Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2001 Index > Meeting 01/17

Plastengrave Non-Ford Bangers incl. Ladies Banger Championship qualifier Group A Hot Rods Supreme Championship Qualifying Round 2

Next meeting | Last meeting

Sue Davies took the second round of the Ladies Banger Championship qualifiers on June 10 at Arena Essex, taking the lead early on then pulling away to hold on to the lead to the end which was curtailed after a driver injury and the threat of fire in the late entered 462 car. Maria Ilett was given second with Avril Thompson in third.

Plastengrave Bangers
Plastengrave Bangers round 3 and Arena Essex was suffering in the rain on June 10 as the first cars hit the circuit in heat one. Nick Weeks snaffled the lead early on while Dan Reid demonstrated what a lack of grip can do to your sense of direction. Jason Randall got a head on pasting from Darren Stern and John Price at the bottom of the home straight before Weeks got a dose of whatever Reid had and lost his lead, Mark Bunting grabbing the lead until he was shut down by Ian Smith, effectively gifting the race to Trevor Ballard with Steve Ashdown in second while Frank Skinner just squeezed Steve Macklin out of third spot. The second race was a talking point for two reasons; firstly because Roy Bramley was on the circuit, sporting his visitors' number after his defection to Spedeworth this year, and secondly because of what Bramley was driving - a rather well prepared MGB. Maybe Retard Roy had a motive, but whatever it might have been he put the car to good use, at least once he had given it an inaugural trip to the armco! Weeks had defeated himself in heat one, and so did Dave Wilmott in this heat, spinning himself out of the lead while Bramley picked Mark Deacon as a target, though Deacon was more than willing to return the favour along with Mark Blackwell. Neal Wells took this race from Gary Palmer and Luke Radley. Heat three was nastier, and if Graham Towner grabbed the win, Ronnie Boy took the attention as a hit by Craig Hewitt caused his car to disintegrate, as did the front end of the Mark Christmas car earlier in the race. Even Andy Davies was not immune from attack, a multi-car dash for a corner leaving him spinning his wheels on a sleeper.

The consolation was the usual heavy session with hits around the circuit. Smith continued his head count by giving Darren O'Leary a stuffing, Lee Caunter attacking from the other side while Paul Hawkes ducked onto the safety on more than one occasion as the Cowboys seemed of a mind to play with their favourite toy. That wasn't all the Canvey team had in mind as Deacon continued to take the battle to Bramley, though he missed this time, Mark Ruskin settling things by jacking Deacon. Mark Blackwell, a known associate of the Fence Props, was the eventual winner ahead of Stuart Ruff and Davies, who seemed to be having an off day.

Neal Wells would make it two for two by winning the final in the final, going ahead midway with Steve Ashdown in second for much of that time while John Drummond and Roy Bramley socked it to Danny Reid in a classic sandwich, Bramley jacking one more before Garry Deacon gave Bramley his final big hit, standing in for brother Mark, Jason Mills sticking it to Deacon before going on the prowl, though he got no further takers. The Rawlins 2000 qualifier seemed dominated by Gladiators and Midnight Runners as the war there continued, especially with a big crunch of mixed cars on turn four, Paul Hunter seemingly the biggest target for the Gladdies. Things started getting nasty on the home straight from the get-go, though Sherwood started well, running away until getting the urge to wreck, starting in the side of Tony McDonald. He continued, however, eventually running away with the race, Brett Cardy and McDonald taking the other two spots, before a real battle for last car ended with Jason Jackson finally getting the last car running award following a DD restart when Mark Day was hurt. Sherwood t-boned Day before Cardy rolled, helped by Garry Deacon, Day continuing to wreck until one too many, in particular a head on given to Boxer Jack, saw him needing assistance. Jackson got his award after Sherwood and Frank Skinner got stuck together following a head on after the restart, eveyone else dead by then.

Group A Hot Rods
It was wet. Very wet. The whole of the June 10 Group A Hot Rod meeting at Arena Essex had to contest not just with each other but with rain and crosswinds that might have wiped out lesser mortals, and guaranteed controversy throughout the meeting, starting right off as Nick Hill, usually good in the wet, got into trouble first when impeded by a clumsy manoevre by Dennie Howes which knocked the wet weather ace off the lead then another set to between the first three cars, led by Jason Villa from Hill and Robbie Wolf saw both Hill and Wolf run off the circuit, rejoining the race out of touch with the race leader and eventual winner, Villa. Even then the controversy wasn't over as Wolf appealed against the result, accusing Hill of gaining an advantage when rejoining via the safety area, the appeal not upheld by the steward. Heat two produced one ray of sunshine, however, as Ryan Richards pushed his failing car to his first ever win. He managed to get hold of the lead early on then ran up a big lead that Mark Browne, who would eventually get second place, could only run down to within a quarter lap. The wet weather had affected much of the racing, notably the fact that many red tops including Terry Bearman and Dave Lamb, were out of the qualifiers and had to show up for the consolation, though it was a famous name from another formula that effectively took over the meeting from here, Chris Whiteman winning both the consolation and the following final while Bearman scraped into the final in eighth and LambChop would watch the final from the bar.

Again, in the final, Whiteman took over the race early while Hill pushed through to try to grab a win only to be denied by the race length and a little bit of obtruction for him and third place Adam Smith by back marker Matt Leadbetter who kept the inside line (which was fine) and leaned occasionally on the bends (which wasn't). Richards completed a good day for him in fourth. Steve Gooch took the lead within the first lap and jetted away from the pack in the helter-skelter, Nick Hill getting a black flag as the front of his car started to fall apart following his earlier crunches. Dave Brown kept up well as the cars spread out, but the wet track would claim more cars including Chris Fuller, Gary Rouse and Matthew Haines, the rain and crosswind making visibility difficult and grip virtually zero. Only Chris Whiteman in the ex-Gary Finch car seemed to make any progress, and not all that much as cars pulled off and what raced was staying pretty much off the risky outer line. This would be Steve Goochs' first race win and more success for the Groom Motorsport team, Brown holding Adam Smith and Chris Whiteman off for second, but it was hoped that this would not be typical of racing conditions at the next Group A meeting, the Festival of Speed, though the appearance of the sun after the end of this race seemed a promising sign.

Last car: 331 Jason Jackson

Click on picture to see full size