Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1998 Index > Meeting 98/14

Meeting No. 14, Monday, 25th. May, 1998 National Bangers Pairs Championship 1300 Stock Cars Ministox

Ministox
Another meeting, another gathering of Ministox at Arena Essex on May 25 and another brace of impacts despite the non-contact rule introduced this year, Joe Bullen suffering in the first heat squandering a promising position. Another promising position was first place which Don Witherall was wont to take in the early stages of each of the three races, though the first race went the way of current points champion Alistair Pizzey, his first home win this year, with current points leader Dave Devine hot on his tail ahead of RDC regular visitor Simon Welton. The final started well though the final positions were pretty much decided by half way as Devine stormed home ahead of Welton and recent success story Ben Bland in the Ahern special. Witherall had not fared to well in that race, sliding sideways to collect the traffic, but he kept straight on in the helter-skelter to hold off Bland and Devine for his first ever win in a race that was stopped early when Bullen capped his less than perfect day by spinning across turn four and stalling, making cornering difficult for the others including Vic Bilkey who clipped the stationary car, raising concerns for the stranded driver.

1300 Stock Cars
May 25 at Arena Essex was all about contact for the 1300 Stocks, the first being a race stopper when Phil Rumsey rolled over with a hit from Lynda Beaumont being followed up by Steve Davies. Only Lynda recovered to restart from those, the hit having happened on the fastest part of the track, Rumsey and Davies losing body parts in the impact. The major conflict of the day, however, came from the Spedeworth contingent who, following some agenda of their own, decided to give Martin Davey a few lessons in how to get slaughtered. The first heat saw him pinned and hit banger style as Derek Mortimer and Andrew Palmer put Davey out of the race, though this cost Delbert a load up in the process as he followed this up with an x-rated t-bone on turn four. Meanwhile, Dave Edwards got his second win of the season from John Sawyer and Cliff Cast. Davey took the initiative in the main event by spinning Shane Davies at the start but if he thought he was getting off then he was mistaken as Derry monk launched him with Peter Martin following up with a major hit on turn four, putting the Davey car out again. Monk motored on to take the race from Palmer with Edwards attempt for heat and final denied in the last few laps, Edwards settling for third. The Davey wrecking show had not quite finished as he returned for the helter skelter only to be sent into the home straight armco along with Nick Edwards courtesy of Monk while the front race heated up, the lead swapping between Glenn Bragg, Dave Edwards, Mark Browne, Lynda Beaumont then finally Andrew Palmer who held it to the line for his first Arena win, Dave Collin following ahead of a great recovery drive by Steve Hall who suffered in the early stages.

Banger Pairs
Banger Pair racing came early this year at Arena Essex, namely the Bank Holiday meeting on May 25, Nigel Hepburn making a rare appearance to defend his title along with partner Russ McAngus who had been unbeatable around the time of the last running of this event. The first race featured a real stopper as Dean Bateman was put up on top of the rolled Wayne Seago car, an early sign of impending battles to come both for the Bateman pair and for the Ant Hill Mob and Vange Destroyer teams who were to carry on with their war which has seen some really vicious hits during the season. Brian McGuiness tried hitting out Frank Parker a couple of times before he succeeded in jackknifing with partner Don Anderson, only managing to recover in time to roll in for the end of the race in fifth while Lee and Darren Witherington took and held the lead three laps out ahead of the uneasy partnership of Chris Whiteman and Frank Parker. If the roll in the first was interesting, the one in the second was spectacular as Karl Vanner rolled onto his roof after turning right too early on turn four, pulling partner Con Friel over with him in a double roll which blocked the track. The Hepburn-McAngus partnership was fruitful as they restarted the race in front not to be caught with only Justin Denne and Jason Mills really making contact thereafter, spinning Phillip Morrison and Ian Knight down the order while popping loudly as one engine expired noisily. The consolation went the way of Luke Radley and Bradley Theaker in a shortened race that ended with a jacking for Robert Reynolds from Pete Vine after Reynolds and partner Mark Price had become entangled in a blockage on the home straight. The defence was unsuccessful, however, Hepburn and McAngus getting stuck after a hitting from Whiteman and Parker on the back straight, McGuiness and Anderson managing to run away with the title as the war continued around the pit bend.

National Bangers - Rawlins 2000 qualifier
The May 25 Arena meeting was finished with the usual Rawlins 2000 qualifier with the Banger pairs split for what promised to be a real wrecking fest with plenty of Ant Hill Mob and Vange Destroyer representation. We were not disappointed as Paul Stern jacked Steve Witherington big time after he had t-boned Luke Radley in a pile up of variously black cars on turn three, while Darren Witherington tried to add his effort, though as he tried to do it from the safety area he got a black flag before Dave Seago rammed him sideways for his pains. Dan Bateman led for much of this but his wreck, rescued from what was left of Dean Bateman's partnership, was unable to stay ahead of Graham Lindfield or Don Anderson who picked up first and second respectively before the destruction - what was left of it - could begin. That finished quickly with a head on between Lindfield and Bateman leaving Anderson alone to take the last car award.

Results

Event                 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  10th 11th 12th 
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1  Grand Parade
2  Banger 1           284+  55+  28+ 203+  14+ NOCR
                      232  464  415  341   15
3  Banger 2            68+  73+ 280+ 286+ 398+ NOCR
                       21  266  104  287  490
4  Ministox w/u        62   17    6   28   23   58   41  M25   33   24
5  1300 Stx w/u       619  709  686  642  725  758  788  775
6  Banger Cons        356+ 597+ 101+ 300+
                      317  412  102  301
7  Ministox FINAL      17    6  M25   62   86   90   24    5   41   33
8  1300 Stx FINAL     643  674  619  704  658  725  797  612
9  Banger FINAL        14+  55+ 286+  68+ 101+ NOCR
                       15  464  287   21  102
10 Ministox h/s        58  M25   17   41    5    6   24  111   28   33
11 1300 Stx h/s       674  725  797  709  750  714  704  758
12 R2000              104   15  230  LCR=15
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All results subject to confirmation by promotion.
Pairs shown do not necessarily denote lead or trail car. R2000 was a solo event.
Abbreviations: Stx - Stock Cars, Cons - Consolation, w/u - warm up race,
               h/s - helter skelter race, NOCR - No other cars running,
               LCR - Last Car Running, R2000 - Rawlins 2000 Qualifier
Ministox M25 licensed by RDC Promotions, number clashes with PRI car.