Swaffham 27 September 2025

SWAFFHAM RACEWAY

Gold Cup weekend - day one

Saturday 27 September 2025

Swaffham Raceway’s second two-day meeting in a month, with the “Gold Roof” or “Gold Cup” championships up for grabs for most of the local classes, followed a similar format to the East Anglian Championship meeting at the end of August. An eight-class line-up (with the Outlaw F2s, 2-litre Saloon Stox and Rookie Bangers dropped from the advertised programme, but Junior Bangers added) would have three rounds of qualifying on Saturday afternoon/evening, with the third heat doubling up as Saturday’s final. Threatening skies at the start of racing soon cleared for a fine late afternoon, although a few stoppages and delays, mainly with the Ninja Karts, meant the light was fading by the third round, and the last four races took place under the lights.

The smallest grid, but the closest racing, came from the RETRO RODS, with the definition of “Retro” extended to accommodate virtually any Outlaw-type Hot Rod. The prospect of a full weekend’s racing brought up two former Angmering regulars from the south coast, Teddy Goodman-West with his Redtop-powered 206, and Rich Spiers with his 2-litre Puma-Zetec. They joined the two regular local supporters of the class, Ian Cross’ Anglia and Ashley Crofts’ 2-litre Nova.

Teddy started to run away with the first race but a stuck throttle gave him a scary moment, while at the same time Rich and Ashley tangled at the other corner. From the restart Ian led all the way with Ashley on his outside, until Rich moved up on the inside. The resulting close racing earned a black cross from Ashley, dropping him to third despite Rich spinning out with a lap to go.

The second heat started with all four cars glued together although Teddy then had more problems, with his air filters coming adrift after he’d fixed the throttle return spring. Rich and Ashley went side-by-side for the whole race, with Rich not to be moved from the inside line. Despite a couple of slight touches, and sideways moments for Rich, they stayed inches apart to the flag, with Rich just ahead of Ashley and Ian.

The third heat went the same way, although this time Teddy was part of the battle throughout. Rich led away with Ian’s Anglia initially on his outside, but Ashley took up the challenge again and Rich took the chequered flag a bumper ahead of Ashley, with Teddy and Ian right behind.

The CLASSIC STOX turned out again, with a seven-car line-up. Jamie Bridges came through to take the first heat from early leader Dan Horsepool, with Clive Freeman, back racing at Swaffham this year 40 years after he was a Hot Rod competitor here, held on to third with his Jimmy Wallace replica, ahead of Mark Hewlett and Vince O’Connor, while Tom Francis was out in a George Cozen-owned HCD this time and Rachael Richardson joined the field in the car usually driven by John Clark.

Tom Francis led the second heat away but Dan Horsepool was soon in front and came home a clear winner after Jamie Bridges had a problem at half distance. Clive Freeman came in second from Vince O’Connor, Mark Hewlett, Tom Francis and Rachael Richardson. Jamie was back on top in the third race, closely chased by Dan, with Mark third from Tom, Vince dropping to fifth after a quick spin, and Rachael completing the day in sixth, while Clive was a fraction too late arriving at the gate after changing an inlet manifold gasket.

The ROOKIE RODS raced from two reversed grid heats with a re-drawn grid for the third race. All the regulars turned out apart from Siani Martin, whose Fiesta was being used to defend Stuart Barton’s gold roof title, while Siani was in a Banger for the day. The new East Anglian Champion Dean Cook passed Stuart Barton in the first heat and went on to win as Stuart defended second, but picked up a black cross and was dropped two places as Emilie Smith took second from Jason Chinery, who’d held off Rhys-Jon Williams and Liam Parker all the way, while John Rattigan pulled off. Second time out Rhys-Jon Williams got away to win, helped by an intense battle for second in which Jason Chinery just held off Emilie Smith, Dean Cook and Stuart Barton. The third race saw this battle repeated, but this time for the lead, and Jason held on for the closest of wins over Dean and Rhys-Jon, while Liam Parker beat Emilie for third and John Rattigan and Stuart Barton ended up tangling on the last lap.

The JUNIOR RODS, with a ten-car grid, raced in the same reversed grid format. The first race was interrupted when Ted Emmett got accidentally tagged and spun into the fence, but on the restart Jayden Lake led all the way, with Sienna Wisbey and Harvey Goudy right on his tail, as East Anglian Champion Lewis Pyne fended off Rosie Taber and Jack Lomax. The Saxos of Jay Elton, Zach Robinson and Freddie Withers completed the finishers.

In the next race Rosie Taber came through to pass Jay Elton for the lead, and Rosie went on to win with Ted Emmett holding off Lewis Pyne and Jayden Lake for second, and Jay battling with Sienna Wisbey, Harvey Goudy, Jack Lomax and Freddie Withers for fifth.

Rosie started on the front row for the third race and, with a bit of a traffic jam behind her on the first lap, she escaped and took a relatively unchallenged win, while Lewis Pyne came from near the back to beat Ted Emmett for second, with Jayden Lake, Freddie Withers, Harvey Goudy, Jay Elton and Zach Robinson all close behind, while Sienna Wisbey got squeezed out in the early stages.

The STREETSTOX were in action with twelve starters, the bumpered full contact class dominated by Corsas apart from one Fiesta and the very quick Alfa Romeo Mito of Darren Lovelock. Darren took the lead from Sam Brett before going on to win the first race, with James Taylor then holding off Sam and Shaun Aldous for second. The second race was led away by Adam Green, initially challenged by Riley Pottle’s Fiesta before an off course excursion, but soon James Taylor hit the front, hanging on to win despite Darren Lovelock being on his tail by the end. Sam Brett, Shaun Aldous, Adam Green and Ross Featherby fought over the next places. By the final, the cars of Wayne Pottle and Ryan Middleton had fallen by the wayside but the others fought closely with Sam Brett this time just holding off Darren Lovelock all the way, chased by James Tayloe. Ross Featherby, Shaun Aldous and Adam Green were next, with newcomer Matt Chance improving all day to take seventh ahead of Ben Burnett, Fred Wade and Riley Pottle.

The NINJA KARTS had the biggest field of the day, with seventeen on the grid, starting all three heats in graded order, with an eye-catching gold kart of newcomer Evan Boardley lining up at the back. It proved a fraught day, with every race needing at least one restart, but the results reflected some excellent performances by the lower graders. Charlie Sealy made a very quick start to lead the first race, and despite losing his advantage on the restart, he held on to win from Alfie Bradford and the fast closing Freddie Taber, while five drivers were pulled out of the restart for being slow responding to the yellow flags.

Second time out Charlie Sealy had an early problem that brought out the red flag. Tyrus Read took the lead from a full restart but he too had to pull out, which left a battle between two other very promising white grade drivers, Daisy Mace just holding off Ollie Rayner, with Alfie Bradford and Freddie Taber joining their battle at the end, while Albie Challis and Harry Henderson finished side by side in the next places.

The final, with the light fading fast, saw Freddie Taber, Alfie Cole and Albie Challis come to grief on the first lap as they hit an oily patch. After another full restart, Tyrus Read led again, chased by Daisy Mace, Macie Dixon, Ollie Rainer, Freddie Sealy and Harry Plaice. Ollie Rainer made his way to the front, with others spinning all round the track, bringing out an early red flag, with Ollie doing well to take what we think was his first win, with Frankie Read, Alfie Bradford, Freddie Taber, Daisy and Oakley Mace and Charlie Dealy all in contention behind him.

JUNIOR BANGERS were again a late addition ton the programme, with five cars lining up. Conor Broomfield on the first race from William Eve and Daidy Martin. Second time out William held off Connor for the win, but in the final Connor was again in front of William, both of them taking time out to spin Charlie Cook’s Micra. Charlie kept coming back for more and ended up fourth behind Lewis Taylor’s Fiesta.

Completing the programme were the BACK TO BASICS BANGERS, which are these days Swaffham’s main Banger class after the “Rookie Bangers” faded out, ending the old problem of having the Bangers split between two outwardly similar classes. Fourteen cars came out on Saturday, with two relatively sensible heats before things turned a little crazy after dark for the final. Ross Lucas in a Civic led the first race all the way, with Stuart Barton’s BMW Mini close behind and Nick Clayton’s Astra, Harry Clayton’s Focus, Siani Martin’s BMW Mini and Elliot Walton’s Astra all going well. Siani then led the second race most of the way before Danny Elton’s Civic and Stuart Barton passed her into the last lap. Siani was then taken out by her team-mate as Danny went on to win with Stuart second and Nick Clayton and Colin Gentry fighting for the next places.

Colin Gentry led the final until he had a shove from Nick Clayton, who was immediately spun by Stuart Barton, who then attacked new leader Danny Elton until he hit Danny hard enough to cripple his own Mini. Danny then led Colin Gentry and Harry Clayton, but the centre of attention was Shaun Ward, who launched his Meriva into a roll off the pits bend curve, sliding upside down into the fence, where the thing caught fire to bring the first day to a spectacular close.