The

UK Cup

The first major event of the Long circuit season kicked off a Cadwell Park. Championship points were available for all classes and like a carrot dangling at the end of a rope, The winner of the last race of the day would be crowned The UK Cup Champion.

Sporadic bright sunshine throughout the meeting enhanced an otherwise cold and windy day. An amazing list of entrants were spread out in the programme, no less than 17! Yes 17! F210 Nationals, A combined list of 32 in the F125 class looked very impressive out on circuit and with both the National and International class entries both near to 40 long circuit is beginning to look a little healthier than the last couple of years

First final of the day was F210 National. Welshman, Charles Morris had cruised home to victory in the two earlier races and at he started the final were he had finished the last heat. He was first into the hairpin and from there he gradually built himself a massive lead taking an unchallenged victory 10 laps later, Lionel Siffleet and Igor Ashwel briefly battled for 2^nd but both would succumb to mechanical failure, Siffleet on lap 4, Ashwell on lap 7. This promoted Simon Bateman into 2^nd with Phil Wymark a very distant 3^rd, a race long scrap for what would be 4^th between Ian Reeves, Simon Quance, Tim Woodward and Rob Perkins, kept the crowd entertained and it was Quance who led them over the line just ahead of Woodward.

Dave Morris was the only competitor left to contest the Europa, UK Cup and he scooped the title after completing the race distance, racing in with the 210`s. An engine problem had sidelined Charles Long and Bruce Crawley, whilst a big off in his second race put paid to Dave Horsley`s event.

Healthier grids in 125 makes for much healthier racing. Open and National in both Long and Short circuit trim ran together and put on a great display, the Short circuit drivers giving the Long a real run for their money.  

 The opening two races were very close, Graham Barker had led both, but suffered mechanical failure whilst leading.   Bob Nash eventually scoring two maximums from Carl Hulme, less than half a second separating them on both occasions

Come the final it was Nelson Rowe, making his long circuit debut, who led the field through after the opening lap, then it was Nash followed closely from Robin Kingham, Hulme, Barker, from the back of the grid and Lee Cuming, the rest of the field streaming through. Sadly Ian Finch was the first early retirement. Barker was flying and by the close of the next lap he had moved to the front, but it was not to be and on the run down Mansfield on lap 3 he pulled of the track with a broken motor.                 Nash now took up the roll of race leader, Hulme had pushed Rowe back to 3^rd and these three were easing clear of Kingham in 4^th. Dennis Gale was now 5^th, Richard Hanmer 6^th both having despatched Cuming.

  It was very close up front and over the next two laps it was common place to see all three side by side and it looked likely to go right to the flag. But an incident a Chris Curve necessitated a red flag and this shortened the race to 6 laps, as Nash had led over the line at the end of lap 6 he was deemed race winner, Hulme was next with Rowe, who would take the Open class honours in 3rd.Gale had just edged out Kingham by 0.12s to take 4^th, with Hanmer 6^th, Matthew Gray had come from near the back of the grid to take 7^th with 125 returnee Mark Gillingham 8^th.

 Full grids of 250 Nationals and Internationals gave great entertainment value throughout the day.        In National, The GP plated outfit of Mark Allen had been flying and he had won both of the earlier races. Moving swiftly to the front in the final he looked like taking a comfortable win. Each lap he extended his lead but an excursion on lap 7 whilst avoiding a back-marker dropped him back down the field to 6^th and after making up a little of the ground he lost, would manage to finish 4^th.          Wayne Sandford was the early 2^nd place runner, and he was very busy defending it from Gavin Bennett. Paul Tinker held 4^th from Andrew Walker, Rob McAdam and Tony Moss.                   Walker moved up a place on lap 3 and along with Sandford and Bennett, these three would have a titanic battle for what would eventually be 1^st place. Bennett demoted Sandford on lap 4 with Walker pushing him back a further place on lap 5. Tinker was very busy defending his place from McAdam. Carl Hopkin was tucked in behind McAdam and on lap 6 both he and McAdam pushed Tinker down two places.                                                                                                                                  With a couple of laps left to run and with Allen having dropped back, Walker now moved to the front, Bennett had boldly held on but Walker had slipped past round the back of the circuit. Sandford had dropped back slightly; Hopkin was away back in 4^th closely followed by McAdam and a recovering Allen.

Into the final lap and young Gavin Bennett was hounding Walker and it would take all Walkers experience to fend him off but he did so by the narrowest of margins just 0.35s separating them at the flag.Sandford took 3^rd with Allen managing to claw his way back into 4^th in the closing stages, Hopkin was 5^th with McAdam 6^th.

John Riley and Mark Owens had shared races 1 & 2 in the 250 Internationals. But it was the other front row starter Malcolm Clark who led the field into and out of the hairpin on the opening lap of the final, contact further back ended Chris Hart⦣128;™s aspirations. I also suspect damage later hampered Dave Harvey, out with a puncture, Peter Lazzari was also a casualty but he managed to restart.

By the close of the lap Owens now led, Riley had slotted into 2^nd with Clark back in 3^rd, Phil Martindale was 4^th from Nigel Dace, Malcolm Crowe, Andy Taylor, Mark Cox and Paul Machin.

Riley briefly put his nose in front at the hairpin on lap 2 but Owens quickly regained the lead, no change further back, but Chris Berry was a retirement as was Victor Hempshall both pulling off exiting the hairpin. Over the next three laps Owens and Riley began to ease away from Clark, Crowe had moved past Dace on lap 4 and was pressing Martindale for his place, Taylor was 7^th from Cox and Machin, Stephen McAdam 10^th. Midway through and Riley began to press for the lead, Clark was some 2 seconds adrift of the leading duo, but he had a comfortable advantage over the next place driver, which was Martindale. He now had Crowe harassing him and would succumb to his advances on lap 6. Lap 6 was also when Riley made his move, blasting past Owens he quickly pulled away, eventually taking a comfortable win after building himself a considerable margin of over 2 seconds at the flag, four laps later. In the closing stages Owens was struggling with a spilt fuel tank, but he managed to hang on to 2^nd. Martindale had dropped back after a half spin at the hairpin and this left Crowe to concentrate on catching Clark for 3rd and after some very quick laps he almost nailed him, just 0.17s separating them on the line. Just behind Taylor had squeezed past Dace on the last lap but one, then it was Cox from Machin and McAdam, Andy Bundy completing the top ten.

A rather depleted field of four 250`E`s took to the circuit for the last race of the day and it was Carl Kinsey who completed his hat trick of wins throughout the day, ahead of Tom Stambach, Andy Scott and Mark Ellis.

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