To that end they are also holding a round of the British Superbike Championship.In all probability the £48m project would never have been developed had it not been for the failure of the local steelworks, which led to high local unemployment. Local opposition was overcome by pointing out that the site will employ hundreds on race days.The hope is that an Anglo-American Stock Car Racing (ASCAR) series a British version of the NASCAR races that includes the Daytona 500 will form the core events. The cars look like modified saloons but are powered by Chevrolet V8s and produce 565bhp. Unfortunately, because of a lack of practice time yesterday, only a demonstration "race'' could be run, which looked like a fast-moving car park.
It was led home by former British Touring Car driver John McCleland.But the star of what Rockingham hopes will be a new dawn in British motorsport was Mansell His performance prompted a question about a return "What, you mean to the golf course? Don't you?''. John Harbin found out the hard way why Leeds have half- a-dozen players in the Lancashire and Yorkshire squads and he has none. John Harbin found out the hard way why Leeds have half- a-dozen players in the Lancashire and Yorkshire squads and he has none. The Wakefield Trinity coach was scathing this week about the way that his players have been ignored for the Origin Game at Headingley on 5 June, but the gap in class was there for all to see at Belle Vue last night as the likes of Iestyn Harris and Keith Senior showed the Wildcats who were the top dogs.Leeds should have been well aware of the possibility of an upset, as Wakefield's scalps so far this season include Bradford and Warrington. Trinity's five victories have already exceeded most predictions for their final tally. They have succeeded in making Belle Vue a difficult place from which to come away with a win. However, they were still relieved to include the influential Willie Poching in their line-up after fears he had broken his wrist in the win at Warrington.The good news for Leeds was the return of Karl Pratt after a two-match suspension, while Bradley Clyde's stop-start English career resumed after his latest hamstring trouble. In just about any permutation, however, Wakefield versus Leeds spelt the grafters against the stars.It was the stars who shone in the opening minutes, courtesy of Justin Brooker's knock-on that gave Leeds the early possession from a scrum.
On the last tackle of the set, Kevin Sinfield's kick took a fortunate deflection off the advancing Graham Law and Keith Senior retrieved to force his way over in the corner.Still inside the first 10 minutes, Leeds exposed the gaps on the same side of the Wakefield defence once more. Their prop forwards, Barrie McDermott and Darren Fleary, were instrumental in creating the space, battering the middle of the line and drawing in the tacklers. When the ball went out to Senior, Trinity simply did not have the numbers to prevent Marcus St Hilaire scoring from his pass.Wakefield just could not get the ball for long enough to try to mount a fightback, and they went further behind before the quarter mark when, after Harris' side-stepping run had stretched their defence again, Pratt reached out to plant the ball over the line.Leeds were also guilty of wasting chances, but in their case another one was always coming along. The chance they did take came when Harris stood in the tackle and Francis Cummins raced through to take his pass. Harris' two conversions made it 20 points by half-time, and the threat of a Wakefield ambush had faded.Robbie Mears' darting run ensured that Wakefield started the second half on the back foot as well.
