GILBANK GETS BACK TO WINNING WAYS AS BRISCA F1 BATTLES BEGIN AGAIN
Mark Gilbank sat out the Covidshortened 2020 season but he marked his return to racing with a win at the opening BriSCA F1 meeting of the year at King’s Lynn on Sunday.
Gilbank has now won four finals at the Norfolk track and his first was in April 1994.
An opening-lap pile-up took out many of the fancied runners and allowed Willie Skoyles Jr to grab the lead.
Gilbank, who had avoided the early skirmishes, began to close in on the race leader and made his move shortly after a mid-race restart.
Dan Johnson and Tom Harris zeroed in on the leader but Gilbank held on for the victory despite a last-bend attack from Johnson.
The winner said: “The car was good. I run a big-block engine and I have proved you don’t need a small block, all you need to do is concentrate on the package. I must be doing something right to beat Johnson and Harris. I had a big crash here in 2019, so it is good to be back and good to see the fans back too.”
Johnson, who had earlier won his heat race, said: “We altered the brakes after the heat, the car was going well when the track was wet but when it dried it was rubbish.
“I knew Tom Harris was behind me so didn’t want to take myself out of the race on the last bend, for the first race of the year I am happy with second place.”
Organiser: Trackstar: When: May 22 Where: King’s Lynn Starters: 66
1 Mark Gilbank; 2 Dan Johnson; 3 Tom Harris;
4 Ryan Harrison; 5 Willie Skoyles Jr; 6 James Morris;
7 Lee Fairhurst; 8 Mal Brown; 9 Austin Moore;
10 Paul Hines