Rackstraw wins another duel with Smyth in WHT semi-final one

Photo: Ida Wood

KMR Sport’s Andrew Rackstraw won the Walter Hayes Trophy’s dramatic first semi-final, holding off Team Dolan’s Jason Smyth.

The pair had fought in heat two, and Rackstraw’s triumph there put him on semi-final pole. He and fellow front row man Jacob Tofts wheelspun off the line, and Tofts took the lead on the inside.

Smyth thought better of making it three-wide into Maggotts, but his caution allowed B-M Racing’s Rory Smith to take third as Rackstraw led again. Smith went for second on the outside of Becketts but was forced wide and returned to third, then overtook Tofts again and went for the lead around the outside of Brooklands.

That instead cost him second to Smyth, who began lap two alongside Rackstraw and took the lead on the outside at Copse. Smith fended off Tofts exiting Becketts, and Smyth’s weaving down the Wellington Straight did not stop Rackstraw from flying past on the outside into Brooklands. A gap on the inside at Luffield was filled by Smith, which earned him a second place he immediately defended.

Smyth was back alongside down the pit straight and took second on the outside at Copse, and he also slipstreamed past Rackstraw down the Wellington Straight. But Rackstraw reclaimed the lead under braking into Brooklands, and sixth-placed Megan Gilkes’ spin at Luffield also sent Joey Foster spinning and left him beached alongside the track.

The top two were wheel-to-wheel again as lap four began, and Smyth’s preferred pass at Copse did not work this time. Smith got back alongside Smyth through Brooklands, then yellow flags meant fighting paused until the pit straight.

Smyth tried again at Copse on lap five, but banged wheels and Smith overtook him. They went side-by-side through Maggotts and Becketts on lap six, with Smyth returning to second down the Wellington Straight.

For lap seven, Smyth eyed a swithback move at Copse, and nosed Rackstraw into Maggotts. There was now a lead group of seven, and two laps later it was three-wide up front down the Wellington Straight. Smith led on the inside, Smyth locked up on the outside, then Smith ran deep and Rackstraw exited the corner ahead.

Smyth then got pincered between Anthony Amato and Smith approaching Luffield, and they both spun around the front of his car and off the track. That handed Rackstraw a gap over Smyth, which he maintained over the remaining three laps until the final corners where Smyth got back onto his tail.

After the earlier spinners retired, Tofts held fourth over Tom Nippers, Luke Cooper and Amato. Nippers considered overtaking on lap six before encountering yellow flags.

Amato passed Cooper on lap five, and dived past Nippers into Brooklands on lap eight. His lap nine spin was triggered by Tofts leaving the door open on the inside there until the apex, as he committed to the inside, then had to use the kerbs before rejoining ahead of two drivers but into the path of Smyth.

Tofts, Nippers and Cooper continued battling after that, with Smyth at first too. Nippers and Tofts banged wheels at Brooklands on the penultimate lap, but Nippers was still able to get past through Luffield.

Amato and Smith finished eighth and 14th, with the top 18 progressing to the final.

Semi-final 1 results (12 laps)