Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1998 Index > Meeting 98/01

Meeting No. 1, Sunday, 15th. March 1998 Plastengrave Bangers/Essex Jaguars  Ladies Bangers Round 1 1300 Stock Cars Ministox

Ministox
Another year started at Arena Essex for the Ministox with a rule change. From the opening March 15 meeting there would be no intentional contact. With that in mind, there seemed to be a big increase in the number of new drivers this year with a large number of departing drivers having finished their junior careers during the off-season. 29 cars turned out for race one of three, though RDC's Peter Meekings had a little problem starting, contributing to a number of stalled starts that overall caused this meeting to run very late. Dave Devine, a previous points champion, was the first driver to err under the new ruling, disqualified in the early stages as he started putting his front bumper to its familiar use, a mistake he quickly rectified in later races, while Joe Bullen was disqualified for racing out of grade, a punishable offense in any race. Meanwhile, the white and yellow grades dominated the meeting, running too fast for the higher grade drivers to catch up. In the first heat this was further complicated when Ian Thorndyke spun and stalled in a dangerous position, the race declared over with Lee Smith given the race ahead of Barry Radcliffe and Joe Springett. Simon Welton and Spedeworth's Michael Allard both suffered from the no contact rule in the second heat early on, while Tom Meekings also ended up with a black flag when he got a little too enthusiastic trying to pass Smith in the closing stages, Smith spinning out of the result leaving Radcliffe in first place ahead of Springett and Peter Meekings. The final race was longer, and would give the blues and reds a better chance, so the theory had it. In fact it never worried Smith as he motored away to victory with Welton making up for his previous disgrace with second spot ahead of Radcliffe on an oily track that claimed many. The Ministox return to Arena Essex in two weeks time as part of the PRI Banger Team meeting on March 29.

1300 Stock Cars
The first meeting of the year for the 1300 Saloon Stock Cars at Arena Essex was the opening meeting of March 15. This is a formula that is gaining popularity generally in the world of oval racing, and Arena Essex is getting into the formula more and more with each passing season, drivers coming into the formula from all sides including Banger veterans, Hot Rodders and Stock Car purists as well as a healthy input of new drivers. The first heat convinced any with lingering ideas of another Davies/Wolf dominated year that if any of these people want to win this year then they will have to work hard for it. Derek Mortimer proved that as he blasted through the field then gave Chris Whiteman the slip inside close to the end for an emphatic victory while long time leader Wayne Prayle got his best drive of the day in for third behind Whiteman who never really gave up. Although Delbert was not to win another race this day, he figured large in the racing that was to come, as did Whiteman. Indeed Whiteman, who was also racing Bangers that day, managed to win the final after Elliot Wainwright had looked unstoppable in the closing stages but got too cocky passing the tail enders, Ricky Wolf introducing him to turn four in all its angles, though the giddy Wainwright did recover to take second place ahead of Steve Cassar. The Helter-Skelter race went the way of another homeboy after a last quarter scrap between Mark Thompson and Andrew Davies. Davies managed to pass inside but failed to get his tail away as Thompson spun him on turn three before dashing home for victory, Dave Collin looming large but late for second and Steve Evans going third. The 1300 Stock Cars return on April 5.

Bangers
It was a long day for the National Bangers at Arena Essex on March 15 as the Plastengrave Banger Championship and the Essex Jaguars Ladies Banger Championship got under way. The Ladies Banger qualifier suffered two false starts before it finally got going. Tracey Jones, an experienced hand at these events, stayed out of trouble to take this race ahead of Debbie Alborough and Clare West, the highlight of the wrecking being a one on one between Tina Roberts and Ashlie Clift for which Tina was shown the door after the race. She also managed to pin Debbie up toward the end of the race, denying her the victory.

That was just the start. The Bangers had to be given an extra heat to cope with the extra numbers, with well over 100 cars entered and driven on this day. The first heat went to Graham Towner ahead of Mark Deacon and Jamie Wilders in a 43 car race which got somewhat hairy, especially when a good number missed the red flag shown as a result of a false start. Also resumed in this race was the off-again on-again battle between Mark Ruskin and anything in yellow, this time Chris Whiteman, who took a swipe while in second place before intentionally turning at the bottom of the home straight, speeding up to the prone back end of Ruskin, then gently push starting the stationary Viva HC! Whether sportsmanship or a reminder of Ruskin's relative lack of experience, you can only guess. The second heat was just as hairy, and even bigger on the wreckage as only seven cars managed to survive the twelve lap punishment being handed out, the first across the line being George Rowbotham after doing a big number on Buxton visitor Graham Heywood, popping the rear axle on the Heywood car after a midrace scrap. Brian Heywood made up for Graham's misfortune by finishing second, while Buzz Kelsey nipped third in the closing stages. 44 cars started the extra "late booking" race, which was stopped midway after Jock Parker's car folded on turn one in the midst of a vicious pile up. 18 cars restarted from there, a testament to the mayhem that had gone before, and only half of them finished, the chief of these being Mark Newman with Lee Witherington and Buster Woods following at a distance. The biggest wrecking session was to come as the remaining cars exploded into the consolation, only Karl Vanner surviving the distance in an old fashioned last car running bout. Vanner was overjoyed by this as he crossed the line, while the rest of the field organised their removal.

With the time getting on, the floodlit final started with a shot on Steve Unsworth by Mark Deacon while Wilders took on Vanner. Newman sprinted into second place, then took the lead after Towner conked out though the race eventually belonged to Chris Whiteman, who added a Banger win to his earlier 1300 Stock Car win. Whiteman took over at the front inside the last quarter of the race as Newman took the pit bend wide, though he managed to keep second place for an early points lead. Sid Smith nursed his car home for third place. The Rawlins was taken by Mark Mahoney after early leader Paul Lake was taken out by Mark Woolner. Lake got a reward however when he got a ticket to the final as last car running after a three way battle between Mahoney, second place Stuart Adcock and himself.

Results

Event        1st                  2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
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2: Ladies Bg 266 Tracey Jones     508 177 240 111 296 104  73  NOCR
3: Mini 1     64 Lee Smith         56  29 111  41 349  86  34  5  164
4: Banger 1  387 Graham Towner    102  42 391 114 510  48  37 448  55 433 577
4a:Banger 2  266 George Rowbotham  59 206 390 268 111 339 NOCR
5: 1300 St 1 697 Derek Mortimer   655 774 747 724 725 715 797 616 666
6: Banger 3  401 Mark Mitchell    284 238 348  72 120 296 101 175 NOCR
7: Mini 2     56 Barry Radcliffe   29  31 121  88  62  17 510  59  28
8: 1300 St F 655 Chris Whiteman   166 724 622 697 658 747 725 715 616
9: Banger C   24 Karl Vanner (LCR)
10:Mini F     64 Lee Smith         6   56  29  59  17  28  24  22  90
11:Banger F   55 Chris Whiteman   401 510  37  48 391 114 448
12:1300 St H 622 Mark Thompson    725 728 774 655 666 747 658 697 715
13: Rawlins  391 Mark Mahoney     448 508 LCR=508
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Abbrev: NOCR No other car running/LCR Last car running/F Final/H Helter-
Skelter/C Consolation