Rob Speak snatches another BRISCA title at the last gasp
Organiser: Startrax Where: Belle Vue, Manchester When: October 30 Starters: 41
The BRISCA F1 season is one of the toughest in motorsport, comprising of 49 meetings and over 250 races on both shale and Tarmac.
It is also one of the most competitive, with 23 different final winners and, going into the National Series Shootout finale, five drivers still had a chance of clinching the title.
Nigel Green was on top of the points table with Rob Speak in second just ahead of Dan Johnson, Frankie Wainman Jr and Tom Harris.
Green was first to make his mark with a third place in heat one, but Wainman Jr and Harris both failed to finish and would have to rely on making the final via the consolation race.
Heat two provided drama when Speak looked to be heading for a race win that would have narrowed Green’s lead but, on the final circuit, he was spun out by Johnson, who was a lap down and seized his opportunity to steal some points from Speak.
Johnson followed up by winning the consolation but Harris and Wainman both had mechanical problems in the race and both failed to transfer to the meeting final, ending their chances of the title.
Going into the final, Green held a slender eight-point advantage over Speak, with Johnson 30 marks behind.
Green’s title hopes were dashed when a mechanical problem forced him to retire midway through the race. Johnson seized his opportunity to close the gap by finishing second, with Speak following him home in third.
With one race left to decide the title, Green’s crew managed to repair the broken propshaft and got into the Grand National.
Knowing his only chance of winning was to eliminate Speak; Green punted Speak into the fence on the first turn, but in doing so took himself into the barrier as well. Speak was able to wriggle his was out of the chaos but Green was unable to select a gear and was forced to retire.
Johnson needed to win to retain his title but could only mange sixth, which handed the title to Speak, who retires at the end of the season as arguably the greatest stock car driver ever with two shoot out titles, two world finals, eight F2 world crowns and 11 F2 points titles. Shootout championship results 1 Rob Speak; 2 Nigel Green; 3 Dan Johnson; 4 Paul Harrison; 5 Mat Newson; 6 Mick Sworder; 7 Frankie Wainman Jr; 8 Tom Harris; 9 Danny Wainman; 10 Lee Fairhurst.