Carl H

From the 2013 World Final programme. Stock Car Racing first took place at what was then known as King's Lynn Stadium in September 1955, on a makeshift dirt track that had been laid inside the dog track for speedway in 1952. The venue had an on-off relationship with the sport for the next 37 years, before finally becoming a permanent track in 1992. The stadium was gradually improved year on year, and by 2007 it was considered suitable for staging the F1 World Championship. The 2007 World Final is regarded by many as one of the sport's greatest races, with multiple lead changes and quite a number of different race leaders. Like many World Finals of the 2000s, Frankie Wainman and Andy Smith were on the front row, and it was the defending champion Andy Smith that surged into the lead when the green dropped. The waved yellows appeared after just a couple of laps when Dutchman Berry Paardenkooper rolled down the home straight. On the restart, Frankie pushed Andy wide to take the lead, but this didn't last as Stu Smith then went in on Frankie and took them both out wide, which let Mark Gilbank through. Frankie immediately planted the 21 car hard into Australian entrant Steve Bateman, but this allowed Andy Smith to dive through on the inside to take the lead. But Andy lasted just a lap at the front before brother Stu dumped him into the parked Bateman machine. The 390 car went slightly wide in the process, enough for Mat Newson to get through into the lead. Waved yellows allowed the dazed Australian to be helped from his car, which had taken a bit of a battering. When the race resumed, Mat made a good start and pulled a few car lengths away from Stu Smith. Frankie was now under attack from Lee Robinson, who hit the 515 car increasingly harder until he got past. However, a couple of laps later, Frankie was back in third place. As the race passed the halfway mark, there were only about half of the original starters still mobile, and after the hectic start the race began to settle down. At the front, the top three cars of 16, 390, and 515 were evenly paced. But as the race progressed, the 16 car appeared to lose a little speed, and Stu gradually closed the gap. With six laps remaining, Stu was right on Mat's back bumper, and as the lap boards came out the 390 car eased into the lead. Frankie was then on Mat, and gave the 16 car a nudge going into turn one. Mat held his line, but was nerfed towards the outside and Frankie moved into second, a few car lengths behind Stu. DOwn the back straight for the last time, Stu found backmarker Axel Nijs not far in front of him, and with Frankie within striking distance, a last bend sort-out was inevitable. Approaching the turn, Stu appeared to just ease off the power, and pointed his car straight at Nijs'. Frankie went in hard with the bumper, which cannoned Smith into Nijs. As all three went wide, Stu positioned himself directly in front of the 515 car, and, looking like he had all the time in the world, calmly put the power on and drove over the finish line, with Frankie about half a car length behind him. A stunning finish to what had been a sensational race. Before the fourth King's Lynn staged World Final, Frankie, Mat, and Stu were asked for their memories of that first event back in 2007. "Well, it was rubbish, cos I didn't win...", laughed Frankie. "No, it was really good. The entire weekend, the build up, the race itself, everything.... just superb!" Mat agreed. "It was brilliant. As a whole, I'd say it was one of, if not the best ever world final meetings" "It was a great race. I think I'd agree that it was one of the best ever world finals", added Stu. "From my own point of view, not many people thought that I'd beat Andy and Frank. I think a lot were surprised by me and Mat". The race turned out to be a landmark moment in the history of F1 stock car racing, as Stu's victory meant the Smiths became the first family to have three members win the World Championship, something that he was more than aware of in the run up to the meeting. "With my dad and my brother having won the world final, and more than once, I felt that people expected me to win it sooner or later, there was some pressure. But before the race, I didn't really have any loss of composure, or nerves" By half distance, a shock victory for local boy Mat Newson was starting to look like a real possibility to those on the terraces. But Stu wasn't so sure of that. "I had every confidence I could catch Mat. I didn't want to over push my car, I set behind him and let him dictate the pace. When I got into the lead I didn't want to make a mistake". Frankie was a distant third at the time. Did he think that he'd be able to catch Stu and Mat? "No... well, I dunno, you just do what you can with whatever setup you've got. Mat goes for setup for the start of the race and get away, and you've just got to hope that you can get to him. This year there's always gonna be the watering issue, that changes things a lot. They'll water it if there's waved yellows, but there might not be any". Mat was understandably disappointed on the night, but has subsequently become more philosophical about the race. "From my own point of view, I was nowhere near good enough at the time. I was an average red top, I was no Andy Smith, if you know what I mean? Everybody else went for a crash, and I had a good race. I led for about 15 laps and then Stu came along". Today, Mat is rated as one of the sport's superstar drivers, but back then he was still on a steep learning curve. "If I knew then what I know now about setup and things, I think it would have been different. My biggest trouble was that the car would start to get loose when the track got drier, it had too much rear brake so it wouldn't turn in. What it came down to, I didn't realise that there's a lot you can do from within the car to make it get better during a race. Back then, I genuinely didn't know. I had a car that was good for about 15 laps. Andy Smith told me to put bigger front brake on. I fitted some and put a lever valve in the cab. It seems amazing to think it now, but back then we just didn't know. I think if I was in the same situation now, with a good lead in a World Final, it would be different". As the leading cars entered the back straight for the last time, Stu was by no means home and dry, and as the 390 car approached the final turn, everybody in the entire stadium, including Stu himself, knew what was coming. "I knew it was coming and I positioned myself for it. In a normal race you can look in your mirror and see how far ahead you are, and judge if you're far enough in front to be safe. Well, in a World Final, you double that distance!" There was no way that Frankie was going to play it safe. "Stuart got that backmarker exactly where he wanted him, which didn't help, but you've gotta go for it, and if your time is right then your time is right, but it wasn't my time". So Stu, how did it feel to win your first World Final? "My first feeling was, I think, over-excitement. I was shouting to my folks, we were all shouting. I remember I felt like I had a headache, I couldn't catch my breath, I was relieved..... just so many emotions, it's hard to explain. The rest of the night was just a blur... and not because I was drunk!"

Latest.... Photos and words on the newly built car of Mike Holt, courtesy of John Nolan. History of Cadwell Park (Thanks Giant) Results for Newcastle 2nd October 1965. (Thanks Tony) Results for Lydden Hill on 6th October 1957, 15th June 1958, and 10th August 1958. (Thanks Huggy) The true identity of the driver listed as 118 DA Hewitt (Thanks Edna) Results from Harringay 12th June 1954. (Thanks Chris) Dates of Aycliffe meetings in 1956 and results from 1957. (Thanks Nigel) New photos of Jim Woolnough, John Hayden, J Crabb , Stefan Stepenović, and Bobby Myers at Harringay. (Thanks eBay) Expanded introductory words on the front page, some of which I'm not convinced are totally correct. Please drop me a line if you can help.

Alex and Sam are brothers and the sons of Derek. Bob Wass is Derek's dad. (Info from Derek, including a photo of Bob) 👍

Thanks to everyone. 👍

Great stuff. Very entertaining. A couple of my pics of the aftermath of that crash in the 2003 British. Kev rejoined the race with no outside help whatsoever...

Photo ©Ian Bannister On this day, Wednesday 16th June 1982, and world championship qualification points on offer at Skegness, and here is Pete Guinchard (20) out on track in the first heat of this overcast Wednesday on the east coast. The heat was won by Bert Finnikin (55) from Derek Fairhurst (218) 2nd and Brian Tuplin (155) 3rd. Pete didn't finish in the points but did qualify for the final with a 3rd place in the consolation. Photo ©Ian Bannister / Howard Murtaugh Here we can see John Rogers (269) on his way to a 5th place finish in the consolation. The race was won by Len Wolfenden (190) from Frankie Wainman (212) 2nd and Pete Guinchard (20) 3rd. Thanks to Ian Bannister for the above.

Quite a few updates worth a browse this month. Lots of info (see the biography section for the first three) and previously unpublished photos, courtesy of John Nolan: Doug Cronshaw Alan Heap Ken Carter Mike Huddart Results from Newcastle 1954 and 1965 (including programmes, thanks Derek) Results from Belle Vue 22nd September 1956 (Thanks Paul) More drivers added from 1954-1958, including one that's been bugging me for ages.... Bill Barrett. I've got the same photo or variations of it, plus another from the same sequence (see Bill Bendix) in several different publications but I didn't know who 183A was until now. (Thanks Terry) History of Swadlincote including the actual correct location of the stadium!

17 years ago! Blimey. And it's still going. Seems like a good time to thank all the Stoxnet Supporters, past and present, that contribute towards the not inconsiderable amount of cash that it takes to keep Stoxnet online and working properly. Without your help, it wouldn't be here, so thank you all.

If it is ten rounds as originally announced, then it looks like congratulations to Tsjalle Greidanus on winning the inaugural E-Series. Unless the last round is double points? Current points here:- http://stoxnet.com/points/e_points.htm (unoffiical!)

Just in case any of the younger or newer fans are wondering what the fuss about Bradford is, have a read of the potted history on Bradford | Since 1954, written by someone that actually raced there. (No, it wasn't me )

Good interview, and at well over an hour, it was something of an epic. I watched it in installments. A minor point, but he actually started racing late 1982.

Loads more drivers and programmes, mainly from the 1950s. History section added to Bradford New Stats menu includes Most Meetings Per Track

Nice one.

This was 2005 and a lot of internet users were "anonymous" so the first port of call to identify them would be the owner of the website in question. Maybe the law has changed with the advent of social media, I don't know. As it happens, it's a bit of a strange story. The person who uploaded it wasn't breaking any law, as he had taken the photo himself! And it turned out that the guy sending the demands wasn't the young lady's agent, either. Or had ever had anything to do with her. Must have been some sort of chancer thinking that we'd panic and just give him some money 😮

Digger Pugh was Australian.

Looks like that book is worth checking out, thanks for the heads-up Colin. Unfortunately it seems to be out of print and out of stock, and the only copy I've found is a signed first edition, which is as expensive as it sounds. Thanks. I've contributed to a fair few stock car books over the years, but write one of my own... ? Erm. I don't think so.

Has anyone got contact details for Pan Visuals? Seriously, I've asked dozens (at least) of people if it's okay to use their photos on my website, and nobody has ever said no. In fact, a lot have said "please do!". The issue referred to earlier in this thread stems from a photo being used as part of something else, and only some of the photo was used - unfotunately the part that was cropped out included the photographer's watermark, and understandably they weren't happy about it. I'm not disputing the letter of the law but I doubt that anyone is seriously going to be all that bothered about an aeons old photo being reproduced on a low-traffic site like Stoxnet. In any case, it wouldn't be the poster that they would go after, it would be the site owners (i.e. who stoxnet.com is registered to). This actually did happen, years ago. Someone posted photos from a motor show (might have been the NEC, I can't remember), and some featured a model that had been hired by some PR company. Someone claiming to be the girl's agent sent us a few snottograms about payment for copyright infringement....

These aren't right. Looks like I managed to miss the final from Northampton. Since they've started doing the results as graphics, instead of normal text that I can copy and paste, it's a bit more labour intensive, and I obviously got a bit sloppy. I'll rectify that this week.

http://stoxnet.com/points/e_points.htm

Great photo. Where did you nick it from? 1994 - FWJ leads 391 by miles but the engine goes sick. 1997 - FWJ leads 53 by a few car lengths, H34 veers across the track in front of them. 53 brakes, 515 tangles with H34, 53 goes straight past.

The introduction of greyhound racing in the late 1920s led to a lot of tracks being built, and by 1932 there were 4 rival tracks in Liverpool. Stanley Greyhound Stadium in the Old Swan district opened in 1927 for the dogs, with speedway arriving in 1936, and like many other greyhounds and speedway stadia of the era, 1954 saw the arrival of stock car racing. The opening meeting on 18th June 1954 was won by Oliver Hart Jnr, whose dad Oliver and uncle Ron were the promoters. The Hart brothers were non-identical twins and had been speedway riders in the 1930s and 1940s, and promoted speedway and stock cars at a range of tracks in the north, including Wigan, Bradford, and the ill-fated Preston meeting that landed them in court. But that was nothing compared to their final meeting at Liverpool on 24th September 1954, which was abandoned in Heat 4 when a car went through the fence into the crowd, and an 11 year old boy, there to watch his father race, was tragically killed. Stanley Stadium was reopened for stock cars on 13th May 1955 by Southern Stock Cars Ltd, which was American promoters Buddy Davenport and Lester Vanadore. They had arrived in the country as part of a joint venture with pioneer UK promotoer Digger Pugh. Partly a promotional stunt, and partly a business venture, they shipped some US stock cars and drivers to England to race at various tracks around the country, with everyone getting a share of the prize money. In those days, the prize money on a final would be a couple of grand in today's money, so potentially quite profitable. The team was made up of team managers Vanadore and Davenport, plus drivers Curtis Crider, Bill Irick, Possum Jones, Pete Folse, Bobby Schuyler, Bobby Myers, and Neil Castles, who was a last minute replacement for Speedy Monroe. Speedy was listed in the programme for the team's first UK meeting at Harringay on 8th April 1955, but did not race. Davenport later stepped in as a driver when Crider and Myers bailed out early and went home. The Americans' first impression of the racing at Harringay was less than favourable. According to Neil Castles' autobiography, they were expecting something like the NASCAR races in the States, but it was more like a demolition derby. It started well for the Americans. Experienced racers in properly set up cars were no match for the British novices in stuff they'd bought for peanuts from scrapyards. The England vs USA race was a whitewash, with the visitors claiming all five point scoring places. Possum Jones and Bobby Myers took a one-two in the meeting final. Coincidentally, Heat 2 also went to an American, but nothing to do with the USA team. The winner was Vince W Jones from California, who was a law student at Oxford. As for Liverpool on 13th May, it wasn't a success. Only 19 cars turned out to race, and the first heat was described as very tame. Ex-promoter Oliver Hart (the elder) won Heat 2 and the Final. The England vs America race featured Oliver Hart Jnr racing for the Americans, as they had lost a car earlier on. Folse and Irick crashed out, but Castles and Jones got enough points for America to win. Neil Castles finished as runner-up in the Final.... or did he? The name in the programme was actually Doug Castles from the USA, who was also recorded as the winner of Heat 3 and the Final at Norwich on 21st May 1955. These are the only recorded race appearances of Doug Castles, either in England or anywhere else. The rest of the USA team were all documented as being racers in the states, but there is nothing at all to be found on Doug Castles. On the two occasions that Doug Castles is known to have raced in England, Neil Castles did not race at those meetings. The most likely explanation is that Doug Castles and Neil Castles are the same person. Either he used a different name for some reason, or it was just a mistake. However, in The Story Of Stock Car Racing 1955, the meeting report for Liverpool says that the runner-up was "an unknown Australian driving Neil Castles' car" ! Did he also race at Norwich? Lester Vanadore disappeared back to America with all the money, some of which belonged to Bobby Shuman, who had supplied the cars, and later turned up dead. (with thanks to Steve Daily)

Points tables after round 5. http://stoxnet.com/points/e_points.htm

My copy arrived today. Only had time for a quick flick through so far, but it looks really good. 👍

That's interesting. Cars from the 70s and 80s don't look as though they are any wider than today's cars. Do you know what axles they used? I thought everyone used LDs back then - were they narrower than Transits?

I forgot to post the rest of it! Heat and Final at West Ham on 25th April 1959 went to William "Darkie" Wright, who was one of the pioneer stock car drivers that raced at the very first meeting at New Cross Stadium in London on Good Friday, April 16th 1954. Darkie won his first final at Eastbourne in 1955, and went on to win quite a few more, but it was his immaculately prepared cars that got the attention. While most cars of the period looked as though they had been thrown together in a garden shed, because most of them had, Darkie’s looked as though they had been properly engineered. Darkie Wright was one of the first drivers to build cars to order, and apart from stock cars he also built a few Hot Rods as well. Darkie was the oldest driver to have won a final, winning his last at Northampton in 1974, aged 62. He held this record until Rob Cowley won at Birmingham in October 2015. At Belle Vue the same night, Doug Wardropper travelled a long way north from Ipswich to take a clean sweep of Heat, Final, and Helter Skelter, although as far as I know the HS race didn't have a lap handicap for the winner? He went home via Northampton the day after, and won the final there as well.