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This was the second meeting at Sheffield on Easter Monday, the first being a banger meeting in the afternoon. Unfortunately, this meant that the bangers were leaving the pits at the same time as the F1’s were arriving, which lead to chaos on the road leading into the stadium and a 20 minute wait to get on the car park. There was a delay while the track and fence were attended to after the banger racing, meaning F1 racing got underway some 45 minutes after the advertised start time. All this coupled with a big increase in the price of the famous Chip Butties made it a bad start to the meeting.
However, the racing was superb, with the added attraction of a Reliant Robin race won by Bruce Jones, AKA Les from Coronation Street. And it wasn’t fixed at all, honest!
But on to the F1’s… After his virtuoso performance at Belle Vue the night before, much was expected of Lee Henshaw (50), who started Heat One at the front of the grid. However, it was Colin Nairn (280) who made the early running. Andy Jacklin looked to be on a mission, driving hard into Phil Smith (109) and Gaz Wood (101). Henshaw struggled at first on the presumably unfamiliar Sheffield track, and had several near misses with the notorious fence. Micky Preston (76) took the lead before half-distance, with Henshaw managing to keep with him, and closed in when Preston was slowed by Phil Smith. It looked as though that would be the finish order, but Henshaw got it wrong coming off turn 4, and Ray Witts (180) went through on the inside, and Ian Tingle (423) also barged past before Henshaw could get the car back in the right direction.
Rob Speak seems to have ironed out the teething problems with his new car, as he drove to a convincing victory in Heat Two. Lenny Smith (185) and Dan Squire (291) ended up in the fence before the green flag had been dropped, while Neil Scriven (11) led them away and Mark Clayton (225) span himself out. The early race order was Scriven, from Nigel Bowler (248) and Mark Henstock (165), with Speak charging up to fourth place after only a few laps. Paul Harrison (2) tried to shove Andy Smith (391) aside, but Smith was having none of it. Speak had taken the lead just before the half-way, and Scriven was driving well to hold on to second, although Murray Harrison (97) was getting closer. Gary Castell (247) fired Frankie Wainman Snr (212) firmly into the fence, and Mark Gilbank tried a similar move on Paul Harrison and Dan Squire, but both managed to keep out of reach of the fence posts. In the closing stages, Scriven fell down the order, elevating Harrison to second, and Andy Smith to third, but at the chequered they were some distance behind winner Speak.
Stu Finnikin (155) and Colin Nairn (280) were both removed from the grid before the start of the Consolation race, as they had both already qualified for the Final. This left 15 cars on track, and it was Neil Scriven who again led them off. Nigel Wainwright (20) ran second for a short while, but he span out, and almost took Steve Jacklin and Nigel Bowler with him. Jacklin shredded the all-important outside rear tyre and pulled off, but Bowler continued, still in second place, albeit the length of the straight behind the fast moving Scriven. Gaz Wood had been running in fourth place until he got it sideways on the home straight and was accidentally T-boned by Mark Woodhull, who then deliberately shunted Mark Brightmore (477) into a backmarker, which took all three out . Andy Jacklin was now up to second, and took the lead when Scriven got it wrong coming off turn 4. At the half-way, it was Jacklin leading, with Simon Gill second, and closing. Gaz Wood overcooked it coming off turn 4, and Jacklin bounced off the fence trying to avoid the spinning 101 car. He survived, but had buckled the outside rear tyre. For the last five laps, Gill was right behind Jacklin, and used the bumper at every opportunity. Jacklin held on, and despite increasingly detemined efforts from Gill, he led the flag.
That man Neil Scriven was the first away in the Final, but Ian Tingle put him away. Henshaw then led Colin Nairn, and Ray Witts was the first of the top drivers to make a break, the 180 car looking the fastest on the track at that point, until Frankie Wainman Jnr shoved him aside. Frankie then had a battle with Rob Speak for a lap or two, until he put the 318 car wide, which allowed Witts through as well. Going into turn 3, Frankie bumpered Dan Squire out of the way, but as he went past, he seemed to get caught on the 291 car, and span across the track, and was hit by Witts, Speak, and Smith. Henshaw had a massive lead at this point, which he lost when the yellow flags then came out to attend to Phil Smith and Stu Finnikin, who had gone into the turn 4 fence in a big way. At the same time, Ian Tingle clattered a fence post or three on the home straight. At the restart, the order read 50,76,215,391,34,2,97, 318 and 180, with the damaged 515 car now parked on the infield. Gary Castell (247) and Mark Gilbank both overtook Dan Squire on the rolling lap, but Andy Smith waited for the green flag before he went past Geoff Nickolls. Preston then bumpered Henshaw aside to take the lead, but it was Smith who was in the Number One position when the lap boards came out. Henshaw had been holding onto third place, but on the last lap, he made a mess of negotiating the pits turn, and Speak, Paul Harrison, and Witts, all came past him.
By the last race of the night, the £1000 Dash For The Cash, there were only 15 cars still running, and 8 of them were star grade drivers. Colin Nairn led initially, but he was nudged aside by Steve Jacklin (136). Mark Brightmore piled into the fence, but all eyes were on the leading trio of Jacklin, Nairn, and Henshaw, and if recent form was anything to go by, Henshaw would be favourite. However, the number 50 car pulled off and Nairn dropped down the order. Mark Woodhull (335) was now up to second, and Rob Speak was looking a possible victor, as he was already up to third. He couldn’t find a way past Woodhull though, and after several tentative taps on the back bumper, he tried a slighter harder approach, and managed to spin the 335 car on the pit bend. Speak went for the inside, but ended up driving over Woodhull’s front wheel, both cars ending in a heap on the infield. This elevated Andy Smith and Frankie Wainman up to second and third respectively, while up front Steve Jacklin was driving the race of his life. Smith and Wainman exchanged places a few times, but neither seemed prepared to put the other away. Both drivers were sliding the car sideways into the bends, and using the nerf rail to push the other aside, rather than the usual method of keeping the power on and using the front bumper. The 515 car retired in a cloud of smoke, but Paul Harrison then appeared on the scene. With 3 to go, Smith closed right up to Jacklin, who had been flying round the track with levels of pace and composure not previously seen from the 136 driver. It was unlikely that he’d be able to hold Smith at bay though, and with one short, sharp tap, Smith sent Jacklin out into the loose shale, which also let Harrison through for second. It was looking like Harrison would go for it on the last lap, but Smith was far enough in front to be safe. Smith collected the money, Harrison was runner up, and a tremendous drive from Steve Jacklin netted him third place. If he drove like this more often, he wouldn’t stay white top for long.