Round four of the BRCA 1:10 Off-Road National Championships took us to the historic venue of Eden Park Raceway in Kent. The track is a real testing mix of different Astroturf and concrete, whilst some great elevation changes make it fun to drive too.
The forecast wasn’t good for the 2WD event on Saturday and unfortunately it was right as heavy rain disrupted the day considerably. With a few stops in proceedings due to the amount of rain falling, it left no time for the finals so positions would be decided on qualifying. With some rounds affected worse then others by the rain, round-by-round scoring meant that some drivers got luckier then others, but it was still the main contenders that put it together in the end.
Darren Bloomfield gave his championship chances a great boost by taking top spot (and with it the win) for Schumacher. Ellis Stafford (TLR) proved he’d lost none of his speed with second place, only losing out on fastest time due to a shortened track in the final round to avoid the biggest puddles. Lee Martin continued his super consistent year with third driving his Yokomo, but will it be enough to stop his friend Darren from taking the title?
Result – 2WD
1. Darren Bloomfield – Schumacher
2. Ellis Stafford – TLR
3. Lee Martin – Yokomo
4. Neil Cragg – Team Associated
5. Lloyd Storey – Schumacher
6. Tom Yardy – Team Associated
7. Terry Streeter – Schumacher
8. Danny McGee – Schumacher
9. Greg Williams – Team Associated
10. Elliott Boots – Kyosho
For the 4WD event on Sunday the forecast looked a lot better, but the racers were dubious – and rightly so. The track was changed to include the big double jump combo and getting this right was important for lap time.
In qualifying it was Simon Moss (Schumacher) who took the pole position, driving excellently with controlled aggression. Local favourite Ellis Stafford (TLR) was second with champion elect and Team Associated factory driver Neil Cragg in third, having been denied the chance to go for top spot as enough drizzle arrived for the very last heat of qualifying to slow the track down.
The first leg of the A final saw a virtually dry track and it was Simon that took the win, but then the heavens opened again with the remaining finals being run in very wet conditions, although the track held up remarkably well. With the new slippery conditions it was Ellis that took leg two, but then Neil took control in the remaining leg to take the win. The overall win once again was decided on fastest leg time, this one going in Neil’s favour.
With his fourth win from four meetings, Neil sealed the 4WD championship with Reedy-powered Team Associated car. Incredibly this is Neil’s 19th British title – congratulations Neil!
Result – 4WD
1. Neil Cragg – Team Associated
2. Ellis Stafford – TLR
3. Simon Moss – Schumacher
4. Nathan Waters – Schumacher
5. Kevin Lee – Team C
6. Lee Martin – Yokomo
7. Chris Doughty – Team Durango
8. Tom Yardy – Team Associated
9. Phil Sleigh – Team Associated
10. Danny McGee – Schumacher
