World Championship
White City Stadium was ram jam full long before seven o'clock and there seemed to be queues for just about everything as the thousands upon thousands packed into the stadium to see what promised to be the
most intriguing and action filled World Final for a while.
The parade of cars brought its usual cheers and boos as fans showed their feelings towards their favourites, Harry Van Der Spuii seemed to be trying to tell us he was going for victory, at least I hope he was . . . and John Jebson was as nattily dressed as ever a driver was.
After heat one, the finalists were introduced and presented with their mementoes, and as the cars began to line up on the grid, it was noticeable that Mike Close seemed determined to be the last out.
Gamesmanship? Nerves? Who knows, but out he came and those who couldn't see were craning their necks to get a better view as the roller started with Harry Van der Spuij and Larry Burton in Wainman cars (four of them, identical), Gene Welch in the car he used the previous night at Nelson, Jim Hopkinson in the Trevor Todd number two car, and Rien Rutiens and John van't Veer in their own cars brought over from Holland.
A thought crossed my mind as to how the lap-scorers would manage with such numbers as USA1, SA1, USA2 and USA3 to write down amongst the many others, but these and all other thoughts were banished as the roar of engines told everyone "this was it".
It was a slow rolling lap, and the flag was dropped as the pole sitters entered the third bend. Almost immediately there was pandemonium as a pile-up developed at the start of the home straight, and reigning champion Dave Mellor never even got to cross the start line as he was embedded in the fence. Dave Hodgson's luck was also right out again as he was spun.
Frankie Wainman soon knocked Stu Smith off his line and the Sheffield semi winner was suddenly in no man's land as several others passed him as he fought to get back into the mainstream.
Frankie and Bert Finnikin were clear at the front followed by Allan Barker and Mick Noden. Stu Smith was soon relegated to sixth as a very fast moving Brian Powles bored through on his inside, and as several cars could already be seen to have retired, the Cotgrave ace was soon up into third place and chasing the leading pair.
At last, the 391 car seemed to be back in the groove as Allan Barker's race ended with his car in the back straight fence, but at the front the Silsden Smiler was driving superbly as he threaded his way through the tail-enders with consummate skill. He had a long way to go though.
Further back, two former champions were beginning to shake off the pack with Mike Close leading Doug Cronshaw in sixth and seventh places.
Brian Powles closed up on the leaders and passed Bert Finnikin, then, unbelievably, he was inside Wainman on the pits bend to lead. What a race we were being treated to.
Undismayed, Frankie dug in behind the 154 car and retaliated, and Brian's lead was short-lived as USA3 Jim Hopkinson, performed a veritable hop, skip and jump-kinson to divert Brian into the fourth bend wires where his race was effectively ended.
Frankie didn't escape unscathed as the Flying Fin saw his chance and sliced through on the inside to give us a new race leader.
Stu Smith failed to negotiate the hazard and his race ended with a puncture, just as he was looking to be in with a chance again.
Approaching the half distance, it was still anybody's race, though Bert and Frankie now had a few yards in hand over third placeman Mick Noden, but at the rate at which incidents were happening, nothing could be ruled out, and sure enough, the Wainman bumper eased the 55 car wide on the pits bend to relegate Bert to second place, whereupon Frankie was almost taken out by Brian Powles and then by Sam Ostle, both a lap or so down on the leader, but Frankie was in control.
As the boards came out he had pulled away from Finnikin, who in turn was being pressurised by Mick Noden. Rien Rutjens held the Leek driver up just long enough for Mick to make his move, and Bert was demoted again.
The Dutchman then removed Sam Ostle, with assistance from his fellow countryman, and the performance of the pair of them was surely better than most people had expected, especially John van't Veer, a totally unknown quantity until this race.
Frankie's heart must have been in his mouth as he got nearer and nearer to the chequered flag, then Hoss Fernihough spun right in front of him as Noden visibly closed the gap. But Frankie Wainman was not going to be denied, and received the flag to thunderous applause and a deafening crescendo of klaxons.
Mick Noden, with a truly amazing performance on the White City tarmac which he has seldom raced on, was runner-up with Bert Finnikin third and Mike Close and Doug Cronshaw still together at the end for fourth and fifth, and the announced results were as follows: 212, 306, 55, 199, 396, 160, 260, 247, H15, 345, 208, 318, 346.
The race was timed at 7 mins 27 secs, and rarely, if ever, can so much drama have been packed into a World Final.
Frankie climbed on to the roof of his car, his many fans went wild with delight, and BriSCA had got itself a new World Champion.
As well as the World Championship trophy and replica, Frankie was presented with a trophy by Jac Claes on behalf of NACO, the Dutch organisation, and the calmest person in the stadium as the new champion went round on his victory lap seemed to be Frankie himself.
He hasn't stopped smiling though!
What a race, what a spellbinder this year's big race turned out to be. Naturally there were many hard luck stories, like Len Wolfenden's early breakdown and Brian Powles' wretched luck, but when all said and done there could only be one winner, and Frankie is a worthy champion.
Didn't he do well?
Halls & Ralls reporting, Stock Car Magazine, October 1979
| World Finalists | |
|---|---|
| 1. | 391 Stu Smith |
| 2. | 212 Frankie Wainman |
| 3. | 55 Bert Finnikin |
| 4. | 179 Allan Barker |
| 5. | 190 Len Wolfenden |
| 6. | 306 Mick Noden |
| 7. | SA1 Harry van de Spuij |
| 8. | USA1 Larry Burton |
| 9. | 154 Brian Powles |
| 10. | 304 Dave Mellor |
| 11. | 160 Andy Stott |
| 12. | 272 Dave Hodgson |
| 13. | 396 Doug Cronshaw |
| 14. | 199 Mike Close |
| 15. | USA2 Gene Welch |
| 16. | USA3 Jim Hopkinson |
| 17. | 346 Ray Leigh |
| 18. | 208 Martin Fernihough |
| 19. | 247 Andy Webb |
| 20. | 260 Dave Berresford |
| 21. | 351 Sam Ostle |
| 22. | 318 Dave Fox |
| 23. | H15 Rien Rutjens |
| 24. | H16 John van't Veer |
| 25. | 155 Brian Tuplin |
| 26. | 345 Keith Jubb |
| 27. | 428 Pete Doran |
| 28. | 95 John Lund |