Another long journey for a weekends racing, this time back to Northamptonshire for the 2022 Euro weekend, and we had 6 cars racing for the weekend, Frankie, Danny, Phoebe, Frankie JJ, Karl and Lewis Galer. The weekend was a landmark one for Phoebe as it was her first time from red since she first came into BriSCA F1’s from V8’s.
The meeting was also the final chance to earn points to get into this season’s Shootout.
Saturday
Heat 1
We had 5 of or 6 cars on track for heat 1, with Phoebe, in her first race from red lined up at the front alongside Karl with Danny on row 2.
There was only one stoppage, for an incident with the 115 car of Craig McLoughlin. And from the restart, a solid drive from the back saw Tjalle Greindanus (H229) take the win with Matt Newson (16) 2nd and Daniel Ford (18) 3rd. Danny finished 7th and Karl 8th, with Phoebe outside the top 10 and Frankie (puncture) and Lewis retiring.
Heat 2
Just Frankie JJ in heat 2 and he lined up alongside Charlie Sworder (5) on row 3 of the star drivers. After a stoppage at about halfway Frankie was 10th, but he dropped back after a couple of tangles, and in a heat won by Ryan Harrison, Frankie came home 13th.
Consolation
Frankie, Phoebe, Frankie JJ and Lewis went out for the grand national, and the race was going well until the yellows came out on lap 14 , but Sam Makim (93) had the lead and kept it to take the win with Joe Booth (446) 2nd and William Adams (545) 3rd. Frankie JJ was 6th and Frankie one place behind in 7th.
Final
With 4 cars in the final, and all near the back it promised to be an entertaining race.
Early yellow flags (lap 3) for a stranded car left Dave Wadsworth (319) with the early lead, and another period of yellows on lap 8 left Willie Skoyles (541) at the front, at this point Karl was 2nd, Danny 6th with Frankie JJ behind and Frankie at the back.
After this restart Ryan Harrison was at the front within a few laps and stayed there till the chequered flag, with Paul Hines (259) in 2nd and Craig Finikin (55) 3rd. Danny and Frankie were 7th & 8th respectively, with Karl and Frankie JJ 11th and 12th.
Grand National
All 6 cars made it out for the grand national, with Lewis making the most of an early stoppage to take the lead by half distance, with Danny on his bumper, 3 laps later there was a red flag for Charlie Sworder who had rolled his (dad’s) car, with Niels Teselaar (418) now the lead car, with Frankie JJ pressing him hard in 2nd., and that’s how it finished, however Frankie had engine damage after a coming together with Nigel de Kock (525) with the 515 car having the bonnet and carburettor ripped off.
Frankie JJ finished in 2nd and Danny was 7th and Phoebe 9th.
SUNDAY
The European is always a great event on the BriSCA calendar, and with all points from yesterday and up to the consolation today, it was all up for grabs as all drivers could get a place on the grid for the big race.
First race of the day was the F2 European, and congratulations to Gordon Moodie (7) on regaining the red and yellow chequered roof.
Heat 1
Lewis, Karl and Frankie JJ took to the track for heat 1, and in a race with only a brief stoppage to recover a stranded car (25, Bradley Harrison) on the racing line on turn 2, the race was won by Matt Newson (16), this after he sustained a lot of damage in the consolation the previous evening, with Neil Scriven (11) 2nd and Charlie Sworder (5) 3rd.
Heat 2
Phoebe, Frankie and Danny went out for heat 2, Phoebe was at the front of the reds with Finn Sargent (526), with Danny on the back row, and Frankie at the front of the superstars alongside Tom Harris (1).
After an early stoppage for damage to the 115 car of Craig McLoughlin, it was Josh Smith (191) who worked his way through the pack to take the chequered flag, with Ryan Harrison (197) 2nd and Willie Skoyles (541) 3rd. Danny pulled off without completing a lap and Frankie finished 6th.
Consolation
Lewis was the only representative in the consolation, and lead the race for a few laps before a tangle demoted him to the back of the pack, and in the end it was Michael Scriven (12) who took the chequered flag, with Nigel de Kock (525) 2nd, Finn Sargent 3rd and Mick Howarth (235) 4th, the top 4 earning a place on the Euro grid.
Final (European Championship)
Once all the points had been collated we had 5 cars on track for the European Championship, Danny on row 4, Frankie JJ on row 5, Frankie on row 6, Karl on row 8 and Phoebe on row 13. Ryan Harrison (197) and Paul Hines (259) occupied the front row.
The race was very much a stop-start affair with at least 4 periods of yellow flags, during which the promotors decided to water the track as it was extremely dusty.
On lap 1 we lost both Paul Hines and Niels Tesselaar, who came together on turn 1 and we then had a complete restart after a delay for fence repairs, and from the restart it was Ryan Harrison who was leading from Craig Finnikin and Tom Harris 3rd. On lap 8 we had more yellows (and more water) and the 502 car of Ricky Wilson had to retire as his wing had become detached, and the restart order was now 197, 1, 55 and 515.
After the next yellow flag period the restart order was 197, 1, 515, 55, 555, and after another lap or so Tom Harris’ front wheel detached and he retired to the infield.
The last few laps were exciting and on the last lap, race leader Ryan Harrison was challenged by Charlie Sworder and both came to a halt on the turn 3 fence, allowing the other cars to pass.
Initially the race win was awarded to Karl, but after reviewing the data and race footage, the result of the 2022 European Championship was Frankie Wainman Jr (515) 1st, Phoebe Wainman (211) 2nd and Frankie Wainman Jr Jr (555) 3rd, the first time ever that the top 3 in a major championship came from the same family.
Grand National
It was a great weekend racing at Northampton and we yet again had all 6 cars out for the final race of the weekend, and although the race had far less incidents that the final, the racing was excellent, with Niels Tesselaar (418) using brother Jelle’s wing) won with fellow compatriot Nigel de Kock (525) 2nd and Craig Finnikin (55) 3rd.
Well done to Frankie on achieving his 4th European crown and also for The Wainmans for an historic 1, 2 3!!
And also as a result of the points scored this weekend, we have ALL 4 Wainman drivers in the 2022 Shootout!!
Next up for Wainman Racing is our local track, Odsal next Saturday, see you there.
#WainmanRacing #BriSCAF1
Photo’s ©Ian Bannister
