On Monday, the 8th of July 2024, the "Cheap as Chips" 1/12 Mini race series made its return to Eckington Civic Raceway. The Sheffield RC Racing team had crafted a new track layout for the occasion, designed to be fast and flowing, and featuring a long straight running diagonally down the venue. With the addition of two other popular support classes, everything was set for an exciting night of racing.
Qualifying
The first round of qualifying was a bit of a chaotic affair, with everyone still fine-tuning setups and managing the grip levels. Even the regular racers in the support classes struggled to find a rhythm with the unique track layout. In the feature class, it was local racer Tom Berry who set the benchmark pace with 29 laps in the opening round. Mark Newby was hot on his heels and the pair looked much faster than the rest of the field after the first test of the track.
In round two, Newby found more pace and managed to overtake Berry by just a second. The close competition set the stage for a decisive third run to determine the top qualifier. In the final qualifier, Berry started the round with a blistering pace, but his efforts were cut short as he was forced to retire after six laps. Newby, on the other hand, found his groove and laid down a perfect run to break the 30-lap mark, securing the top qualifying position. Nathan Batty had a better third qualifier, finding much more pace over one lap. He would start the final in 3rd, with Stuart Goldthorpe just beating "Mr Cheap as Chips" Shaun Leatherbarrow for the fourth spot.
In the support classes, there was a great battle in the Mini-E race between Dave Underwood and Luke Wainwright. Underwood took pole with better consistency. The Clubman-E class also saw a close contest between Dave Sedgwick and James Herring. Herring showed a lot of pace but suffered from bad luck, allowing Sedgwick to take an easy pole.
The Finals
We were gifted some great finals at the Cheap as Chips series. First up was the Mini-E final. Underwood and Wainwright had a great start, with Wainwright pushing hard in the opening laps. However, he pushed a little too hard and made a mistake on lap 10, giving Underwood a good gap. From there on, no one could catch Underwood as he cruised to victory. Wainwright had to settle for second place, with Steve Baggley completing the podium.
The Cheap as Chips feature race followed them. The top three had a mega start off the line. Berry's DDR was looking a little twitchy, but it wasn't costing him any time. The opening few laps were fast and well controlled, with the visiting racers clearly having got a grip on the layout and track conditions. Batty was looking even faster, making it a three-car race for glory. A few small errors by Berry allowed Batty to pass and gave Newby a good gap over the pair.
Batty was holding onto second place well, but at the halfway point, the race started to fall away from him as grip levels began to drop. Batty started to struggle with grip and backmarkers, allowing Berry to pass and pull away. As soon as Berry got past, he seemed to be lapping Batty. Newby handled the race perfectly. His run wasn't flawless, but he had created enough of a buffer for any small errors not to matter. Berry was fast in the final few laps, but it was too late, and the trio finished in the order they started. Leatherbarrow and Goldthorpe had a great battle for fourth, with Leatherbarrow coming out ahead in the last few laps.
The Clubman-E B final was won by a consistent Richard Wheeler. The A final was very exciting, with Sedgwick and Herring setting a blistering pace. Herring looked to have the faster pace, but a small mistake shattered his chances for victory. As soon as Sedgwick got a gap, he managed it perfectly to the finish. Herring finished in second, with Phil Roberts completing the podium.
For the full results please visit: https://rc-results.com/Viewer/Main/MeetingSummary?meetingId=12376
Another Great Night of RC Racing at the Civic Centre, Eckington
It was once again great to welcome the Cheap as Chips series back to Eckington. The visiting racers settled into the pits like they were part of the family. All the classes had great racing throughout the night, showcasing the skill and sportsmanship of everyone involved.
We will be hosting our final Cheap as Chips round on the 5th of August. Before then, the CACR circus will be visiting Ignition Raceway and Rotherham RC, promising more exciting racing action. For more information about the series please visit their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1381327429221826
The Sheffield RC Team would like to thank everyone who made it to the meeting. It was a fantastic night, and we look forward to seeing you all back at the track soon.