bit of a doldrum period for the pasty chompers on the national scene. He started on pole for the last shale world at Mildenhall, however didn't set the shale alight.

If there is chaos ahead, he will be benefitting from it.

24 Jon PALMER
Bad Boy Jon P spent the majority of the season banned for an altrication at the European last year, but came back testing the new stunning Motorworld car. It left him 2 qualifying rounds to get in, and that he did, just! A solid drive in the semi saw him get in.

Might be in the shake up or in a pile up.

169 Richard STOTT

Richard has had a whirlwind start to his F2 career, being dominant on the large tracks. Got into the semi final and then won the meeting final which means that this semi starts on the inside. Don't think he's been on shale yet - but if his past form is anything to go by, it probably wouldn't faze him. 

There for the ride, see how he goes.

721 Graham KELLY

Brisca's most northerly driver now restricts the majority of his driving to the far north of Scotland, specialising on his home track on Crimond. One time darling of the Scottish fans, he prefers to just drive for fun without pressure. Has played on the shale in the past.

Has seen it all, experience will play a part, should finish

KLWF11- 8 Days to Go - Chit chat with GeoMac!

As we enter the major countdown with 8 days to go, Ryan Walker talks to one of the great Scottish hopes - George McMillan Jnr (100)

George in the Middle- courtesy of George Melville http://www.big-geo.com/

NAME - George McMillan

HOMETOWN- Glasgow
AGE- 25
F2 DEBUT- Cowdenbeath World Qualifier, 3rd May 2003.
NUMBER- 100
PREVIOUS FORMULAE RACED- Ministox
CURRENT F2- Polleysport.
HIGHEST GRADE ACHEIVED- Superstar
ACHEIVEMENTS TO DATE- Eh... Not much, Won the Chapman Trophy last year, that's about all the trophy races I've won. Finished 2nd in plenty of Scottish championships and track championships!
NICKNAMES- none really.
FAVOURITE TRACK- Cowdenbeath is my favourite track to drive, but like everyone else, I hate the way it's being run these days, so Skegness, and more recently, Hednesford and Kings Lynn!
TRACKS RACED- Cowdenbeath, Knockhill, Crimond, Barford, Belle Vue, Buxton, Birmingham, Hednesford, Northampton, Skegness, Kings Lynn, Bristol, Taunton, Nutts Corner, Ballymena.

RW: Thanks for taking the time to do the interview for the Stoxblog. So how did it all begin for you?GM: I've been going racing forever! Suppose it would have started at Newtongrange for me, going with my dad who was racing at the time. My family has been involved for a lot longer than tho. My grandad had a successful career in the 60's and early 70's. My dad started racing in 1972 when he was 16. I always wanted to race for as long as I can remember, so ma dad built me a ministock and I started when I was 12.

RW: You come from a racing dynasty, was there ever a point, nah I'm not gonna follow my dad?
GM: Never. I always wanted to race, and I always wanted to race F2's.

RW: What made you follow your dad?
GM: Just being so involved in my dad racing when I was so young. Watching him be so successful aswell. He won a lot when I was growing up, the British championship being a highlight when I was just 7. I just couldn't wait to do it myself.

RW: So how was your first meeting and where did you make your debut and any memories of how it went?GM: My first stock car meeting was 2nd of May 1998 in the mini. I was slow! lol. First F2 meeting was the WCQR meeting at Cowdy in 2003. I had only bald tyres and it rained just before the meeting! I just took it easy and tried to get a feel for it. I wasn't as slow as my first mini race! lol. It was a speedweekend at Cowdy and we raced both days. We lost Raymond Gunn (ed. Saloon driver 228) on the Sunday. Not the kind of memory you want to have from your first meeting, but sadly it's the one thing I remember about it more than anything else.

RW: You start a way back on an unfamiliar surface, what's your race plan going to be?
GM: Well we're not that far back, on row 5. There's 28 cars starting behind me! We are out of our comfort zone a bit on the shale, but we raced Kings Lynn last Saturday (Aug 27th) and although I didn't get great results as I was just taking it easy and trying to get the feel of it, we found out on our way home that I had been fastest in my heat and in the grand national, and I had set the 2nd fastest time if the meeting, so I feel alot better about our chances now. Biggest problem will be the first lap. We'll be very lucky if we get through in one piece, but if I do, I know I have a decent chance. But again, traffic will be the biggest issue.

RW: How do you deal with racing with Gordon Moodie each week?
GM: You just do what you can. Everyone knows how fast he is, so the times you do beat him, you know it's an achievement. It just doesn't happen all that often! He's not always dominant round Cowdy though. Burgoyne gives him a run for his money most weeks. Then there's Kirkaldy, Dawson, Middler, Sime, they're all hard to beat when they're having a good night! And that's just some of the locals, we have some fast visitors now and then too.

RW: To the casual racing fan in Scotland seems to be taking a bit of a dive in terms of numbers. Why is this and what would you suggest to improve it?
GM: As I said above, nobody is happy with the lack of any organisation or common sense from the men in charge at GMP meetings these days. It's very hard to stay interested when the guys in charge make the wrong decision 90% of the time in my opinion. That together with the cost of racing these days, and the high risk of damage at Cowdenbeath is just too much for the average working man. Then again, they could just throw some shale over the track and we'd get 50 cars every week!

RW: You have won titles, is there anything else in the sport that you have to do?
GM: Well I haven't won any titles yet! I would love to win the Scottish. My grandad won the Scottish in 1967 at Cowdenbeath. It was Superstox then but there was no Brisca in Scotland so that was the only Scottish title then. My Dad won the F2 Scottish at Newtongrange in 82, and I would love to be a 3rd generation champion. Same goes for the Cowdenbeath track points too. They both won that a couple of times each so that would be great aswell. I've finished 2nd in both those titles for the last 2 years running so I'm hoping for 3rd time lucky.

RW: Do you have any thank yous?
GM: Yes, first to my dad and grandad as they spend so much time preparing the car every week. And my sponsors- Polleysport, NB Autos, Causewayside Garage, Sibbald Ltd, and everyone else who's helped over the years.

Showing the way around one of his new favourite tracks

George McMillan was talking to the Stoxblog's Ryan Walker

KLWF11- 9 Days to go - WF WTF!

It's time to astound/dazzle/bore your mates with useless World Final based trivia researched by yours truly, with some assistance from World Final Programmes gone by....

MOST TITLES WON
by Driver....

Not suprisingly Rob Speak leads the way with 8 world titles. Next its Bill Batten (667/167) with 4, then triple title holder Dave Brown (583), then doubles for Tom Pitcher (795),Colin Higman (778), Dave Bunt (595), Malc Locke (698) and Daz Kitson (732)

by First Name.....

The most successful christian name in is unsurprisingly is Rob (8) and then followed by Dave (7) and derivatives thereof William with 5

BACK TO BACK

First driver to successfully defend his title - Colin Higman (778) in 1976

MULTIPLES GAME

First driver to win two titles - Tom Pitcher (795)
First driver to win three titles - Dave Brown (583)
First driver to win four titles - Rob Speak (218)

THE AGE GAP

The youngest world champion was Chris Burgoyne (647) in 2002 at the ripe age of 18, whilst veteran status and proof there is now need to put an old dog down was 2 years later in 2004 when Bill Batten (167) won it at the age of 57

BIRTHDAY BOYS

Micky Brennan (968 - 2009), Bill Batten (167 - 2004) and Dave Luscombe (642 - 1987) all won the World Title on their birthday. It's almost as if fate had wrapped it up with a bow

49 YEARS...

..is the amount of years it will take Gordon Moodie to complete the World Final distance with present form taken into account!
This stat has been submitted by a Moodie fan, so please don't jump down my back!

NUMERO UNO

The Number 1 is reserved for the World Champ, adn they can take if they so wish. However, usually, if you take No 1, you usually lose the title the following year!

VENUE OF VICTORIES

Northampton leads the way with 7 World Finals from 1966 to 2005. Bristol next with 6 (1973-2008)
Then Taunton  (77-03) and Swindon (63-98) with 5 each.

FRONT ROW - RATED!

Despite Gordon Moodie (7)'s proclaimation that the front row was over-rated, a gap of 12 years from 1990 to 2002, saw front row sitters take the title.

GOING ACROSS THE WATER

The title has gone across the Irish Sea twice - Jimmy Murray (410) in 1972 and Ian Thompson Jnr (901) inherited the 2008 title. Over the North Sea went the big cup in 2005 when Northampton specialist Willie Peeters (H24) won the title.

GIRL POWER

There has only been one woman that has got through to the big race, and that was Plymouthian Sarah Bowden in 1993 at Crewe. She sadly did not finish. Since then only Holly Glen (321) has got to the Semi stage.

ROLL OF HONOUR

2010 John Fortune (964) Skegness

2009 Micky Brennan (968) Buxton

2008 Ian Thompson Jnr (NI901) Bristol

2007 Mick Sworder (152) Arena Essex

2006 Gordon Moodie (79) Mildenhall

2005 Willie Peeters (H24) Northampton

2004 Bill Batten (167) Barford

2003 Barry Goldin (401) Taunton

2002 Chris Burgoyne(647) Cowdenbeath

2001 Daz Kitson(732) Northampton

2000 Daz Kitson (732) Kings Lynn

1999 Rob Speak (218) Buxton

1998 Rob Speak (218) Swindon

1997 Rob Speak (218) Cowdenbeath
1996 Rob Speak (218) Northampton
1995 Rob Speak (218) Ringwood
1994 Rob Speak (218) Taunton
1993 Ian King (804) Crewe
1992 Rob Speak (218)Skegness
1991 Rob Speak (218)Bristol
1990 Allister King (74) Cowdenbeath
1989 Jimmy Wallace (16) Newton Abbot
1988 Jimmy Wallace (16) Taunton
1987 Dave Luscombe (642) Skegness
1986 Garry Hooper (686) Hartlepool
1985 Malc Locke (1) Bristol
1984 Malc Locke (698) Newtongrange
1983 Dave Bunt (595) Newton Abbot
1982 Bill Batten (667) Taunton
1981 Bill Batten (667) Northampton
1980 Dave Bunt (595) Hartlepool
1979 Dave Brown (583) Newton Abbot
1978 Jeremy Deeble (530) Bristol
1977 Bill Batten (667) Taunton
1976 Colin Higman (778) St Austell
1975 Colin Higman (778) Bristol
1974 Dave Brown (583) Wembley
1973 Tom Pitcher (795) Bristol
1972 Jim Murray (NI410) St Austell
1971 Dave Brown (583) Northampton
1970 Dave Chisholm (552) Harringay
1969 Ron Innocent (712) Northampton
1968 Tom Pitcher (795) Rayleigh
1967 Andy Webb (763) Swindon
1966 Steve Bateman (676) Northampton
1965 Jonny Marquand (689) Swindon
1964 Ron Gaskin (647) Swindon
1963 Roy Goodman (163) Swindon

KLWF11 - 10 days to go - 2000 Flashback

Now 11 years ago it was King's Lynn turn to hold it for the first time. The first world final of the millenium was due to be held on the 17/18/19 September on the shale. However, in the week leading up to the final, the UK was paralysed by fuel blockades at the terminals and refineries across the land. All because the price of a litre of fuel reached an astronomical 89.9 pence a litre!

Panic stricken fans and drivers alike were worried about getting enough petrol to go across the country to watch- and considering at the time it was Scottish and Westcountry F2 fans that were responsible for the majority of the spectators at the time, the decision was made to move the Big One to October 13/1ttl

It was also the first World Final held in deep autumn - it was very cold on the terraces at the Saddlebow Road arena. It was also the start of new era. The behemoth that stood over the gold for many years, Rob Speak (218), had left for the F1's but returned to play with a Randall Motorsport car, that in season 2001 was driven by Dave Luscombe (642) (and is still racing in the capable hands of westcountry newbie Lewis Holden (950)), As defending title holder, he took his place at the very back.

Pic of Speak in 2000 WF Courtesy of Robspeak.com

At the front of the grid was front row starter from 1998 and 1999, Daz Kitson (732) and alongside him, was westcountry warrior Peter Gilbert (542). First corner saw, Gilbert go round, and not come back, and with that Kitson drove away, but got caught up with an incident with about 5 to go. The man on shale at the time Bert Finnikin (559) was catching and catching and catching, and the last bend just wasn't close enough. That was the closest Bert came to doubling up his F1 title. Kitson held on to take his first title, taking the big step up from 2nd place to the top step. The gold went to Huddersfield and remained there until August 2002.

Why my knowledge of the race is sketchy, is because of what happened afterwards. It was a late finish, and there were 4 of us going, me, Lampy, Grampy Lampy and our then mechanic, Tool. All in a Nissan Terrano. With wheels picked up from Wayne Helliwell in the boot, we park in the complex.
A gift of the stock car gods was given - a Sierra had been abandoned by the roadside of the track entrance, and to the Saloon Stock and F2 boys, result says they, free spares. In fact many a person were heading over to the car to strip bits from it. We parked fairly close to this car, the right side of the boundary.

So, in a state of serious CBA'ness, the decision was made not to go for the tent option, and all of us deicded to sleep in the Terrano. Not the most pleasent nights sleep, and those who have shared speedweekends know that I simply don't sleep. Add my figidityness and the monumentual sound of Tool's snoring, meant I was wide awake and bored. Having read Unloaded, the paper and the programme best that I could at least 5 times over. I turned round, and I saw an orangey glow coming from the Ford behind.

The following is an accurate representation of the events...

"Marc"
"uuuuuhhh"
"Marc" (nudge in the chest)
"Fuck off Jonny, go back to sleep"
"Marc!!!"(more frantic nudging) "That car's on fire"
"Fuck off Jonny, you're seeing things"
"Marc - that fucking car is on fire behind us"
(a turn round) "Fuck it is too! Neil!"
"uhh?"
"Neil, that cars on fire behind us"
"eh, fuck it is too!"

Cue Lampy getting out of his sleeping back in record time and driving the Terrano to  a safe distance away, as Tool rung the fire brigade and me and Grandad roused others nearby.

After the fire engine and fire was put out, we set on our merry way down the M11 at silly o clock, stopped at the services for some fried scran and ended up at Lakeside- awaiting the Novice of the Year at Arena.

I'm hoping that I remember this years event for the racing!

KLWF11 - 11 days to go - Last Chance ?

Qualified for a Semi? Crashed out? Engine expired at the end of the straight? Got hooked up with someone you've never ever seen before today? Track too clean and not dusty enough for you?

Help is at hand for those drinking in the last chance saloon. 6 places are up for grabs, and as we all know from the last couple of runnings of the big one - you have to be in it to win it!

The consolation semi final are taking place, here's the runners and riders...

401 Barry Goldin 905 Rob Mitchell
641 Dennis Middler 59 Lee Dimmick
70 Brian Shadbolt 270 Mark Gibbs
844 Darren Phillips 871 Mark Simpson
126 Jamie Avery 768 Tom Adcroft
662 Steve Wycherley 494 John Dowson
990 Paul Rice 377 Daz Shaw
888 Paul Ford 259 Simon Farrington
302 Dale Moon 677 Chris Roots
488 Liam Bentham 725 Paul Broatch
650 Gary Stirk 744 Tom Smart
571 Darren Clarke 150 Mark Thoms
124 Ollie Skeels NI271 Gary Chambers
541 Luke Phillips 977 Dave Massey
143 Marc Lammas 103 Carl Issitt
448 John Wright 276 Murray Jones
231 Matt Clayton 116 Ashley Rundle
72 John Broatch 615 Josh Coleman
798 Mark Sargent 742 Nick Rogers
710 Brett Townsend 326 Johnny Hall
290 Jay Tomkins 254 Richard Beere
189 Paul Butcher

So with potentially 43 cars starting, who is likely to make the cut. With the total tarmac extremities of Hednesford taking their toll on the shale specialists, it's not surprising that the majority of the field are shale drivers. The biggest casualty from the semis, was 2003 World Champion, and reigning European and British Champion, Barry Goldin (401) who suffered from power problems. Indeed, when he was drawn in a semi, he was seen as a favourite for the title itself, cnsidering the British was won at Belle Vue. Many fancied shale drivers are there along side him, with Rob Mitchell (905), Daz Shaw (377), Brian Shadbolt (70 and the last shale world final runner up Mark Simpson (871) all with shale wins and considered favourites.

Hope is not lost, you are not making up numbers. Paul Broatch (725) almost pipped Bill Batten (167) at Barford in 2004, Batten himself almost nicked the title from Alister King (74) in 1990. Shale is unpredictable at the best of times and you could fall over anyone - and there is a precedent already - the Saloon Gold Roof won by ex F2 Driver Eddie Darby (677 (877 in F2)) who started in position 29, after winning their last chance!

Remember though....

You gotta be in it to win it!

KLWF11 - 12 days to go...

Okay, we are getting a little bit excited about the prospect of the World Final, which is now 12 days away!

Event sponsors Randall Motorsport are getting excited too as the trailer video show below....

Loving it....a good trailer? Damn that trailer's so fine it almost by Brian James!

Coming up in September

Pinch punch, white rabbits, all that palaver. Yup its September, the business end of the season starts now. When I mean business, we mean that all roads lead to Norfolk, and to King's Lynn for the 2011 World Final

So what are you going to do about it, I hear you cry....

Firstly..... The site has had another spruce up to make things easier to update, and more user friendly. I've also added some new features too...

• A full points chart for the Dominator Series so you can check your ranking
• A link to our new Flickr stream, where pics from the tracks and various photoshoots
• The Blog Babe - a girl posing for your entertainment

Secondly..... With the world final coming up (and after the Blog was responsible for the only Semi final profiles to be seen!) driver profiles, predictions, interviews with some of the main players, pundit predictions, history and trivia will all becoming in the near weeks in the run up to the big one. Updates coming as often as "Gears and Tears" gets shown on Dave.

Thirdly... We will have reaction to the result and hopefully the quickest response to the result giving those who miss it the opportunity to see it as quickly as possible

Overall its gonna be a busy one this month. I might not see daylight!