Arena Essex 00/11

Meeting 00/11, Sunday, 7th May 2000

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Plastengrave Non-Ford Bangers
Ladies Banger Championship Q/R 2
Group A Hot Rods Dean Kemp Memorial

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Group A Hot Rods
Another meeting and another good turnout for the Group A Hot Rods at Arena Essex on May 7, meeting for the Dean Kemp Memorial Trophy, this year taken in a fraught final by newcomer Chris Thomas. Jason Villa was comprehensively outrun by Steve Mills in heat one before Thomas was awarded heat two after Dean White got too close to the inner kerb and ripped his steering out, finishing up in a prone position on the Tavern turn. More disaster in the consolation as a pile up after halfway took out such notable drivers as Dave Lamb and Richard Haines, though Haines did rejoin and finally got to third spot after a spirited comeback before being elevated to second as Gary Christie was dropped two places for contact. Clinton Groom was the winner in the consolation, but the final would prove to be his undoing as he was dropped two places when he bundled roughly past David Evans, the resulting uproar meaning another restart, from where Thomas sprang to first place, eventually lapping up to seventh spot! Kevin Downs put in a good drive from the back to grab second spot with Dave Devine also doing well to grab third. Groom made up for his transgressions in the helter-skelter race with another win ahead of the similarly disgraced Mark Cook who had also been dropped for contact in the final after some close racing with Devine.

Ladies Bangers
After a hold up as Helen Crowhurst got stuck on the start, the second round of the Ladies Championship at Arena Essex on May 7 again proved that the girls know where and how to hit with veteran championship driver Elaine Witherington putting in a skilled drive including a spin on Amanda Harris and a thump to Angela Barber to grab the victory this time out. Elise Allen put in a good fast drive for second spot to outrun Caroline Cooper who settled for third after some time in second spot.

Plastengrave Bangers
Pete Ford started the May 7 Plastengrave Non-Ford meeting at Arena Essex with a win after grabbing second position early before early leader Andrew Parker found himself out of his depth, eventually dropping to sixth while Ford held off Ian Smith, with Mark Bunting making heavy work of third spot. Paul Hawkes has been a notable figure recently around the track when it was found that his habit of starting on pole in the heats, or rather a remark about it in the track programme one week, was not viewed particularly favourably yet still he led the white grades onto the track, though this time his car was destined not to finish at all, his miss-hit on Bill Wenham being followed up by Wenham's own hit followed by a massive head on to Hawkes by resident hitman John Harding on the home straight! His was not the only crunch in the race, however, with Luke Radley receiving attention from Dave Robinson and Jason Wing amongst others. Paul Lawes it was that led the runners home, despite some attempts to stop him including Howard Martin who fluffed one on the last corner. Neal Wells won the next heat in a similarly wreck strewn race including a jacking for Gary Tannahill courtesy of Lee Morris and a similar big hit on Anthony Oak by Steve Latham. It was somewhat surprising to see Tony Wade in the consolation but, seeing as he was, it was not too hard to predict a winner, especially as Riki Rawlins was destroyed on the pit bend and Jamie Wilders was dishing it out, especially to Jason Wing.

The final was something to behold. It began with an early stoppage when Mark Cope rolled onto his roof in a crowded start that ended in a pile up. The restart became a succession of pile ups, jackings and nuttings as Wayne Prayle took John Harris head on followed by Dave Edwards, sponsor of the series, which Jason Jackson finished in the side of Dave Truman to be clipped by Martin. Truman then put one in the side of Mark Want before being totally squashed as Robinson took the head and Shane Davies the diff, folding Truman up. Meanwhile at the front, Sonny Sherwood had burned off Andy Crawford - Sherwood shunted Crawford into wreckage - and seemed to have victory in his grasp. That was until the lap sheets were checked and it was found that Tony Wade had been ahead of Sherwood the whole time! The Rawlins 2000 qualifier was the usual mayhem with the biggest hit being Spencer Barber who went so hard into the back of Shane Davies that he finished on his side! Big appreciation here for Wayne Rowland who protected the prone car until the driver was clear, though Davies managed to continue for a while until he buried himself in the Dave Wilmott car on turn four. The race went the way of Mark Ruskin while a spirited attempt to grab the last car award by Dean Conyard was eventually thwarted by John Harding.

Results

1  Ladies Bangers  84 Elaine Witherington /217/499/158/260/104/95/32/52/339/141/299
2  Bangers 1       48 Pete Ford           /336/250/23/98/433/331/38/116/418/467/353
3  Gr A HR 1       23 Steve Mills         /99/12/57/49/117/197/108
4  Gr A HR 2      156 Chris Thomas        /85/102/73/190/71/148/163
5  Bangers 2      532 Paul Lawes          /348/488/32/321/61/275/356/74/252/94/160
6  Bangers 3      420 Neal Wells          /84/104/158/457/326/217/452/119/546 NOCR
7  Gr A HR Cons   135 Clinton Groom       /94/90/83/67/93/134/62
8  Bangers Cons    33 Tony Wade           /13/9/334/149/19/434/415
9  Gr A HR FINAL  156 Chris Thomas        /108/117/99/12/83/135/148
10 Bangers FINAL   33 Tony Wade           /348/84/104/32/158/98/160
11 Gr A HR h/s    135 Clinton Groom       /12/99/190/92/117/108/163
12 Bangers R2KQ    32 Mark Ruskin         /457/160 LCR=160 John Harding