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5th May, Northampton, British Championship
Report by Malcolm Herbert from June Short Circuit
Just 14 cars contested the British title,
and a re-draw for positions was needed after someone left
Basil Craske's name out of the hat! The race was over 25 laps,
and the front two on the line¬up were Alfie Boarer and Mick
Bonner, with Basil back on the seventh row.
Straight away Alf got into the lead, with
Mick and Harry Lowe in pursuit, while John Lowe used the vacant
spot in the grid in front of him to good advantage to get
away smartly, but once again it was Basil Craske's hot VW
powered machine that had the acceleration from the off. Craske
passed Harry Lowe on lap 5, and by lap ten Basil was hustling
Alfie Boarer, while Dave Scott got a black flag after marshalls
spotted a wonky rear wheel, but Ray Hammond thought it was
for him and pulled off too!Basil took the lead, and that was
it, he stayed there, while Mick Bonner passed Boarer for second.
Harry Lowe went out in the closing stages with a blown piston.
Full result: 1st. Basil Craske (Craske VW)
2nd. Mick Bonner (BLMC) 3rd. Alf Boarer (Arrow BLMC) 4th.
Gary Pollard (Arrow BLMC) 5th. John Lowe (Lowe/Ford), 6th.
Harry Sayell. Another late retirement was Paul Graves, with
a pipe blowing off his oil cooler.
The first 15 lap support race also went to
'Bionic Basil', while the third event was a real cliffhanger.
Again Alfie Boarer made a quick start, but by the closing
laps was engaged in a wheel to wheel scrap with Messrs. Craske
and Bonner. Basil got by Mick on the last bend, as Mick chose
the wrong way around back marker John Lowe, but despite his
superior ac¬celeration, Craske was' beaten to the line by
Boarer, for an exciting end. Gary Pollard fenced his car after
hitting an oil patch and damaged the rear end and radiator,
Brian Forrest had his second fourth spot of the day, and John
Lowe took fifth ahead of Eric Fretten.
MIDGETS BITS
Bad luck for new gent who turned up to race
at Northampton, after dragging up the M1 he found he had no
gears on the racer after unloading... Geoff Hughes watching
from spectators side, no doubt keeping an eye on Geoft Jnr,
in his second meeting, and finishing all races; promising
lad... rumours of another new car for Gary Pollard all Championship
events at Northampton this year, National next on June 29.
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