Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 05/24 Sunday, July 31, 2005 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2005 Index > Meeting 05/24

2l Bangers BriSCA F2 Stock Cars SuperBangers

Bangers
The July 31 meeting at Arena Essex started with a shower and a 2l banger race that was fairly tame until the last lap when Billy King, who had overhauled Roy Laybourn at the front, was spun out, Laybourn's wide last corner giving the win to the prime mover in all this, Paul Hunter. The second race was fairly wreck free too, though it did have a couple of surprises in that, firstly, Colin Farley showed up in Runner colours and secondly Steve Laybourn won a race without getting wrecked by said Runners! Things started to get more interesting in the conslation as the various warring factions met up, Paul Whiteman putting in some awesome hts on the pit bend whilst one of the Cream team went for a two point roll on the home straight. The race itself went to Ian Smith in a car that looked surprisingly clean for him!

The final was another victory for the forces of pink, notably Billy King ahead of Rob Farrington, whilst the wars carried on, Steve Laybourn showing that he was still willing to stick one in there as he stuck Matt Fuller head on, the start of a wrecking session that left turn four with the wreckage of Fuller, father Roy, Wally and, though somewhat late, Stephen Hale on the fence. With few creams still racing, though both attending rats made it back, the various parties wrote each other off in the Rawlins 2000 qualifier, though another notable squabble seemed to blow up between Sam Rigby and Anthony Oak, the pair coming together on turn four more than once. Ian Smith made it two wins though his feeble head on in the demolition section seemed to gift the last car award to Stephen Carter. When asked if he had set it up, Smith denied it strenuously.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
Daz Kitson made a triumphant return to the Arena Essex oval on Sunday, July 31, taking a heat and final double in mixed conditions.

Things were a little greasy for the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars at Arena Essex and the warm up race needed a complete restart when Stewart Chalkley lost a wheel around the bridge end of the circuit, one of a number of drivers that had problems in the damp conditions. Ian Chalkley made up for it, however, as he won ahead of a determined drive by Mick Sworder from the back.

The second race was on a much drier track as the rain eased a little, Daz Kitson making the most of it to race to the front for victory ahead of Chris Bradbury with Ian Chalkley unable to get better than third this time.

Kitson made it a double in the final when overhauled the field shortly after half way having managed to shake off the other red tops early on. Sworder had a bad race of it as he was fenced late in the race, whist David Polley managed to overcome a large pile up in the late stages to grab third spot behind James Thackra, who then win the Grand National Qualifier in dominant style, Bradbury also making a commanding drive of it from the back on a circuit made somewhat greasy around the pit gate after a SuperBanger incident.

SuperBangers
I forget now when I last saw Roger Trickett on the pace car after winning a race but that is exactly what he did in the first race for the SuperBangers at Arena Essex on July 31, staying in front of Graham Heard and Vince Wolf whilst the fastest driver in the race had to be Tubbs Butler who had been spun to the back early in the race after coming together with Nigel Weeks who managed to get to ninth in the result. Heard managed to get a measure of revenge in the sprint race, holding off Trickett despite some mechanical problems, though Keith Wildman was the winner this time. Wolf had a good shot at one of the front places until the closing stages when Chris Trickett spun him to the centre on the home straight. The final was easily won by Heard, though it was far from easy for other drivers, especially when turn three proved the downfall of a number of cars including Dave Carroll, Roger and Chris Trickett, Steve Davies, Tubbs Butler and, later, Wildman. Only six of the fourteen starters managed to finish.

Last car: 267 Stephen Carter

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

© 2005 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways