Swaffham F2 - 27/09/20

The 12 cars in attendance for Swaffham’s 4^th meeting of the season were greeted with a day of changeable weather, making track conditions tricky all day.  A superb travelling effort from Standlake-based drivers saw 8 of them in attendance; of those 155 Carl Lewis and 534 Tom Stoodley made their first appearances at the track.  2019 Ringwood points champion 72 Chris Langridge made his 2^nd visit of the season and was joined by 211 Chris East on his first 2020 visit away from his home track.  12 Vince Foley and 14 Rob Taylor completed the entry as the only ‘local’ drivers.

12 VINCE FOLEY

14 ROB TAYLOR'S 2ND APPEARANCE OF THE YEAR

With all cars for heat 1 on a wet track, lone white top 185 Jess Webb set the early place ahead of Stoodley and 509 Jordan Butcher.  563 Keith Walding passed 421 Gary Webb into turn 3 before Butcher spun on turn 1, although he was able to quickly recover quickly and only dropped back to 4th. Gary Webb dropped a place to Langridge on turn 4, while a lap later Jess Webb lost the lead to Stoodley after the bumper went in on turn 3.

Langridge continued his progress as he moved Walding wide for 6^th place into turn 1 while 14 Rob Taylor passed Jess Webb around the outside of turn 3 to take 2^nd with 105 Louis Williams then making a move on Butcher on the same corner for 4^th.  Half a lap later and Jess Webb was spun round by Williams on turn 2, forcing those behind to take avoiding action, with Walding going wide allowing Gary Webb to gain on him.

Taylor then spun on the exit of turn 4, bringing out the yellow flags which bizarrely saw the field continue to slowly circle for a couple of laps before the green flag was thrown with cars spread all around the track.  The restart saw Stoodley with a sizeable lead ahead of Williams and Langridge as 856 Paul Webb moved ahead of Walding to claim 6^th.  Webb then put the bumper in on brother Gary on the next bend, moving ahead of him and Butcher for 4^th.

Williams lost 2^nd to Langridge but immediately came back at him as the pair continued to battle and exchange places for several laps.  Taylor retired as Butcher came back at Gary Webb into turn 1, although he didn’t hold the place for long.  Williams finally got a run on Langridge in the battle for 2^nd and then closed in on Stoodley to take the lead on turn 3, with the 72 car following him through ahead of Stoodley as they exited turn 4.

The field spread out over the last couple of laps and this left Williams to come through for his 6^th win of the season ahead of Langridge and Stoodley.

Result: 105, 72, 534, 856, 421, 509, 563, 12

856 PAUL WEBB AMONGST THOSE AWAITING HEAT 2

Heat 2 started with Jess Webb again taking up the early lead as Stoodley passed Butcher for 2^nd and Williams moved ahead of Gary Webb on turn 3, slowing the progress of the 421 car enough to allow Langridge to make a move down the home straight.  Due to the strange pace of the rolling lap, Jess Webb was now lapping the back marking red graders, as she passed Foley and Paul Webb on the opening lap.

Langridge became the leading red as he passed Walding on turn 2 and then caught East on turn 3, with Walding, Williams and Gary Webb also able to gain on the 211 car.  Up front Webb, Stoodley and Butcher now held half a lap over Taylor in 4^th as Walding lost out to Williams and Webb on turn 3.  Langridge passed Taylor for 4^th with the latter then losing 4 places in one corner as the red-top-train came through.

Stoodley then took the lead into turn 1 as Butcher also passed Jess Webb for 2^nd.  Gary Webb made a move on Williams on the same corner, as did Paul Webb on Walding as both gained a place.  A lap later and Langridge snatched 3^rd from Jess Webb as Taylor spun.  Paul Webb then moved ahead of Williams as Langridge got by Butcher for 2^nd and was followed through by Jess Webb, while further down the order Foley passed Walding for 7^th.

With 2 laps remaining East retired and Stoodley’s lead was finally snatched as Langridge made a move for the lead and then held on to come through to take his first win of the season ahead of Stoodley and Jess Webb.  Paul and Gary Webb had a drag race to the line in the battle for 5^th, which the latter just claimed, while Williams was a last lap retirement.

Result: 72, 534, 185, 509, 421, 856, 12, 563

HEAT & FINAL DOUBLE FOR 72 CHRIS LANGRIDGE

10 cars made it back out the final on what was now a reasonably dry track, with Williams and East loading with car trouble.  Jess Webb set off in front but was passed within the opening laps by Stoodley while Walding dropped back as Langridge and then the Webb brothers came through.

A few laps in and Foley passed Walding into turn 1 for 6^th as Stoodley opened up a length-of-the-straight lead out front.  Langridge snatched 3^rd from Butcher on turn 1, spinning Jess Webb out of 2^nd place in the process.  At the half way stage Butcher was still holding 3^rd ahead of Paul and Gary Webb, although the former was to lose out to the 856 car a couple of laps later.

Jess Webb retired as Butcher was then caught by Gary Webb and Foley within a lap as he dropped back to 6^th.  Langridge slowly closed down Stoodley’s lead and finally made a move with 2 laps remaining, while further down the field Walding and Lewis battled over 7^th, with the latter making a couple of attempts to come through but in the end not managing to make it stick.  Langridge came through unchallenged in the final lap as he took his 2^nd win of the day ahead of Stoodley – who had made an impressive track debut - and Paul Webb in 3rd.

Result: 72, 534, 856, 421, 12, 509, 563, 155