EVERYONE at Incarace would like to congratulate 2 Paul Harrison on his magnificent victory in the BriSCA F1 Championship of the World at Northampton International Raceway on Saturday 10th September.

The main event was the highlight of three days of incredible stock car action with well over 100 drivers taking part and every race delivering brilliant action.

Many were in agreement that the main race was one of the best tarmac Stock Car races seen in a long time. After an early stoppage with 73 Rob Cowley on his side, 515 Junior Wainman – winner of the World title on its last staging at Northampton – got past polesitter 259 Paul Hines to lead but after another two stoppages he was bumpered aside by 4 Dan Johnson with Harrison also getting by into second. A great battle between the three ensued with defending champion 1 Andrew Smith also joining in, things coming to a head when Johnson fired Wainman wide and into the fence allowing Harrison into the lead. Smith would then dispatch Wainman as Harrison finally secured the gold roof after 23 attempts, his father Willie – who himself took 27 years to win the World title – one of the first to congratulate him. Well done to Paul on taking the title he has coveted for so long, and in such wonderful fashion. Johnson and Smith were next home ahead of poleman Hines with H22 Louw Wobbes the best overseas finisher. Later in the meeting 84 Tom Harris took the Harry Smith Memorial Final while white top 460 Chris Cooke impressed by winning a consolation in his Ford-powered car.

One of the main talking points of the main race was a very nasty accident which befell New Zealander NZ3 Peter Rees, whose car continued for a full lap out of control against the plating following the initial crash. Quick thinking by 197 Ryan Harrison saw him pull out of line as the yellow flags flew and use his own car to stop Rees’s machine, sacrificing his own World Final chances in the process. Credit to Ryan whose initiative and quick actions prevented a serious incident becoming much worse.

New World Champion Paul Harrison’s first appearance with the gold roof (a quick aerofoil swap with Smith) on Sunday did not last long as heat one damage put him out of the World Masters meeting, yellow top 422 Dave Riley springing a surprise by taking the title for his first F1 final win. 59 Lee Dimmick took the F2 title with a measured drive to hold off defending champion H124 Wim Peeters and 38 Dave Polley. The Rebels saw 156 James Joyce hold off 25 Anthony Masters while his brother 656 Adam Joyce fell back down the order.

Talking of Rebels, they opened the weekend with one of the best races seen anywhere in 2011 in their World Wide Rebellion on Friday night. Five cars battled constantly for the lead in an absolutely superb display of stock car racing, polesitter Adam Joyce dropping back allowing 1 Steve Shaw to retain the title and become the first driver to win the WWR on both tarmac and shale. 2 Tony McCarthy was second and then announced his retirement from Rebels racing, 81 Lyndon Rushby completing the podium.

An all-overseas F1 session was held alongside the Rebels with H399 Jessy de Bruin taking a heat and Final double, Dimmick again on top in the F2s after 445 Nigel Green and 8 Peter Hobbs had won the heats.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who came along and supported this year’s biggest weekend of oval racing, to all the drivers for putting on a superb show, to all the staff and officials for their hard work and most of all to you the fans for your wonderful support. Well done to everyone, and congratulations again to Paul Harrison!