REWRITING ONTHESHORTOVALS T

Championsandtitlewinnersthrilledthroughout2017. Grahambrown and Colincasserley lookback hey might only be a maximum of a quarter of a mile, but the action on the short ovals throughout the season just finished was superb, as usual. From BRISCA F1 to Nati

In National Hot Rod racing the points championship really is a game of two halves. Perhaps uniquely in the world of motorsport, due to the World Series also determining who will qualify for each season’s World Final, the battle to be points champion always spans two years.

Points garnering commences directly after each year’s big July race and ends shortly before the next. The problem for the leading lights is that the grids are based on reversed average scores, so they start each new season near the back of the field, allowing those starting at the front to capitalise initially.

Unusually, the start of the 2016/17 campaign at Aldershot featured Chris Haird using a depressed grid position to end the day second in the table to the first hare to show, Paul Gomm. Haird’s eventual challenger, Kym Weaver, languished in ninth spot.

But by round four it was beginning to look like a straight Haird-weaver duel, although Colin Smith, Dick Hillard, Jason Kew and particularly, Billy Wood, all challenged at different times. In the end Haird led all the way until Hednesford’s round 12 when motor troubles finally let Weaver leapfrog him. Haird struck back, taking the final at Aldershot to put him just 10 points adrift with everything to play for at Hednesford’s last round, the situation further complicated by each driver having to drop two scores along the way.

Unfortunately, in the run up to the last meeting Haird fell ill, so instead of trying to win his sixth points title, he spent the day in hospital instead, allowing Weaver to take his second English championship (he won it in 2014/15 too) unopposed.

Mind you, if the fight was tight in England, Northern Ireland made it look like a walk in the park. There Derek Martin’s early lead was gradually eroded until, by close of play, any one of five drivers could have taken the title and a mere three points covered first through to fifth, Shane Murray accepting the laurels by a single point.

The going wasn’t so tough in the Republic of Ireland or Scotland, where Dave Casey and Ian Donaldson were the respective victors.

As for the state of play in 2017/8, going into the winter break, Haird has reestablished the status quo in England, while in Northern Ireland Adam Hylands is working hard at avoiding the last chance races at the World Final showpiece for once. Jeff Riordan leads in the Republic with Rob Mcdonald out front in Scotland.

DRIVER

Jeff Hope-davies Brian Hardman Mike Grant Phil Chicken Allan Tapscott Ryan Stutchbury