Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1998 Index > Meeting 98/04

Meeting No. 4, Sunday, 5th. April 1998 1300 Stock Cars National Bangers Rising Stars Series 1

1300 Stock Cars
The April 5 meeting for the 1300 Stock Cars was the biggest yet for Arena Essex with about 40 cars turning up for a four race meeting. The first race was held up close to the end as the white tops got into trouble in a race of their own, stock car expert Dave Imber picking up the lead early after the restart to take a comfortable win from Mark Thompson and Cliff Cast, with a last minute charge by Mark Browne coming to nothing when he ended up in a spin with Phil Blackman. The first eight from that race joined the experts in a second heat which saw the lead change hands many times, from early leader Rob Porter, then Rob Harman, then Imber, ultimately taken by Marcus Pollard with Derry Monk in second followed by Ricky Wolf. The final saw an easy win for Chris Whiteman from the back with many other blue and red tops running well back after some problems on what proved to be a difficult track after the wrecking antics of the Bangers combined with light rain through the meeting, though Monk managed to follow in second at a distance with Blackman improving on his earlier performances for third ahead of Imber. Imber improved on his points haul with a second place in the helter-skelter race behind Monk who finally managed to win a race after some good efforts through the day, Browne picking up third after another forceful race. The 1300's have just over a week to recover for the next appearance at Arena Essex on Bank Holiday Monday, 13th April.

National Bangers
The Rising Stars series is always a big one for Arena Essex, and 1998 seemed to be just as big as the white tops turned up on April 5 for the first round, each race - including an extra race for late entries - would take its first three to the October final, worth £1000. Stuart Wilson was the first winner of the series thanks to a last corner effort that dumped long time leader Malcolm Fuller wide, dropping him to second ahead of Paul Lyons, who spun out on the same corner. Shane Collins seemed to have cruised to victory in the second heat with ease until a corner cutting penalty put him back to third, Nicky Marsh picking up his first ever victory ahead of Rob Chiddle. Marsh had survived some blocking tactics in that race by Neil Freeman which ended abruptly when Freeman was wrecked on the home straight after an awkward fourth turn, a greasy track and Marsh's front end not helping matters. Barry Vaughan came very close in the extra race, mauling the winner Ian Ardley's back right down the run in to the line. Ardley survived to win, leaving Vaughan in second ahead of Jeffrey Scorah.

Then the hitting started in ernest, only three cars graduating from the consolation. The race started with a pile up on the pit bend which came about when Freeman rear ended Ashley Halliday. A little later Mark Price and John Hall exchanged hits in the same place. Mass carnage ensued, even the leaders not immune from the tricky track conditions as Jason Jackson slide out of second place and into a parked car on turn two, leaving the leader Mark Tomlin two laps clear and an easy winner, the only other finishers being Alan Davies and Luke Radley. Those three had to turn it around quickly for the final which followed immediately after that. Wilson decided to return to his previous form with a little light wrecking action, though the biggest hit was done to Wlison by Paul Lyons on the third corner. Dean Bateman looked as if he would win easily until he nutted a parked car and stalled, allowing Tomlin through to win again, though Bateman recovered for second while Radley got third after Davies blew up close to the end. The Rawlins qualifier was a whitewash for returning rollover specialist Chalky Douglas in another hard wrecking performance that included a big jacking for Gary Earl courtesy of Graham Lindfield who then conked out in the destruction part of the event after a smash on Con Friel, while Douglas finished Fuller off by removing his back axle. Douglas was winner and last car running, with Lindfield and Waller picking the other places up.

Results

Event                 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th 10th 11th 12th 
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1   Grand Parade      
2   1300 Stx White    664  622  686  709  610  728  715  651  612  673
3   Bangers 1          7    76  178  130  307  330  440   24  201  104  280  NOCR
4   1300 Stx Experts  703  643  666  610  655  747  777  674
5   Bangers 2         110   93  309  282  189  200  292  317  588  NOCR
6   Bangers 3         114  191  147  270  554  183  287  277  324  179  149  286
7   1300 Stx Final    655  643  673  664  704  725  777  686
8   Bangers Cons      324  368  356  NOCR
9   Bangers Final     324  130  356  147  270   76  200  179
10  1300 Stx H/S      643  664  704  697  619  725  674  658
11  R2000             554  104  330  LCR = 554
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326 was disqualified (failed post race scrutiny)
First three from all Banger races to £1000 final (October 18)
Abbrevs: Stx - Stock cars/Cons - Consolation/R2000 - Rawlins 2000 Qualifier
         NOCR - No other car running/LCR - Last car running
All results subject to confirmation by promotion.