NIF2.com - 2013 - #42 & #43 – Taunton

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Added: 16 Sep 2013	Category: 2013 Oval Racing
2013 - #42 & #43 – Taunton – 14&15/9/13
F2 World final time at a track I just love, I also love meetings to be dry, but that wasn’t to be. A strange weekend for me to be standing with a beer in my hand instead of a camera on a Saturday night, but much more relaxing and there is some races I much prefer just to stand back and enjoy, the F2 world is one of them. Once upon a time, not that long ago, F2 majors were the staple diet of my travelling plans throughout the season. Nowadays I don’t get to as many as I once did and have lost touch quite a bit what actually goes on in the class, from time to time I miss the F2’s, other times I remember how many people I argued with and upset along the way and just think it’s not worth the hassle, although I’m still not done with upsetting people it would appear. Although I’d been brought up around F2’s and watching them as long as I’ve been old enough to stay awake for a few races at least, it wasn’t really until the 97 world that I became hooked of the sheer awesomeness of the class and the world final. Back then I took a few photos at a meeting that I got developed the following January when I finished the roll of film at Christmas, life was simpler as a fan and the F2 world is probably the meeting that’s stands out more than most as a humbling experience that reminds me where I came from. Ironically this year, for the second time, I was away with a good bunch of guys I’m happy to call friends that I would likely never have crossed paths with had I not started NIF2 and the various things I’ve been involved in since. Anyway, onwards from the sentimental stuff, if like me, you’ve falling a bit out of touch with F2, JHo’s stoxblog provided an excellent insight and countdown to the world final, check it out at http://thestoxblog.blogspot.co.uk/ he also has a charity calendar which is well worth looking up. On the night Jan Bekkers was the fastest overseas driver in the time trials, with Chris Kincaid joining him on row 3 of the grid as the top NI driver. Front row qualifier Chris Bradbury was sidelined due to illness and Sam Wagner got shuffled up to outside front row. In the big race Speak got a few great starts but Moodie was much faster and once through the pack the two shared a few big hits before both went out of the world, Chris Kincaid’s hopes ended in the same bend as he ended up sitting on top of John Fortune (I think). On the restart George MacMillan broke away while the rest of the pack squabbled and wasn’t really challenged until late on in the race when it looked as though Jack Aldridge was closing in on him, Jelly Kurstens then spun on front of MacMillan putting the Scot up onto his side, Aldridge too got tangled up and it all looked like it would go down to being between Burgoyne and Hooper in the last bend, the big last bend hit arrived and to quite a lot of people’s astonishment James Rygor came from nowhere to pinch the world final right on the line with Burgoyne second, Hooper third and an army of fans reaching for their programmes to see who 783 was. It was a cracking race. In the support races on the Sunday, Gavin Fegan and Craig McConnell both made the meeting final, Gavin placing 10th. Ryan Wright was the only local saloon driver to contest the European, but I’d imagine will be the first to admit he has had better weekends, with a string of DNF’s for various reasons, he was however unlucky not to make the grid through the last chance, placing 7th with 6 to qualify. Another world final down, next up ProStocks and Lightning Rods















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