Standlake F2 - 27/02/22

The Standlake 2022 season opener raised a slightly lower than expected entry of 22 cars, with several regulars not making it out in time for the early season start.  Amongst those in attendance there were debut outings for ex-Prod A racer 61 James Watts alongside 245 Kyle Broadway and 255 Joshua Heffer, while 253 Charlie Heffer made his first Standlake appearance following a couple of Swaffham outings last year.

FORMER PROD-A RACER 61 JAMES WATTS DEBUTED THIS SMART CAR

DEBUTANT 255 JOSHUA HEFFER

A NEW CAR FOR STANDLAKE FIRST-TIMER 253 CHARLIE HEFFER

20 cars took to the track for heat 1, with 713 Liam Cornish sadly not making it any further than the pits all day.  Pole sitter 210 Patrick Somerton led the field into turn 1 ahead of 6 Tyler Newman and 7 Josh Cornish.  Newman dropped back to 4^th shortly afterwards as he was passed by Cornish and 623 Rob Dobie on the back straight, before the latter spun into turn 3 and slipped down the order.  This moved 254 Harry Heffer up into 3^rd as he passed 521 Phil Trigg and Newman around turns 3 and 4.

856 Paul Webb was the first red grader to break into the top 10 as he moved 82 Keith Richens wide on turn 3 before 280 Pete Webb dropped back into the clutches of 352 Andy and 421 Gary Webb and found himself out of the places.  Newman was then reeled in by 776 James Trigg and 716 Jim Muckian on turns 1 and 2 as the #6 car slotted into 7^th.  Muckian then made a move on both Triggs on the back straight as he climbed up into 4^th, although James Trigg briefly retook the place before losing it back on the following lap.

Harry Heffer snatched 2^nd from Cornish into turn 1 as Paul Webb moved ahead of Newman for 7^th.  Muckian moved Heffer wide for 2^nd on turn 1, as Cornish was a spinner on turn 2.  This allowed James Trigg up into 3^rd and Paul Webb 4^th as the 254 car dropped to 5^th.  105 Louis Williams gained on Andy Webb for 9^th while Trigg lost 3^rd to Paul Webb and Newman took 5^th from Heffer on the back straight, before regaining a place on Trigg for 4^th.

Somerton’s lead had now stretched out to the length of a straight, before Richens then spun on turn 2 and as the lap boards came out Williams climbed up into 5^th ahead of Newman as James Trigg dropped back down the places before retiring late on.  Williams, Newman and Heffer all swapped places several times within a lap as the trio battled over 4^th place, with Newman briefly gaining the upper hand. 

As Somerton’s lead was gradually eaten away by Muckian, the latter made a pass for the lead with 3 laps remaining on turn 2.  Williams reclaimed 4^th from Newman as Andy Webb retired from 9^th.  Late on Paul Webb was able to reel in Somerton for 2^nd as Gary Webb passed Pete Webb for 6^th.  Muckian’s lead was comfortable however and he came through to open his account for the season ahead of Paul Webb and Somerton.

Result: 716, 856, 210, 105, 6, 421, 280, 521, 82, 623

HEAT 1 WIN FOR 716 JIM MUCKIAN

CLUTCH PROBLEMS FOR 210 PATRICK SOMERTON
& FRONT END DAMAGE FOR 776 JAMES TRIGG AFTER HEAT 1

Heat 2 again raised 20 cars and this time Newman took the early lead ahead of Charlie Heffer and 542 Martin Chant.  Harry Heffer was an early spinner on turn 4 as Dobie moved ahead of 321 Maisie Emms on turn 3 and Joshua Heffer gained on Josh Cornish into turn 1.

Phil Trigg moved up into 2^nd as he passed Chant and Charlie Heffer, the latter slipping back to 4^th behind the 542 car as Dobie gained on Watts for 7^th.  Joshua and Charlie Heffer swapped places on turn 2, although both were then passed by Cornish later in the lap.  Pete Webb reeled in Dobie on turn 3 to take 7^th place as Chant snatched 2^nd from Phil Trigg on the exit of turn 2.  Webb continued his progress as he gained on Charlie Heffer down the back straight and Jess Webb passed Dobie into turn 1.

Richens then spun on the home straight as Watts moved up ahead of Cornish into 4^th and Paul Webb picked off Charlie Heffer to slot into 8^th.  Cornish then lost out to Pete Webb on turn 2 as Jess and Gary Webb exchanged positions, the latter also dropping back behind Williams as the 105 car made a move into turn 1.  Watts’ progress continued as he passed Phil Trigg for 3^rd, the latter spinning onto the infield shortly afterwards while James Trigg claimed 10^th from Gary Webb.

Out front Newman was now making his way through lapped traffic as his lead extended out to almost half a lap.  Watts moved into 2^nd as he dived under Chant on turn 2 and Cornish lost 3^rd to Paul Webb on the same corner.  Williams outpaced Pete Webb on the back straight for 6^th while Cornish made a move and retook the position from Paul Webb as the pair exited turn 4.  Richens spun for the 2^nd time as he got caught in the Cornish/Webb battle, the 856 car being slowly briefly which allowed Williams up into 4^th.

Gary Webb has managed to climb up several places in amongst all this and he was next to challenge Paul Webb and took 5^th as Cornish dropped back slightly and found himself in 8^th behind James Trigg.  Chant lost 3^rd to Williams on the exit of turn 2 as Gary Webb came under attack from Paul Webb and James Trigg on turn 3, dropping him to 7^th as the 3 lap board came out.  Jess Webb was another spinner as she ended up on the infield at turn 2, while Chant slipped to 5^th behind Paul Webb and Muckian passed Pete Webb for 9^th further down the field.

On the final lap Chant collected an infield tyre as he battled with James Trigg over 5^th place, which dropped him out of the race.  Cornish made a late move for 6^th passing Gary Webb while Newman came round to take the flag and what was a very large winning margin for his first ever win; such had been his pace, only 7 cars remaining on the lead lap.  Watts held on for 2^nd ahead of Williams in 3^rd.  Cornish’s meeting was to end as he crossed the line, suffering a blown engine after what had been his best finish in an F2 to date.

Result: 6, 61, 105, 856, 776, 7, 421, 716, 280, 521

A FIRST EVER WIN FOR 6 TYLER NEWMAN IN HEAT 2

The 19-car final saw pole-sitter Watts take the lead into turn 1 ahead of Newman and Chant as Dobie passed Emms into the same corner for 5^th.  Chant claimed 2^nd from Newman, passing the #6 car around the outside, before taking to the front with a move on Watts into turn 1.  Phil Trigg moved underneath Newman on turn 2 for 3^rd, the pair then coming under attack from Dobie who passed both down the back straight.

James Trigg passed Pete Webb into turn 1 to move into 7th, the latter also losing out to Muckian on turn 2.  Up front Watts retook the lead from Chant on turn 3 as Pete and Paul Webb exchanged places for 9^th.  Emms lost 6^th to James Trigg into turn 1 as Paul Webb passed Muckian on the back straight to sit 8^th.  Trigg then passed Dobie for 5^th as Muckian dived underneath Emms on the home straight and the 623 car came under attack from the chasing red grade, as Paul and Gary Webb along with Muckian made moves through.

Newman bested Chant for 2^nd, the latter then finding himself passed by Phil and James Trigg on turn 3 although James slowed after this and retired soon afterwards.  Paul Webb then claimed 4^th from Chant on turn 2 before reeling in Phil Trigg on the back straight to sit 3^rd.  Williams passed Pete Webb for 6^th as Harry Heffer spun on turn 4, before Chant the lost out to Williams on turn 2.  Emms spun across the start line and left Broadway with nowhere to go other than straight into the side of the 321 car, bringing out the red flags.

As the green flag dropped on the restart with 8 laps remaining, several were slow away – Newman lost 3 places in quick succession as Paul Webb came through for 2^nd with Gary Webb 3^rd.  As the next lap started, Watts lost the lead to Paul Webb on turn 2 while Andy Webb and Muckian gained on Chant for 6^th and 7^th respectively.  Williams was next to make a move on Watts into turn 3, which left the 61 car under attack from Gary and Andy Webb and Newman behind him as he dropped down to 6^th.

Muckian then picked off Newman before passing Andy Webb on the back straight, but immediately came back under attack from the pair who retook their places as the group came around turns 3 and 4.  Jess Webb moved Chant wide for 10^th into turn 3 as Muckian again passed Newman on the back straight and this time made it stick.

With 3 laps remaining Gary Webb snatched 2^nd from Williams on turn 2, who then slowed and pulled on to the infield out of the race.  This allowed Andy Webb to inherit 3^rd as Watts spun on the exit of turn 4, before Muckian continued his progress as he reeled in Andy Webb in the closing stages to snatch 3^rd. 

Paul Webb retained a comfortable lead to come through for his first win of the season ahead of Gary Webb and Muckian, while behind them Harry Heffer gained on Newman to slot into 5^th as Pete Webb spun on the last corner and dropped out of the top 10, while Jess Webb moved ahead of Newman and Richens claimed 8^th from Chant right at the end.

Result: 856, 421, 716, 352, 254, 185, 6, 82, 542, 253

 

A slightly depleted field of 15 cars made it out for the Grand National which started with Charlie Heffer leading the field into turn 1, although his lead was short lived as Newman was able to dive underneath on the exit of turn 2 and take over at the front.  Heffer then dropped to 3^rd by turn 3 as Chant moved up into 2^nd, while Harry Heffer jumped to 4^th as he reeled in Dobie and Watts on the same corner.

Harry and Charlie Heffer then swapped places for 3^rd on turn 4 as Watts got back ahead of Dobie on turn 3 just behind them., with the latter then losing out to James Trigg on turn 4 for 5^th.  Trigg then bested Watts a lap later as Jess Webb moved ahead of Dobie on the back straight.  Charlie Heffer lost 3^rd to Trigg on turn 2 and Jess Webb reeled in Watts and Williams moved Dobie wide on turn 3.

Harry Heffer took 2^nd from Chant while the 253 car found himself stuck on the outside line as first Jess Webb and then Watts and Williams were able to come through on turns 3 and 4, to move up to 5^th-7^th respectively.  Andy Webb picked off Dobie on turn 1 for 8^th before Williams gained 6^th from Watts into the first turn.  Chant lost out to Jess Webb and Williams on the back straight as Paul Webb passed Richens for 9^th as he tried to make up ground from the handicap start.

Newman’s lead began to open out at this point as those behind him swapped places.  James Trigg moved Harry Heffer wide for 2^nd on turn 3, leaving the latter open to a move from Jess Webb into turn 1 as she claimed 3^rd spot.  Williams then also gained on the 254 car for 4^th as Gary Webb retired and Richens passed Watts for 7^th.

In the final couple of laps Paul passed Andy Webb for 5^th as Harry Heffer hit a tyre on turn 1 and dropped outside the top 10.  No one could get anywhere near Newman however, as he came through for his 2^nd win of the day ahead of James Trigg and Jess Webb, who just held off a last bend hit from Williams to hold on for 3^rd.

Result: 6, 776, 185, 105, 856, 352, 82, 61, 280, 623