Lock secures maiden prototype success
SNETTERTON 750MC OCTOBER 6-7
In the absence of Lee Torrie, Richard Stables could have taken the Bikesports Class A championship with two class wins at Snetterton. But he finished a distant second in class in race one to Joe Lock, who took his first prototype win (both in class and overall) in dominant fashion.
“I just tried to get as big a gap as I could at the start and then defend – and luckily I didn’t really have to defend!” said Lock.
“It’s a big step for me; it’s going to be a good stepping stone for every other result I can get next year.”
Stables’ son Joe had already guaranteed the overall and Class B titles but sat out race one after crashing at Coram on the first lap of qualifying. Stables Sr let him take over his car for race two, now in teeming rain. Plenty of cars, including Lock’s, left the track, and the race was eventually stopped when Richard Hardie went off at Riches. Aaron Bailey was leading at the time, with Stables running second.
“[It was my] first weekend of actually going off and hitting the wall,” Stables Jr said of his qualifying shunt. “Luckily it was the end of the season and I’ve already won the championship, so I’m not too bothered apart from the damage. My dad didn’t want to go out in the wet so he thought he’d give me a shot.”
Ben Rushworth in effect had his Hot Hatch Class A title confirmed in advance when Alistair Camp entered a Class B machine. That meant Rushworth was almost certain to score enough points to keep him ahead of Steve Sawley.
The driveshaft on Rushworth’s Honda Integra failed on the first lap of qualifying but, starting the race from the back in sodden conditions, he snatched the lead within two laps and maintained it. Class C’s Michael Winkworth secured the overall title with a class win, while Rodren Vella clinched the Class B championship. Rushworth also won the dry race two the following day.
Lee Scott in his Ford Fiesta settled the three-way Classic Stock Hatch championship battle in his favour by winning a frenzied race one ahead of title rival Matt Rozier’s Peugeot 205. It was also Scott’s first win of the season. The third title contender, Marcus Ward, had an eventful run to sixth, but consoled himself by holding off Rozier for victory in race two.
Shaun Traynor only needed to follow rival Ben Rowe home in both races for the MR2 title but beat him in both. He won race one while Rowe – struggling with meagre rear brake pads – was penalised post-race for contact, dropping from third to sixth. Then Traynor passed Rowe on race two’s final lap to finish second behind Paul Cook.
Ben Short had a triumphant MX-5 Cup return with three wins, the first in the wet and the final after starting seventh on a reversed grid. Paul Maguire secured the overall championship.
Matthew Booth took his MK Indy RR to a fifth Sport Specials win of the year in race one, while Lee Emm in his Locost 7 confirmed the overall title with Class B victory. Rob Johnston clinched the Class A title with sixth in race two, despite losing several places on lap one when he heard a strange noise and thought his engine had blown. Tom Griffiths, in a Tiger R10, beat Booth to the race win.
Graham Crowhurst took an astonishing M3 Cup race win in the wet, rising from the back after spinning at the first corner, then lapping seven seconds faster than anyone
else on lap two. His win meant Tom Coller secured the championship, despite stopping on lap one with a bent steering arm. Coller then took his first win of the season in an even wetter race two, making his own comeback after stalling at the start.
Michael Price and Marcus Clutton (Porsche 997S) won the 45-minute Roadsports race, benefiting from making their pitstop under the safety car.
David Heasman pipped David Kempton on the line by a mere 0.02s to win the first BMW Car Club Racing contest. Heasman won race two as well, holding off Michael Cutt who had risen from the back.
Russell Mccarthy clinched the overall BCV8 title. He won the dry first race, then won Class D in a sodden race two in which the Class C cars proved better suited to the conditions. That race was won by Jordan Spencer.