King Of The Broad 2010 - Oulton Broad: 17/06/2010
The Area 31 Racing Team found out that lightning really does strike twice as once again the final heat proved to be unlucky for team driver David Jones with the 1973 500cc Konig coming to a sudden stop while leading the final race of the evening at Oulton Broad.
The group handicap event meant that JC Racing Team driver Julian Codling and Team 27 driver Paul Jillings were the first into the race with their 250cc GRM powered hydroplane outfits, shortly followed by Rob Hales, and Craig Speller in the 400cc OSY Yamato hulls. The field was completed when Area 31 Racing team driver David Jones racing the Classic restored 1973 500cc Konig powered outfit and Stuart Grieves in the 500cc powered Fort Hydrocat entered the race.
With the 250cc GRM Rossi engine of Julian Codling back on full song after the previous weeks broke exhaust pipe, it was always going to be tough for David to catch him in the classic 500cc Area 31 Racing hydroplane outfit. However he managed power through the rest of the field to bring the classic hydroplane outfit home in second place with Stuart Grieves finishing third in his hydrocat outfit.
The second race was an exact repeat of the first race with Julian and the JC Racing Team taking the race win with David claiming second for the Area 31 Racing Team and Stuart Grieves again coming home in third place.
The final race looked as though it could have all gone very wrong for the JC Racing Team as the engine failed to start as the clock ticked down towards the start of the race. Eventually the 250cc GRM engine burst into life as Julian joined the race down in fifth position, half a lap behind Stuart Grieves and Area 31 Racing's David Jones who were battling for the lead in their 500cc outfits.
David put in a fantastic move on Stuart Grieve at the Wherry turn in the classic 1973 500cc Konig outfit and pulled away to what looked like a certain race win which would give the team second place overall. However on the run in to start the penultimate lap the 1973 500cc Konig engine stopped in exactly the same place as the previous week, this time the drive shaft expiring.
This opened the door for Stuart Grieve to take the race win with Julian coming home in second place which guaranteed the King of the Broad Trophy would be staying on the JC Racing Teams mantle piece for the fifth season in a row.
Overall second place went to Stuart Grieves with two thirds and a first place with the Area 31 Racing Team taking third despite the disappointing finish to the final heat.
