Sixteen year old Brandon Osborn put a teenage rampage to good use in the 2.0 Stock Cars to thoroughly vanquish his vastly experienced masters and take the English title at Foxhall Stadium with some aplomb it has to be said writes Kevin Wegg.

Joey Collins led the twenty-one starters away from pole only to be the first casualty as he was sent spinning when the cars crossed the start line. Pre-race favourites George Morphey, Colin Farley and Billy Wood were soon setting about each other with Wood managing to slip away. He spun Joe Parker and Phil Beldom in tandem to set himself up nicely for a shot at retaining his title after drawing a grid position towards the back of the field. Osborne had already impressed though by hitting the front from his row four start and was driving like a veteran over-dosing on Weetabix! Wood was soon past Karl Totham but it quickly became clear that Osborne was long gone. Back-marking Steve Davies slipped past only for Osborne to show everyone was who boss as he shoved him wide. To underline his superiority still further he passed eighth-placed star-man Morphey with two laps to go, eventually winning from Wood by nearly half a lap.

To prove that was no fluke he lined up at the back of the grid in the first of two support races and managed a remarkable sixth place in the first. Earlier a puncture wrecked Wood’s chances but that didn’t stop him having fun with the rest of the field and his antics sent Lee Hall spinning on to the shale when the pack all bunched up. Bobby Pooley took a fine win. Wood and Morphey had no luck in the second heat either when a spinning Phil Beldom sent the stars crashing in to the marker tyres. Another youngster – Sid Madgwick – had a great tussle with Lee Hall before finally shaking him off to record another excellent win for the teenagers although Osborne was taken up the armco and consequently out of the running by a very determined Joe Parker. Good to see debutants Jamie Pratchard and Ashley Whitwam on track with both doing themselves proud - Pratchard going home with a top ten finish.

National Banger driver Mark Welland was one of two drivers to complete a winning brace as he roared round in the two support races. Their first was fast if not furious although things were a bit livelier in the second with Andy Jones attacking Phil Cullen who ploughed in to the already wrecked Paul Surgeoner. Phil Hampton was a handful all evening ending the race with a big smash involving Andrew Cullen. Thirty cars lined up for the annual ‘Volcano’ final with the grid draw once again being kind to Welland and he made his row three start count by quickly taking it up. A mid-race stoppage bunched the field with the imposing sight of Dale Hughes right behind him though and sure enough with Welland held up by a backmarker Hughes was through with just four laps to go.

With only a handful of cars in the Open Hot Rod events it gave the majority of National Hot Rod entrants the chance for some competitive practice under race conditions and netted Danny Hunn an impressive brace in the heats. After a disastrous run of luck and car problems in recent weeks Shaun Taylor was all-smiles after finishing all three races with no damage and his dice with Paul Frost, Hunn and eventual winner Andy Steward in the final was the pick of their action.