Clubnight Tuesday 27th December 2011 – Lee “cruises” to victory
An earlier than usual starting time of 6pm provided time to have four six minute qualifying rounds plus a seven minute final.
Things were very competitive as always, Lee Bishop set the pace in the first round with 47 laps only to see Richard Parker better this by five laps in round 2 when the track offered a bit more grip. Richard also seemed to have round 3 in the bag and eased off near the end of the race forgetting that Lee had started 2 seconds behind him and winning by 6/100th of a second! Both drivers along with Mike Simpson finished on 52 laps.
The last round of qualifying saw everyone going flat out to improve their position on the finals grid, Lee somehow found another three laps scoring 55 with Richard 54 and Mike 52.
After being refreshed with drinks, cakes, biscuits and mince pies it was time for the finals.
The “C” final saw Michelle Snowden win driving her three wheeled “plastic pig” to victory in magnificent style, Jenson Butlin was a close second place just one lap down and Alfie Tomlinson third a further four laps behind.
In the “B” final Louis Parker, Dave Tomlinson Snr and Mathew Stones had a tremendous race with the lead changing several times until Louis managed to pull clear of the field. At the finish Louis was the winner with 52 laps, Dave second a full three laps down and Mathew third on 46.
So only the “A” final remained, the big question was could Richard Parker make it a Parker family double by winning, bearing in mind that he had been fastest qualifier on several occasions during 2011 and not won the final and this was the last race of the year.
The race got off to a clean start and the pace was fast and furious with the cars dicing with one another at speed just inches apart for lap after lap. As the race progressed Lee Bishops strategy of taking a two week long cruise in the Caribbean to prepare for the race paid off as he broke clear of the field and went on to win with 62 laps. Second was Mike Simpson on 61 laps and also setting the fastest lap time, with Richard in third place with 60 laps.
What a great evening to end 2011, all that remains is to wish all the clubs members a happy new year and a successful 2012.
Christmas fun night Tuesday 20th December
Robert Hambridge proved to be the evening’s top “man with a van” with some neat driving in the dark with his caravan in tow. His 39 laps were a full 7 ahead of the rest of the field, Cameron Summers claiming second place on 32 laps just a few seconds ahead of David and Mike Simpson. The majority of cars and caravans were decked out with lighting, which looked very impressive when going round the track. Alwyn Hodges won the award for constructing the best caravan and Michelle Snowden was the runner–up.
There was a short break whilst chip butties were served part way through the proceedings along with “secret Santa” presents from under the Christmas tree. The final round 3 was for cars only and a great time was had by all.
Winter League Round 5 – Tuesday 13th December – The three D’s on top!
Daniel Williams set he pace in qualifying winning round 1 completing 50 laps, round 2 was won by Dave Tomlinson, who also won round 3 by 2/100th second ahead of David Simpson in the closest finish of the evening
Glyn and Colin Butlin took the first two places in division 2 with Michelle Snowden third
Cameron Summers was fastest qualifier in division 3 with Alywn Hodges second and Jenson Butlin third
After a short break it was time for the finals, in the “C” final disaster struck Cameron with an electrical fault on his car and a fine drive by Mathew Stones saw him take an impressive win with Alun Williams in second place.
The “B” final saw the two Butlins go head to head with Colin coming out on top to win, Glyn was second and Robert Hambridge third.
This just left the “A” final where Dave Tomlinson made a good start from pole position but eventually David Simpson took the lead to win by a clear three laps. A tremendous battle for second place ensued with Dave Tomlinson winning through ahead of Mike Simpson and Richard Parker, all three on 50 laps.
2012 Membership fees now due!
Club and BRCA affiliated membership is now due, forms at race control, members renewing their membership need to do so by Tuesday 13th December.
Superleague 2011 Final Round – Lee slips back into the pack
The last round of this year’s superleague was held on 6th December, David Simpson was in unstoppable form despite an electrical problem in round 1. Lee Bishop drove consistently well taking second place in both qualifying and the A final. A much improved performance from Daniel Williams was rewarded by third place finish in the A final.
In division 2 it was a Butlin family challenge with Colin being fastest qualifier and Glyn second, the positions being reversed in the final. Michelle Snowden took third in both cases.
This meant the final league positions were as follows:-
Division 1
Winner David Simpson 204 points
Second Mike Simpson 188
Third Richard Parker 173
Fourth Daniel Williams 168
Division 2
Winner Michelle Snowden 194 points
Second Louis Parker 173 1st Junior
Third Glyn Butlin 141
Fourth Ben Petchey 140 2nd Junior
Fifth Alwyn Hodges 135
Sixth Cameron Summers 116 3rd Junior
Winter League Round 4 – Tuesday 29th November – Lee in a league of his own!
A fast track design with a chicane had all the ingredients needed to providing a stern test of driving skills. In division 1 the story was similar to last week with David Simpson fastest qualifier just ahead of Lee Bishop and Richard Parker. In the final however Lee put in another fine performance to win by a massive margin of three laps. Can Lee’s excellent run of form continue or will the rest of the drivers catch up – we will have to wait for next weeks super league to find out, no pressure Lee!!!!
Michelle Snowden extended her lead in division 2 after a win in the B final ahead of Glyn Butlin.
Alun Williams won the D final with a good drive and Cameron Summers retained his unbeaten record in division 3 with another maximum points score.
Trophy Meeting – Tuesday 22nd November – Lee on top again
Yet another evening of incredibly exciting and competitive racing during the three rounds of qualifying heats and final. David Simpson was the fastest qualifier on 58 laps closely followed by Lee Bishop 57 and Mike Simpson 56.
The “D” final was won by Kevin Flamson with 39 laps, Ben Petchey chased him for most of the race to finish second four laps down ahead of Alwyn Hodges 31.
The “C” final saw Lewis Burman and Cameron Summers go head to head, Lewis eventually winning with 48 laps just one lap better than Cameron.
Daniel Williams had an easy win in the “B” final scoring 53 laps, a fine drive by Louis Parker earned him second place on 50 laps ahead of Colin and Glyn Butlin.
Last race of the evening was the “A” final; which was a very close thing with some very entertaining high speed racing. David Simpson started from pole position on the grid but Lee Bishop was the eventual winner with in form Richard Parker second and David third all on 57 laps.
Richard triumphs at AGM night
The annual general meeting was held on Tuesday 15th November, it was good to see so many members attending and making a positive contribution with their ideas for the effective running of the club.
Following the meeting there was time for three qualifying rounds of racing with nine minute long heats in round three.
Lee Bishop was driving very tidily and was the fastest qualifier after two rounds, in the last round however Richard Parker was chased him for most of the race, finally overtaking to win with Lee second just a couple of second behind.
Fish and Chips – Tuesday 8th November
A very fast track design placed a premium on taking the correct line around the corners to keep up the speed whilst avoiding any spills that would result in being a lap down.
The qualifying saw David Simpson and Richard Parker evenly matched, both drivers completed 56 laps with David the faster by 0.15 seconds. Lee Bishop and Daniel Williams were well placed each on 55 laps.
If you thought that was close it had nothing on heat two where Colin and Glyn Butlin diced for the lead right to the finish line which Colin crossed first just 1/100th second ahead of Glyn – you can’t get any closer than that.
The “C” final was won by Louis Parker, Cameron Summers was second and Ignacio Barron Viela third.
Colin Butlin won the “B” final, Robert Hambridge took second place and Glyn Butlin was third.
David Simpson started on pole and kept in front of Richard Parker to score 60 laps, winning by a lap, Mike Simpson put in a good performance to claim third position a further lap back.
The fish and chips were first class – thanks Stacey for organizing everything.
Winter League Round 2 – Dave Tomlinson leads division 1
Another great evenings racing saw the return of Lee Bishop who had not raced for a few weeks, but the star performer was Dave Tomlinson who won the “A” final after starting in second position on the grid behind fastest qualifier Mike Simpson. Michelle Snowden had another convincing win in the “B” final and Cameron Summers won the “C” final followed to the finish line by Alwyn Hodges and Ben Petchey.
Winter League Round 1 – Richard at top speed
This was the first round of the new winter league which will run through to the end of January 2012. Some excellent racing took place, the quickest laps of the evening in both qualifying the heats and finals were set by Richard Parker. The races were very close with David Simpson taking maximum points in division 1 closely followed by Richard and Daniel Williams. Michelle Snowden also had maximum points in division 2 ahead of Glyn Butlin and Louis Parker. In division 3 Cameron Summers retained his good form to win from Alwyn Hodges.
Super League Round 5 – Louis leaves his dad far behind
With only the final round to come after this a good result was important to be in position to win a trophy at the end of the year. The outstanding performance of the evening was by Louis Parker who qualified in 5th position to take a place in the “A” final.
Cameron Summers again won the “C” final with Ben Petchey putting in a good drive to take second place ahead of Alun Williams.
The “B” final was exciting to watch, Michelle Snowden had qualified on pole and managed to stay ahead of a very fast Robert Hambridge who was struggling with worn tyres on his car. Kevin Flamson was third a full 5 laps down.
The “A” final was a team Simpson / Parker challenge, David Simpson was on pole but Mike took an early lead after managing to avoid a coming together of the other cars. The pace was fast and furious, David taking the lead after 1 minute with both Richard and Louis going well. Three minutes into the race disaster struck with Richard Parkers car grinding to a halt with an electrical failure, Louis was going well and chasing Daniel Williams and eventually got past near the end of the race to take a magnificent third position. David won and Mike was second just a couple of seconds behind. Well done Louis!
Summer League Final Round – Michelle and Louis at full speed
The final round of this years summer league was held on 4th October, after the qualifying heats Mike Simpson was top qualifier having battled with Richard Parker who won the first race. Excellent performances by Michelle Snowden and Louis Parker put them both in the “A” final. Cameron Summers was fastest in division 3.
The “C” final was duly won by Cameron with the ever consistent Alwyn Hodges second.
The “B” final saw Robert Hambridge take a comfortable win in his new car ahead of Kevin Flamson.
The “A” final got off to a good start and Louis had a storming drive to take the lead, eventually Mike Simpson and Richard Parker came through and were evenly matched throughout the whole race, Mike winning by one second. Michelle also put on a dazzling display of driving to take third place a full lap ahead of Daniel Williams who once more set the fastest lap time.
Final league positions are as follows:-
Division 1 Division 2 Division 3
320 David Simpson 320 Michelle Snowden 313 Alwyn Hodges
305 Mike Simpson 264 Louis Parker 287 Jenson Butlin
291 Daniel Williams 236 Alun Williams 281 Cameron Summers
Drivers “in the Dark”
Racing with a difference took place on Tuesday 27th September, the lighting in the hall was switched off and everyone had to rely on their cars lighting systems to see the way. Several members had made a tremendous effort to prepare their cars, sidelights, headlights, indicators, rear lights and reversing lights being fitted.
The track design was kept simple and it was surprising how everyone coped with the restricted vision. The trophy for best prepared car was awarded to Michelle Snowden with Louis Parker being runner up.
A green glow was seen moving around the track in heat 2, no it wasn’t a ghost but Lee Bishop with a coloured glow stick fastened to his car in place of lights!
There were a few minor casualties in the qualifying heats but all cars were intact for the finals. There were trophies for the leading drivers in each division, David Statham won division 1, Louis Parker division 2 and Cameron Summers division 3.
What a great evening, the format will be repeated at the Christmas fun night but this time racing caravans! Time soon goes so get started with constructing your caravans and lighting systems.
Summer League Round 9
Only one more round to go after this, a fine performance from David Simpson has assured him the league 1 title, and similarly in leagues 2 and 3 Michelle Snowden and Alwyn Hodges cannot be caught. Some of the other places may yet change so look forward to an exciting last round.
Summer League Round 8
Another maximum points for David Simpson resulted in him extending his lead in division 1, Richard Parker was second fastest qualifier but in the final Lee Bishop put in a good performance to finish second.
Michelle Snowden was fastest qualifier and took pole position in the division 2 final, however Louis Parker won the final reducing Michelle’s league lead by one point.
A great performance from Ben Petchey gained him the division 3 top qualifier spot. He could only manage fourth place in the final however, Cameron Summers was the winner followed by Alwyn Hodges.
With eight of the ten rounds completed the scene is set for an exciting climax as only the drivers eight best scores will count for league positions, so the final two rounds will allow bad scores to be discounted.
Summer League Round 7
A return to Mardave racing by David Statham saw him take second place on the “A” final grid behind David Simpson. They had a very close race in the final which saw David Statham winning by four seconds. In division 2 Michelle Snowden extended her lead by being both fastest qualifier and winning the final. Cameron Summers was the fastest qualifier in division 3, but Alwyn Hodges came good in the final to win by a lap from Cameron.
Summer League Round 6
David Simpson was top qualifier a lap ahead of Mike Simpson and Daniel Williams. In division 2 Dave Tomlinson was fastest with Michelle Snowden second and Louis parker third. In division 3 Cameron Summers was fastest being a lap clear of Kevin Flamson and Alwyn Hodges.
The three qualifying over it was time for the finals.
First up was the “C” final which saw Cameron have a convincing win over Kevin, with Alfie Tomlinson a fine third.
The “B” final was very close for the first four minutes with Louis Parker and Glyn Butlin dicing for the lead. Louis eventually forged ahead to win with Glyn second and Mathew Stones third.
Last race of the evening was the “A” final, David Simpson got a clean start from pole position but Mike Simpson and Daniel Williams both lost valuable time when they crashed on the first corner. David ran out an easy winner but the battle for second place was very close, Mike just taking second place 4.7 seconds ahead of Daniel.
Super League Round 4 – Lee storms to “A” final win
The fourth of six rounds of this years super league was held on Tuesday 23rd august. The qualifying was very close with the top three drivers all on 57 laps being separated by less than 4 seconds. David Simpson took pole with a time of 361.38 seconds, Lee Bishop 361.93 and Mike Simpson 365.40. In division 2 Michelle Snowden continued her good run of form with 47 laps, followed by Glyn Butlin 46 and Louis Parker 45.
In the “C” final Alwyn Hodges won with 33 laps, Jenson Butlin second on 31 and Ben Petchey third with 30 laps.
Michelle and Louis had a close race in the “B” final, Michelle eventually winning with a fine 50 laps, Louis second 49 and Mathew Stones third with 41 laps.
The last race of the evening was the “A” final and what a race it proved to be. David Simpson had a poor start from pole position and after two minutes Lee Bishop had established a comfortable lead. An incredible last minute saw his lead reduce but Lee kept a cool head to cross the line first just 0.31 seconds ahead of David, both on 57 laps.
Summer League Round 5 – Tuesday 16th August
Another exciting evenings racing, Lee Bishop dominated the qualifying heats, winning all three rounds and taking pole position in the “A” final. In the final David Simpson and Daniel Williams were the fastest drivers both beating 5 second laps, David was the eventual winner with 66 laps closely followed by Daniel on 65.
In the “B” final “Team Williams” were again at the front with Alun Williams winning, a full three laps ahead of Alwyn Hodges.
Summer League Round 4 – Tuesday 9th August
Division 1
A return to form by David Simpson who despite crashing out in round 2 was fastest qualifier and had a runaway victory in the final, winning by four laps. Daniel Williams set the fastest laptimes all evening but could not maintain his consistency to take full advantage.
Division 2
Glyn Butlin took control of the qualifying with Louis Parker second and last weeks winner Michelle Snowden taking third spot on the grid. Glyn also won the final with Michelle improving to second place pushing Louis down into third.
Division 3
Cameron Summers was taking in good form taking the top qualifying place and also winning the final by seven laps. Alwyn Hodges was second qualifier with Duane petchey recording his best ever result being third. Ben Petchey improved to take second place in the final ahead of Alwyn Hodges.
The trophies for the Spring League were presented.
Summer League Round 3 – Michelle in dazzling form
A “Z” shaped track design this week, again very fast so any mistakes were very costly. Mike Simpson set the fastest qualifying lap and also took pole position ahead of David Simpson. Some good driving by Michelle Snowden resulted in third fastest overall and a place in the “A” final.
In the “B” final Glyn Butlin won with 55 laps ahead of Robert Hambridge 51 laps and Alwyn Hodges 36.
The “A” final proved to be a very exciting race, Mike Simpson took an early lead and mistakes by David Simpson saw Michelle move up into second place and put in a tremendous performance to stay ahead to the end of the race. Final positions were Mike first completing 61 laps, Michelle second 59 laps and David third also with 59 laps.
Well done Michelle – no pressure next week!
Summer League Round 2 – Tuesday 26th July
Division 1
Daniel Williams set the early pace winning heat 1, the next two heats saw David Simpson and Lee Bishop fighting it out for FTD and was close – both drivers managing 56 laps with David coming out on top with a time of 365.62 seconds just 0.19 seconds ahead of Lee.
In the final things were just as close, 63 laps for both drivers with David winning by three seconds. A great drive by Daniel saw him set the fastest lap time and finish third on 62 laps.
Division 2
Dave Tomlinson continued his run of form to take the top qualifying spot ahead of Glyn Butlin and Louis Parker. The final was a similar result with Dave completing 58 laps, Glyn 54 and Louis 50.
Division 3
Some very exciting racing resulted in Cameron Summers taking the top qualifying place with Alwyn Hodges second and Courtney Orme third. In the final Alwyn had a storming run to win, Courtney was second and Cameron third.
Oval Track – Tuesday 19th July
Just for a change the track was an Oval design, which meant some very fast motoring and short lap times. With only 12 drivers they were split into two heats of 6 minutes duration per round.
After round 1 Dave Tomlinson was the leading driver with 65 laps, this was bettered in round 2, which was run anti-clockwise by Daniel Williams on 74 laps. The final qualifying round was a very close race from a rolling start with David Simpson winning with 76 laps ahead of Dave Tomlinson 75, Daniel Williams 74 and Michelle Snowden 71.
Whilst the racing was going on Stacey Atterbury and Alun Williams were preparing hot dogs for everyone to eat. There was plenty of food to go round and it was free, so everyone was well fed by the time it was due to run the finals.
The eight minute duration “B” final was a close battle between Cameron Summers, Kevin Flamson and Alun Williams. With one minute to go Cameron and Kevin had pulled out a three lap lead from the rest of the field, both finished with 73 laps with Cameron winning, Kevin second and Alun finishing third on 70 laps.
The ultimate race of the evening was the “A” final, this was fast! All drivers were lapping under 5 seconds, Dave Tomlinson and David Simpson were at the head of the field dicing for the lead for lap after lap. Near the end David pulled out a 2 lap lead which he maintained to the finish completing an incredible 106 laps and setting the best lap time of the evening of 4.20 seconds. Dave Tomlinson finished second with 104 laps, Daniel Williams third on 100 and Lee Bishop fourth 99 lap.
Many thanks to Stacey and Alun for the food.
Summer League Round 1 – Tuesday 12th July
Division 1
Following on from a fine performance last week Daniel Williams was fastest qualifier completing 52 laps ahead of Lee Bishop and Mike Simpson both on 51.
In the “A” final David Simpson moved into an early lead and held onto it for the full six minutes race to win on 53 laps and setting the fastest lap time of the evening. Mike was second also with 53 laps and Lee Bishop third 51.
Division 2
Dave Tomlinson was the best qualifier with 49 laps and making the “A” final, Michelle Snowden took second place on 46 laps and Glyn Butlin third with 44.
The order was the same in the finals so Dave made a good start to the league taking the maximum 41 points from round 1.
Division 3
Cameron Summers was fastest qualifier completing 31 laps, ahead of Alwyn Hodges and Ben Petchey both with 30.
A great drive in the “C” final by Cameron resulted maximum 41 points with 37 laps and an easy win over a fast improving Ben Petchey 30 and Alwyn Hodges 29 laps.
Anticlockwise – Tuesday 5th July – Team Williams flying
As a change from the usual racing everything was reversed and the racing run in an anticlockwise direction on a fast track with a tricky chicane on the main straight.
David Simpson was fastest qualifier in division 1 with Mike Simpson second and Daniel Williams third. In Division 2 Dave Tomlinson took pole ahead of Glyn Butlin and Michelle Snowden. Division 3 saw some fine driving from Ben Petchey who was fastest followed by Alwyn Hodges and Courtney Orme.
Onto the finals, Ben Petchey had a storming race to win the “C” final on 44 laps with Alun Williams second with 31 and Duane Petchey third with 30.
The “B” final was dominated by Michelle who won easily with a fine 51 laps ahead of Glyn, 47 and Cameron 44 laps.
Electrical problems resulted in David Simpson not starting the “A” final leaving Daniel Williams to leave everyone standing with a first class drive, recording a magnificent 60 laps and setting the fastest lap of the day. Dave Tomlinson was second a full 5 laps back, closely followed by Mike Simpson.
Spring league Final Round 10 – Tuesday 28th June
This was the final round of the league, in Division 1 Lee Bishop took maximum points being fastest qualifier and winning the final. Daniel Williams put in some very fast lap times to finish second behind Lee.
Division 2 saw Dave Tomlinson taking the top qualifying spot only to be beaten into third place in the final by Michelle Snowden and Glyn Butlin.
Louis Parker also took maximum points in Division 3 with Mathew Stones and Ben Petchey finishing second and third respectively.
The final leading positions were as follows:-
Division 1 Division 2 Division 3
Mike Simpson 304 Michelle Snowden 315 Louis Parker 322
Richard Parker 298 Glyn Butlin 260 Alwyn Hodges 282
Daniel Williams 291 Dave Tomlinson 163 Cameron Summers 277
Super league Round 3 – Tuesday 7th June
David Simpson retains a commanding lead in division 1 winning the “A” final after being pushed down to second place on the grid behind Mike Simpson after the three qualifying rounds.
In division 2 Michelle Snowden extended her lead over Louis Parker, a fine drive by Dave Tomlinson saw him take pole in the final but he was beaten into second place by Michelle.
We are now half way through the league, the best five from a possible six round scores to count.
Spring League Round 5 – Tuesday 17th May
David Simpson was again on top form setting the fastest lap of 6.36 seconds taking pole position in the final despite having to rebuild his suspension following a head on crash with his dad in round 1. Glyn Butlin put in a good performance in division 2 win take a place in the “A” final. Mathew Stones was the best qualifier in division 3 ahead of Louis Parker.
The “A” final was a similar story to qualifying with David Simpson winning and Daniel Williams setting the fastest lap of 6.42 seconds. Michelle won the “B” final, beating second place driver Mathew by 4 laps. In the “C” final Callum Sissons was the winner with Cameron Summers second, both on 30 laps.
We are now halfway through the league, check the latest positions on the results page.
Spring League Round 4 – Tuesday 10th May
David Simpson and Daniel Williams were by far the fastest drivers on the track all evening with Daniel sporting a gleaming white new bodyshell together with orange wheels and new tyres for maximum effect. After some close racing David was the fastest qualifier with 48 laps followed by Daniel on 47. For the second week running Michelle Snowden was the quickest lady driver on the track (the only one this week!). Callum Sissons and Louis Parker had close races in division 3 with Callum eventually taking the top spot ahead of Louis with Alwyn Hodges putting in a good performance to claim third place. The finals were a very similar story apart from division 3 where a dazzling performance from Alwyn to take second place, beating Louis down into third. Fast improving Ben Petchey also had a good drive beating his dad by a clear six laps!
No changes to the overall league positions this week, Daniel Williams made up ground in third place to be within a single point of Richard Parker, David Simpson despite taking maximum points is still well down the order. There are six more rounds left yet so plenty of time for positions to change.
Spring League Round 3
Another very competitive evenings racing saw Mike Simpson take over as leader of division 1 from Richard Parker who despite setting some very fast times and being second fastest qualifier had to settle for fourth place in the final. Daniel Williams put in a charge near the end of the race but an error on the final lap cost him the race. Michelle Snowden was the only division 2 driver present, so accumulated a maximum 41 points. Division three was very exciting and it was good to see several of the junior members going so well. Mathew Stones was fastest qualifier but Louis Parker won the final ahead of Mathew and Callum Sissons in third place.
Easter Team Fun Night – Tuesday 26th April
These events are always very popular and this week was no exception, drivers were split into four different teams and allocated three transponders with only two cars per team being allowed on the track at any one time. A grid start and heat one was in progress, the race length was 40 minutes so team tactics and efficient changeovers would help to win the day. Lee Bishop and his team were the leaders after the first heat achieving 510 laps with Daniel William’s team in second place with 458. After a short break it was time to complete the second half of the race, so another 40 minutes of racing commenced. A few technical problems were now encountered by several driver so several unplanned driver changes were necessary. The pace was relentless, the final result was Daniel Williams 497 and Lee Bishop 479. This meant the overall result for the evening was:-
Winners Lee Bishop, Cameron Summers, Callum Sisson, Craig Foster, Rob Hambridge
Second Daniel Williams, Dave Tomlinson, Alfie Tomlinson, Jenson Butlin, David Simpson.
Third Chris Snowden, Michelle Snowden, Alwyn Hodges, Kevin Flamson.
Fourth Richard Parker, Louis Parker, Ben Petchey, Duane Petchey, Mike Simpson.
There were easter eggs as prizes for the first three teams.
Spring League Round 2
Round 2 of the league saw the best racing for many weeks on a very fast track design with the leaders lapping in less than six seconds. Mathew Stones led the way in the qualifying heats in division 3 with 43 laps, division leader Louis Parker having to settle for second place on 38. A great drive by Alwyn Hodges put him third with 35 laps.
Division 2 was very close, Michelle Snowden was best ahead of Alex Barry and Dave Tomlinson, all three drivers making 50 laps.
Richard Parker dominated division 1 with an impressive 59 laps in front of Mike Simpson and Daniel Williams.
After a short break the finals got underway, after waiting for Alwyn to sign autographs after qualifying for pole position in the “C” final the action started. Another fine performance saw him win the final with 34 laps, withstanding some early pressure from Cameron Summers 27 laps and Courtney Orme 26 laps. The Petchey family battled it out for the next two places, Jennie eventually finishing ahead of Ben – were they any team orders?.
Dave Tomlinson had an easy win in the “B” final managing 52 laps, a good drive from Mathew Stones put him second on 43 and Glyn Butlin third with 42 laps.
The “A” final got off to a great start with top qualifier Richard Parker leading the way, the next six minutes saw the most exciting racing seen at the club this year with Richard, Mike Simpson and Daniel Williams dicing at speed for the whole race at a furious pace. The lead changed hands several times with Richard seeming to have the race in the bag at one stage. Then a storming finish by Daniel saw him edge ahead to win with the best performance of the evening a tremendous 60 laps, Richard took second place also on 60 and Mike third with 59 laps. Michelle Snowden also was on top form finishing in fourth place with 48 laps.
All this meant changes to the league positions, Richard Parker is the new leader division 1, Michelle Snowden heads division 2 whilst Louis Parker retained his lead in division 3. See the results page for the latest positions.
Spring League Round 1
With spring in the air the new league commenced, the first of ten rounds with the best eight to count. Three rounds of qualifying were very keenly contested, in division 1 less than three seconds separated the first three drivers all on 42 laps, David Simpson taking pole with Mike second and Richard Parker third. Division 2 saw Tom Wright in first place with 37 laps with Alex Barry and Michelle Snowden on 34. Louis Parker was well clear of the rest of the field in Division 3, winning with 26 laps, Alwyn Hodges second with 20 and Cameron Summers third with 17 laps.
The “C” final was soon underway and a steady drive by Kevin Flamson saw him take the winning spot with 25 laps, Nick Wallace was second on 23 and Alwyn Hodges third with 20 laps.
The pace in the “B” final was much quicker, Tom Wright and Michelle Snowden set a good pace being very closely matched throughout the race, Tom managed to hold on to the lead finishing three seconds ahead of Michelle, both drivers scoring 36 laps. Dave Tomlinson was third a further two laps down.
The last of the evening was the “A” final and it was worth waiting for. With all the drivers being evenly matched any mistakes proved to be costly, David Simpson was on top form with Richard Parker again putting in a tremendous performance these two being the fastest two drivers on the track. After four minutes David had built up a substantial lead when disaster struck, his transmitter batteries going flat resulting in him crashing out in style. This left Richard Parker in the lead with Mike Simpson in second place, a couple of minor incidents let Mike take the lead but Richard was lapping faster and was soon challenging for the lead again. With the drivers running side by side at full speed a coming together resulted in Richard loosing time and Mike took the chequered flag, both drivers on 41 laps. Lee Bishop was third with 39 laps.
Super-League Round 2
April 5th saw round 2 of the super-league which runs all year on alternate months, six rounds in total with the best five scores to count. With twenty drivers in three heats the qualifying was very competitive and fine performances from Alex Barry resulted in him reaching the “A” final. David Simpson was top qualifier with his dad Mike second very closely followed by Richard Parker. The strain of making some repairs to the track took its toll on Robert Hambridge who could only manage eighth fastest for second place spot in the “B” Final. Tom Wright took poll position, Michelle Snowden eventually got the better of Fabien Gayraud to claim third place on the grid. Louis Parker took pole position in the “C” final ahead of Callum Sissons and Alwyn Hodges.
After the presentation of the winter league trophies the finals got underway.
Craig Foster own the “C” final, Callum Sissons had a good drive to take second place, beating Louis Parker into third. Alwyn Hodges had a steady drive in fourth spot, Ben Petchey was much improved this week in fifth and Cameron Summers drove well only to have his battery go flat a minute before the end of the race.
The “B” final saw a very determined Robert Hambridge take an early lead, Fabien Gayraud challenged hard but could not make up ground and finished second in front of Tom Wright in third.
The last race of the evening was the “A” final, a fast and furious race got underway with all the cars lapping under 7 seconds with just a few hundredth of seconds difference. It was a fight to the finish, David Simpson winning, Mike second and Richard Parker third. See the results page for the overall positions.
Clubnight 29th March
A testing track design with fast open sections and several tight bends put getting the right line at a premium. David Simpson set the pace in round one, Richard Parker was on fire in round two moving up to second fastest qualifying position. Unfortunately he was literally on fire in round three when his motor expired in a blue haze, which meant a spare motor for the final, Mike Simpson put in a fine performance in round three to take pole in the “A” final with 43 laps which proved to be the best of the evening.
The “C” final was very closely contested with all the drivers on the same laps for several minutes before it turned into a race between Callum Sissons and Cameron Summers. The final positions were winner Callum 26 laps, second Cameron 24 laps and third Alwyn Hodges on 21 laps.
The “B” final was uneventful following the early exit by Michelle Snowden, Alex Barry had a runaway victory with 37 laps ahead of Glyn Butlin 29 and Louis Parker 22.
The “A” final saw the six fastest driver together, places changed several times throughout the race with David Simpson winning, Mike Simpson second and Richard Parker third.
Don’t forget it is round two of the superleague next week, Tuesday 5th April.
Winter league Final Results
David Statham returned to mardave racing and after a steady start soon regained his old form, going on to take the fastest qualifier spot and win the “A” final. In the qualifying heats it was a case of the three Ds, David Statham, David Simpson and Daniel Williams taking the top three places well ahead of the rest of the field. In division 2 Tom Wright put in an excellent performance to secure a place in the “A” final, Alex Barry and Michelle Snowden were second and third fastest.
The “C” final was a very close race between Louis Parker, Kevin Flamson and Callum Sisson, Louis managed to hold on to a slender lead despite pressure from Kevin to win, both drivers having completed 33 laps. Callum was third with 32 laps.
The “B” final saw an unusual combination of drivers with a below par performance in the qualifying from Robert Hambridge. He did not have things all his own way however with Alex Barry challenging for the lead for most of the race. In the end Robert won with 46 laps, Alex second with 45 and Michelle Snowden third on 41 laps. Glyn Butlin also had a good drive to finish fourth with 36 laps.
The “A” final promised to be a great race, with the grid very close to the first bend there were a few minor collisions before the race settled down at a furious pace. David Simpson was an early casualty leaving David Statham, Daniel Williams and Mike Simpson to battle it out for the six minutes. With David leading Mike and Daniel fought it out for second place, with fortunes changing throughout the race Mike eventually got the upper hand to take second place and Daniel third, both on 51 laps one behind the winner David Statham.
The final league positions were:-
Division 1 Division 2
Winner Mike Simpson 312 points Tom Wright 309 points
Second Daniel Williams 284 points Michelle Snowden 299 points
Third Richard Parker 278 points Craig Foster 280 points
Fourth Rob Hambridge 270 points Louis Parker 259 points
Winter league Round 9 – Daniel puts on a dazzling display
The penultimate round of the winter league on a very tight circuit saw Daniel Williams in devastating form leaving everyone else trailing to battle for second place. After the qualifying heats Daniel completed 39 laps with Mike Simpson and Richard Parker both on 38 followed by Robert Hambridge with 37. In division 2 Craig Foster set the pace with 34 laps, Michelle Snowden and Tom Wright both scored 33.
The “C” Final saw Louis Parker winning with a good performance on 26 laps, Kevin Flamson was second with 24 and Alwyn Hodges third with 23 lap.
In the “B” Final Craig had another good drive from pole position to win the race on 34 laps, it was very close for second and third, Tom Wright just beat Michelle Snowden to the finishing line, both drivers with 33 laps.
The last race of the evening was the “A” Final and Daniel Williams had a comfortable win from pole position on the grid, it was very close for second place with Mike Simpson finishing just ahead of Robert Hambridge two laps down.
Next week is the final round of the winter league, there will be trophies for the top three drivers in each division, so with the best eight from a possible ten rounds scores to count it will go down to the wire and I am sure it will be a very entertaining evening.
Winter league Round 8
Another very competitive evenings racing saw Mike Simpson extend his lead in division 1 ahead of Daniel Williams and Lee Bishop. David Simpson for the second consecutive round took maximum points, being fastest qualifier and winning the “A” Final. Craig Foster was the fastest qualifier in division 2 but a poor result in the final meant he lost ground on the leaders. Michelle Snowden had an excellent drive in the final to make up 2 points on the league leader Tom Wright. There are just two rounds remaining, the final round being on 22nd March. See latest results page for current league positions.
Anti-Clockwise racing 1st March
To give a break from the league, this week everyone raced around the track in the opposite direction to normal. It always seems quite strange but you soon adjust. Lee Bishop was again the man to beat winning all three qualifying heats, it was very competitive with Fabien Gayraud at top speed after three weeks break from racing.
In the “A” final it was a case of experience winning through as Mike Simpson put in the best run of the evening to win with 60 laps. Lee was close behind on 59 laps and Fabien third with 54 setting the fastest lap of 5.46 seconds along the way.
The “B” final saw a Chris Snowden victory with 53 laps ahead of Michelle Snowden with 51 and Tom Wright on the same lap.
Daniel Williams found himself in the “C” final after mechanical problems in each of the three heats. He had an easy win with 44 laps ahead of his dad Alun with 36 and Glyn Butlin 32.
Remember it is back to the league next week, there are only three rounds remaining.
Winter league Round 7 – Team Simpson forge ahead
Just when everyone thought that racing could not get any more exciting along came round 7 of the league. An indication of how evenly the top drivers are matched is that during the previous six rounds nobody in division 1 had managed to take maximum points. In the qualifying David Simpson was the quickest setting the evenings best of 57 laps followed by Mike Simpson 56 and Lee Bishop 55. In division 2 Tom Wright was again fastest qualifier on 49 laps followed by Michelle Snowden 48 and Alex Barry 47.
The “C” final was won by Johnny Hall on 36 laps after sorting out a few teething problems with his new car. Alun Williams had a steady drive to take second place on the same laps (better watch out Daniel) and Cameron Summers was third with 30.
The “B” final was fast and furious, Michelle took an early lead but Alex eventually built up a comfortable lead to win with 50 laps, Craig was second on 48 and Michelle third with 47.
The focus was now on the “A” final, David Simpson got a clean start from pole position with all the other drivers following in close pursuit. There were a few spills on the way but David held on to his lead to win completing 56 laps. It was incredibly close for the other places with positions changing several times during the race, in the end Mike was second, Daniel who set the fastest lap of the evening third and Lee Bishop Fourth, all on 55 laps with just 2.34 seconds separating them all – what a race!!
Winter league Round 6 – Daniel Finally hits the top
Daniel Williams had an excellent drive setting the fastest lap of the evening on his way to winning a very competitive “A” final after starting in second place on the grid behind Mike Simpson who finished in second place ahead of Richard Parker who was third. The “B” final saw another win by Tom Wright who took maximum points in division 2 after also being fastest qualifier, Alex Barry was second and Craig Foster third. In the “C” final Louis Parker had another comfortable win with Glyn Butlin second and Callum Sisson third. There are now just four more rounds of the league remaining, see the results page for the current position.
Super league 2011 Round 1 – David Simpson on form
The first of six rounds of the super league was held on Tuesday 8th February, again a very competitive evening with most of the races going down to the wire. David Simpson had splashed out on a new body shell complete with a new set of tyres and was in devastating form being three laps clear of the field in the qualifying to take pole position in the “A” final. Robert Hambridge was again very quick to be second and Mike Simpson third. In division 2 Tom Wright was fastest ahead of Michelle Snowden and Alex Barry. Ben Petchey also did well to take pole in the “C” final ahead of Jennie Petchey and Alwyn Hodges.
The “C” final saw a comfortable win for Craig Foster with Louis Parker second and Alwyn third. The “B” final was a much closer thing with Tom and Michelle fighting it out for the lead, Tom won the race with Michelle a lap down, Craig finished in third.
The last race of the evening was the “A” final, David Simpson and Robert Hambridge set a very fast pace and there was little difference between all of the six drivers. With everybody dicing for position at speed and just a few inches apart there was little room for driver error. David eventually pulled out a lead and won on 62 laps with Robert and Mike second and third on 61 laps. Once again Daniel Williams set the fastest lap time being 6/100th second quicker than David.
So in division 1 David Simpson leads with a maximum 41 points, Robert second 38 and Mike third 36. In division 2 Tom Wright has 41 points, Michelle 38 with both Alex and Craig on 35.
With five more rounds remaining, one being held every two months there is a long way to go win a trophy.
WINTER LEAGUE ROUND 5 – Rob has a flying final, Mike the new League leader
A much more twisty and tight track layout for this round resulted in slower lap times and precision driving required to overtake. In division 1 Mike Simpson was the fastest qualifier after a good drive in round three, David Simpson second and the ever-improving Richard Parker third. Lee Bishop the league leader was having a poor evening and could only manage fifth place qualifier. In division 2 Fabien Gayraud was very fast and took pole position ahead of Michelle Snowden and Tom Wright.
The finals were next, in the “C” final Craig Foster had an easy win four laps ahead of Louis Parker who had to run the last minute with a wheel missing, Alwyn Hodges was third and Ben Petchey fourth.
The “B” final promised to be an exciting race with the lead changing hands several times, Fabien eventually got the upper hand to pull out a two lap lead from Tom Wright. The battle was then for third place between Michelle, Daniel and Alex Barry. All of these drivers finished on 40 laps with just 4 seconds separating them, the finishing order being Michelle, Daniel and Alex. This meant there was no change to the division 2 leaders, Tom remaining a single point ahead of Michelle.
The “A” final got off to a clean start with Mike Simpson making the most of his pole position and taking an early lead. Robert Hambridge was by far the fastest on the track and overtook everyone to win the race. Lee Bishop put in an excellent performance during the second half of the race to pip Mike Simpson for second place. The results for the evening meant a big change at the top of the league with Mike now having a three point advantage over Lee in second place at the half way point of the league.
Next week it is the super-league 2011 round 1, the best 5 of 6 rounds throughout the year to count.
WINTER LEAGUE ROUND 4 – Daniel sets the fastest lap
Another very fast and flowing track layout saw the most competitive racing of the year so far. In division 1 Lee Bishop was determined to retain the lead in the league but Mike Simpson won the first qualifying round, however Lee was on top form and won both rounds 2 and 3 to take pole once again in the final. Heat 2 saw a very fast Fabien Gayraud at one point setting the fastest lap time of the evening, Michelle Snowden was very quick in round 3 to take pole position ahead of Tom Wright and Fabien. In heat 3 Mathew Stones and Alex Barry were both on form, Mathew eventually getting the upper hand in round 3 ahead of Alex and Alwyn Hodges. The fastest lap time went to Daniel Williams with 5.85 seconds, just 1/100th of a second ahead of Robert Hambridge.
The first final was the “C”, this soon became a two horse race between Mathew Stones and Alex Barry, the lead changed over several times before Alex built up a lead to win by two laps from Mathew with Alwyn taking third spot.
In the “B” final Fabien was flying – literally some times, Michelle was going well until a mechanical failure brought her car to a standstill. This left Fabien, Tom and Craig to battle for the lead. Tom was the winner, Fabien second and Craig third.
This means that Tom replaces Michelle as the leader of league division 2 taking a 1 point lead on 150 with six rounds still remaining.
The last race of the evening was the “A” final and was certainly worth waiting for. Richard Parker got off to a great start and set a very fast pace, Mike Simpson and Lee Bishop both struggled to keep up whilst Daniel Williams was lapping very quickly until a battery failure brought his race to an abrupt end. With the finals being 8 minutes duration things were getting very close, Richard was going well and held onto his lead until less than one minute from the end when Mike Simpson went into the lead and took the chequered flag. What a fantastic race, the result being Mike first, Richard second and Lee Bishop third all on 72 laps with just 4 seconds between them. This meant the Lee continues to lead the league just 1 point ahead of Mike.
WINTER LEAGUE ROUND 3 – LEE BISHOPS LEAD CUT TO 1 POINT
What an evenings racing, the track was very fast but had a tricky section which demanded total concentration to avoid loosing a lot of time. In the top heat all the cars were very evenly matched, Rob Hambridge stormed to a win in round 1, Lee Bishop took round 2 and Mike Simpson was the winner of round 3 also setting the best qualifying time to take pole position in the final. In heat 2 Fabien Gayraud was flying after a few set up tips from Rob on adjusting his cars ride height, Tom Wright also put in a good performance. In heat 3 Ben Petchey was the fastest ahead of Alwyn Hodges and Jennie Petchey.
Onto the finals, Louis Parker had an easy win in the “C” final, Ben was second ahead of Alwyn and Jennie – obviously no team orders in the Petchie family!
The “B” final was fast and furious, Craig Foster took and early lead but Fabien was the eventual winner with Michelle a close second and Tom third.
All that remained was the “A” final, this was an excellent race with all of the drivers putting in very fast lap times. David Simpson looked to have the race sewn up until 20 seconds from the end when his battery came adrift following a shunt. This let Lee Bishop into the lead and he won with Mike Second with David third.
The league points are now very interesting, Lee Bishop still leads with 119 points, Mike Simpson second 118 points and both Robert Hambridge and Daniel Williams 100.
Michelle Snowden continues to lead division 2 with 114 points, Tom Wright has 111 and Louis Parker 100.
WINTER LEAGUE 2011
The new racing season has go into full swing with two rounds of the winter league series already completed. Lee Bishop has continued his run of form taking 40 points from each of the rounds to lead division 1 on a total of 80 points. Hot on his heels winning both of the finals is Mike Simpson with 78 points, Robert Hambridge is in third place on 68. With very little between the top six drivers this has the makings of a very competitive league, we will have to wait and see who is the winner after the final round 10.
Michelle Snowden had a fantastic drive in round 2, being both fastest qualifier and winning the “B” final to take the second maximum 41 points of the competition. She leads division 2 with 77 points ahead of round 1 leader Alex Barry and Tom Wright both on 74 points.