24th May, 2009
Yarmouth, East of England Championship
The Grand Prix Midgets rolled into Great Yarmouth for the
first time this season on Sunday evening contesting racing
in front of an appreciative crowd enjoying some of the best
racing weather seen so far in 2009.
Nigel Robinson was the sole yellow grade driver and he duly
led all three races in the early stages with his BMC Dart.
Just a couple of laps into the race Daniel Pooley established
what was to become the pattern for the evening by taking the
lead around the outside of the pits bend. Robinson then fell
back into the clutches of Clinton Dorrell in his Westfield
swiftly followed by Cliff Bunn in the Fireball down the inside
line on the Casiter Road turn. The senior member of the Pooley
clan, Gordon, was back in fifth although things were not all
roses for the family as World Champion Jonathan had already
pulled onto the infield with a repeated broken drive shaft
– the same fate had befallen him in practice. Pooley senior
then had his luck run out as well as he spun on the first
bend. Phil Retchless was getting the Cheetah wound up and
passed both Neil Clarke after a great tussle and then Robinson
to claim fourth at the flag.
Result: 1st Daniel Polley, 2nd Cliff Bunn, 3rd Philip Retchless,
4th Neil Clarke, 5th Nigel Robinson, 6th Andrew Bilby, 6th
Mark De Land, 7th Clinton Dorrell
Race two was on a difficult track to say the least, some
Lightning Rods in the previous event had dropped some oil
and this caught out Robinson on the first of the two warm
up laps although of course it’s better to find the limits
before the race actually gets underway. Nigel duly led once
again until Daniel Pooley passed him on lap three with Dorrell
passing on the next corner on lap four. Bunn was soon into
third with Gordon Pooley leading Bilby and Clarke whilst De
Land and Retchless were also trying to make progress in the
difficult conditions. Jonathan Pooley had another driveshaft
failure and pulled of whilst Neil Clarke also retired with
a broken wishbone. Daniel Pooley was again well clear taking
the win from Bunn this time, the Fireball passing Dorrell’s
car on the last lap as the latter had suffered broken suspension.
Gordon Pooley came home in fourth with Robinson, De Land,
Bilby and Retchless the place men.
Result: 1st Daniel Pooley, 2nd Cliff Bun, 3rd Clinton Dorrell,
4th Gordon Pooley, 5th Nigel Robinson, 6th Mark De Land, 7th
Philip Retchless.
Clarke repaired his car for the final, the East of England
Championship whilst Jonathan Pooley borrowed a drive shaft
from Gordon’s car as the senior member of the Pooley household
elected to watch the race from the banking. Daniel Pooley
was keen to retain the title and set off rapidly after Robinson
and taking the lead on lap three once again. Jonathan Pooley’s
luck (and supply of prop shafts) ran out again as he pulled
onto the infield after a promising looking start. Bunn soon
made second place but all eyes were on Retchless and De Land
who were having a great battle which was settled in favour
of the former. Retchless was clearly getting to grips with
car, circuit and also the longer race distance and was soon
into third although some way behind the leading pair. With
five laps to go De Land retired (also with drive shaft failure)
whilst Clarke and Robinson fought tooth and nail of fifth
– Robinson holding on to the flag. It was still Daniel Pooley
leading comfortably from Bunn and looked all sewn up until
the last lap when Pooley slowed dramatically but he had done
enough to secure an impressive hat trick and successful defence
of the East of England Championship.
Result: 1st Daniel Pooley, 2nd Cliff Bunn, 3rd Philip Retchless,
4th Nigel Robinson, 5th Neil Clarke, 6th Andrew Bilby.
