Sunday 22 July 1979, Northampton, British Championship
Alan and Eric Fretten filled the front row for the 1979 British
Championship at Northampton but it was Harold Lowe who jumped
from row two and held the lead for 3 laps before Geoff Hughes
went by. Mick Bonner soon caught up and he and Hughes had a
tremendous side by side scrap for ten laps until Mick edged
by. He was soon in trouble with back markers though and got
caught in a melee that sent him 2-wheeling towards the fence
- going in very hard. Hughes also got caught up and Chris Butler
took the lead, having no trouble in winning by a clear half
lap. A notable non starter was Basil Craske who blew his engine
in practice.
(Motorsport News) CHRIS BUTLER driving a rear engined Arrows
Midget, won the GP Midget British Championship event at Brafield
Stadium on Sunday. Butler look a surprise win after a major
pile up eliminated the leading runners. Grid positions for the
twenty tap event were drawn out of the hat, and saw father and
son, Eric and Alan Fretten on the front row ahead of brothers
John and Harry Lowe. Mick Bonner and Geoff Hughes lined up on
the third row of the fifteen strong grid. A notable absentee
was favourite Basil Craske. who heads the points chart by a
clear margin. Craske suffered big end failure in practice. Hughes
and Bonner quickly came through to make the early running, drawing
out half a lap advantage by mid distance. Butler made good progress
from a lowly grid position to dispute third with John Lowe.
David Wesbroom was soon with them too, making up ground fast
after an early spin. Poleman Alan Fretten had retired early
on with a puncture. By the seventeenth lap, Bonner had stolen
the lead from Hughes, but both were fated, getting tangled up
in a five car collision which also involved backmarkers Robin
Whall, Eric Fretten and Greg Pugsley. Mick Butler was thrown
into the air and landed up in the wire hausing. He escaped unhurt,
but badly shaken. Eric Fretten was the only casualty, suffering
a bruised chest. The demise of the two leaders handed the race
to Chris Butler, who was followed home by John Lowe, David Wesbroom
and Garry Pollard
The supporting races were won by Garry Pollard and Geoff Hughes.
It could have beat two for Pollard, had he not retired from
the lead of the first race with engine failure on the penultimate
lap.
British Championship: 1st Chris Butler, 2nd John Lowe, 3rd
Dave Wesbroom, 4th Gary Pollard, 5th Robin Whall, 6th Brian
Harding.
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Alan Fretten

Chris Butler
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