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The 48th annual National Championship weekend at Hednesford was blessed with hot weather and a superb turnout of drivers from across the UK plus representation from Germany and the Netherlands, and four well-deserving new champions were crowned.
The National Hot Rods saw 115 Chris Haird on pole and he built up a lead after the pursuing 911 Malcolm Blackman retired with a rear axle problem, but a couple of yellow flags allowed defending champion 970 Shane Murphy to close in. He was soon into the lead and began to pull away as the pace was slowed slightly by a drop of oil when 996 Stewart Doak’s engine blew, but Murphy would be denied a second successive title as the pop-off valve on his right front wheel failed. Murphy desperately tried to keep going but Haird retook the lead and as his tyre deflated he eventually had to surrender and retire. Sportingly Murphy was first to congratulate Haird on the podium as the 2010 World and three-time English champion added his first National title. 940 Gary Woolsey was almost half a lap behind Haird in second with 962 John Christie on the podium yet again in third as just ten cars went the distance.
The Legends saw 161 Dan Holden and 285 Darron Lewis on the front row, and after first lap contact between the pair Holden picked up a slow puncture and dropped back leaving 12 Stephen Treherne to chase Lewis at the front. As they lapped a clutch of backmarkers Treherne hit Holden and John Durrant putting both out of the race and damaging his steering leaving Lewis clear for his maiden National title, Treherne nursing his car home second and 395 Barry Randall third.
923 Stephen Emerson was the overwhelming pre-meeting favourite for the Lightning Rod title but his Hednesford jinx would strike yet again. Having lined up third his race was over after just one lap as contact with 937 Ben McKee sent both crashing into the inner wall and out of the race. Polesitter 240 Lee Morrow led the restart but 87 Frankie Cunningham tracked his every move, eventually forcing a way past the PRI man to become the first Scotsman ever to win a major Lightning Rod title. Morrow dropped to fourth behind 947 Gordon McKee and 924 Mervyn Emerson at flagfall.
Saturday’s heats for the Stock Rods were nothing short of excellent with lots of good clean racing, but their Championship race would prove a destructive and controversial affair. The first 20 laps were superb with 67 Kerr Paterson and 829 Stuart Fox scrapping tooth and nail for the lead, but just after half distance 851 Eoin McGrath’s car dumped coolant all over turn three and most of the top ten crashed into the wall as a result. Paterson, Fox and 15 Lee Johnston were all wrecked while 447 Stuart Smyth inherited the lead but had also suffered damage. He soon retired when things resumed leaving 168 Andy Sturt up front with 3 Micky McFall chasing, the latter eventually taking over for the win but he was docked to third for contact when passing Sturt giving the gold top the National title. 924 Stuart Wright crossed the line third having started 29th but he and fourth placed 29 Davy Philp were both also docked 2 places (Wright for a yellow flag infringement) giving 647 Jonathan Lattka third, only 13 of the 36 starters going the distance.
The four title-chasing formulas were joined on Sunday by the Classic Hot Rods, contesting the third annual Bill Morris Memorial Trophy in honour of Hednesford’s founding father. 8 Darren Owen was gunning for his third straight win in the event, but he had to settle for second place this time around as 20 Dave Fry scored a hat-trick of wins.
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