Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2000 Index > Meeting 00/33

PRI/ORC World Banger Championship Finals 1300 Stock Cars

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The day started with the usual last chance qualifiers. In the first, Rob Burbridge made good early progress but seemed to be unused to the tarmac quarters after the shale of Mildenhall and the bare Dover corners and eventually ended up buried in John Drummonds‘ wreck, which was totally crushed by a typical Tony McDonald hit. Harry Rawlins was loaded as he hared down the home straight the wrong way to assist in the pit bend wrecking while Martin "Bruno" Brunson learned why you should never miss a hit on Dave "Jabba" Greenstreet! Heat one went to Jason McMahon in the end as he dashed through the field, holding Wayne French off while Greenstreet staggered in third. The second heat was just as hectic with ”Retard Roy Bramley getting the load this time though he offered some of the more interesting highlights, not just reversing into rival John Randall on the start but lining up a head on with Randall which he missed on the back straight, though Bramley and Trevor Wright doubled on Randall eventually on turn four, crushing the Squad member. Randall wasn‘t isolated to Squad bashing, however, though you could argue that given his hit on Paul Whiteman. The race itself was a two way affair with Tony Shelvey and Dale Atkins trying to get the last place in the final while avoiding the worst of the bashing. In the end it was Shelvey that found the better lines and crossed first, Atkins following with Mark Newman in third.

The grid for the final was as follows:

Nicholls got a good start but was soon bundled away by Woskett while Steve Macklin also chewed the fence. Neil Naismith finished his final stalled the wrong way around on the back straight, Burkhard Pietsch also got the fourth corner wrong as Speedy took the lead in a two way scrap with Jackson. Mark Holdsworth also got stuck in, taking McMahon on the noggin while Reed struggled with his wayward hearse, eventually succumbing to a spin by Richie Ahern. Fans cheering for the controversial second place man from last year also were to be disappointed as Jack Overy lost it on the home straight as things started to get heavy. Overy would then jack Shane Davies, only to be lifted by Billy King and eventually finished by brother Andrew, the current British champion. Marco Hink caught fire on the back straight safety while Steve Williams took care of Jackson, ripping the back axle of Boxer Jacks‘ neat tool, and also contributed to Speedy‘s downfall. By halfway the track was getting greasy and John Harris amongst others was fighting to stay on the track, in one piece and going the right way, though Harris was having the best time up to that point before he took Holdsworth on the head, eventually to crunch into Reed. This left Dave Vincent in the lead for a short while until Bunting decided to get himself known and t-boned the RDC veteran hard, leaving Ahern in front, Brown second. Holdsworth took Sherwood out at this point, leaving the RJK points leader nothing else to do but show the viewing public exactly how much of a wrecker he can be, wrecking allcomers including Alan Tarn who had been a difficult target in the PRI/NIR challenge home leg earlier in the year. Tarn took another knock from Shane Davies before Brown provided the final big hit of the race, a full bore burying of Tarn straight into Sherwood! This left Ahern well out in front with Jamie Wilders, the eternal second place man, in his usual spot with Vincent in third, Brown shaking off the remnants of his final big hit in fourth with Williams and Davies the only other finishers; only PRI, RDC and Autospeed contributing cars to the result. Certainly not as controversial as the 1999 final, and well received by the public and drivers alike.

The rest of the action came from a consolation for last chancers not getting a top eight position, a final for qualifiers from the last chance races, consolation and World Final and a free entry Rawlins Qualifier. Lee West won the consolation which, as usual, became a full on brawl which eventually got out of hand when a series of attacks saw Jeremy Nichols of Trackstar and local man Greig Cheeseman exchanging hits well after the red flag before marshalls were forced to break up what could have become a real brawl on the centre. Both were loaded up for their pains. The "Grand National" Final saw the first big stoppage as Jim O‘Brien was crushed in a three way push that halved the width of his car on turn two. Though he eventually emerged with only a few bruises to show for the hit, more than one onlooker was amazed that he didn‘t end up with worse after seeing what remained of his car! The restart didn‘t see any let up in the hitting with 1999 Plastengrave Champion Lee Witherington putting it about in no uncertain manner including pinning one on Mark Ruskin. However the biggest hit saw Wilders putting a massive shot into the side of Williams that rocked the Autospeed visitor onto two wheels! The pinkies were out in front again and while some suspicion might surround how Shane Davies got in front of brother Andy in the last lap to give Shane the win in a Condom one-two-three - Billy King was third - I shall not pass comment! The Rawlins qualifier looked also to be on its way to the pink ones, but Incarace‘s Scott Banton salvaged some northern pride, racing away from Andy Davies as Davies muffed a spin attempt on Chris Trickett, Trickett eventually grabbing the last car running award.

1300 Stock Cars
A carbon copy ht on Andy Brown into the armco by Derry Monk in the warm up race at Arena Essex on September 17 earned a carbon copy reward, a black flag. Though Monk protested, the steward firmly enforced the no fencing rule and Monk left the race with no points, though neither did Simon Welton as Brown, Darren Cardy and Derek Mortimer took the first three places. Welton and Monk would both make up in the final, Welton winning the final ahead of Monk and Spike Ellis who had looked like winning at one point. Anthony Oak was for the high jump after gesturing at the starter upon receiving a black flag for fencing... you guessed it! Andy Brown!! Monk would eventually get his only victory of the day by shunting Steve Davies late in the helter-skelter, Monk finishing first ahead of Daves and Mortimer.

1  Banger LC 1     290 Jason McMahon /I60/59/N71/19/94/N311/N384
2  Banger LC 2     347 Tony Shelvey  /98/401/160/M553/308/R141/58
3  1300 Stx wu     671 Andy Brown    /718/697/777/73/3/771/657
4  Presentations   Smart cars 331 Jason Jackson / N737 Phil Woskett
5  Banger WORLD     99 Richie Ahern  /42/M22/A120/A724/M158
6  Banger Cons       6 Lee West      /130/S727/R70/29/334/546/A757
7  1300 Stx Final  600 Simon Welton  /643/658/697/73/718/777/631
8  Banger GNFinal M158 Shane Davies  /M147/49/S727/401/N71 NOCR
9  1300 Stx hs     643 Derry Monk    /777/697/671/658/3/73/657
10 Bangers R2Kq   I183 Scott Banton  /M147/A120 LCR=247 Chris Trickett

A - Autospeed
I - Incarace
M - RDC (Mildenhall/Dover)
N - Northampton
R - Ringwood

Numbers used may not necessarily reflect the numbers used by the promotions quoted. Results subject to confirmation by PRI.