REDS ROLL OVER SWISS

...BUT HOME WOE FOR PEP

Seven pages of Champions League action

ROCHDALE’S Stuart Smith Jnr continued his family’s grip on the BriSCA F1 stock car title by winning the World Final at Skegness Raceway.

It’s the 36-year-old’s second victory in the sport’s biggest race after an 11-year gap, having first won the title in 2007 at King’s Lynn.

Smith Jnr is the second son of the legendary Stuart Smith, widely acknowledged as the sport’s greatest-ever driver, who won the World Championship six times between 1969 and 1985.

Smith’s first son, Andy, also won the title five times between 1984 and 2010.

The Rochdale star began the race on pole position and got the perfect start to take the lead into the first bend.

Smith Jnr was initially pushed wide by fellow front-row starter Lee Fairhurst, from Bolton, allowing Altrincham-based Tom Harris to briefly lead into turn three, but Harris was then piled into the Armco by Fairhurst.

Dan Johnson then took over at the front of the pack but Smith Jnr moved him wide half a lap later and took a lead he was never to relinquish to the chequered flag.

“I knew we had the car thereabouts,” said Smith Jnr.

“I felt pretty emotional after I had won. It had been ten years of thinking I’ve got to wait another year to have a go at winning it!”