Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1998 Index > Meeting 98/13

Meeting No. 13, Sunday, 24th. May, 1998 Lightning Rods Supreme Championship Qualifier Round 1 PRI SuperBangers Group A Hot Rods PRI Hot Rods

Group A Hot Rods
The Group A's got an extra race in at Arena Essex on May 24 when too many cars showed for the meeting, though the meeting with its four formula set up, a rarity outside the Festival of Speed, suffered little for that. The first event was split in half, the first one won in convincing style by Gary Rouse while second place Chris Selleck successfully held off the rest of the field, and Vic Hope took third by half a car over Zac White. The second half met with a red flag as Matt Haines stalled on the start, thus relieving Trevor Dyer of his worries about his spin on the Aveley bend at the start. The race saw many cars die including many high grades which would make for an interesting consolation, while Glen Salmon disputed the result having crossed the line first but getting docked two places for contact, which meant that Matt Leadbetter who had run Salmon close all race, got the win from Paul Smith's Fiesta which promised much in earlier meetings only to fail with mechanical problems, but this time holding out. Salmon was effectively third as the steward rejected Salmon's objections. The second event was now the consolation and Michael Vitulli, blacked in his heat for contact, blasted back to win the race while Gary Finch dived inside Charlie Benjamin on the last corner to nick second despite almost coming to grief when early leader Dominic Tomlinson slid into him on turn four before retiring. Then the final. A close start and Selleck went inside Nichola Bearman for the early lead, then Salmon tried to squeeze between Bearman and Steve Holmes on turn two but lost out. Needs a slimmer car, maybe! Kevin Down retired with a misfire ending a mixed day for him, while Selleck continued to hold up the traffic, notable Gary Lee and Jim Richards, Zac White also there until he also retired with a sick car. Lee then made an effort to pass Selleck that lasted several turns but failed in the end, leaving the way clear for Richards to have a go. With all that going on, Salmon was closing fast and had no problem passing all three, but again he was not to collect a win as, having taken over at the front, his car died, leaving Richards, who had managed to pass Selleck in the meantime, to lead. Richards pulled away for a big lead, which was what saved him in the end as Rouse now started picking his way through the traffic. Having got to second, Rouse now needed a stroke of luck to catch Richards and he almost had it as Richards started to slow down drastically. However, the luck was with Richards as the line approached, his lead too wide for Rouse to close, Richards winning by sheer bloody-mindedness over Rouse and Vitulli. That left a helter-skelter race to finish the day off, with a sad Nichola Bearman leaving the circuit at a stoppage midway where she had been doing quite well until Phil Stafford spun on the entrance to turn one and collected her and Mark Cook. With the mess cleared however, events would repeat themselves as Salmon thundered away past Dyer to cross the line first only to be put back four places for contact. Sometimes you wonder why you bother, eh? The Group A's feature in a meeting at Nothampton Stadium, Brafield, on June 7, and return to Arena Essex the following week on June 14.

PRI Hot Rods
May 24 at Arena Essex saw mixed fortunes for the PRI Hot Rods with three races. Nelson Love dominated the early racing in the first race until caught by Dave Hitchen which made for a good ending to the race as Love went wide around the pit bend, leaving the way open for Hitchen to come through for victory while Roy Rawlins, who dominated the formula on his early appearances, dropped out of the race with problems. Perhaps the coat of paint was a little too much for it? The second race was taken easily by Paul Simmons as he went inside Love and Andrew Armiger at the start then pulled away into the distance. Love must have been having troubles as he was loaded before the final despite earning pole while Armiger and Rawlins both dropped out sick in a final again dominated by Simmons. Simmons took a flag-to-flag victory from Hitchen and Scottish visitor Karl Price while Adam Scott, another driver who had dominated earlier meetings, had his work cut out as he failed to pass fourth place Dave Fry despite many attempts.

PRI SuperBangers
The SuperBangers are definitely picking up interest in the driving fraternity as eighteen cars took the start at Arena Essex on May 24. The first of the three races saw another victory for Steve Jones ahead of a furious drive by Tony Shelvey in his smoking special which saw off a fair number of other cars in his climb through the eighteen car grid. Third place Kev King, another driver returning to SuperBangers after relatively little in appearances in recent times drove a great second heat, taking the lead on the last lap for victory ahead of former team-mate Jamie Dyckhoff who had the lead for most of the race. The final race saw another good drive by King as he sliced inside Dyckhoff then dumped off Steve Macklin, but Tony MacDonald was too far out in front, having taken the lead on early in the race, for King to get any more than second place.

Lightning Rods
Roof check time at Arena Essex saw Lightning Rods with incorrect or badly painted roof colours sent to the back as the stewards got tough at the May 24 meeting. Meanwhile, John Clarke took Kevin Howsgo outside early in the first heat not to be caught in race one with Mar-k Collins following, though the note to that race was sixth place, Nick Langley, who clouted the armco within sight of the line and managed to roll over to get the points. Howsgo managed to make up for his poor start by grabbing the early lead in the second race and hanging onto it ahead of Lee Sharpe for victory. The final race started badly when Colin Murray and Darren Rodgers had a tussle that got both the black flag, then Stephen Holding spun on the pit turn and collected Clarke, both out and race redded. The restart saw a good start for Sharpe though his armco excursions with challenger Shaun Lavelle dropped him back down the field leaving Howsgo in front again, with john Crowther proving as tough to pass as always in second place, Roy Rawlins too late in his charge to go higher than third.

Ed'd note: Sorry for the delay in getting this story online. Consider me well and truly told off (especially be a certain Mr. Stevens!)

Results

Revised schedule not as in programme.
Event                 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  10th 11th 12th 
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1   Grand Parade
2a  Group A 1a         63   70  100  122  108   84    1   94   12   13
2b  Group A 1b        174  121    7   91   73  119   49   99   55   71
3   PRI Hot Rods 1      3   29    6   51   20  119  114    8   27   15
4   Lt Rods 1         140  299  135  143  104  269  290  136
5   SBangers 1         30  347   89   27   36  178   15   79   72   31
6   Group A Cons       89   65  111   93    5   48
7   PRI Hot Rods 2     51   20  119   15   29    3  114   27  NOCR
8   Lt Rods 2         135  136  154  217  299  200  104  113
9   SBangers 2         89   36   15   72   18  518   31  510  256   27
10  Group A FINAL       5   63   89   55   70   65  174    1
11  Hot Rods FINAL     51    3  114   20  119    8   27  NOCR
12  Lt Rods FINAL     135  200  245  104  149  120  220  NOCR
13  SBangers FINAL     27   89   36   15   30  178   79   72
14  Group A h/s        55   49   94    1    7   63    5   84
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All results subject to confirmation by promotion.