The ‘Golden Era’ on Skegness World Final Night

The sight of a gold top stock car match race welcomed my arrival at the 2024 World Final meeting. 8 times world champion John Lund was battling Skegness promoter Rob Speak. Rob took the BriSCA F1 title twice to go with 8 F2 gold world championships. Earlier Peter Falding had driven one of his cars. Likewise, the Stuart Smith Snr and Frankie Wainman Snr cars were by their gold top holding sons, Andy Smith and Frankie Jnr.

Rolling Back the Years

Gold top stock car of Jim Esau 244 — The Jim Esau 244 car giving it full welly

With the match races being for world champions from 1979 to the 1990s, the grid expanded with cars from the 60s & 70s. The field included cars of Doug Wardropper and Ellis Ford, title winners in 1963 and 65, from before Aycliffe, my local track, joined the national body. After that, I’d witnessed first hand the title races won by the rest of the cars taking part, so this was a trip down memory lane.

While previously not being enthusiastic about heritage cars actually racing, this demonstration run of gold top stock cars got the juices flowing. It was fun to see the Jim Esau 244 car burning rubber. In reality, there was plenty of attention to detail, not just in the car rebuilds/ restorations. Drivers had open-faced crash helmets appropriate to the times. Goggles and kerchiefs completed the look. The pilot of the 100 car even sported the Tony Neal trademark spotless white overalls.

As a result, these small touches are so evocative of the early days at Aycliffe. Tony Neal with his professional racing attitude was one of the promotion team at the venue. Due to this, he was ever present at meetings and brought the gold top stock car of a world champion to the north-east. At home, I’d ride my bike with a handkerchief covering my nose and mouth, copying my brother. It’s a lasting memory of him protecting himself from the track dust by covering his mouth and nose with a folded handkerchief and goggles for his eyes. Finally, the open helmet topped off the look.

World Champions on Parade

During the pre=meeting entertainment with the legends, there was a photo opportunity with the attending world champions. Drivers of gold top stock cars at Skegness on September 14 were;

53   John Lund (1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002)
391 Andy Smith (1994, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010)
33   Peter Falding (1986, 1993, 2003, 2004)
84 Tom Harris (2013, 2019, 2021, 2023) [& 2024]
515 Frankie Wainman (1998, 2005, 2016)
2    Willie Harrison (1982)
55 Bert Finnikin (1990)
2    Paul Harrison (2011)
217 Lee Fairhurst (2012)
55 Craig Finnikin (2014)
5    Charlie Sworder (2022)

Additionally, there may have been others behind the cars that were missed.

Albums Update

At the present time, there are just a few new folders in the gallery. Firstly, track wise and Rochdale makes an appearance with the meeting of 3rd August 1980. This featured a Mike Parker Promotions’ Driver Of The Year Semi-Final. Next up is a brief look back to the 1990 World Final held at Bradford. Then, there’s the Gold Top Stock Car Pageant from this year’s world title meeting. Finally, the USA World of Outlaws sprint car is to be found in the Non Racing Spectaculars section of the Oddballs album.

Shortly making its appearance will be the Skegness 2024 race for the world title that is nearing completion. Also in the pipeline are the 2015 & 16 races for the gold top.