WITH only one BriSCA formula II World Championship qualifying round still to run the latest points have been issued and whilst it is now almost certain that Gordon Moodie (Windygates) will start from the front row of one of the semis but exactly where is still an unknown factor.

Hopefully it will be a pole position but either Liam Bentham (Ormskirk) or Adam Rubery (Brierly Hill) could overhaul his total.

Euan Millar (Lockerbie) has moved up to 8th place with the British Champion Craig Wallace (Tranent) in 13th whilst Dennis Middler (Carnoustie) and Robbie Dawson (Aberdeen) are safely in mid order.

However, a high points scoring meeting from drivers further down the order could change their grid placings dramatically. Andy Ford (Sheffield ) is one example having been down in 57th place prior to the last meeting now finds himself in 22nd spot!

Just now the main focus of attention for all the formula II and 2 litre National saloon drivers is Skegness for the annual running of the UK weekend which started way back in 1988.

The winners then were formula II driver Chalky White and in the saloons, Stan Matthews who at that time stayed in Rosyth.

However, spare a though for Kes Watson (Turriff) and Scott Jamieson (Crimond) with the Ally Strachan bus when its engine blew at Laurencekirk.

Luckily they were towed back to Ally’s garage and whilst they set off to Skegness they will now be confined to a spectating role!

After selling his car to John Thompson (Ely), Willie Mitchell (East Calder) has another saloon and is down at Skegness.

On Thursday night there was a meeting at Skegness that attracted a big turn out of cars and amongst those racing in the formula IIs were 10 Scottish drivers, 10 drivers from Northern Ireland and six from the Netherlands which included World Champion Wim Peeters.

Heat wins went to Moodie and Chris Bradbury (Reading) who was just clear of Emma Mellis (Gorebridge) with Mike Philip (Alves) fourth whilst Luke Wrench (Crewe) won the consolation race from Millar. The final ended with John Broatch (Leeming Bar) winning from Mike Philip (Alves) and Moodie but it was an exciting affair and stopped for Dutchman Chris Hendriks when he was sent crashing into the fence. In the next pile up Millar was one of the casualties and then after a few laps on the restart it was suspended again when a couple of cars tangled on the start/ finish line.

On the restart Moodie was hooked up on the bumper of another car and dropped back but once he got going again started to make up ground. However, Broatch was clear and he won from Philip and Moodie with Mellis in tenth place.

James Riggall (Skegness) won the Allcomers with Millar seventh, Philip eighth and Wallace in tenth place but Moodie was an early casualty.

The Scottish saloon drivers didn’t fare too well with Adam O’Dell (Bedford) winning heat one and Shane Davies (Gravesend) winning heat two with James Strath (Cellardyke) in fourth.

Michael Allard (Great Yarmouth) won the final with P. Honeyman the best placed Scot on twelfth place whilst Thomas Parrin (Wisbech) won the Allcomers.

On Saturday the cars rolled in in their droves with the formula I cars joined by around 90 formula IIs and 60 saloons.

The weather was warm and sunny and the stadium was packed. The meeting started off with the World Champions challenge where the formula I, II and saloon drivers have time trials in each others cars. Taking part this year were Frankie Wainman Jnr (Silsden), Wim Peeters and Simon Welton (Norwich) with Peeters proving to be the faster of the trio.

Matt Stoneman (Uffculme) won the first formula II heat with Moodie in third and ahead of Philip and Wallace with Stevie Forster (Carluke) in eighth place. Mike Green (Bedworth) then won heat two with George MacMillan Jnr (Stepps) in sixth and Millar in ninth place. Moodie won heat three with Philip in ninth and Stuart Kelly (Ellon) in eleventh spot. Wrench won heat four with MacMillan Jnr in third, Millar sixth, Wallace eighth and John Hogg (Berwick) in ninth place. Dennis Middler (Carnoustie) ended up rolling at the start to heat five with Marshall going through to win whilst Robbie Dawson (Aberdeen) was sixth. Sheldon Wadsworth (Dewsbury) won the first consolation race with Kelly in fourth whilst Daniel Fellows (Biddulph) won the second consolation race.

34 cars lined up for the final but the race was stopped after huge pile up that claimed 11 cars including Philip, Kelly, Millar and Wallace. Moodie went through to win from Stuart Hudson (Spilsby) and Ashley England (Brentwood).

In the formula Is Ant Wharton-Eales won heat one with Stuart Shevill Jnr (Motherwell) finishing in ninth place, Luke Davidson heat two and Jack Gledden heat three whilst John Fortune (Edinburgh) was eleventh. Nigel Green went on to win the final with Shevill Jnr in ninth place. Ben Riley went on to win the Grand National.

The saloon action came thick and fast, as usual with the opening heat being won by Allard with Strath seventh and Shevill eighth whilst Thompson rolled his car. Carl Waterfield ( Ely) won heat two with Paul Honeyman in twelfth place whilst Jamie Sampson (King’s Lynn) won heat three with Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) in fifth place. John Wagstaff (Boston) rolled his saloon in heat four with Parrin winning but Watters was fourth just ahead of Shevill with David Hughes (Aberdeen) in ninth and Mitchell eleventh. Davies went on to win heat five with Watters in seventh place and James Letford (Stirling) in eleventh place. The last saloon race of the night saw O’Dell win whilst Shevill was back in first.

Sunday was the big day for the formula IIs and saloons with both racing for their UK Championship.

In the heats Bobby Griffin (Retford) won the opening heat with Mellis in fifth and Wallace in ninth place whilst in heat two Wrench won with Millar in eighth, Marc Fortune (Edinburgh) tenth and Middler twelfth. Heat three saw Green win from Moodie with Dawson fourth MacMillan Jnr seventh and Hogg in twelfth place. Hudson won the consolation heat but none of the Scottish drivers finished in the top six.

Moodie was to start the UK from the inside on row 2 with MacMillan Jnr on row 5, Dawson row 8, Wallace row 9 and Millar on row 12. Marshall rolled his car after getting caught up in a shunt during an explosive start to the race which caused a restart. Once the race got going Green went on to win from Moodie, Wrench and MacMillan Jnr with Dawson in tenth but Wallace wasn’t classified.

Moodie ended up in fifth place in the Grand National with Wallace sixth and Millar in seventh place.

Glen won the last chance qualifying round to secure a place on the back of the grid joining Watters, Shevill and Irvine,

Welton went on to win the UK from Allard and Aldous but Watters ended up in sixth place from a lower grid start whilst Glen finished in ninth place.

Cole Atkins (Haverhill) won the Raymond Gunn Memorial Race from Bradford and Shevill’

Next weekend the formula II drivers head to Northampton for their European Championship.