Report by Chris & David Whiting
Heat 1 started with 815 Tom Castle spinning 245 Eric Curtis into 386 Marcus Gridley down the home straight. 123 Steve Saw led from 70 Julian Beaumont and 295 Ashley Wallace, the latter moving through into the lead. 98 Niki Jarvis shoved through to second, before the race settled down. On the penultimate lap, 295 Wallace spun the backmarking 38 Tom Allen aside off turn 4, 98 Jarvis then putting in the bumper into the last bend to send Wallace wide, but he rode it out to stay ahead for the win. The backmarking 558 Robert Haines spun 70 Beaumont over the line as he claimed third.
320 Luke Hardy fenced 74 Patrick Mulroe early in the second heat, with 352 Ben Mynott leading. 84 Jack Ansell stuffed 414 Jimmy Craig into the end of the infield banking into turn 1, as 437 Daniel Greener took over the lead. 121 Junior Messham then heavily fenced 227 Josh Lee on turn 1, with 474 Michael Kent and 400 Lee Kingsnorth crashing in behind, the red flags coming out to check on 227 Lee, who quickly got out of his car before collapsing. We understand he has broken his leg, and we wish him a speedy recovery. 437 Greener led the restart from 441 Joe Parker and 352 Mynott, 354 Josh Vowden coming up the order before dishing out a successful last bender to 437 Greener to take victory.
307 Martin Kent and 400 Kingsnorth sandwiched 121 Messham into turn 1 as the Gold Rush Final got underway, as 558 Haines spun 146 Dan Wigman on the home straight. 400 Kingsnorth dished out a hit to 121 Messham, who then took further hits as 245 Curtis went round the outside of a spinning 320 Hardy and tipped onto two wheels round turn 1. The red flags came out as 121 Messham had shed a wheel, 70 Beaumont leading 41 Dale Fairless and 357 Jason Barrow for the restart. 385 Craig Thurlow spun 38 Allen on turn 1, as 444 Charlie Jackson went on opposite on turn 4 to collect 351 Adrian Martins. 41 Fairless ran into 444 Jackson soon after, before 558 Haines followed in 213 Ricky Smith on turn 1. 146 Wigman went on opposite to head-on 558 Haines on turn 4, 141 Jake Stewart also going on opposite to attack 383 Ashley Durrant on turn 4 just as he was trying to spin the still leading 70 Beaumont, who went on to take the chequered.
The Dash for Cash saw a three-abreast clutch start, with 400 Kingsnorth half spinning in a turn 2 melee. 123 Saw took an early lead, as 383 Durrant spun 307 Kent into the back straight fence. 474 Kent followed in 245 Curtis on turn 3 and into the already fenced 38 Allen. 405 Shane Tilley hooked out 123 Saw on the home straight, 98 Jarvis taking over the lead, as 307 Kent attacked 121 Messham on the infield. 98 Jarvis was never headed and went on to take the win.
Results
Heat 1 (22 cars): 295, 98, 70, 385, 405, 191, 123, 41, 438, 141. Entertainer: 98.
Heat 2 (21 cars): 354, 437, 441, 474, 74, 320, 409, 383, 444, 471. Entertainer: 121.
Gold Rush Final (37 cars): 70, 98, 385, 438, 123, 441, 295, 437, 405, 400. Entertainers: 474, 558.
Dash for Cash (26 cars): 98, 385, 191, 141, 438, 354, 815, 383, 123, 41. Entertainers: 405, 474.
