National Bangers Brian Orgles Memorial Lightning Rods Supreme Championship Qualifier 1300cc Stock Cars Supreme Championship Qualifier

National Bangers
This year's Brian Orgles Memorial champion is Dale Hughes. The Brian Orgles Memorial Trophy, first awarded at the end of the 1970s, was taken at the August 12 meeting at Arena Essex in a race that saw some unexpected action, especially as Ian Beaumont, not satisfied with knocking a few back markers around, gave current track champion Jason Jackson a big t-bone on turn one, also catching Frankie Skinner who had the lead.

The first heat had been taken by Jackson with the usual wrecking taking up space on the pit bend despite the ruling before the meeting that turning to wreck was not allowed during the main events. Race two, however, had even more wrecking which eventually stopped the race early as Nathan Roberts rolled in a spectacular series of hits that also saw a crushing for Ian Smith among others. That race went to Grays local, Tommy Harding following the decision to call the race at the last completed lap. The pattern was repeated in the consolation until all the Colchester folk had been smeared into the wall with only one exception; David Osborn survived, despite a dubious attempt by Blacknuts Douglas to take him out on the back straight after apparently dropping out with engine trouble. The eaight car finish went the way of Michael Outen from Horndon.

1300cc Stock Cars
Derry Monk had a return to form at the August 12 meeting for the 1300cc Stock Cars at Arena Essex as he pulled off a heat and final double. His twin trips to the pace car were eventful, however, and recently retired Ministox driver Jack Wheelwright continued to impress with a heat win of his own.

Wheelwright, in fact, took the first heat, Monk unable to catch up with him once Wheelwright had passed the early competition, though the performance of note was third place Paul Haralambou. The Dagenham based former banger driver managed to break the lap record no less than three times on his way to his third place finish. It was a feat he would not succeed in pulling off a second time as Halambou lost out on his attempt to retake second spot in the second heat only to crash up, his steering destroyed yards from the finish line while Monk and Wheelwright sprinted home, third place going to Phil Wise. Wheelwright would suffer a similar fate as he ended up taking Kieron Jacks head on following a heavy-handed spin from Deborah Whiteman to the wall for Jacks, Monk winning off the restart ahead of Darren Pratt and Clark Wells.

Lightning Rods
It was a famous victory for former Lightning Rod World Champion Mark Mackenzie at Arena Essex on August 12 in a meeting which saw quite a bit of devastation for the non-contact formula. In the first heat, it all happened when early race leader Ben Murray and Lee Millham, who had been trying to unlap himself following an earlier spin, crashed outside, taking Terry Rollings with them. Murray was again to spin off the front in the second while Dave Finch managed to burst a tyre after going up on two wheels out of turn four off the back of another car. The final was no better, with turn three oiled up from an overexuberant banger consolation which caught many drivers out.

Still, the races weren't all about crashes as Clacton based Paul Strawson managed to outwit Dave Finch in the first heat to grab the win there, while Carl Steptoe sprinted away following Murray's spin to grab the second heat trophy. While Mackenzie took an easy win in the final, Andy Brown worked hard in second place to hold off Lightning Rod and former Superbanger ace Terry Shelvey in a close battle.

© 2007 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways