Lynn drivers to the fore in opening meeting

The 2024 stock car season burst into life at the Adrian Flux Arena on Saturday where three different formulas were all in action.Lynn-based drivers did well in the company of a star-studded international entry.Marcus Gilbert debuted his new BriSCA F2 stock car and it couldn’t have started much better when he qualified for the final after winning his heat with a tremendous drive.Ben Cole was also in a new car and the upgraded machinery saw him drive with much more confidence as he qualified for the final in the same race which Marcus won with a solid seventh-place finish.An engine blow-up put an early end to Beth Usher’s night in the F2s.Gilbert was unlucky in the F2 stock car final when he was spun out of fourth place with seven laps remaining, eventually recovering to place in 16th place whilst Cole retired in the early stages of the race with damage.Diss driver Connor Blake produced a brilliant drive to win his first ever F2 final.Gilbert said: “Winning my first race of the year made a nice change to rolling over at the first meeting which happened at the first meeting last year. I was pleased with the car and can’t wait to get back out.”Austen Freestone was in fantastic form in the 2L stock cars.In the Charlene Kingston memorial, he spent the majority of the race battling for the lead with Cole Atkins and led the race until two laps to go when eventual winner Ryan Santry swept past with Freestone doing well to finish in fourth.Earlier in the night Levi List had a good fifth place in the opening race with it also being good to see the perseverance that Chris Masters has put in on shale racing paying off with a sixth-place finish.List and Freestone also placed in the main heats with Freestone staying in the top five all night.Garry Lusher swapped stock rods for the 1300 stock cars as he made his debut and he had a great first night in the formula with two sixth-place finishes in his heats combined with a fifth-place finish in the final which was won by Norwich’s Tyler Bloomfield.Lusher said: “Well that’s the first meeting done and dusted in the 1300 stock cars and what a buzz.”I haven’t had that much fun in racing for a while and I was pleased with my results, I couldn’t have asked for much more for my first meeting.”Thanks to everyone that came along to watch, helped, lent a hand and gave advice, too many to mention but everyone’s help was much appreciated.”