Ministox Essex Championship 2l Bangers

Ministox
Jack Tuffin retained the 2006 Essex Ministox Championship title at Arena Essex on September 24. Tuffin, now in his final complete year in the formula, took over the lead in the main event from an early fight for the front between Jamie McAngus and Jimmy Galloway, though Tuffin slowed towards the end which led to McAngus regaining lost ground and almost gave him a stab at retaking the lead late in the race. Galloway remained in third place while Andrew Taylor, who had won the second qualifying heat, made a late push to get to fourth position.

Ben Murray took the first qualifying heat ahead of George Heath, Murray drawing slowly away from the field as the race progressed, though Alex Guintini made a brave effort on the outside, almost catching the lead at one point but fading back to sixth by the end with Galloway in third. The second qualifier was somewhat hairier as a multi-car pile-up left Rob Hull in trouble on the bridge bend, the red flags coming out for the first time, while a sensational rollover by Guintini in the restart led to another stoppage. Taylor took the lead in the second restart but was pressed by McAngus for much of the race.

The support races were well represented by drivers from around the country, the Autospeed points leader, Katie Dawe, progressively improving throughout the meeting with a third place finish in the first race which went to Danny Morrow with Jack Bunning in second; a fourth in the second heat, the race winner being Georgie Lee in a flag-to-flag win ahead of Jack Harrington, now racing out of Spedeworth, and Jordan Murray. Katie then went all out in the final, providing a female one-two by winning it ahead of new girl Remi Gay with Gavin Ward in third place. As good a way as any to sell a car!

Bangers
Very much business as usual at Arena Essex on September 24 with the ongoing team wars, though there were a few extras that decided to join in with the wrecking. Sonny Sherwood‘s only race of the day came to an abrupt halt for him as he was ambushed on the pit fence by Gladiators, though a late hit on Gary Brown on the home straight following a head on that left his car stranded across the finish line ended with a loading for the Orgles Memorial champion as his supporters got a little too enthusiastic on the sidelines. The second race was more of the same, the biggest thud coming at the end when Carl Howard was pinned to the home straight fence by day boy Tommy Taylor. Of the cars that crossed the line in each of these races Jason Jackson was first in the first while Steve Wilson took the other heat. The final turned a bit processional at the end after most of the cars finished each other off, Boxer getting yet another heat and final double with only four remaining cars behind him. Jackson would not, however, get the Rawlins 2000 qualifier win as Lewis Barber nicked the line off him at the end, though Boxer got his own back shortly after the race ended, Barber being one of the cars killed off in the DD section that was eventually awarded to the two heat winners, Jackson and Wilson, following a last head on that killed both cars.

© 2006 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways