Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 05/23 Sunday, July 24, 2005 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2005 Index > Meeting 05/23

Group A Hot Rods Supreme Qualifier 2 Metro & Fiesta Bangers Ministox

Ministox
An atrocious turn in the weather stirred things up for the Ministox on July 24 at Arena Essex when Jack Woodroffe spun out on the bridge bend and caused an impromptu chicane that caused the lead to change more than once in the first race of the day, Jack Harrington getting the advantage in the last lap to win.

The second race was stopped as the wet weather caught more drivers out, including Jordan Murray who sustained an injury in a crash on the bridge bend. Big brother Ben Murray certainly made up for that, coming third behind Danny Stevens, with Danny Morrow recovering the big lead he lost in the aborted race start, whilst the race for fourth became a real scramble, Luke Armiger getting over-enthusiastic only to lose control on the fourth bend, failing to finish as he came to a halt before the line in the best position to see everyone else finish.

Alex Guintini won his second winners' trophy in as many meetings at Arena Essex, managing to hold off Morrow in the third heat whilst T-Jay Powers took third whilst a number of drivers seemingly forgot all about the no-contact rule including Ben Murray who was disqualfied early on.

The last heat was a lot cleaner, and it came up as a one-two for the Stevens boys as Harry Stevens beat brother Danny home both having passed Andrew Taylor late in the race.

Taylor made up for it, taking an easy final ahead of Kerri Witherington who would finish the race second only to be docked two places after getting a little too friendly with Morrow inside turn three in the second half of the race, giving Woodroffe second spot ahead of Danny Stevens. There were quite a few battles right through the race including Jamie McAngus, Harrington and Armiger who were having a fight over what would turn out to be seventh place. Craig Oliver took the Consolation Final ahead of Billy Hobbs.

Group A Hot Rods
With the weather against them at Arena Essex on July 24, the Group A Hot Rods had to start with a rolling lap. the racing was still a little fraught as Lee Hall smashed up in the first race, collecting Andy Beverton after the stop. Mark Avison led the restart but was quickly overcome by Dave Hutchins, who seemed to be in control of the race. the battle behind raged as Alan Thorndyke tried to get past Clinton Groom, the two cars quickly catching up on the leader. Inside the last lap and enclosed within back markers, Thorndyke found a clear line inside on the bridge bend and grabbed the lead, Groom slipping outside to take second leaving Hutchins in third.

Hutchins would be denied again in the second race, making the most of the still greasy circuit to get past Paul Lawes to lead up to five laps from home when again Thorndyke found a way past to take a second trophy.

Race three was tight at the end too, Lawes in control to the closing stages, then he had a fight on his hands to keep the lead ahead of Mark Cook, who tried to find the lead on the last corner only to find himself squeezed into the air off the kerb, just keeping enough control to slide across the line, although he was still given second behind Lawes.

Thorndyke was to make it a triple, however, as he held off Chris Goldsmith in a very close last quarter on a dry oval, Dave Lamb unable to get better than third.

Metro & Fiesta Bangers
If Phillip Smith was the winner of the first Metro & Fiesta banger race at Arena Essex on July 24, the biggest talking point was the new conflict that kicked off at the end of the team championship round the week before and the knock-on effect it had in the first race where the Cream Team and the Midnight Runners met up big time on turn two, Gary Brown being t-boned by Paul Whiteman before Michael Outen piled in with a jacking so big that it lifted his drive wheels clear of the circuit, though the car was otherwise unharmed. What was even more of a surprise was that Whiteman was still running despite the hit that had almost folded his Mk.3 Fiesta!

The second race also had its share of wrecking around the pit bend, Paul Hunter taking the win in the end with only nine cars making it home.

Kevin Stace made it up for the final having left the circuit with only two wheels, but finding the other two to stick back on in time to join in with the rest to make nearly fifty cars, easily beating last years' final. The wrecking dominated the race, with turn four becoming a scrapyard quickly giving the remining drivers problems getting around, the majority of the race requiring maze solving abilities as it looked as if Hunter would make it a heat and final double. With one lap to go, however, he conked out, leaving the lead with Joe Warner, though he also conked out with fifty yards to go. Grieg Cheeseman picked Warner up and tried to help him across the line, the combined hits however too much for them to overcome as, with inches to go, Howard Martin cruised around the pair of them to take this years' title, only five cars making it home.

For the Rawlins qualifier, Whiteman got what was left of his abused Fiesta, which had already been straightened out once after a jacking by Outen, Stace also out in what was rapidly turning into a stretch Fiesta. This time, however, Warner made it home by himself, Ian Smith left with the last car award as the remaining small cars killed each other off, amongst others Steve Laybourn in a continuation of the war that has dominated much of the season.

Last car: 336 Ian Smith

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

© 2005 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways