Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 03/23 Sunday, July 20, 2003 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2003 Index > Meeting 03/23

National Bangers Lightning Rods BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

National Bangers It was a pleasant surprise to see a reasonable turnout for the National Bangers at Arena Essex for the July 20 meeting leading up to another forty-plus final, the second in as many weeks. With some of the hostilities seemingly under wraps for now, it was Sonny Sherwood who put in the first win of the day, stretching his points lead in the RJK Export Drivers' Championship even further. A number of cars reappeared in this one that had last seen duty in the Banger challenge meeting of two weeks previous, though some drivers had seemingly made an effort, some new metal taking part in what was a fairly gentle first heat. Not that this meant that it would run, as Tommy McGurk was finding though, as we shall see later, this was fixed for the next outing. The race wasn't too gentle though, Danny Wade getting one squishing, but there was certainly plenty of rodding and spinning as the race lead changed hands many times before Mushy finally grabbed it away from Frankie Skinner and Harry Rawlins, the three battling at the front right through the final stages. Rawlins would take second spot at the line behind Sherwood, Skinner settling for third.

Steve Laybourn has been mentioned a number of times in recent weeks, mostly because of some of the hits he has been involved in. Whether that was the influence that caused him to be the target of a mob that squished him into an early pile up on turn one is unknown, but that was how race two started, Andy Ashman leading early, blissfully unaware of the fate awaiting him in the final. Steve Thompson took up the running for a while before a spin and mechanical failure took care of him, Gary Staples taking the lead and eventual win with Ashman never quite losing touch in second ahead of Matt Fuller. One thing that affected the numbers in the Banger racing was the number of late arrivals. This certainly displeased the promoter as this meeting could easily have been extended, but instead it meant that the second heat was much bigger than the first and would eventually lead to a 46 car final, though in the end the final would not be remembered so much for its numbers but for one particular hit!

Indeed the start of the final was a real scramble to find open tarmac, more than one car hitting the shale out of turn four in the desperate effort to get the hole shot. Certainly Dean Conyard seemed to be having trouble keeping on the raceway as he came in for pushes and spins each time he tried to get going. With a field that big, however, a stoppage is not unusual and this time it was pretty bad as Lee Hutton got hit driver side by Greig Cheeseman, Hutton managing to get free of the car but in some pain. The hit wasn't a big one and from where I was standing did not look intentional, but on examination of the car the plate had been pushed in a short way, the securing bolts possibly doing the damage. However that was not the hit that everyone would remember; that would come in the restart. The hit was initially set up when a crash on turn three would leave Stephen Carter's car mounted on Ronnie Boy's car, both dead by the pit gate. It was then Tommy McGurk who took Andy Ashman from the back straight safety area and thrust him full speed into, under and out the other side of the two dead cars! The crash left Carter's wreck almost carved in two, though Ashman would emerge from the wreck unharmed and seemingly calm. It also left Scotch Tommy loaded for a multiple rule violation while the race ran down, Jason McMahon winning ahead of John Randall, Paul Whiteman just holding out from Carlos Perez in third.

The Rawlins 2000 Qualifier started with about half the finalists to end a heavy days' wrecking with a little more destruction. Tony Green became a target on turn two as pile ups developed on the corners, especially at the pit end including a big hit on Ivan Clarke by Whiteman on turn three before both turned to attack anything else that wanted to come down the back straight to them. Dean Goodearl won the race ahead of Randall and McMahon, the destruction bit boiling down to a final head on crunch between final winner McMahon and Malcolm Fuller on the home straight. They hit, they both died, they both go through to the main event in October as joint last car winners.

Lightning Rods July 20 at Arena Essex saw the Lightning Rods return for the first time since the Festival, kicking off the day in fine style with two heats of a five race meeting, a few drivers less than that last big meeting but with a few unexpected faces including Jack Overy, his first outing in this non-contact formula for the banger champion. Tony Saddington and David Brown contested the lead early on in the first race, Richard Norman eventually collecting the lead despite hitting the wall on occasion. The race was not without its moments though, including an early spin for John Christie and Gary Madgwick which relegated both to the back, Christie crabbing to the safety area with steering damage and more, so it was found. Brown would eventually join Madgwick at the back after pouring the gas on a little too much, just avoiding the fence by inches but allowing the following field through. Roger Dormer also showed some promise, but his car was unequal to the task and he eventually pulled out of the race while Chris Jones took on the field but would eventually bow to the pressure of the pack behind him, Peter Waite getting through to take second place, Lee Morrow and Paul Harris following. This was pretty much how it finished, though Waite would be penalised for contact from earlier in the race, Mark Mackenzie getting second from Lee Morrow, Waite relegated to fourth.

After race one comes race two, and a slightly larger field this time including some big names in the formula, including Mark Lisowski who currently leads the Yokohama Tyres Drivers' Championship, Rick Pannell who had great success at the Festival and former World Champion, Darren Ahern, these days racing under an Incarace license but paying his first visit in a Sierra since his PRI days ended in some controversy. Danny Currans started the race off in front ahead of Ray Cox, while Ray Harris spun off on the back straight, something he would have to make up for in the consolation race later on. Steven Willis collided with Colin Watts in front of race control early on, though Porkpie ended up dropping back as a result after having to hit the shaleway, one of a number that needed to pull off including Nick Wiseman and Terry Shelvey. Meanwhile Currans was having to hold off Paul Hollands who was attempting to pass on the outside but was making heavy work of it, eventually timing the braking into turn one extremely late to grab the lead in what looked like a very desperate move. Either way it worked, and Hollands shot away, Will Connor following to second place, which was pretty much how the race ended, though Currans only just held on to third spot by inches ahead of Dave Meningen.

One thing that you noticed immediately in the consolation was the number of star grade carslining up at the back. Some of them were victims of their own mechanical problems, such as Shelvey who had replaced his flat tyre by this time; others were there for other reasons such as Ahern who had been disqualified from his heat. However it was not a known Lightning Rod ace that would steal this race, it was a Banger one! Once the Saddington car had been sorted out, Watts led the cars into the race while Vic Bilkey Jr. started to push forward. Overy had started a little further forward, taking the lead before half way with Bilkey, Harris and Ahern following. These four pushed each other as much as they could but, in the end, that was how it stayed, te four getting well ahead of the rest of the race.

We interrupted Darren Ahern's lunch for the final. A burger, so the gossip had it. Whether this was why he didn't finish the race is unclear but, by that time, it must have been cold! Anyway, foodstuffs aside, Cox led the cars away while Currans dropped a gear or three and dropped to the back. He was lucky not to be hit as the cars charged through, though Paul Hunter wasn't quite as lucky as Chris Chao clumped him in the back on the back straight. Will Connor now took up the running ahead of Gary Madgwick while Ahern limped shalewards, Norman inside Cox for third. The biggest worry, however, was not the front of the race which was sorting itself out nicely by this time, it was the back of the race with copious amounts of higher grades all jostling for position, two or three cars abreast into the corners, the armco battered on each exit! Certainly this was taking its toll, and some drivers were getting a little impatient, though Bilkey was the only one to actually receive a contact penalty in the end. It was therefore inevitable that somebody might lose it, the infamous turn two "kink" catching out Currans, a pile up resulting, Lisowski losing a wheel, Paul Harris also well jacked, a waved yellow the result. Lee Morrow also took some damage but rejoined the race before the green went down again. Connor led the restart but, with the jam effectively resolved by the stoppage, Pat Kenneally was now moving up rapidly. Madgwick found clear air inside Connor's line to take the lead, Connor dropping back, Ray Harris also out of it in the fence. Madgwick now started to pull away, but not without company. Kenneally pressuring hard and eventually finding the inside line to win the race ahead of Madgwick, Norman winning a heated battle for third place from Dale Atkins and Jack Overy. Peter Waite provided the last few bits of contact which earned him a disqualification, though the last real action of note was when former leader Connor seemed to have the world drop out of the car, putting him out of the result.

Ray Harris would still be suffering from the damage late in the final as he managed to start the helter-skelter but soon pulled out, just avoiding problems on the pit bend. Madgwick took the early lead from Willis, Madgwick looking like he would easily win as he pulled away from the field. Murphy's law being what it is, however, Madgwick would not make it to the finish, suddenly pulling off on the back straight leaving Willis in front. Mark Davidson got second place while Overy tried everything short of bangering to get higher than third, that may have been possibly truer of Rick Pannell who managed at least a lap on the shaleway, shadowing Nick Wiseman, before a marshal intervened, both drivers eventually dismounting.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars The low turnout for the Arena Essex BriSCA F2 meeting on July 20 meant an easy ride for defending track champion Mick Sworder, but not a total walkover as a number of drivers attempted to hold him back and, late in the meeting, even succeeded. However, three wins out of four did no harm to Sworders' points tally for the year as he easily led the first heat from Steve Green and Stuart Chalkley, then again in the second with Chalkley in second this time and Stuart Rolfe in third, then once more in the final, again followed by Chalkley with Martin Coles in third this time, though Sworder left it very late in the race to grab the win, barging Chalkley wide on the last bend, Chalkley limping home with a flat. A lap handicap was cut in the Grand National Qualifier when Chalkley came together with Rolfe and Brad Moss on turn one, but that wasn't quite enough to allow a clean sweep, so James Rodgers came away with the win this time ahead of Chris Roots, Sworder settling for third. An honourable mention for Moss who made a good effort in the second heat in which he got sixth, though he later suffered from engine problems before finally going out after the crash on turn one in the Grand National Qualifier.

Where shown below, "NOCR" indicates "No Other Car Running". All results are subject to confirmation by the steward and promoter of the meeting.

Last car: 46 Malcolm Fuller/290 Jason McMahon

©2003 Chris Johnson/Crashnet