Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 05/19 Sunday, June 26, 2005 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2005 Index > Meeting 05/19

The 2005 Festival of Speed featuring The Chick Woodroffe Memorial Trophies for Lightning Rods, Group A Hot Rods, Outlaw Hot Rods & 1300 Stock Cars plus SuperBangers & PRI Banger Essex vs. Kent Team Challenge

It was a somewhat overcast day to start with at Arena Essex as they began their 2005 version of the long-running Festival of Speed meeting on June 26, featuring the fourth Chick Woodroffe Memorial for the Lightning, Group A and Outlaw Hot Rods and the 1300 Stock Cars, who would also provide plenty to talk about in the Race Video Dash for Cash. The meeting was supported also by the SuperBanger Festival Trophy and Banger Teams as Kent looked for revenge against Essex who almost completely whitewashed the meeting last year.

The first race of the day was for the 1300 Stock Cars in their version of the Memorial Trophy final, a race clearly and easily won by current points leader Clark Wells though there was plenty of contact behind him as a four abreast group left the pit turn and thundered into the wall with one lap only completed, Billy Kavanagh left disabled on turn one and Danny Hunt dead on the centre green. Second place Darren Pratt had a fair scrap through the back markers with Brian Davidson in third. Wells would not be so lucky as he crashed out at the start of the Race Video Dash for Cash, one of a number of cars that were involved in early contact though one of only two that didn‘t rejoin, the other being Scott Waite who ended up perched on a sleeper on turn one, the race eventually going to Billy Kavanagh though not before more casualties including a two point self-inflicted roll for Davidson as he rounded turn four inside a little too close to the kerb.

It took three efforts to bring the Group A Hot Rod Memorial Trophy final to a conclusion, the first attempt stopped very early after Gary Clarke and James Newins were crunched in traffic around turns one and two, the second coming to grief as Lee Ayton and Simon Simmons crashed out on the back straight, also in traffic. Dave Lamb broke away quickly in all three cases, sprinting away through the back markers to take the race by almost half a lap ahead of Clinton Groom, with a tight race over third between Gary Rouse, Terry Bearman and Steve Gooch. Bearman would then go on to win a hotly contested helter-skelter, too hot for some including Paul Smith who caught fire mid-race. Bearman had to hold off a determined assault from Lamb amid back markers but just held out when Ayton held Lamb up around the last bend.

The Outlaw Hot Rod Memorial Trophy was a bit more sedate with an easy win for Tony Moss with only second place Stu Hammond to keep him company, Waine Souter in clear air in third whilst Salvo Falcone failed to overcome Gary Stow in fourth though both ended up removing Chris Wood on turn three close to the end. Richard Smith held off Warren Farazmand toward the end of the helter-skelter to grab the helter-skelter trophy.

The first heat in the Essex vs. Kent battle was a resounding victory for Kent, their first victory in this event since the series started, and another rod victory for Rob Farrington, much of the other metal wrecked around the pit bend including some big hits from fifth finisher Billy King, with only Matt Fuller scoring anything for the defending Essex team. The second heat was even heavier, only Dave Barwick surviving the heavy wrecking session for Kent whilst the recent ratwar seemed to have toughened up some of the team members, the pit again getting filled up. Both teams had kept cars back for the final, but Essex would need to completely kill off Kent if they were to take the title again. Dave Osborn managed to spin himself into the wall before the race had even started which didn‘t bode well for Essex‘ chances as the remaining runners crept onto the circuit for the final. Which is how it worked out, with another wrecking session around the pit bend, Farrington taking advantage of a front row start but getting taken out in the midst of the melee leaving a number of cars going the wrong way around looking for a hit whilst Barwick took the win, and sealed Kent's victory, in a car that finished the race on fire. "It's alright, it's only oil!" he said following the race. Sam Rigby and Mark Burroughs started a six car Rawlins solo qualifier wit an awesome head on out of turn four which certainly left both in a daze as Farrington won his second trophy of the day. He and Paul Whiteman then took each other out head on by the pits to leave Andrew Davies as the only other car running.

It looked like Vince Wolf would take the Festival Final for the SuperBangers but he barely made it to the quarter race mark before he was taken out leaving Tubbs Butler in a clear and commanding lead that he kept to the end, finishing well ahead of Chris Trickett and Nigel Weeks, who was having some fun with Steve Davies as he went. Weeks then did a classic last bend spin out on Keith Wildman to win the helter-skelter in a race that also saw some interesting contact on the back straight as Phil Butler, John Alder and Steve Davies went at it full contact style, no doubt getting a few revenge hits in for some of the attacks on each other in the earlier race, though the hastily retreating clerk of the course, Henry Ashworth, wasn‘t amused as he brought out the black flag for all three drivers.

There were ten retiring cars in the Lightning Rods in the final Memorial Trophy of the day, amongst others Dale Atkins who ended up on the front of a pile,up on the pit bend after being obstructed by neophyte Andy Oliver. The race at the front was very close but Terry Shelvey managed to hold off a consistent challenge from world champion Rick Pannell despite having to avoid back markers. The helter-skelter was badly started after Rob Naismith spun on the pit bend inside the first lap, collecting a number of cars behind him including Mark Collins. Shelvey took this race too, running almost from the back to take Stuart Palmer mid-race then sprint away for an easy victory.

Last car: 47 Andrew Davies

Also see Matthew Bull's website for more pictures from this meeting!

© 2005 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways