Pete Sparrow out-dragged poleman Gary Adnitt away at the start. But Adnitt's slow start was nothing in comparison to Derek Harnett's second row start, which was more akin to an old age pensioner on a Sunday drive. Cars jinked left and right to avoid this mobile chicane. As the field stormed down the back straight for the first time the order was Sparrow, Adnitt, Cowling, followed by a fast-starting Phil Myatt. Behind, the delayed pack chased, led by Mike Cooper
Sparrow and Adnitt were swapping places on each lap in a race on their own, well ahead of a lonely Cowling. Martin Harrold pulled into the pits after two laps with a broken a track rod end. But there were more retirees to come. Steve Panas dived up the inside of Cooper into the Esses, leaving Cooper broadside in front of the pack only to be T-boned by Pete Cardell, putting both of them out. With all the action behind, Woodward had pulled clear of the pack in fifth place with Jon Davis an excellent sixth. There was action in the pack again as Panas, Mick Storey, and the recovering Harnett came to blows in the Bomb Hole, leading to Storey's retirement. But Panas' day was still not done, as he and Davis tried to out-brake each other into the chicane on lap 7, which ended with the front of Panas chassis moved 5 inches to the left!
In front, Sparrow was just ahead of Adnitt who was waiting for the last lap to make his move. Adnitt slipstreamed passed on the back straight, with both running side-by-side up to the chicane where Adnitt made it stick to the line to score a fine victory. Behind championship leader Cowling in third was top rookie Myatt who moves ever closer to the front at each race. Down the field there was a number of good performances, Sam Fritchley on she return in a fine seventh, Robert Myers in ninth, and in his second race outside of Mondello Mark Heywood in fourteenth.
1½ hrs Enduro Cup Round 4
Despite the damage sustained in the sprint race, Steve Panas' very bent car was on the grid, albeit missing one headlight. From the start cars 7 and 28 carried on as they had left off in the sprint race, only this time Adnitt's car was being driven by Ainslie Bousfield and Sparrow's by Gary Byatt. Behind, Mike Cooper led the charge, trying hard to hold onto the leaders, only to be passed on lap 3 by a flying Paul Robinson in Wayne Cowling's car who had started a lowly 10th on the grid but was soon mixing it at the front. Also running well in fourth and fifth was Thompson (Stinky) and in his first race start, the impressive Morris (Eurologic).
Up and down the field there was battles-a-plenty, but things became even more chaotic as rain began to fall. First of the spinners in the worsening conditions was eighth place Sparrow (one of many) in Trevor Williams car for the first stint. Up front, race leader Byatt dropped down to fifth after a spin and was soon followed by Bousfield and Robertson. Lap 10 it was all action in the pits with Byatt, Thompson, Morris, and Fritchley of the leading runners pitting, and everyone else on laps 11 and 12. The pitstops had an unusual effect at it spread out a closely packed field. Sparrow having taken over from Byatt was leading by five seconds from Adnitt after a lightening stop.
Adnitt had no chance of closing the gap down, as an engine misfire set in. A long way back in third, after a slow stop, was Cowling, and not far behind in fourth Thompson was having a great run just ahead of Cooper. The 'man on the move' was Paul Leason, having taken over Martin Harrold's car on lap 10, rejoining in nineteenth place. Leason was passing cars lefted right and centre, and by lap 20 was in eighth and closing fast on the battle for sixth between Harrnet and Panas. All on his own up front Sparrow cruised to the flag 11 seconds clear of Adnitt with Cowling a massive 40 seconds behind.
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