National Bangers Brian Orgles Memorial Ministox

National Bangers
Gary Brown became the latest holder of the Brian Orgles Memorial Trophy at Arena Essex on August 13 in one of the most thrilling efforts this year. The meeting also threw up plenty to talk about, especially surrounding Sonny Sherwood who again joined in with the current team fueled war, but the final was certainly worth watching as the lead changed hands right through the race.

Brown took the race following a real battle, starting with Paul Hunter and Billy King chasing current runaway banger points leader Jason Jackson who had managed to get to the front before half way. Earlier in the race, Simon Peters had come off badly after leading the opening lap and his abandoned car became one deciding factor when King made an effort to pass Boxer on turn two, both drivers diving for the same hole on that turn. King hit the abandoned car, giving Jackson a good lead but giving Brown and Matt Fuller a chance to catch up and make an effort for the front. Jackson would not survive this effort as first Fuller then Brown managed to get ahead, Jackson getting involved in a scrap on turn three while King managed to make up the lost distance to get back to third place behind Fuller.

The heats and consolation were business as usual as the Gladiator and Bad Company teams went at each other, the Gladiators tending to start further forward then spin to take any attacks from the oncoming cars on turn four. With most of the Gladiators, Bad Company and various sock puppets being creamed on the pit bend, it meant that there was a limited number of cars available for the main final, the six first heat qualifiers and two consolation survivers augmented by twelve from the second heat. Jackson took an easy victory in the first heat, though Steve Ward had what looked suspiciously like a dooring from Sherwood, both failing to finish in the scrapyard on the pit bend, both out in the consolation. Sherwood then distinguished himself by attacking the stationary car of Sam Rigby on turn four, the force of the hit destroying Rigby‘s car and sending Sherwood rolling onto his roof. With all this going on, the final was left to the serious racers before the Rawlins 2000 Qualifier. There had been the threat of rain all through the meeting and it had hit after the final, though this didn‘t stop much of the wrecking that dominated the race, erstwhile stock driver Paddy Palmer winning ahead of Hunter and Jackson before a wrecking session that was a little slow to start as everyone refused to turn, but was quickly over once it did, Fuller finally getting a trophy for surviving the volley of head-ons with the few that had kept going beyond the race end flag.

Ministox
Another meeting for the Ministox at Arena Essex on August 13 and another driver in for his last appearance before age caught up with them. This time it was Sonny Gay, though his last meeting in the minis was somewhat more successful and less fraught than some as he pulled in a heat win and some good finishes elsewhere. The biggest winner on the day, however, was Jack Wheelwright who, after mixed performances this year, grabbed winners trophies in the final and helter-skelter races, both under pressure.

The first race went to Vinnie Madden ahead of Danny Stevens and Danny Morrow in a race that was stopped quickly when a number of cars, notably Kieron Thomas, ended up in a pile on turn two. The second race was somewhat less controversial, though Jack Tuffin did lose a hard fought second place, the steward deciding that the fight was a little too hard and promptly awarded a two place dock for contact, leaving Jamie McAngus and Harry Stevens holding the second and third place trophies behind Sonny Gay. The biggest arguments, however, were left for the consolation race where George Goodearl solidly blocked Reece Laybourn through the latter stages of the race. Following his two place dock for mirror driving, he was loaded up for threatening behaviour, not to mention a fair amount of bad language, thus keeping him firmly out of the final. Said final was a fairly clean affair, Wheelwright managing to pin the lead down in the closing stages ahead of Danny Stevens and Sonny Gay with a good effort from Tuffin for fourth, Wheelwright then doing a similar job on McAngus and Ben Murray in the helter-skelter.

Last car: 188 Matt Fuller

© 2006 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways