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Round 11 of the Stock Hatch championship at Mallory Park in the midlands in the middle of a heat wave meant that everyone (myself included) expected baking hot sunshine from dawn 'til dusk.
Qualifying had been dry in all of the sessions, but overcast. Gordon Macmillan managed to lose a rear wheel in his session when the car began to get away from him around the outside of Gerrards and the brake drum snapped off at the wheel bearing. He felt he had to return to the pits because the brakes weren't working properly!
Heat 1 went out to the grid to a chorus of distant thunder, but it was still dry. Darren Blumson got away well from 2nd on the grid, and took a comfortable lead. Behind him, Tom Blamire had also sneaked past pole sitter Roughton who was down to third, ahead of Dave Balding in 4th. The engine in Blumsons car was screaming for mercy as he held nothing back on the revs, stretching his lead further. David Drinkwater seemed to be recovering well from an earlier off at Gerrards, but would ultimately retire on the last lap. The scrap for the top 6 slots, and a place in the final was hotting up, Howard passed Balding, and then went on to pass Laughton. Dave Balding was clearly giving it his all, braking late for the hairpin to recover ground but would eventually retire with a front wing fouling the front wheel. Just as the rain starts, and Blumson begins to lose some of his big lead, the sky lights up again with more lightning, but Blumson hangs on to take the win from Blamire, Roughton, Howard, Laughton and Pearson.
Race 2, and the track is still dry but the lightning is now providing an impressive light show. Chris Cody had a nightmare start as he slipped back to 4th from his front row qualifying slot, and Pete Morgan moved up to 3rd. Jonathan Howes and James Marshall were taking no prisoners as they took the Esses glued side by side. At mid distance, Roger Neep runs wide at the hairpin, and Simon Hunt takes the lead at the Esses, with Chris Cody through to 2nd briefly before dropping two places to finish just ahead of Mark Aldens new 106. So Hunt won from Neep, Morgan, Cody, Alden and Skinner.
The final was later in the afternoon - after it had rained heavily. As the lights went to green, Paul Taylor got a fantastic start from 5th, and soon found himself facing a choice of slowing down for pole man Felix, or giving someone a nudge. He opted to push Paul McMillan through leaving Felix to wonder what went wrong as he sat back in 5th by the first corner, with Gareth Wright taking the lead. The first lap was all about taking the opportunities presented, and with Morgan having gained 10 places, and Sheehan 6, the grid was being thoroughly turned on its head. It was not long before Taylor found a way past McMillan, and the recovering Felix followed him through. Felix was clearly not keen to settle for 4th at his home circuit, and was desperately searching for a way past Taylor - though it was difficult to see how he could do it unless Taylor made a mistake. So at the finish it is Wright from Townend, Taylor, Felix McMillan and Shepherd.
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