07/03/2025
MEETING REPORT
SUNDAY 2nd MARCH 2025
ALDERSHOT RACEWAY
SUPERSTOX 2025 JOHN BUTLER TROPHY MEETING
WILLIAMS ON ONE TODAY AT ALDERSHOT AS HE WINS THIS YEARS JOHN BUTLER TROPHY!
27 of our sports finest arrived at a thankfully dry and sunny Aldershot Raceway today to contest this years JOHN BUTLER TROPHY race.
On my usual walk around the pits pre-meeting I noticed we had 2 drivers about to make their DEBUTS in the class. The first of these was 42 DANIEL GUIDOTTI whose previous racing experience comes via the National Hot Rods the 2 Litre Hot Rods and Lightning Rods (remember them) at Arena Essex. Daniel arriving with a car that was formerly owned by TROPHY DONATOR 252 Gary Chisholm and had already practiced with it here at Aldershot in mid-week.
The second of these was 318 RYAN ALLGOOD whose previous race experience came via the Junior Rods the American Cup Cars and the 2 Litre Hot Rods arriving with the car that was formerly owned by 569 Adam Langridge and built by a certain Chris Bradbury.
Another driver arrived with a newish car to use. This driver being 632 THOMAS JOHNSON who arrived with the car formerly owned by 5 Eric Walker and was the illuminous Green car that he used to use. You could still see patches of that on viewing the car!
He was not the only driver about to use a newish car today. The other being former FACEBOOK TROPHY winner 490 MATTHEW SOLE who arrived with the car that was previously owned by 677 Chris Roots.
Another car had completed its make-over. This being the car of the WINTERNATIONALS CHAMPION 511 MARTYN COLES whose Facebook appeal for sponsors had proved very successful arriving with a brilliantly sign written car by DAN KLYN he of many years of doing cars in the National Banger class. I really loved the tribute to the late great 167 BILL BATTEN on his car. Make sure to take a look the next time you see it in the pits. You will love it.
Talking of NEW CARS. Keep an Eye out for a few more of these to come in the next few weeks at our meetings as there are a few of them to come from our drivers which will be great to see as this formula is REALLY GONNA TAKE OFF this year to even GREATER HEIGHTS. You HEARD it right here!!
Oh yeah there is a meeting still to report! Race format today was 2 normal HEATS over 16 laps with our last race of the day being for the JOHN BUTLER TROPHY to be raced over 20 laps. SHOULD BE 25 LAPS IN FINALS as it used to be a COUPLE of years ago! What is the HARM of an EXTRA 2 or so minutes for the drivers to race and the great FANS at the meeting to watch! FINALS back in the day even used to be 30 laps.
RANT over! Back to the action. All 27 drivers emerged through the pits gate to contest the opening HEAT. Early action in it seeing a large pack of cars having a fall out by the pits gate. Among the drivers involved were 5 Eric Walker 87 Jack West EUROPEAN CHAMPION 154 Michael Green and 713 Ian Beaumont. The stranded car of Jack West remaining by the wall face on to the traffic for the remainder of the race. Taking the lead before the half-way mark was last years JOHN BUTLER TROPHY winner 123 David Miles Snr. A lead he was not to lose. Late action in this one seeing "newbie" 42 Daniel Guidotti spinning 540 Brett Wesbroom out by the pits gate. Brett missing out on a placed finish as a result of this. Another 2 drivers were to miss out on good placed finishes as well late on. 169 Jayden Brooker delivering an almighty last bender to 411 Aaron Williamson seeing both cars visit the wall at a right old rate of knots neither driver completing the race. Up front the race win went to 123 DAVID MILES SNR winning the race from a hard charging 252 Gary Chisholm by 4 car lengths with INTER-NATIONS CUP winner 511 Martyn Coles completing the top 3 with a fine fourth place finish coming from 419 Chris Capon in this one which was great to see as this driver is very much a "one man band" as he does all the work on the car mainly by himself.
So HEAT ONE today goes to 123 DAVID MILES SNR which is his first race win since winning the JOHN BUTLER TROPHY here last year. On this occasion he was MILES ahead of the rest!
HEAT ONE RESULT
123 DAVID MILES SNR 252 511 419 51 515 117 454 469 279
Heat TWO saw all 27 drivers about to resume battle. It certainly was that as the bumpers were flying in right from the get go as the drivers battled for the places. Action in it seeing previous race winner 123 David Miles Snr connecting head on with the spinning car of 418 Luke Barkham on the Aldershot turn lucky to continue his role in the race to place sixth with the unfortunate Barkham motor being hit by 93 Toby Newman seeing both cars in the wall at the entrance to the back straight. We then saw a fast spin at the entrance to the back straight by 87 Jack West shrouding the track in a cloud of smoke. By now we were late into the race when disaster was to befall the leading 411 Aaron Williamson as he clipped the rear of the car of the back-marking 44 Ollie Jones motor sending him spinning spinning like a top at the end of the back straight right on the Yellow flags as these had come out for a driver who had ignored a flag trying to remove him from the race. WOULD like to know who this was! The restart saw BRITISH CHAMPION 154 Michael Green assuming the lead in a rather brutal way by dispatching 169 Jayden Brooker into the wall his car going round the wall like a bucking bronco. A lead that Michael was not to lose in winning this one by 4 car lengths also from 713 Ian Beaumont with a "rejuvenated" 279 Phil Proctor completing the top 3. There was also a fine eighth place finish in this one for "newbie" 318 Ryan Allgood already showing his potential in the class.
After this race had concluded the first 2 HEAT winners 123 DAVID MILES SNR and 154 MICHAEL GREEN were presented trophies out on track these having been donated by fellow driver 252 GARY CHISHOLM and his partner ANNETTE TURNER. Once again many thanks go out to both of them on yet another wonderful act of genorosity.
So HEAT TWO today goes to 154 MICHAEL GREEN which is his first race win since becoming BEST IN BRITAIN CHAMPION at Hednesford back in early December last year. THAT trophy sits pride of place in my Bedroom!! Thanks again Michael on giving that to me for my Birthday! Michaels opposition in this race singing the GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME!!
HEAT TWO RESULT
154 MICHAEL GREEN 713 279 5 515 123 51 318 22 54
Our last race of the day was for this years JOHN BUTLER TROPHY with 25 cars on the startline MINUS sadly 42 Daniel Guidotti and 454 Dave Pike.Early action seeing 2 of its FORMER winners falling out on the Aldershot turn as the cars of 87 Jack West and 469 Bradley Brooker spun simultaneously together as the race continued at real pace. We then saw the Brooker/Aylward feud at play again as 169 Jayden Brooker fenced the "returned" 51 Colin Aylward on the same turn. This incident causing damage to Jaydens car. The Steward spotting this instructing the Start Marshal to show him the exclusion flag with Jayden sadly ignoring it and as result of this had no option to stop the race to remove him from it. As a result of this 411 Aaron Williamsons large lead had gone leaving 4 laps still for him to race. The race restarting in spectacular fashion as previous race winner 154 Michael Green had the car of 713 Ian Beaumont HOP right over the front of his car sending Greens motor spinning and Beaumonts up on 2 wheels almost rolling on impact, Beaumont somehow recovering from this to place 5th with Michael having to settle for ninth place. This same incident on the back straight seeing 511 Martyn Coles car hitting the wall with his chances gone too. This allowing the early leading 411 Aaron Williamson to get away to win this race and the JOHN BUTLER TROPHY. His winning margin at the end of the race around 5 car lengths from 540 Brett Wesbroom with LAST YEARS WINNER 123 David Miles Snr putting up a good defence to place third with 252 Gary Chisholm coming home fourth the afore-mentioned Beaumont fifth with 279 Phil Proctor sixth having had a good meeting with a great result to place eighth in this one coming from recent new recruit 44 Ollie Jones showing his potential too in the class.
So this years JOHN BUTLER TROPHY goes the way of 411 AARON WILLIAMSON which is his first win in the class since MAY 2019 when he had a HEAT/FINAL DOUBLE at a meeting at Eastbourne. Aaron recently returning back to racing having had a SIX year hiatus from it. So Williams on one the main event here at Aldershot today. After the race was over the top 3 were presented their trophies out on track by SPEDEWORTH CO-OWNER JANET WOOD and her Brothers MARK and KENNY BUTLER members of JOHNS late family. All 3 drivers delighted to receive these then embarking on a very popular and well received lap of honour from the crowd that had stayed behind to witness it.
After all this had concluded I managed to grab a few words with Aaron saying to me THAT IT WAS GREAT TO COME AWAY WITH A WIN AFTER HIS 2 NEAR MISSES IN THE HEATS HAVING HAD AN EVENTFUL TIME IN BOTH OF THEM GREAT TO WIN SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS TROPHY and GREAT TO HAVE SUCH AS QUICK A WIN ON HIS RETURN BACK TO RACING HAVING NOT BEEN IN A RACE CAR FOR SOME 6 YEARS!
JOHN BUTLER TROPHY RACE RESULT
411 AARON WILLIAMSON 540 BRETT WESBROOM 123 DAVID MILES SNR 252 713 279 469 44 154 22
The racing today was terrific as it was in ALL classes. The FINALS in the 2 LITRE and NATIONAL HOT RODS were incredible delivering classic finishes in both of them.
If you like what you saw today. Our next meeting is up at Ipswich on Saturday 29th March. WHY NOT GIVE US A VISIT. MISS IT MISS OUT! SIMPLES!!
Meeting REPORTER
STATTO/SADDO STEPHEN YATES
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