The Hotstox annual weekend at the seaside last year saw some pretty awful weather. The forecast wasn't great but the old fella upstairs must've fancied some V8 racing as the rain just about held off.

23 cars in the pits for day one including 102 Anna Williams driving the Swinton Car Project car, day licencee 222 Guy Jolly and a stunning new car from the 373 Rob Hartley team.

Heat 1 gridded the full compliment but only just as 237 Daz Parker only just made the line up after arriving late. The race was led away by 275 Trevor Hawkins with 129 Paul Davies in line. 373 Rob Hartley was setting a rare pace from the blues until a spin halted his progress. 439 Jay Kellett was also making good progress and briefly took the lead from 237 Daz Parker who'd only just relieved Hawkins of his leading duties as 131 Kev Stuchbury swept past them all to take it up and comfortably took the win from Kellett, 161 Mark Allen and 237 Parker.

Heat 2 with 22 cars as 187 Craig Smith had blown a gasket. Hawkins led them away again in damp conditions but Davies took it up on lap 2. 315 Rob Shackleton passed 281 Lee Summers for 2nd and then went by Davies to lead. Stuchbury (K) wasn't far behind and duly moved ahead a lap later. 388 Peter Davenport spun on the turnstile bend. 210 Matt Smith was going well and up into 4th. 81Matt Smith and Mark Allen tangled which dropped them down the order but no one could match Stuchbury who took his 2nd win of the day lapping up to 3rd place in the process.

22 for the Final with day licencee 222 Guy Jolly in the Radforth hire car electing to start at the fron having run from the rear in the heats, moved ahead in lap 2 and continued to lead until Kev Stuchbury swept by on lap 6 from the back of the grid !. Unfortunately, Jolly spun under pressure from the chasing pack and rejoined well down the field. 355 Bryan Andrew had 113 Neil Stuchbury for company as the pair chased after the header. Going into the last bend, Andrew tried  to make contact with the 131 car but over stretched and spun off the 131 rear bumper to end up backwards in the wall. Neil Stuchbury said thank you very much and took 2nd with Mark Allen 3rd. Shackleton got spun on the last turn and finished by reversing up the home straight to the flag.

22 again for the National with Final winner Stuchbury taking the lap handicap in search of double bubble. Guy Jolly looked very good up front and in fact led for 11 laps until Kellett caught and passed him. Earlier, 117 Rob Scriven, 161 Allen and 210 Smith got involved and clattered the turnstile bend fence. Allen and Scriven lost little time as they got away quick style but the unlucky Smith spun backwards into the fence before rejoining down the order. Jolly spun on the turnstile bend - a shame as he was going so well. The next turnstile bend spinner was 373 Hartley who got going only to repeat the feat a lap or so later. Kellett ran out a comfortable winner from Andrew and a recovered Mark Allen to end a good day's racing.

The evening was spent pitching tents and firing up the BBQ's as most of the teams braved the weather - which wasn't as bad as had been expected - although spare a thought for 42 Rob Barber who spent the night in a cow print tent ! Morning dawned and the expected rainfall was nowhere to be seen. The sun even managed a decent appearance as the teams resumed their pit positions ready for the 2nd day's racing.

21 for day 2 as 129 Paul Davies, 102 Anna Williams and 187 Craig Smith had gone home and 237 Daz Parker gave up his seat in the Nigel Parker car for new brother in law 178 Richard Burt who'd got married to Nigel's daughter, Laura on Saturday - Congratulations !. 112 Jamie Marson did appear after cutting a section of his recovery truck bed out to accommodate the race car which is why he missed day 1.

After a brief practice session, heat 1 commenced with Hawkins leading them away before 388 Peter Davenport then 178 Burt and finally 281 Lee Summers had a go at leading. Burt hung on to 2nd whilst 439 Kellett pressured in 3rd. Kellett made it by for 2nd but had 131 Stuchbury for company. Stuchbury passed a backmarking Hartley who spun it in front of Allen and the pair tangled. Allen broke free and continued, leaving Hartley facing the wrong way on the exit of the seaside turn. Hartley then tried to spin the car around to rejoin but overcooked it and over rotated. Race leader Summers had nowhere to go and clattered into Hartley before managing to break free and continue in the lead - which had now been drastically reduced. Davenport spun on the turnstile bend to face the oncoming traffic. Stuchbury took the lead with 2 to run and duly recorded an untroubled victory with Summers 2nd and Kellett 3rd.

Heat two gridded 20 and Hawkins led them away. Summers moved by 178 Burt for 2nd but a flying Neil Stuchbury in car 113 was up to 4th and quickly by Burt for 3rd. Stuchbury then passed Summers for 2nd and Hawkins for 1st. Kellett also got by Summers for 2nd as Hartley spun it on the turnstile bend in a cloud of smoke and could not restart it. Yellow flags were shown to allow Hartley to refire and get clear. Shortly after the restart 81 Matt Smith fenced 117 Rob Scriven on the tunrstile bend as 210 Matt Smith spun on the same bend creating a chicane as he could not refire. Strangely, no yellows this time to allow Smith to move his car. This created problems for the traffic as cars dodged high or low around the 210 chicane. 113 Stuchbury secured the win from Kellett as Smith managed to fire up his car on the last lap and caused havoc as he reversed up the track in an attempt to find safety. Unfortunately, Smith caught a few out who had tried to go around him on the fence side coming out of turn 4 for the last time. Summers being the unluckiest as he was in 5th at the time.

The Final was the culmination of the Northern and Midland Championship which had 131 Kevin Stuchbury in a commanding lead over 149 Marc Radforth who still had a mathematical  chance of winning it but needed Stuchbury to record a non finish - an unlikely event. This time it was Burt who led and led strongly for half a dozen laps or so until 113 Stuchbury moved by. Hartley almost spun on the turnstile bend as he suffered with steering box problems. The two Matt Smith's tangled on the turnstile bend but managed to keep it going. 131 Stuchbury seemed to lack some speed in this one and didn't really figure too much as 355 Bryan Andrew moved into 3rd with Allen and 149 Radforth 4th and 5th. Neil Stuchbury claimed his first final in a few years with Kellett 2nd and Andrew 3rd. 131 Kevin Stuchbury wrapped up the Northern and Midland for the first Championship of the season.

The Grand National gridded 18 cars and was led off by Burt. Summers got by Hawkins for 2nd and chased after Burt. 113 Stuchbury was already in the points by lap 5 from his lap handicap Burt continued to lead as 131 Stuchbury passed Kellett and the Summers for 2nd. Kellett also made it by Summers for 3rd but Burt hung on to record his first ever win on the weekend he got married - a fitting wedding present and congratulations on a fine drive.

The weekend had seen the now annual National Pairs Championship run over both days. The idea being that the top men paired with those at the bottom would combine and score enough points jointly to secure the wins. For the first time, the winning pair relied solely on one driver's score to take the win and so it was that 216 Reg Smith and 131 Kevin Stuchbury took the Championship with Neil Stuchbury and 147 Colin Taylor a not so distant second.