PRI Banger Teams Final Eliminator Group A Hot Rods Supreme Championship Qualifier BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
The final meeting at Arena Essex, August 19, for the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars before the World Championships featured a heat and final double for Stevenage ace Mick Sworder, though front row world finalist Mark Simpson and qualifiers Chris Bradbury and Barry Goldin gave challenge throughout the day.

Mick Sworder won the first race of the day by an easy quarter of a lap, Mark Simpson having him within sight initially but drifted wide and lost places, Chris Bradbury grabbing second spot ahead of an interesting tussle between Simpson, Tom Smart and Barry Goldin which resolved itself three laps from home but provided plenty of interest until Goldin went wide after attempting another attack on Smart, Simpson grabbing third spot. Simpson certainly burned up the drying circuit through the yellow tops, there being no white tops in attendance, grabbing the lead close to half way, only Sworder being anywhere near him by the end and unable to catch. Goldin did well to recover following an early hook-up on the pit bend with Nigel Partridge.

However Simpson was unable to hold the early lead in the final, Sworder finding his way past on the bridge bend and shooting away into the distance to complete a heat and final double while Bradbury also managed to overcome Simpson for a distant second place, Goldin still off the pace in fourth. Bradbury took the Grand National qualifier after passing early leader Kevin Whalley at half way point. Whalley kept hold of third place after Goldin passed him late in the race for his best finish of the day but, given the overall performance of Goldin, Bradbury, Simpson and Sworder, there is little chance of predicting the World Final result. It‘s just too close!

Group A Hot Rods
Dave Lamb looks set to defend the Group A Hot Rod Supreme title again this year following an impressive final win at Arena Essex in the last qualifier on August 19.

Nick Hill set a blistering pace in the first heat, grabbing the lead easily early on past sole white top Bill Witherall, chased all the way by Paul Gola, Danny Hunn dropping behind Chris Goldsmith late in the race. It was Gola‘s turn to run away with the second heat as Hill faded to the back, though Hunn kept the pressure on throughout the race, joined by Terry Bearman and Dave Lamb by the end of the race. Hunn took the lead off the front row in the points order final but was eventually taken by Smith and Lamb. Lamb grabbed the lead around the half way point and slowly burned Smith off on his way to the trophy, Smith easily staying ahead of Hunn with Bearman in fourth. Gola, who had been on pole, never really got into it and finished well down the field.

Banger Teams
A banger meeting mostly free of contact was what we got as the final eight teams raced in the August 19 Banger Team Championship Final Eliminator for points towards the two available team slots in the October head to head final. The teams to go through were the Gravesend Condoms, who were the runner-up team last year, and the Cream Team, known more for its head to head final battles against the once dominant Suicide Squad team at the end of the 1990s.

Dale Hughes jetted through a hit-shy crowd for the first win to help put the Condoms into a commanding lead that they never lost, very little contact being made by any of the eight qualifying teams. Another race, another wreck-free performance with a win from Michael Outen of the Cream Team while the only spins came from the Bad Company and, surprisingly, the Condoms as Dave Palmer spun Darren Lee out on turn four, also clipping out Paul Whiteman, racing for last years' winners, the Midnight Runners. The Gigglers were still without points, Danny Gardiner causing a restart by breaking down on the start.

The final was hastily turned into an allcomers‘ affair, something which certainly spiced it up including more than one hit. Jerry Ansell was the first real hit of the meeting as he was spun out on turn four only to stick one on Lee Hughes as he came through the same corner, while Whiteman and Ricky Korpiela also got stuck in, but the Runners were doomed to only return to the circuit in the third place playoff, despite Jason Jackson‘s win. The Condoms loaded the result with a number of Creams consolidating their first trip to the head to head finals in a long time.

The Rawlins was pretty much the same as the rest of the day, with Jackson winning ahead of Sonny Sherwood and Matt Fuller, then Ian Harrison took the last car running after Jim Harding was carried over the pit bend kerb by Jeff Smith, leaving the final knockings to Ansell, Harrison and Paul Korpiela. Ansell was rammed into the wall on turn four before Harrison knocked Korpiela out around the same corner, losing a tyre but keeping his engine alive long enough to take the final trophy of the day.

© 2007 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways