As if the pulsating drive by birthday boy Danny Fiske to win the Hot Rod English Championship at Foxhall on Saturday night was not enough the title-winning efforts of a sixteen year schoolboy swapping his pencil case for a rough and tumble Stock Car were just as remarkable, writes KEVIN WEGG.

A drawn grid for the first Hot Rod heat, reversed for the second, put European Champion Colin Moss on pole for the opener with Fiske on row six and the latter signalled his intentions very early on with some impressive blasts around the outside to follow him home. Jason Wilks was equally determined with a notable pass on Mark Cooper who is a tough nut to crack at any time and there was an equally frenetic scrap between Charlie Jowers, Graham Fulker and Daniel Smith as they traded sparks in an exciting three abreast dice. It was Wilks though – a proud father for the third time only a week previously - that had grabbed the all-important pole position for the title race as the virtual tumble weeds blew across the centre green at the Foxhall Corral. All that was missing was the sight of Clint Eastwood on the Starter’s rostrum with the scene all set for the title shoot-out yet somehow Fiske forgot to take aim and nearly missed the start altogether, having to resort to a frantic cut-in as the cars behind threatened to pass on the inside.

Wilks had seized the initiative and galloped off in to the distance with the booty seemingly already fixed to his saddle but his dream was shot-down when Lewis Shelley beached himself on the kerb which brought out the yellows and a single line restart. Sam Holland was already a casualty after losing her silencer straight from the off and Fiske wasted no time as the flag fell with a bold move up the inside only for Wilks to slam the door shut then once again the race was brought to a halt when Mark Constable clipped the fence. Third-placed Paul Wright lost it altogether as the cars got away again before Fiske gritted his teeth and moved up on to the outside line. His heart must have missed a beat as he clonked the fourth bend wall at speed trying just a fraction too hard yet that only served to stoke his boiler still further as he blasted round the outside on the back straight only to find the fence closing in fast causing him to broadside speedway-style in a desperate attempt to make it stick. There was never any doubt though for such a talented, gutsy driver who was celebrating his twenty-first birthday the same day no less! With the saddle and booty now on a different foot so to speak it was Fiske’s turn to ride off victorious in to the sunset, leaving Wilks to fight off a very determined challenge by Kevin Randell who got up the inside only to lose it and shot spectacularly in to the armco at high-speed.

2.0 STOCK CAR EAST ANGLIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
The eagerly-anticipated clash between Billy Woods from the South and East Anglians Diggy & Billy Smith simmered nicely in the twenty-one car opening heat with Wood spinning Diggy in classic style. Dave Beldom belied his tender years and led with just four to go when Nick Cook put the bumper in but the schoolboy from March was having none of it and spun him out to re-take the lead only for Daniel Langley to muscle his way through. After Shane Davies clipped Diggy and slowed him up Wood then took full advantage and made it two-nil to him on the night when from some distance he launched himself up the inside of Diggy and clattered him in to the armco at such a pace that his fin-plate was knocked sideways! Cook wasn’t to be denied this time though as he took the flag and Beldom robbed himself of another second place with a spin on the very last bend.

With big grins on the faces of both Diggy and Wood as they left the track it was clear both were enjoying the cat & mouse battle but perhaps surprisingly the Smiths failed to exact revenge in the final. Arguably they had the last laugh when they filled second and third places on the rostrum but by far the biggest grin was reserved for the teenager Beldom who led from start to finish and drove like a thirty year veteran to become the youngest-ever winner of the East Anglian Championship and all during only his third ever meeting!
ROOKIE RODS
A big field of Rookie Rods was split in to a two-thirds format with John Smith and Jamie Brunton the dominant forces claiming three wins and three second places between them. Crucially it was Smith that grabbed the two races wins, one of which denied Noel Whinney a rare win on home soil after the field was closed up after Lee Evans beached himself. Clarke made a spirited effort in the final taking early leader Reece Beldom on the outside then it all went pear-shaped as Sophie Holden got a puncture which propelled her in to the fourth bend fence, give poor George Martin no chance and then Alex Crane and Daniel Bargewell collided for good measure. From the restart Brunton was all over Clarke with these two well clear as Brunton lost valuable time getting past on the outside. Smith was on a charge though and devoured the tarmac between them, going round the outside of race one winner Gary Clarke and then Brunton in the process.