Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 05/17 Sunday, June 12, 2005 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2005 Index > Meeting 05/17

Rising Stars Bangers Lightning Rods Supreme Championship Qualifying Round 2 BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

Lightning Rods
A heat and final double victory in the Lightning Rods is one way to celebrate a birthday, and Colin "Ruby" Murray did just that on June 12 at Arena Essex to celebrate his 35th.

The first heat for the Lightning Rods came to a sudden stop as the race at the front between visitor Terry Rollings and local driver Glen Allen overheated out of turn four, Allen spun outside to collect a number of cars running just behind including John Crowther who seems to have been in the wrong place on a number of occasions recently. Rollings shot away on the restart, leaving the race behind him, though Peter Waite, who followed to challenge Rollings, eventually suffered on the nose of Gary Greenland. Coming up through the field was Terry Shelvey who managed to grab second place with the laps running down, catching Rollings inside the last laps and making the end of the race a close run thing, Rollings holding on for the win. Stuart Ruff took the second race following a big crash that took the first race winner, Rollings out of it on turn one after getting caught up with Stuart Palmer. Ruff came up to take the win ahead of Paul Strawson and Greenland who spent the later part of the race in combat. Colin Murray took the third heat, passing what opposition lay in front then jetting away, though Trevor Draynor provided some trouble in the last few laps as he caught up with Murray and tried his best to pass him, to no avail. Chris Chao also drove well to get third, despite Danny Currans stopping immediately in front of him on the home straight. Murray found his way to the front early on in the final, then spent the first half of the race holding Draynor back despite some contact that would finally do for Draynor, then he had to hold the lead from an increasing numbers of cars led by Jumbo Kingsmill with Steve Willis, Darren Cardy and Richard Anderson coming up to make things interesting.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
Martin Coles recorded a triple win, two heats with the fastest time, at the Arena Essex BriSCA F2 Stock Car meeting on June 12. A wheel coming off on the pit corner after Adam Deeble, Terry Butcher and Neil Hooper came together stopped the first race of the day, the wheel belonging to Deeble, the race at that point being led by Coles after he overcame the early leader, Sean Gregory. Coles managed to hold the restart, then shot away for an easy victory. Another collision that saw Matt Linfield and Justin Fisher lock together out of the start, Ian Chalkley also spinning out, meant that the second race needed a second start. After some careful extracation, both Linfield and Fisher would rejoin the race, but Chalkley wasn't so lucky. This second start was also doomed as Stewart Chalkley took Antony Smith into the tavern fence at full speed, though it would be Chalkley that came off worst as he lost a back wheel. Coles went on to grab his second win as the race finally got going, whilst Butcher fought bravely to get to second only to be savagely bumped into a stall by Mick Sworder on the final lap. Though Coles would win the final ahead of Linfield and Ian Chalkley, it was fourth place Stewart that would record the fastest time, overcoming defending track champion Sworder in the process with and impressive drive from the back. Linfield took the Grand National Qualifier for the second time in a row at this circuit, running well ahead of Stewart Chalkley, followed by a three way battle that was won by Mick Sworder ahead of David Polley whilst Hooper ended up in the fence inside the last couple of laps.

Rising Stars Bangers
Ivan Clarke was the first winner in the Rising Stars meeting for the Bangers at Arena Essex on June 12, though Barry Wenhold and Lee Hackett behind him certainly provided some close action, whilst a number of cars further down the field showed their experience, or lack of it. Race two was stopped early on as Liam Baldwin spun and hit the wall on turn three. Malcolm Mortimer, who had led the first attempt, came through the field from the back on the restart to win ahead of Harry Bradbury and Phil Pratchett with Craig Hewitt taking fourth as well as taking aim on a few other cars including a big put in on Carl Howard by the pit gate. Mortimer then went on to win the final from the back of the grid in a race that saw eight finishers and some pretty big hits including Jim Harding giving Jack King a full blooded head on out of turn four. The Rawlins provided some good action too as Wenhold conked out to provide Hackett with a good lead at half way which was whittled to nothing by King, but a clumsy fencing by King took both cars out leaving Pratchett as the clear winner, Terry Peacock then winning the egg cup after taking Pratchett out with a head on by the start line.

Last car: 3 Terry Peacock

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

© 2005 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways