Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2008 Index > Meeting 08/33

National Bangers
The 2008 Banger World Champion title heads up to East Anglia following a classic nudge and spin win from Carl "Jack" Overy in the World Final at Arena Essex on Sunday September 21.

The World Final featured a return for the current rivalry between the Midnight Runner team and the Blue Crew which has been taken on the road since the controversial decision by PRI to drop its banger formula (with the exception of this and the Firecracker) for the rest of the year following events at the August 10 Brian Orgles meeting. The two teams piled each other up, along with anyone else that was in the way, around the first and second turns with notable performances from a number of team veterans including Dean Goodearl and Matt Fuller, though the defending title holder, Paul Whiteman, was one of a number of drivers that was disqualified and loaded for safety infringements. Jack Overy, representing the Startrax promotion, took an easy victory despite a nudge to the wall by Trackstar representitive John Seex at one point on the home straight, with regular PRI driver Paul Hunter taking a late second place ahead of Figure-of-8 champion Sonny Sherwood in an eight car finish.

The last chance races were taken by Chris Trickett and Dale Hughes. Trickett, more usually found behind the wheel of a SuperBanger, easily outran the field in his heat, notable for the only rollover of the meeting plus the first rumblings of the battle to come with only seven cars finishing, the elder Roy Laybourn taking a wrong way shot on Autospeed driver Stuart Dunn. Dale Hughes turned up on the Spedeworth ticket this year though still in the Condom colours he last used at PRI and rodded to victory, just a bit faster than Lee West in second in a somewhat quieter race.

The Banger Grand National race was won by former Ministox driver Alfie Lee ahead of Overy in a race that saw the entire Blue Crew pull out as none of the Runners made it back onto the circuit, the remaining Runner cars that could be made to work being saved for the demolition derby at the end of the meeting. That didn't mean that there was no rivalry involved as the much older team war between Team Black and the Condoms fired up yet again, John Golden linking up with Overy to obliterate the Gravesend team, though Golden would eventually join Whiteman on the ban list. Although the demolition derby was certainly a crowd pleaser, especially as Jason Jackson persistantly refused to let his car die despite several devastating hits, though the event was eventually stopped, the result declared void as, officially, there were no cars left running.

1300cc Stock Cars
It seemed, for a while, that history repeated itself as Paul Haralambou finished first in the 1300cc Stock Car Supreme, though it later proved not to be as irregularities in the setup of his car deprived him of the title, the 2008 Supreme Champion title going to Alex Guintini.

Haralambou easily took advantage of his pole position, burning the field off from start to finish with Guintini about three seconds behind while a number of other drivers that had been fancied as being in with a chance were caught in an early spin cycle on turn two in the opening laps. Deborah Whiteman finished third ahead of Dave Finch which meant, following the surprise announcement late in the meeting, that they were awarded second and third places respectively. Haralambou was informed of the decision as the cars lined up for their last race of the day, at which point he left the meeting. The other wins that day both went to George Heath. In the sprint race, Heath dumped white top driver Michael Coventry and took off, Guintini not able to catch him in time when the flag came out while, in the Helter-Skelter, Coventry again started near the front and drifted backwards as Heath led a stream of faster cars past, Avon White in second this time.

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© 2008 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways