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10th & 11th May 1980, Ploegsteert
Report by Francis Blay from July Short Circuit
On May 10th/11th both Basil Craske and Harry
Lowe went over to race at the new circuit at Ploegsteert in
Belgium. It is a terrific circuit roughly 510 yds long with
double layer armco all round. Unfortunately on the Saturday
there were only 6 cars present so it was a good job both,
Basil and Harry came along.
Craske won both races winning the second
one by a massive one and a quarter laps. Willie Thissen was
second both times with Harry Lowe picking up a third and fourth
place. On the Sunday there were a further 3 midgets present
including World and European Champion Jan van Rengs.
The first heat saw Jan Schraets baulk Craske
badly at the start which mean that he had a lot of ground
to make up. Van Rengs and Thissen were having a battle up
front but Craske was closing fast. Thissen spun out with 3
laps to go promoting Craske to second place but he couldn't
quite catch van Rengs who took the flag with Craske second
and Henk van Rengs third, with Harry Lowe seventh.
Jan Schraets led away heat 2 but he spun
it all away on the start straight letting Basil Craske into
the lead with Jan van Rengs right behind. For once on foreign
soil Craske seemed to have the edge on van Rengs but his task
was made decidedly easier when van Rengs retired with a flat
tyre with 7 to go. Craske went on to take an easy win from
Willie Thissen and Henk van Rengs with Harry Lowe 5th.
The final saw Willie Thissen storm through
the field to take an easy win, but all eyes were on the epic
dice for the second place between Basil Craske and Jan van
Rengs. These two raced side by side for the entire race but
unfortunately van Rengs spun away his chances on the last
bend and had to be contented with third. Harry Lowe retired
on the opening lap with an oil leak.
Unfortunately after the meeting the promoter
refused to pay the British lads any start money as he stated
that nobody had informed him that they were coming, coupled
together with the very low prize money that was paid to them,
they both went back across the channel with a lot of ill feeling.
So perhaps in future a contract stating start and prize money
should be sent to the British drivers before they travel.
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