PRI Banger Pairs Classic Hot Rods Ministox

Classic Hot Rods
It was a double win for Dave Fry in the first appearance at Arena Essex of the Classic Hot Rod formula on June 18. The formula, made up of a mixture of Anglias and Escorts of various ages plus a solitary Mini, was dominated throughout by the Escorts of Fry, Daniel Brosnan Jr. and Garry Whitcomb, with Fry, known more for his Outlaw and National Hot Rod appearances these days, winning the second heat and the final in his Mk. 1 effort while Brosnan took the first heat in his Mk. 2. Whitcomb took second place in all three races with Ivan Russell getting the best for the Anglias with third place in heat one, Fry's Escort fading out late in the race and failing to finish.

Banger Pairs
Phillip and Simon Smith became this years' PRI Banger Pair Champions at this years' event at Arena Essex on June 18. They took the title late in the final race after Paul Hunter and Mark Woolner, who took the first heat, were held up on turn four in a pile up that involved most of the field in attendance, some of the hits connected with the ongoing team war. Hunter and Woolner had to get past Paul and Ricky Korpiela in the first heat to win that event, the Korpielas seemingly keen on taking up as much of the circuit as they could. Last years' champions, Andy Spooner and Kirk Bodnar, returned to win the second heat, though a seized engine kept them out of the final. Roy Laybourn, who had been the unlikely partner of Ian Smith that day, took the Rawlins 2000 qualifier trophy in the only solo event of the day before the destruction section which ended in a dead heat when the Korpielas took each other out head on by the pits.

Ministox
The Ministox provided a fair degree of controversy on June 18 at Arena Essex, the day starting and ending with a bang. The starting bang came from Kieron Thomas who, after being spun by the traffic in the first heat, drew the ire of the officials as he took out his tormentor head on. George Heath took the trophy for that race ahead of Jack Woodroffe and Andrew Taylor. Things were a little quieter in the second heat, Roy Laybourn getting quickly to the front and staying there to the end with Jamie McAngus and Ian Beaumont in pursuit. The consolation had crashes at either end, Ben Murray being ordered off at one point for contact while Clare MacNamara got both ends of the stick, her usual heavy approach around the bridge end followed half a lap later by a spin. Jack Wheelwright took first place here ahead of Billy Hull and Danny Morrow.

The final was an easy victory for George Heath, the main battle being for third place, Wheelwright getting the trophy by a wheel ahead of Jimmy Galloway, with Taylor in second. The bang at the end, however, was one that held the meeting up and ended the helter-skelter race prematurely when Jack Woodroffe was carried by traffic sideways into the home straight wall, Jack Tuffin wedged onto the passenger door before second heat winner Laybourn shot into the pile-up, the race stopped so that the injured drivers could be removed. All drivers were later given a clean bill of health, but an investigation into the incident is ongoing. The race win was given to Deborah Whiteman under the last completed lap rule, with Galloway in second and Joe Simmons in third.

Last car: 241 Paul Korpiela / 242 Ricky Korpiela

© 2006 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways