After starring throughout last season the Superstox rolled in to town for their Foxhall season opener and put on another blistering display despite the early rain although things came to a bone-jarring halt when youngster Jordan Aylward was smashed amidships.

Thankfully he walked away from a crash that was very reminiscent of the one two seasons ago when Steven Jackson was on the receiving end and ironically it was he that first clipped Aylward when the Lincolnshire driver lost it during the grand final. That was nothing compared to the hit that Billy Smith landed though when Aylward bounced back right in front of him. Aylward’s car will need a complete makeover for sure - that is assuming it isn’t a write-off - so it’s just as well that Dad Colin is a leading car builder and ironically was awarded the win when the race was halted!

Despite that it would be fair to say it was two other families that were completely out of luck on the night with James & Alexander Meadows in the thick of just about everything, whilst Sarah & Jason Cooper had similar luck, in their Superstox and Hot Rod respectively.

Ben Munford was very unfortunate to cop a whole load of damage in the opening Superstox race which finished with Sarah Cooper straddled across his bonnet but it was riveting stuff as white top Chris Capon sped away until former F2 star Martyn Coles pushed him wide. Backmarker Steven Jackson was in the way though and allowed Capon to fight back with great gusto and retake it. Coles was not going to be beaten mind and he was soon back in front, yet Capon was not taking it lying down either and in a courageous effort fought back once again only to spin himself out which was a real travesty. A highly impressive debut win nonetheless though for Coles from the blue grade.

After an early red flag for a back straight pile-up in heat two Paul Langridge, Garry Sparkes and Mark Smith had an absorbing battle further down the field with Sparkes the eventual winner of that particular contest however the big victor was Capon who had produced a faultless drive to richly take the flag.

White top Sam Stacey impressed in the final having fought back to take Capon only to lose it again before an early yellow flag bunched the field up with Colin Aylward already up to an ominous-looking seventh. Capon spun himself as Jackson and Aylward fought over the lead, whilst Coles found himself frustratingly in the fence. Billy Smith had been flying all evening recording two second places and had a terrific scrap with Jackson just prior to that monumental race-stopping crash with Jordan Aylward .

Another forty-plus National Hot Rod entry left their best race for the final as Terry Hunn took full advantage of pole and the wet conditions to win heat one despite early pressure from Kym Weaver. Track conditions were better for the second heat yet it was another win from pole, this time for Chris Harvey although Tommy Maxwell was rapidly closing and he went on to have a great scrap with early race three leader James O’Shea, again from the front row. World champion Chris Haird was spat out of the pack and round he went, with a solitary tenth place from race one his best all night. With O’Shea easily winning the final heat he looked a good bet for the final yet it was surprise packet Ralph Sanders that quickly got past Hunn and never looked back. Which is just as well, as first Dick Hillard spun out at speed, then Steve Thompson did likewise in front of the pack, with the Race Steward eventually disqualifying Matt Simpson from the restart. Cooper seemed remarkably close to Graham Luscombe when he went flying out of control later on, with proceedings eventually halted after Cooper hit the fence and Haird spun to leave the track partly blocked.

Despite another thirty-five car entry, things were pretty civilised in the normally crash-happy 1300 Stock Cars where world champion Barry Radcliffe was the pick in the entertainment stakes. Twice he gave race two leader Lee Palmer the big “heave-ho” even though he was a backmarker and then in the final he kissed the fence particularly hard himself as Jason Scopes took the win to ensure there were three different winners on the night, Steve Marten taking the first.