Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1999 Index > Meeting 99/21

National Bangers Martin Symes Memorial Lightning Rods Supreme Championship Qualifier 3 PRI Hot Rods

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PRI Hot Rods
Three races for the PRI Hot Rods at Arena Essex on July 11 with racing dominated by Rick Fray who won the warm up race and came second in the main event, and Julian Scott in his very photgenic Fiesta who made up for sixth spot in the warm up by winning the main event and the cool down race afterwards. Fray ran outside early leader Philip Mansell with Jimmy Bryan in tow by half way in the first event, Bryan just shutting Dave Fry out by the end, while Scott and Fray easily ran home in the final while Andy Brown muffed the Aveley turn and dropped to fourth on the last lap, Paul Simmons taking third. Fray died in the cool down race, one of many that either didn't make it trackside or died in the process, leaving only five runners by the end.

Lightning Rods
The last Supreme Qualifier round for Lightning Rods at Arena Essex took place on July 11. As has been the case this season, the experts needed to get through quickly to get into the points, giving the white tops an easier ride as with Mark Mawditt in the first race with a flag to flag victory, Darren Ahern unable to close the gap in time and having to settle for second. Ahern had better luck in the second heat, though he probably didn't appreciate the blown engine in the last lap which had him coasting in, a large lead and Stephen Hall being too pre-occupied with holding Paul Carle off giving him a safety gap to get home in, but the problem recurred in the final which took him out of the big points that day. The third heat went the way of Chris Rabbitt as Colin Muray got a little too enthusiastic with Mark Davidson who had held allcomers up to the last lap. The final was fraught with disaster, not only Ahern's engine but a pile up on turn two as Tony Bates spun, taking half a dozen racers with him which led to a restart, and a collision between Mick Thompson and John Clarke which saw Clarke almost roll by the pit gates. The steward disqualified Thompson for this but after intervention by Clarke, Thompson was reinstated as fourth place in the abruptly finished race, which went the way of Bryan Whiteman who took Hall outside in the closing stages, with Paul Carle following Hall in third.

National Bangers
The 1999 Martin Symes Memorial on July 11 at Arena Essex started well for Bernie French who managed to recover first place in the first heat after initially losing it to Tony Steventon on the grid, with some promising hitting also going in with Garry Deacon, Marc Davis and Paul Whiteman meeting on the back straight armco while Jeffrey Scorah did a number on Mark Cope on the opposite straight while Stuart Wilson and Jason Jackson scrapped all the way home, sadly out of the frame for that heat. The second heat went the way of Sam Pearce from Lee West, Pearce dumping Chris Clark on the way home in a race heavy on spinning, though RDC visitor Johnny Reeder managed a jacking that locked him up. With a heavy turnout of cars on the day, the meeting was changed to a qualifiers only final, the second heat added after the first with the original event for the second heat turned into a consolation which was won by Dave Robinson from Brian McGuiness in a heavy race that saw Phil Stevens go ballistic, taking Mark O'Neill and Andy Staggs out before the race ended. Things got even heavier in the final as Jason McMahon scooted home first before Phil Hudson and Kev Wilsher bowled home, Wilsher promptly giving Hudson the benefit of his wrecking experience by blitzing Hudson by the QE2 bridge! This seemed to be a revenge for some pokery that happened during the race as Hudson managed to scoot inside Wilsher close to home after passing problems with Lee West were solved with a spin, or it could have been the pile up that allowed McMahon to get away in the first place as he and Wilsher, Hudson and West all tangled on turn two. Stevens also continued his wrecking, though unintentionally when Wilson pulled onto the track in front of Stevens, while heat winners Pearce and French were taken out early, first by Dean Ryan and Paul Holland in a double spin, then by the oncoming traffic. McMahon doubled his take on the day with a Rawlins win with Jackson taking last car after Bob Dunn's car gave up after one nut too many while Bob Sterling finished the race with all power and no movement.

Results

1  LRods A&B      291 Mark Mawditt   /149/216/297/200/170/156/115
2  Bangers 1       23 Bernie French  /316/173/134/96/37/290/391/207/510/41/374
2a Bangers 2      564 Sam Pearce     /6/429/59/300/149/299/32/413/187/61/5
3  LRods A&C      149 Darren Ahern   /297/219/156/140/291/220/135
4  HRods wu        21 Rick Fray      /117/20/51/71/77/44/9
5  Bangers Cons   275 Dave Robinson  /14/597/263/7/53/239/441/101/16/194 NOCR
6  LRods B&C      268 Chris Rabbitt  /177/245/200/135/201/216/203
7  HRods Final     77 Julian Scott   /21/51/71/20/117/8 NOCR
8  Bangers Final  290 Jason McMahon  /37/96/16/316/6/275/173
9  LRods Final    156 Bryan Whiteman /297/219/167*/216/135/245/131
10 HRods cd        77 Julian Scott   /117/51/37/71 NOCR
11 Bangers R2000q 290 Jason McMahon  /59/7 LCR=331 Jason Jackson

*167 reinstated in fourth after steward reversed initial disqualification.
Results in LRods subject to carburettor tests.