Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1999 Index > Meeting 99/03

SuperBangers Group A Hot Rods PRI Hot Rods

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SuperBangers
A record number of SuperBangers at Arena Essex on Easter Sunday caused a rejig of the running order, an extra heat put on at the start of the April 4 meeting. Tony Shelvey survived attacks from Lightning Rod expert Vic Bilkey to get the win in this race while Nigel Hepburn easily outran current track champion Jamie Dyckhoff in the second heat. Bilkey returned for an easy win in the third race, again a rejig to allow a "two-thirds" format. Dyckhoff likewise wasn't happy to settle for second and while Bilkey nursed a front end collapse after a run in with Shelvey and Jamie Wilders, Dyckhoff muscled his way through the field for the first final win of the year.

Group A Hot Rods
After a thrilling first meeting, it wasn't too surprising that the April 4 Group A Hot Rod turnout at Arena Essex would provide more excitement. The first heat confirmed that when Ian Thorndyke took daddies' car to the front while Nick Hill ended up in an awesome showdown with Gary Rouse which saw Rouse go ahead to second place and almost to the lead, only to be knocked back in the result to fourth as a result of a clash with Darren Christie earlier in the race. Folk with a long memory will know that Dave Imber has raced in many formulae including National Superstox. Now in a Group A car, he kept in touch with the leaders and after Nicky Paris took to the speedway track, Imber took the outside line past Wayne Shackleford and held the lead thereafter, Shackleford getting second after Chris Selleck passed him then conked out. Lee Radcliffe took the consolation when Trevor Collins spun down to third close to home.

Shackleford took the early lead but Hill managed to come back in the final, Christie blocking Shackleford's line allowing Hill an outside pass around the home straight. It didn't end there however as Dave Hutchins found an inside line when Hill came unstuck on turn two, then Hill retook the lead as Adam Smith became the next back marker to mix things up. However, Hill had serious problems to deal with as, with a couple of laps to go, Gary Finch latched onto his tail and, on the last corner, pulled outside to pass. Hill kept his nerve and, more importantly, kept his foot to the floor to keep Finch back to second, Hutchins following in third. Collins made up for his earlier goof by winning the allcomers' race at the end.

PRI Hot Rods
Andrew Armiger finally got his car to the front as he won the first race of the year for the PRI Hot Rods at Arena Essex on April 4, holding Dave Fry off. The main event went to Paul Simmons, Fry second again as he ended the race frustrated by back markers. Fry finally managed to grab a win in the allcomers' handicap race, managing to outrun early leader Andy Brown.

Results

0a  SuperBangers 1     347 Tony Shelvey   /111/52/30/238/60/279/273
1   Group A 1           28 Ian Thorndyke  /90/93/63/13/83/84/94
2   Group A 2           64 Dave Imber     /148/86/65/89/48/122/120
3   Hot Rods 1          15 Andrew Armiger /20/21/3/71/119/51/37
4   SuperBangers 2      68 Nigel Hepburn  /36/82/347/89/238/79/391
5   Group A Cons       175 Lee Radcliffe  /57/116/71/18/12/72/190
6   Hot Rods Final      51 Paul Simmons   /20/21/119/3/66/71/15
7   SuperBangers 3     111 Vic Bilkey     /42/82/68/36/89/79/60
8   Group A Final       90 Nick Hill      /65/86/63/89/148/94/28
9   Hot Rods H'cap      20 Dave Fry       /71/66/51/3/21/8/10
10  Group A H/S        116 Trevor Collins /57/89/65/86/63/80/84
11  SuperBangers Final  36 Jamie Dyckhoff /52/68/89/82/60/238/38

Note that this format is NOT as advertised in the programme.