2001

The Midgets final meeting held at Ringwood for the West Country Challenge produced some of the best racing seen this year. Although Rob Sayell has clinched the points championship for a third consecutive year, nearly all the top six could change places so quite a lot was at stake.

Heat one got away with new boy Andrew Smith taking up the early running from the white grade, John Bilby had a storming start and left the rest of the blue grade for dead soon taking the lead from Smith. Behind, Sayell was on his usual charge but got delayed behind the battle royal going on between Andrew Bilby and Neil Clarke who were only two points apart at the start of the meeting. Sayell caught John Bilby who thought he was the only car on the track! With three laps to go, Ez walker got the Westfield wound up for third place. Clarke came in for 5th with Andew Bilby 6th which bought the points gap down to just one. Mark Hodges had a little altercation with Barry Goldsby which sidelined both cars.

In heat two John Bilby again took off from the blue grade and soon caught Smith, Ben Pashley and Tim Barton (driving one of the Bilby hire cars) and started to pull out a good lead. Hodges made the break from the back and towed Sayell and Walker through with him. Clarke was again not giving Andrew Bilby any gaps to aim for. Hodges started to make some way into John Bilbys lead when John tested out the grip envelope of his new Avon tyres dropping to last place in the process. Hodges took the win from Sayell and Walker, with Clarke taking a nother point back from Andrew Bilby. John Bilby managed to claw his way back up to 8th.

As the cars gridded for the final Clarke only needed to stay ahead of Andrew Bilby to take second place in the Championships, also Hodges was only a few points away from Gary Jones so everybody had a lot to race for. As the flag dropped Smith took off and was having quite a battle with Barton. John Bilby caught them but started overheating and had to pull off. Sayell came through from the back towing Walker with him while behind Clarke, Bilby and Hodges were racing around the track looking like one 12 wheeled machine. On lap 16 of 20 Clarke outbraked himself and Bilby tried the inside line. Clarke tried to defend and Bilby swapped lines and drove round the outside and into second place overall. A lap later Hodges added insult to injury taking Clarke on the inside and then pressurising Bilby for third place. Barton snapped a throttle cable and Barry Goldsby somehow selected fourth gear and managed to jam it in. Chris Phillips managed to keep Jones at bay to take 6th whilst Smith scored his first ever points in 8th.

Heat one: 1st Rob Sayell 2nd John Bilby, 3rd Ez Walker, 4th Andy Collins, 5th Neil Clarke, 6th Andrew Bilby, 7th Gary Jones, 8th Chris Phillips

Heat two: 1st Mark Hodges, 2nd Rob Sayell, 3rd Ez Walker, 4th Neil Clarke, 5th Andrew Bilby, 6th Andy Collins, 7th Gary Jones, 8th John Bilby

West Country Challenge: 1st Rob Sayell, 2nd Ez Walker, 3rd Andrew Bilby, 4th Neil Clarke, 5th Chris Phillips, 6th Gary Jones, 7th Andy Smith, 8th Ben Pashley