Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 1999 Index > Meeting 99/22

Plastengrave Bangers Essex Jaguars Ladies Bangers Round 4 Group A Hot Rods Ministox

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Ministox
With the cameras of ITV's Energise in attendance and a trophy sponsored by the programme on offer, the Ministox gathered at Arena Essex on July 18 for what became three packed races. Justin Sorial managed to hang on to his early led in the first race with Darren Cardy closing too late to threaten, with third spot hotly contested between Ray Layton and Vic Bilkey, Layton winning out. The first race had been restarted after a collision, and so was the second. Simon Smith led the way by the halfway flag but Neal Gardiner came up to challenge soon after, then the current track champion, Alistair Pizzey, threaded inside Smith to take the lead, holding off Ray Harris at the last to win from Gardiner and Cardy, Harris sliding back to fourth and Smith dropping to tenth by the end. There was no restarting the final, however, which came to a crunching end close to home when Terri Bramley and Fred Pattinson met head on, the trophy going to a delighted Ray Layton who had just got the better of Scott Lock before the incident, Vic Bilkey also through to second before the race ended.

Group A Hot Rods
The Group A Hot Rods were a little low with the Supreme Qualifier the following week, but a respectible turnout on July 18 at Arena Essex still provided some good racing, Billy Groom holding off Dave Imber to win the first of three heats with Matt Haines following before a titanic struggle which saw Tony Moss hold off Gary Rouse. Wayne Shackleford added to his recent Northampton success with a heat win in the second, chased all the way by Doug Constable with Matt Leadbetter hitting third from a good comeback by Chris Fuller who had sacrificed the lead earlier in the race and seemed to be dropping off the pace until late on. The final heat went the way of Andy Beverton who took the win after cruising inside Fuller with Constable in tow along with Lee Follett, though Follett didn't make it home this time, while Gary Finch's late charge left him half a car's length short of third place, which went to Ian Thorndyke. The final was something to see as Nichola Bearman, racing in her new paint job, held the inside line perfectly to hold the lead through most of the race, then a mistake on turn two took her wide, letting Thordyke through. Rouse joined him outside Bearman shortly after along with Moss, and the race closed up again at the front. Moss got a bit too enthusiastic close to home and spun Thorndyke out, getting a disqualification and leaving the way open for Rouse to win, with Bearman in second, both being sent on the victory lap. Imber took third this time at the expense of Beverton.

Ladies Bangers
After a couple of false starts, the final qualifying round for the Ladies Banger Championship at Arena Essex on July 18 finally got going, with a promising start from previous round winner Jenny Outen coming to grief as Debbie Tyler spun Sharon Lewis into Ashley Clift, blocking the track, taking a fair number out and shaking the places up. Tracey Woolmore eventually took the lead, mostly at the expense of Elaine Witherington, but was destined to drop back to third by the end as she collided with Helen Crowhurst, leaving late entry Tracy Hoodless free to run in first. The final is due to take place on September 5.

Plastengrave Bangers
Driving into Arena Essex on June 18, the first thing that hit me was that the pits had overflowed. Such a turnout was almost worthy of a Firecracker, but all we had that day was the Plastengrave Non-Ford series, and surprisingly the meeting was mostly made up of domestic drivers, though Graham Heywood among a few others did show up. All the same, an extra heat had to be put on and, even with that, forty-one cars turned out for heat one. The heat was stopped midway when Ray Sharrod was slaughtered on the back straight, with Den Catmore picking the lead up on the restart though he was destined to wreck, Steve Shaw dumping him on the pit bend before Catmore took on Phil Harvey. He had been followed by Dean Kingsworth, who kept his place and eventually won the heat, while second spot Mick Bradbury had to hold current series leader Howard Martin off to keep second. Another heat and a forty-nine car start meant a big pile up, including what appeared to be a rollover for Bill Wenham, or at least an attempt at one. Phil Hudson seemed to be the one to back until he was taken on by previous Plastengrave champion Mark Newman and eventually conked out. The lead changed hands several times on the run in but Steve Evans eventually ran in first with previous leader Lee Witherington holding second. The race that many were waiting for, however, was the extra third heat whic, while it only featured thirty cars, contained a large number of yellow cars including Retard Roy Bramley who of late has been taking on allcomers. First hit, Kev Wilsher jacking Bramley on turn two after a spin by Bramley on Frankie Holmes. Both Squad now turn on Bramley, joined by Russ McAngus and John Harris before Andy Burrough waded in for Bramley briefly. Burrough would again join in with a massive steaming for McAngus before the end, the rest of the field staying clear with Dale Atkins coming in first ahead of John Randall and Roger Trickett. Both Squad and Cream teams were given a warning for team racing in a solo event, but the majority of the showdown was over, Bramleys' car in pieces and Bramley taking the applause and riotous laughter from the crowd as he toured the track courtesy of a track breakdown, clearly showing off his chosen T-Shirt for the day; Suicide Squad! Paul Hawkes made up for losing out in his heat by winning the consolation, another fraught affair with forty survivors making it up, only eleven making it home in a destructive race featuring a burial for Stephen Church by Jeff Scorah. Kingsworth would complete a heat and final double in a somewhat roddy final that did see Luke Radley park Martin on Evans on the home straight, part of a chicane that slowed things down. It was unfortunate that the centre was not watered down for the Rawlins 2000 qualifier, causing the action to be cloaked by a big dustcloud from which Stuart Wilson emerged as the winner ahead of Darren Graves and Andy Burrough before Burrough turned and took everyone on, failing at the last when a final nutting for Wilson killed his own car, Wilson winning the last car award as well.

Results

1  Ladies Bangers 300 Tracy Hoodless    /470/266/158/284/396/403/327/326/332/263/239
2  Bangers 1      467 Dean Kingsworth   /467/308/94/7/275/34/348/209/59/356/202/405
3  Group A A&B    133 Billy Groom       /64/93/92/63/94/2/174
4  Bangers 2      280 Steve Evans       /284/546/104/391/203/102/591/321/331/374/28
4a Bangers 3       98 Dale Atkins       /207/145/72/444/429/19/198/131 NOCR
5  Ministox 1      68 Justin Sorial     /518/16/111/64/25/9/8/50/62
6  Group A A&C    148 Wayne Shackleford /73/174/190/12/49/63/94
7  Bangers Cons   415 Paul Hawkes       /54/171/510/309/101/37/193/295/327/(451)(NOCR)
8  Ministox 2      62 Alistair Pizzey   /88/518/25/9/111/16/129/90/549
9  Group A B&C    176 Andy Beverton     /73/28/65/64/49/83/133
10 Bangers Final  467 Dean Kingsworth   /284/34/145/7/391/101/275
11 Ministox Final  16 Ray Layton        /111/564/25/64/87/8/129/88/41
12 Group A Final   63 Gary Rouse        /119/64/176/133/49/94/174
13 Bangers R2000q   7 Stuart Wilson     /351/429 LCR=7