NorthamptonHeartbreaker
Northampton, 22nd February, 2 Litre Bangers Heartbreaker

An excellent entry of 94 motors for the annual Heartbreaker bash at the Northampton International Raceway with visitors gathering from Trackstar, Spedeworth, Buxton, Startrax, Barrow, Standlake, Autospeed, Grimley and RDC to help help swell the entry. Some decent material on show as well with 205 Alan Gamble producing a Sunny Coupe while 224 Gamble had the lone Primera, 36 Joe Baxtor dared to be different with a Celica lift back and 164 Chas Knowles followed suit with a rare Mazda 626 coupe. Stepping up a gear, Mk3 Cortinas were in the hands of 118 Jason Anslow and 234 Darryl Edwards(the latters sadly unpainted) while 810 Nick Barker returned his Coventry Oxford and 696 Michael Beeston also brought back a 16/60. 291 Dean Hadd brought along a nice 2 door Mk2 Cortina which sadly didn't race while 303 Brian Cope had the days top mount with a Riley 4/68.

 With a 3 way split for the heats, 25 cars appeared for the opener with 400 Kevin Shinn firing straight up the back of 52 Baden Powell only to take a firm shot from 170 Darren Teal with Powell taking a nasty unseen dooring in the process. 428 Richard Regan then steamed 809 Jed Dodds' Sapphire as 294 Alan Tarn collected 531 Toby Tropper head on as 412 Colin Lacey and 144 John Townson met in similar fashion. 19 Joe Mullarky fired up the back of the latter as 302 Billy Kerry followed in 611 Gavin Harris well and 22 Luke Dawson hit the empty 294 Tarny estate but this didn't stop him taking the win from 295 Graham Heywood.

 98 John Harris set heat 2 on its way by t-boning 229 Kenny Welsbys Sierra estate as 45 Anthony Cronshaw steamed 303 Copeys Riley with 148 Graham Kiddle inturn weighing into 45 Lips as 37 Phil Woskett followed in 98 Mucka with the yellows appearing for 111 Derek Matthews who had gone in on the top bend but this didn't stop 601 Lee Usher giving 44 Dave Burrows as solid follow in, the latter showing his disapproval during the stoppage. 330 Gary Stanney led away the restart but it didn't get far when 262 Buster Godden rolled Kiddle going into turn 1 with the latter coming to rest on his roof and after what seemed like an age the yellows finally appeared to rescue 148. This time 30 Steve Mayes was at the front as the field got going again, 228 Jon Bricknell walling 65 Richard Giddens before Barker used his Oxford to blow up 38 Alan Huckle. The latter kept it going and t-boned the passing 696 Beestoid with 722 Bob Ewins landing a big shot on the 16/60 as 285 Darron Lewis passed 30 Maysie on the last corner to take the win.

 The last heat started with Baxtors Celica taking a battering on the back straight as he was done hard over the back wheel and then had 696 Brian Morris buried into him signalling a caution period to rescue Baxtor who vacated seemingly OK. A complete restart was called with 64 Mark Dawson burying 462 Leeky on the as 744 Muppet weighed into 69 Trotter and 64 Roar attacked 51 John Worstencroft before Ewins took 322 Martyn Matthews out, 290 Jay Tomkins then doing likewise to 80 Jack Foster to go into the lead. 150 Chris Keys then attacked Muppet allowing Roar to bone the latter as, Muppet taking more punishment when he had Foster buried into him by 999 Scott Hill and then 500 Chris Keeling weighing into him. 290 Jay Tomkins took the win this time.

 The all in consi started with 601 Usha hooking out Grumpy as 40 Kenny Coleman walled 251 Matthew Johnson and 431 Shaun Abra followed in 539 Iain McDavid hard on turn 2 with 40 Slim also jacking the 539 Bluebird, Mucka jacking 70 Pete Corbett as Grumpy gave Welsby the same treatment. RDC's 156 Micky Maskell then put himself in hard as 372 Martin Scully followed in Anslows Mk3 and Grumpy put 322 Peanut and 17 Nick Sweet in. Scully then buried Welsby into Maskell with Grumpy arriving with a savage t-bone on the Panic Atac skipper. Peanut arrived with a revenge shot on Peanut with 83 Llyod Isherwood taking the win as Grumpy recovered but threw a wheel.

 41 qualifiers on track for the final, cars waiting on the centre for the demo. Respect to Welsby who got his crippled estate back out for another ride. 37 Fizz kicked off proceedings with a hard walling of Mullarky as Ewins and Bricknell went head to head, 262 Buster then hitting 129 Shane Davies though it was sadly on the centre. 38 Al Boy joined in and hit Davies before Anslow arrived with a hit over Busters front wheel. Back on the proper surface, 741 Luke Parfitt run 51 Wusty in hard before Stanney steamed Anslow on the centre as Grumpy, Sweet, Dawson, Mullarky and 196 Adam Gibbons were now all involved in a farcical episode on the centre. 777 Trevor Luff walled 185 Peter Owen with Scott Hill also hitting the latter, as back on the centre Davies weighed into Sweet with the flying Lewis taking the major win which signalled the start of the DD, 601 Usha gave Welsby a big head on with Burrows quick to avenge the hit on his running mate. Davies now attacked Sweet before 196 Beach took out Burrows allowing Hill in for a superb shot on Beach, Luffy then piling Owen into the pile on the centre before putting himself in after a mis-timed attack on Hill. Owen jacked 371 Karl Taylor with Hill steaming the latter, 371 Rodney and Hill now meeting head on with Fizz dishing out similar treatment of his own to the Coventry Avenger, Fizz pounding Rodney into oblivion with a series of head ons to take the DD win.

 Not the best of meetings but it certainly had its moments. The infied antics in the final/DD spoilt it and also could have done with another race especially for the travelling boys for if they qualified in their heat, their only other race was the final.

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