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With a long range weather forecast for heavy rain throughout the weekend I think everyone was wondering just what the fifth round of the 1/8th championship at the Halifax circuit would hold in store for us. As it turned out Saturday was a warm sunny and mercifully dry day. The track seemed to be busy all day as drivers looked for a suitable set up.
Following drivers briefing on Sunday morning race director for the weekend Bev Walton had free practice and the meeting underway nice and early as I think it was a case of when, and not if the rain arrived. Heat one was a race of newcomers with Mathew Li’s 15/306 and Neil Maliks 15/314, that was followed in heat two by Jason Thompson’s 16/305.James Connelly managed a 18/301 in heat three whilst Chris Edwards 19/312 in heat four looked good enough for the A main. Heat five saw six drivers break into the 19 lap bracket with Tim Wood’s 19/300.1 being the quickest. With all the drivers who had failed to record a respectable time hoping the rain held off we were into round two. Mathew Li lifted his heat one time to a 17/303 whilst again in heat two Jason Thompson’s 17/314 was the best on offer. James Connelly’s 19/302 in heat three would book him an A main spot, whilst heat fours efforts were spoiled by light rain beginning to fall just before the end of the heat. Dave Dixon was the only driver to go out in heat five on a damp track. The rain stopped and it dried considerably between rounds two and three, Mathew Li used that to his advantage by recording an 18/302 a time good enough for the A main. It didn’t stop dry long as the rain came back yet again effectively ending qualifying for the day. With all the finals being run in the wet Chris daft won the D final on 36 laps, whilst Lee Wakelin won the C final by two seconds from Ross Simmons. Scott Nettleton was the B final winner on 51 laps but was chased hard by Matt Baker. Tim Wood led off the A main that developed into a four way battle between Tim Wood, Andy North, John Carr and Gareth Bell. Andy lost his chance when a wheel temporarily came adrift, whilst John Carr’s race ended late on with engine problems. In the end it was Tim Wood first on 83 laps, Gareth Bell second on 81, and Andy North third on 81.
If you want to do it all again then turn up at the Brookland’s circuit on June 15th, see you there? Phil Carr - PRO
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