Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2000 Index > Meeting 00/27

National Bangers Brian Orgles Memorial Lightning Rods Ministox

Next meeting | Last meeting

Lightning Rods
August 13 saw a good turnout at Arena Essex for the Lightning Rods with the Supreme Finals approaching, indeed the numbers seem to be increasing overall recently with a number of new faces to dilute the regulars. John Wilks is one new face who suddenly found himself in the lead when John Clarke suddenly slowed in the latter stages of the first heat then understeered on turn four, dropping back to third behind Peter Waite, which is how the race finished. The second race provided some real spectacle as Rob Carr managed to send his car rolling on the pit bend in close traffic, the restart allowing Lee Page to sneak ahead of pole man Paul Botting. Though Page would cross first, he was then docked a spot for earlier contact, giving the race to Micky Rosenthal, who had only just missed out on grabbing first place from a last straight dash. Page made up for it in the third heat by wearing down early leader Rob Devine, both well away from the pack with Shaun Lavelle a distant second place by the end as Devine dropped back through the places. Devine took up the lead in the final but a clash between Eddie Gibbs and Mark Davidson held things up enough to stop him getting away, Phil Waite making the best of it to grab fourth spot on the restart then to second before taking the inside line on Devine close to the end. He would not get away totally unscathed though as Vic Bilkey followed him up the places and spent much of the final laps pressuring and picking possible lines, but with the line in sight, Waite put his foot down and Bilkey was unable to answer, Waite crossing first, then Bilkey with Colin Murray in third.

National Bangers
You never know exactly what will hit the circuit at the Brian Orgles Memorial meeting at Arena Essex, and this year was no exception when August 13 saw the pits totally packed out for what turned out to be the best meeting so far this season, including a welcome return for the red and white Vermin team, past team masters albeit with a new and interesting lineup! First blood went the way of 1998 winner Nigel Hepburn in an awesome first heat that nobody expected with pileups and wrecking all over including destruction for Buster Woods at the hands of Mark Ruskin, despite the fact that Ruskin and Woods were both out of colours - Ruskin was in traditional Cockney Pride blue with pink bum while Woods had reverted to Vermin, a team he once graced in the pre-Rabbits days. Race two would provide the controversy of the day when Chris Whiteman jacked an empty Condom car belonging to Steve Davies, said Captain Condom watching from the bank. Nothing was said until first appeals were made by Davies (Whiteman loaded) then Whiteman (penalty reduced to race disqualification) but theories echoed around the circuit, gathering momentum on each announcement, and more when Whiteman pulled out for the Rawlins Qualifier at the end of the meeting! Another heavy race, Bob Orgles finished his race stalled after John Drummond nabbed him out of turn four. Paul Lyons was to win comfortably, the race being for fourth spot which Paul Dolman narrowly denied Steve Macklin. It was unlikely that we will see a meeting at the moment that doesn't see Sonny Sherwood grabbing silverware at some time and heat three was this meetings' pace car trip for the RJK Points Championship leader who took over from Del Waterman late in the race after escaping Mark Newman, though an odd hit in this was where Dennis Whiteman managed to collide with the younger generation, Paul Whiteman on the pit bend! Trevor Ballard made a rare appearance as so many do for this meeting and grabbed the lead half way then literally fought his way home, including a Harry Rawlins head on combined with a jacking from Darren Nash and Andrew Gough, Nash eventually pushing Ballard through the blockage to grab third for his pains, Mark Bunting surviving in second in a six car of fifty-two finish!

The final saw Waterman quickly away at the start but would eventually see him dumped out by Chris Hussey who led from Ballard when a rollover for Chris Clark brought the red flags out. Ballard got the better start on the restart from Hussey while Waterman gave Neil Freeman something to remember on the home straight, Len Brinkley jacking Waterman shortly after. Ballard would not last, however, and with Hussey also out of it, the lead went to Rob Kitchener with a healthy lead while Paul Lyons would eventually lose second place as the bends got treacherous, eventually getting stuck on Sherwood who was out of the frame but still making a nuisance of himself. Lee Witherington would eventually go second from Mark Bunting and ex-teamy Mark Newman, defending champion Tony Shelvey not making it to the final after crashing out of his heat. Dave Greenstreet put himself in the bad books in the Rawlins qualifier when he decided to continue the current skirmish with the Squad by taking on Dennis Whiteman on the safety area, the race and last car awards both going to Jason Jackson after most of the field clobbered themselves into obscurity in the early race segment, the only other official finisher, Paul Cobb, didn't make it to the DD segment.

1  Ministox 1       9 Lawrence Davey   /577/16/111/64/558/87/599/527/502
2  Bangers 1       68 Nigel Hepburn    /331/410/51/84/149/169/597
3  Bangers 2      176 Paul Lyons       /279/415/164/72/374/4/260
4  LRods 1        105 John Wilks       /118/140/272/199/111/169/200
5  Bangers 3      348 Sonny Sherwood   /520/401/130/42/433/38/144
6  Ministox 2     577 Daniel Rosenthal /519/505/9/599/558/528/111/129/510
7  LRods 2        177 Micky Rosenthal  /123/118/203/140/105/245/11
8  Bangers Cons    85 Trevor Ballard   /250/203/444/500/596 NOCR
9  Ministox Final  64 Lee Smith        /129/558/519/500/111/528/599/87/50
10 LRods 3        123 Lee Page         /143/177/272/151/266/203/218
11 Bangers Final  410 Rob Kitchener    /84/250/401/176/72/331/38
12 LRods Final    100 Phil Waite       /111/203/272/123/118/169/218
13 Banger R2Kq    331 Jason Jackson    /109 NOCF LCR=331

Results subject to confirmation by promoter