Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 05/16 Sunday, June 5, 2005 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2005 Index > Meeting 05/16

2-litre Bangers Group A Hot Rods Supreme Championship Qualifying Round 1 Ministox

Ministox
An early start to the Ministox at Arena Essex on June 5 saw a first win for Rob Hull in a curtailed race after Rob West got into trouble on turn two, collecting Ian Beaumont and eventual second place man Rob Marsh on the racing line. The race had already been restarted once following a clumsy cornering attempt by early leader Nick MacMahon. The second race made it to its full length but not without a few spills along the way, winner Chris Whiteman avoiding much of it, including a number of overtaking attempts from Brad Turk who would eventually fall back as Sonny Gay and Harr Stevens came through to grab second and third places. It seemed that Marsh had sewn up the win in the third heat having spent some time trying to pass Jack Wearns who had a clear lead until he was held up by a back marker, then Tom Waller strolled past all of them for an easy win with Charlie Court and Jack Wheelwright strolling through a little later. Hull then made it two in a row when he took the fourth heat ahead of Whiteman, with Craig Oliver promoted to third when Jimmy Galloway was penalised for contact.

The final was easily won by Galloway after he got past the early white top leaders, then sprinted away to win by over a quarter of a lap from Liam Friel with Hull driving well but unable to get better than third, with a number of crashes including a carving for Court who incurred a one lap penalty for taking one corner on the speedway track. The consolation final was also close as Jamie McAngus tried to take Michael Nicholls inside the last lap only to be obstructed, Nicholls winning by inches off the last corner, Jack Tuffin getting third ahead of Kerri Witherington.

Group A Hot Rods
Gary Rouse won the first race for the Group A Hot Rods' first Supreme qualifier at Arena Essex on June 5, long time leader holding up a gutsy drive by new yellow top James Newins, Rouse hitting the outside line late around the bridge bend with Steve Gooch in tow whilst defending Supreme Champion, Dave Lamb, struggled to get a place after getting involved in a crash late in the race on turn two. Chris Smith took the second heat after a stoppage involving Derek Keane and Lee Hall on turn four brought out the waved yellows, closing Smith up on early leader Nick Hill, whilst Jason Griffiths took second ahead of a heated fight for third which Clinton Groom got ahead of Lamb. The final boiled down to a three way race after Andy Beverton took the lead only to be caught by Gooch and Griffiths, though neither was able to make a successful bid to get past Beverton. He finished victorious, Gooch keeping second place from Griffiths with Terry Bearman leading the rest of the field at a distance.

Joe Weal led the early stages of the final but was overtaken at length by Beverton, Weal eventually getting disqualified after contact with Nicky Parris, then a crash between Hill, Paul Smith and Mark West left Smith's Fiesta in pieces on the back straight, and another waved yellow came out. Beverton kept hold of the lead on the restart in what could almost have been a repeat of the heat win, Bearman and Griffiths competing but unable to pass. Rouse and Groom came up to join in but far too late, Bearman and Griffiths blocking any attempt to get through, effectively gifting Beverton the win.

Bangers
Looking at the cars that turned up for the 2-litre banger meeting at Arena Essex on June 5, it was a dead cert that plenty of wrecking action would follow, something that was confirmed when Wayne Cotterill was top and tailed, Sam Rigby in the front, Shane Davies in the rear! Even the win was a clse run thing, Lee Madden spinning the winner Mark Johns out on turn one, yards after the chequered flag! Johns had hung onto the lead for many laps, holding of persistant attacks from Andy Reynolds, Billy King and Madden. Simon Smith was also running the wrong way around, although he was eventually taken up the rear by Len Brinkley on the pit bend. The second race was just as promising with Jack Overy, Colin Farley and Sonny Sherwood taking part, with Andrew Davies also in attendance. They certainly got it, with both Davies and Overy sacrificing thir days' racing to have it out around the pits, Overy already blacked for his wrong way hit on Phillip Smith at the start of the race, while Jason Jackson was similarly penalised for the continuing ratwar hit on turn four on Roy Laybourn who was already dead before the full chat t-bone took him to the wall and a jacking finished the job. Lee West led only six finishers out of the 27 cars that started the race.

The final was pretty destructive too, another three drivers loaded as Team Black continued their vendetta with the Gladiators, Brinkley being loaded for a number of hits on Ian Smith amongst others. Johns was running away with the race until Nathan Roberts decided to turn it and pin him down inside the last few laps, taking him out to allow Reynolds to race through to victory. Reynolds accepted the trophy but gave the champagne, awarded by Race Video as part of its 20th anniversary and owner Russell Wiliams' birthday, to his boss, Dave Edwards, who took it up to Race Control. They didn't sound drunk afterwards... The Rawlins went the way of Madden in a race that saw three more load ups as the visitng black cars pounded the Gladiators, notably Ian Smith and Sam Rigby, into bits on turn four. The egg cup had to be split in the end, Paul Whiteman and Johns finishing with a head on inside the pit bend that slaughtered both cars.

Last car: 10 Paul Whiteman/600 Mark Johns

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Also see Matthew Bull Photography for official photos of this meeting.

© 2005 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways