Northampton’s final BriSCA F1 offering of season 2010 saw a mid forties car turnout competing for points not only towards round eight of the National Points Shootout but also round three of World Championship Qualifying for the 2011 World Final. Lancashire based blue grade driver Lee Fairhurst (217) completed a very successful weekends racing by claiming his second final win in as many days after also picking up the feature final at Birmingham on the saturday night.

Lee Fairhurst 217 after laying down some rubber celebrating his second final win in two days. Photo Colin Casserley

Bright sunshine greeted 22 cars for the first heat, which saw Ryan Harrison (197) debut his stunning new tarmac machine, complete with adjustable wing, which was first unveiled at the NEC at the turn of the year. Local driver Martyn Bamford (43) led the field away as Colin Goodswen (372) and Dean Whitwell (195) had a look at the fence on turn one, the 372 car also being clobbered by Dan Johnson (4) who been dispatched by Craig Finnikin (55).

BriSCA F1 stock car Dan Johnson 4 and Will Yarrow 22. Photo Paul Tully

BriSCA F1 stock car Colin Goodswen 372. Photo Steve Botham

Bamford held sway until lap 6 when a fast moving Harrison (197) took the lead, with Robert Broome (41) also showing good form. Tom Harris (84) was the first of the shootout drivers to figure, and made his way into second place in the closing stages, but couldn’t get anywhere near the flying #197 car to offer a challenge, Finnikin making his way into third with Broome sweeping into fourth place.

F1 stock cars of Dan Johnson 4, Joep Hendriks H365 and Iain Holden 85. Photo Paul Tully

F1 stock cars Joep Hendriks H365 and Dan Johnson 4 had a good battle. Photo Colin Casserley

Joep Hendriks (H365) sent Johnson (4) skittling around the armco on the final turn to claim seventh spot. Harrison’s win first time out proved to be the only high point as his racing was curtailed by an oil leak from the rear axle.
RESULT 197-84-55-41-11-2-H365-4-434-22.

Ryan Harrison (197) smokes his tyres after winning his Heat. Photo Colin Casserley

BriSCA F1 stock cars Ivan Pritchard 434 and Will Yarrow 22. Photo Steve Botham

Another 22 car field for heat two, with lone white grade driver Rob Braithwaite (253) the early pacesetter as a few of the star grade drivers got into difficulties, notably Stuart Smith Jnr (390) and Lee Robinson (107). Braithwaite was clear of the field from Carl Pickering (141), Dylan Williams-Maynard (51) and Lee Fairhurst (217) by half distance as further back the shootout drivers started to trade hits for middle order places.

BriSCA F1 stock cars Lee Fairhurst 217 alongside Dylan Williams Maynard 51. Photo Paul Tully

BriSCA F1 stock car Lee Robinson 107. Photo Steve Botham

British Champion Paul Hines (259) and World Champion Andrew Smith (1) both passed Frankie Wainman Jnr (515) with 5 laps to go, and as Wainman fought back, an intriguing battle ensued which saw them three-a-breast exiting turn two with Hines squeezing Smith and Smith squeezing Wainman and Wainman clobbering the back straight fence with nowhere to go.

BriSCA F1 stock car Paul Hines 259 bypasses Frankie Wainman jnr 515. Photo Paul Tully

BriSCA F1 stock cars Andy Smith, Frankie Wainman Jnr and Paul Hines. Photo Colin Casserley

BriSCA F1 stock car Frankie Wainman jnr 515. Photo Paul Tully

John Lund (53) caught up the Smith car and fired it into the armco around turns three and four, Smith returning the compliment on the final bend to re-claim sixth spot. Up front, Pickering had passed Braithwaite in the closing stages to claim the win, Braithwaite second, Fairhurst third.
RESULT 141-253-217-259-73-1-53-H247-107-51.

BriSCA F1 stock cars John Lund 53 and Andy Smith 1. Photo Paul Tully

21 made the grid for the consolation which required a complete restart when Colin Nairn (280) failed to get away at the first time of asking. Bamford (43) again led the pack away into the first lap until Iain Holden (85) went by a lap later. At half distance, Holden continued to lead from Mike Kingston Jnr (488) and European Champion Luke Davidson (464), as current National Points Champion Stuart Smith Jnr (390) pulled onto the infield. Going into the final lap the order read 85-464-488-515, with the first four cars all bumper to bumper. Final lap, final bend, everyone waded in with the bumper, with Davidson and Wainman the main beneficiaries, #464 taking the flag from Holden, Wainman and Kingston.
RESULT 464-85-515-488-462-16-212-12-H482-393.

F1 stock cars Peter van den Bosch H482 and Frankie Wainman Jnr 515. Photo Paul Tully

F1 stock car Luke Davidson 464 on his way to victory as Stu Smith jnr 390 pulls off. Photo Colin Casserley

Feature final time and 31 cars on track which was reduced to 30 as Mark Allen (161) pulled off on the slow lap rolling start. At the drop of the flag, Hendriks (H365), Kingston (488), Scott Davids (462) and Davidson (464) all ploughed the fence on turn one, as Holden (85) and Rob Cowley (73) did likewise on turn four. Braithwaite (253) was again the early front runner from white with Fairhurst (217) well up from blue grade. Wainman Jnr (515) and Will Yarrow (22) tangled shortly before Smith (1) retired to the infield, to be joined by Hines (259) and Wainman (515) before the lap boards were shown.

BriSCA F1 stock car Lee Fairhurst 217 reels in Rob Braithwaite 253. Photo Paul Tully

With 5 to go, 217 was looming large in 253′s mirrors, and a lap later moved through to lead with some deft use of the front bumper on turn one. Fairhurst went on to record his second final victory of the weekend, Braithwaite on the podium again with second and Finnikin (55) coming home third.
RESULT 217-253-55-141-84-4-H247-107-53-434.

Another 31 car field for the Grand National, final winner Fairhurst (217) starting from the lap handicap. Braithwaite (253) was looking for a win again from white and set a hot pace with yellow grade drivers Pickering (141) and Kingston (488) in pursuit. Wainman (515) and Johnson (4) both went piling into the fence on turn one, and Fairhurst went in hard with Gary Castell (H247) on turn two shortly after. The closing stages saw Pickering move past Braithwaite to take his second win of the day – Braithwaite finding that win still quite elusive in second spot and Neil Scriven (11) a fine third place.
RESULT 141-253-11-161-107-488-55-84-259-515.

F1 Stock car Gary Castell 247 takes a look at the Northampton armco. Photo Colin Casserley

So with only two shootout rounds to go, its still very close at the top of the points charts between the sports front runners. Next meeting at Kings Lynn on Saturday 30th October is sure not to be missed, as the battle for the silver roof continues.

Andy Smith and Frankie Wainman jnr, two of the main Shootout protaganists. Photo Colin Casserley

Andre Zang