The final shale meeting of the 2010 season saw fifty cars make the trip including Mike Kingston jnr’s (488) first appearance on the loose stuff in the red shale car that Luke Davidson (464) has been using. With it being the end of the season, there were a few cars for sale including the complete Paul Hines (259) shale machine. Geoff Nickolls (215) was back in the Adam Slater (214) car but the for sale sign had gone. Ricky Wilson (502) was making a rare outing to Coventry as was Peter Kaulbarsch (411) in his first meeting of the 2010 season.

BriSCA F1 stock car Peter Kaulbarsch 411. Photo Colin Casserley

Heat one was mostly made up of lower graders, with just five cars having a blue roof, and behind them was Kingston jnr making his shale debut. Rob Farrell (470) shot off into the lead with Danny Ford (138) dropping to the rear before cutting across the infield to join. Yellow flags were shown for a stationary Les Spencer (98) after he had clattered into the stationary cars of Kaulbarsch and Rob Harrod (258) who had tangled on the apex of turn three. With the cars bunched up by the restart, the bumpers went in, with Dan Squire (291) having a go at Dave Willis (337) and the two getting slightly hooked up together as they continued to race.

Ryan Harrison (197) in the ex-Smith orange car usually used by Murray Harrison (97) was flying through the field and soon came up behind the two blue tops, giving them a helping hand fencewards before sailing on towards the front. Danny Ford was fast reeling in leader Richard Regan (428) hotly persued by Ian Noden (306). Ford went in on Regan to take the lead, quickly followed by Noden using Rob Jacklin (137) as a cueball to take out Ford, sending him into the fence. Noden took up the running but he had Harrison in hot pursuit and he dealt with Noden, taking the lead himself and going onto the victory. In his first F1 stock car shale race, Mike Kingston jnr managed to get himself in the places and qualified for the Final.
197 – 306 – 11 – 343 – 98 – 470 – 428 – 223 – 88 – 488

Startrax World of Shale grid from the back. Photo Colin Casserley

BriSCA F1 stock car Craig Finnikin 55 in the World of Shale. Photo Colin Casserley

Heat two, the Startax World of Shale immediately followed with twenty-six cars taking to the track in a closed grid formation with Craig Finnikin (55) and Andy Smith (1) making up the front row, followed by Ricky Wilson (502) and Dan Johnson (4) on the second. At the green, Wilson gave a big lunge to the front with Finnikin going out wide and Smith riding round the armco. As the cars made their way round the bend, Matt Newson (16) and Finnikin tangled briefly going down the backstraight and Andy Smith roared back into the race. Dan Johnson (4) had moved purposefully into the lead and Wilson put the bumper into Frankie Wainman jnr (515).

Andy Smith bypasses Dan Johnson 4 for the lead. Photo Colin Casserley

It was not long before Smith had made his way into the top three and drove round the outside of second place Frankie Wainman jnr as if he was not there and set about reeling in leader Johnson. Further back, Paul Hines, Mark Woodhull (335) and Chris Brocksopp (338) were racing together, exchanging hits for positiion. Upfront, Smith barged past Johnson to take the lead and pulled away from the rest of the field with his superior speed and control. Johnson, who has been exceptionally quick this season round Coventry, was soon left behind. the cars became spaced out, and Smith went onto take the victory unimpeded.
1 – 4 – 515 – 16 – 53 – 97 – 338 – 2 – 212 – 335

Twenty-five cars came out for the Consolation with Ian Brickley (246) and John Frost (351) making up the first row. At the off, the yellows came out almost straight away for Tony Smith (91), sent hard into the fence courtesy of Ricky Wilson. Ian Brickley led them away with Frost taking up the running after about half a dozen laps. Frost never looked troubled upfront and went onto to take his first race victory in fine style.
351 – 246 – 462 – 238 – 191 – 259 – 76 – 137 – 337 – 35

Just under thirty cars came out for the Final with Richard Bryan’s (238) hopes being dashed when forced to pull off before the start. Hines was one of the first red top to break clear but had the quick Matt Newson on his tail the next lap. John Lund (53) took in a spin on turn two, ending up facing the oncoming traffic as cars dived above and below to avoid until Barry Heath (343) ran into him and the yellow flags were shown. The yellows had benefitted those behind, in closing up the field including fifth place Danny Wainman (212). At the green, Wainman got it a bit out of shape but soon rectified it and was up behind Rob Farrell as further back, Hines bumpered Noden aside. Ian Brickley concisely moved into the lead and set about creating distance as Richard Regan span right round losing his position.

BriSCA F1 stock car Barry Heath 343. Photo Colin Casserley

Dan Johnson bumpered Matt Newson, putting him out of contention and into the turn four fence as Smith moved behind Wainman jnr at the halfway point. Newson came back out of the fence to rejoin but seemed to have suffered damage to his car as he was forced to retire, parking himself back where Johnson had first fired him in. Chris Brocksopp was trying to deal with Danny Wainman, lunged at him on the pitgate bend, t-boned him instead, putting them both into the fence and out of the race. Johnson, Hines and Paul Harrison (2), Smith and Wainman jnr tustled with each other exchanging hits and positions. Harrison thumped into Hines followed by Wainman jnr going in hard with the bumper on Hines, sending him out into Harrison.

Smith took full advantage and slipped through on the inside as the trio went wide, sticking the bumper into Wainman jnr. Paul Harrison (2) using his older shale car was tailing Smith and did put the bumper into Smith, but not firmly enough to move him to take the third place. Ian Brickley had kept his head and more importantly, kept out of trouble to take his first final win in fine style with blue grader Neil Scriven (11) coming home in second. Now that Ian has won a Final he can never return to being a White top again.Dan Johnson slowed up immediately on crossing the finish line and had to be tractored back to the pits.
246 – 11 – 1 – 2 – 515 – 4 – 259 – 462 – 215 – 306

BrisCA F1 stock car Final winner Ian Brickley 246. Photo Colin Casserley

BriSCA F1 stock car Neil Scriven 11 claiming second place in the final. Photo Colin Casserley

Under thirty cars came out for the last shale race of 2010 with Brickley taking up his handicap position behind World Champion Andy Smith. Newson got out of his own car to assist Kingston jnr, with Kingston being forced to pull off the track before the start. Luke Dennis (192) led them away slowly after Dave Willis was pushed off by Mark Woodhull (335) and Steve Dodds (115) was pushed to the infield by Mark Poole (276) before the race commenced. Mark Poole barged into the lead, as Finnikin and Wainman jnr broke clear at the back with Finnikin having worked hard to get his car back on track after the damage received in the Consolation.

Finnikin lamped Scott Davids (462) into the fence as Brickley’s five bonus GN points took a nosedive as he ended his race in the backstraight armco. Geoff Nickolls bumpered Poole aside to take the lead but had Mark Woodhull lurking just behind. Mark Poole had dropped back and soon tasted the Wainman jnr bumper as Woodhull bumpered Nickolls for the lead. Paul Harrison was reeling in third place Wainman jnr but was unable to get near enough before the laps ran out. Bumper merchant blue grade Mark Woodhull went on to a deserving victory tailed by Frankie Wainman jnr.
335 – 515 – 2 – 1 – 191 – 55 – 276 – 259 – 411 – 291

Ailsa Haigh