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14th
August 2004, Birmingham, June Cochrane Trophy
report by Steve Terry
The Midgets first visit of the year to Birmingham
saw a good mixture of cars and drivers with two making their
debut this season- Cliff Bunn in the ex Andy Collins / Brian
Gough Fireball and Gavin Terry in Steve's Dastle as his Arrow
is still under rebuild.
Ez Walker was unable to start the meeting
proper with yet more engine problems but Andy Smith was quick
off the line followed by Mark Hodges. Neil Clarke moved rapidly
into third past an understeering Andrew Hinch and was joined
by John Salter. Meanwhile Hodges had taken the lead with Rob
Sayell having a near miss with the wall out of turn 4. Clarke
was going extremely well and soon overhauled the front pair
to take the lead as Salter had an oversteering moment exiting
turn 2 around the outside of A.Smith. Dave Smith had been
gaining places from the red grade and went into second after
Salters moment which had allowed Alan Buckland and a rapidly
gaining Sayell but no one could catch Clarke who took the
win from D.Smith, Salter, Buckland, Sayell, Chris Phillips,
Hodges and A.Smith.
The second heat saw Gavin Terry now starting
from the whites and went into the lead from the green flag.
Hodges and Barry Goldsby pulled off early in the race with
problems and A.Smith and Hinch took up the chase for the lead.
First heat winner Clarke was again making progress into third
closely followed by a bunch of star men in very close combat.
Clarke pulled out with driveshaft problems and by this time
Terry had a substantial lead from Salter, Sayell and Buckland.
Sayell passed Salter round the outside and set about chasing
the leader but time was against him and despite an attempt
up the inside off the last corner Terry clung on for his first
race win. Sayell took second from Salter, Buckland, D.Smith,
Andrew Bilby, Phillips and A.Smith.
The Final for The June Cochrane Memorial Trophy
was headed in the early stages by Terry from A.Smith, Hinch
and Hodges. Salter had found a way past his old sparring partner
Clarke and then caught and passed the next three cars to move
into second and began to quickly reel in Terry. Bilby was
moving through the field and was closing on Phillips and Clarke
whilst Bunn was unlucky to have not started the final despite
his pit crews best endeavours at firing the car up. Meanwhile
up at the front Terry had dropped places after the car found
itself in neutral out of turn two allowing Salter, D.Smith,
Sayell and Buckland past. Hinch spun out of turn four as Sayell
was having a great drive up the inside of both Buckland and
then D.Smith into second. Bilby moved into fifth from Clarke
with Phillips in close attendance. By this time Sayell had
switched to the outside of Salter and had found a way past
into the lead, Phillips then had a twitch out of the slippery
turn four which saw him hit the wall head on causing the reds
to come out. The win went to Rob Sayell from John Salter and
Dave Smith. Alan Buckland took fourth from Andrew Bilby, Neil
Clarke, Andrew Smith (who did well to avoid the breakdown
as it pulled across the track directly in front of him to
reach the stricken car of Chris Phillips) and Barry Goldsby
for a well deserved point.
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