18 May 2022
Category:
As the 2022 BriSCA F1 Stock Car season headed into April, it would prove to be a great month for NAPA UK’s Jack France. The talented #216 driver would rise to Star Grade status, denoted by a red roof, following an exciting month of being at the forefront of the action. Here’s how April went:
The Suffolk circuit of Mildenhall was the NAPA BriSCA F1 team’s first April outing on the 9th. Buoyed by the good performances already this season, the blue NAPA machine was ready to impress. Jack proved this straight out of the gate with a superb drive in heat 1, battling his way into the lead and taking a fantastic win.
“I’m so pleased to take a race win so early in the season,” commented Jack. “We are really seeing the benefits of development and setup time invested pre-season.”
An exciting race unfortunately saw the #216 machine struggle with brakes, but Jack salvaged an 11th place finish and some more valuable points despite the setback. Repairs were made ahead of the final race of the day, the Grand National, with Jack ready to show what the NAPA car is truly capable of, finishing in an impressive 2nd place.
The following day, the BriSCA F1 show rolled into the Northampton circuit. NAPA UK’s Jack was again on the pace on what would be a thrilling heat 2 of the day. He masterfully piloted his car into the lead with the reigning British Champion Ryan Harrison #197 giving chase — but with less than a lap to go, Ryan made a lunge in what is known as a ‘last bender’ to overtake Jack. The crowd held their breath as the cars collided and ran wide on the corner. The blue #216 spun on impact and the #197 ended up on its roof. It was spectacular stock car racing.
“It comes with the territory of being in the sharp end of competition, these things happen,” said Jack, on what has since become a much-discussed race.
The collision wasn’t about to slow Jack down. Next in the calendar was Odsal Stadium on the 16th, Bradford. A solid performance in heat 1 saw our NAPA driver finish 6th and qualify for the Grand Final. A good result in the Final was scuppered, but more valuable points had been collected. Kings Lynn followed on the 23rd, with another 6th place finish in his heat.
This string of impressive performances from Jack resulted in promotion from ‘A Grade’ (blue roof) to ‘Star Grade’ (red roof) as we enter May.
With the BTCC, Porsche Carrera Cup, and Mini7 seasons also underway, NAPA Racing UK is now active in 4 formulas of UK Motorsport. Stay tuned for regular updates!
For an introduction to F1 Stock Car Racing, check out the British Stock Car Driver’s Association YouTube channel.
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