BRISCA F1 Speak ends his barren spell

BRISCA F1: Skegness

Organiser: Skegness Stadium Where: When: July 10 Starters: 39

It’s often thought, in stock car circles, that the world champion has a jinx while he carries the gold roof signifying that he is the champion.

It is certainly true that Rob Speak, the current world title holder, has had more than his fair share of bad luck this season. He managed to break his unlucky streak by winning the final at Skegness on Sunday in dominant style.

Polesitter Mark Gray took the early lead but behind him Speak was forcing his way through the field from his grid 23 starting spot. Just after the halfway point, he moved into the lead and was never seriously challenged.

Tom Harris made a late surge to come home in second place just ahead of Lee Fairhurst.

Speak said: “This is the first final I have won as world champion: I was beginning to think I was not going to win one. But the car was on rails today.”

Harris, who has won two finals in the wet in recent weeks – including Saturday night’s preliminary final – has been driving Speak’s old car while he builds a new one.

Third place man Fairhurst said: “We have missed the set-up in recent weeks, but we were a little better today. We have been working on the car all weekend and we are getting it back to how it was. Third is better than nothing. We will work on the car during the week and hopefully we will be back on the pace at the European Championship next week at Northampton Raceway.”