In the Summer of 2002, a very high-profile oval racing driver was taken from us in a work accident. Mark Boulden, known to most Banger fans as "Polo", was fatally burnt in a garage incident shortly before he was due to defend his title in the 2l Hot Rod formula run at the Spedeworth promotion. Before his involvement with Rods, Mark was known as a prominent banger racer, especially during his time at Arena Essex where, as part of the Suicide Squad team, he was to be involved in Banger wars, would be part of the multiple PRI Team Championship winning line-up and would win, amongst other things, the ORC World Championship title. He was also well known for bending the rules occasionally as well as other cars, and this would lead to a run-in with the National Banger governing body, the ORC, who would eventually ban him for two years for an incident trackside whilst on tour, despite the protests from drivers and fans alike. His involvement with Rods started with the end of the ban, and he went on to dominate this formula much as he had dominated the Bangers in the years before.

It came as a great shock to the world of Banger racing in general so, as a mark of respect to the memory of Polo, the final race of the second Unlimited Shootout was dedicated to him. The meeting itself was well attended, with drivers from around Britain and Europe showed up for what proved to be a great meeting and, hopefully, a fitting testimonial for the Banger ace.