BRO BAGS UNLIMITED EAST ANGLIAN
Late entry 247 Lee ‘Bro’ Clarke took the big prize on offer in the unlimited bangers on Easter Saturday night, 30 March, at King’s Lynn. The Damage Inc driver looked fast and stylish in his Lexus coupe on the way to the crown. The final for last year’s white and yellow grade series was also on the bill and went the way of Bedfordshire’s 572 Paul Scully. Meanwhile, the mighty 2-litre national saloon stock cars put on another awesome display of quite incredible action, including one of the biggest barrel rolls you’re ever likely to see. They contested their annual 25-and-under Championship of Great Britain which had a surprise winner in the shape of 573 Marty Lake. Also on the card were the lady bangers, who had a good turnout in their first action of 2013.
Fifty unlimited bangers rolled into the pits, an excellent turnout considering how busy the Easter weekend is and how the Lynn meetings have been coming thick and fast. There was a good variety of machinery on display although the top machinery was mainly used. 322 Tom Fox turned out a Volvo 740 limousine and 321 Andrew Newton returned his stunning Mk1 Granada that had previously seen action at the Ipswich World Final. Of the new cars, 27 Terry King’s Mk2 Granada was simply sublime.
The first heat was for the white & yellow series final. 15 cars took to the track although front rwo starters 851 Adam Storr and 79 Ricky Twell both pulled off before the race was half a lap old. 572 Paul Scully survived the first bend carnage to take an early lead only for the race to be stopped when a big fire erupted aboard 888 Lloyd Stark’s Jaguar. Thankfully he escaped before the flames fully engulfed the car, and the fire marshals did a good job to extinguish the inferno. On the restart, the recovered Storr followed 370 Mark French in, while Scully just held off the fast closing 791 Nicky Young to take the win.
A heat for the remaining cars was next up and saw 27 cars on track. There was some excellent sideways action thoughout and plenty of bumping and spinning, without any very big hits going on. The Stanley Crew’s 196 Ben Harrison maintained a very quick pace in his Mk2 Granada as he eased to the win from 148 Ian Redden and 382 Jack Foster Jr.
All available cars were eligible for the East Anglian Championship final. 35 unlimiteds on track together is always going to provide plenty of action and so it proved. Unfortunately, although he made it through the pit gate, 426 Paul ‘Slap’ Horwood was unable to defend his title due to a snapped clutch cable. 313 John Cullingford, third in the earlier W&Y final, delivered a big follow-in to 17 Kyle Overy. With the latter calling for assistance the race was stopped, only for ‘Chiefy’ to jump out immediately. On the restart, Newton was dumped into the pit gate by 433 Ben Smith, leading to a massive wrecking train – as well as Smith’s, big shots were delivered by 392 Sam Baines, 27 Will Longford and 128 Andy Shipp, earning all four race entertainers awards. Meanwhile Clarke’s Lexus proved too fast for anyone to handle as he raced to the win from Scully and Redden, both continuing their good form from the earlier heats.
25 cars returned for the all-comers race where King spun in front of the pack on the exit of bend two, leading to a big pile-up with many big hits delivered. Perhaps biggest of the lot was a monstrous shot by Nicky Young on World Champion 399 Jonny Atkin which caged the latter’s Mk2 Granada. After a stoppage, Scully led them away before Redden and 5 Mo Crowson took up the running. Crowson spun ‘Shorty’ out of the lead but ended up in the fence with the latter, allowing Horwood through. 85 James Ellis and Scully both blitzed Crowson and with a wheel off the race was stopped and called early, Horwood winning from 790 Nathan Young and 97 Dave Allen.
The 2-litre saloon stock cars also kicked off with a white & yellow grade race. Of a total turnout of more than 40 cars, once again, 18 made it on track for the pre-meeting curtain raiser. 214 Tom Yould showed a very rapid turn of pace to lead throughout and build up a big advantage. F2 driver 124 Ollie Skeels, in a Luke Grief car, rolled onto his side to bring out a red-and-chequered finish one lap earlier. 257 Timmy Aldridge and 220 Casey Englestone, on his return from injury, completed the top three.
The first heat proper doubled up as the 25-and-under Championship of Great Britain. With last year’s top two of 428 Lee Sampson and 219 Luke Grief (who also won in 2011) ineligible (too old and banned respectively), 2012 third place man 570 Simon Venni was looking to take advantage. A number of other star graded drivers, including 149 Jamie Sampson, 360 Carl Waterfield and 641 Willie Skoyles Jr would also have fancied their chances. Amongst a field of 21 cars were a couple all the way from Scotland, in the shape of 600 Barry Russell and 620 Aaryn Triggs. However, the graded order start makes things difficult for the blue tops and red tops. Indeed it was the whites who dominated the early proceedings, 350 Tommy Parrin leading much of the way and repelling a challenge from Yould before both pulled off in quick succession. That allowed 573 Marty Lake to take up the running and build a healthy advantage. Most of the big names had been busy spinning each other out, meaning that, save for a trip into the fence courtesy of the lap down Skoyles, Lake was unchallenged on his way to the win – not only his first title but his first win in 2-litre saloons. Aldridge, in his first year in saloons, and Venni had a good scrap over second, with the former just prevailing.
The second heat had 27 cars on track and saw a theme continue as 22 Karl Petters took his win in his very smart, re-shelled car. In what was a fantastic, all-action race, he stayed out of trouble to build a big lead which was gradually eroded by Skoyles. But the latter just ran out of laps to overhaul the Newmarket man. Earlier, 317 Dwayne Powell, debuting a very nice looking new car, had made a massive jump start from behind the red graders, who duly spun him out. Powell would make a menace of himself and be in the thick of the action throughout the night, livening things up just like his father 417 Fred does. It was this race that witnessed one of the biggest rolls ever seen at the Norfolk Arena. 164 Neil Kent managed huge height and air-time as he performed a triple barrel roll down the home straight. Amazingly, he straight out, unscathed, and would even be back out racing in the next heat!
A good field of 29 cars made it out for the last heat. An early yellow flag was called to assist 369 Liam Santry. 730 Deane Mayes led the restart away but 26 Tommy Barnes – on his first appearance of the night (does he ever arrive to a meeting on time?!) – soon fought his way through the pack to take up the running. Mayes held on to his coat-tails well before being spun by 499 David Aldous in what was another cracking race served up by the ‘loons. 538 Jake Swann came through for second from 158 Shane Davies.
33 cars took to the raceway for the night’s final. On such a busy track, it was no surprise to see action everywhere with lots of spins and hard hits flying in all around. Once again, Liam Santry found himself on the end of some of it, leading to another race suspension to help the youngster out. Yould, after spinning himself out early in his previous outing, returned to his earlier form by pulling out a big lead before the stoppage. He continued to lead in the next part of the race, which was brought to a halt by a roll for Barnes. A couple of cautions, allied to their experience of racing in big packs, had allowed the star graders to get near the front of the field for the next restart. Aldous was duly on hand to take advantage of Yould becoming the next casualty. He proceeded to reel off the laps to take his customary win at the Norfolk Arena, ahead of last time’s final winner, 156 Darren Goudy and former World Champion 402 Shaun Webster.
A 23-car all-comers race completed the night for the saloon stox, and once again Yould proved himself to be a man on form. Having built up a big lead, he survived a last bend lunge from 149 Jamie Sampson, to take the win and round off a great night for the Lincolnshire man. He won’t be a white grader for long. Sampson extracted himself from the fence to hold on to second from 156 Darren Goudy.
An excellent turnout of 24 lady bangers were in action. Just the late-arriving 432 Cassie Smith missed their first race which was won by 85 Kate Calver by almost half a lap. The Swaffham racer has made great strides since her debut last year. 1 Danielle Hewitt spun 622 Amber Moyce out of second with a lap to go, while 369 Jane Allard came home third.
It was Allard’s turn for a dominant performance in the next, also winning by around half a lap, as Smith suffered a crunching smash into the bend one fence. 444 Natasha Street and 465 Hannah Yates completed the top three in that one.
The final was won by 762 Kerry Thurgill, again with a dominant performance, from 257 Anna Piggott and Hewitt. The race had earlier been stopped after a spectacular roll for 67 Charlotte Whittaker on the power station bend.
All in all, another cracking night’s racing at the Norfolk Arena. After the action continues on Easter Monday afternoon, we’ll resume on 13 April with a four formula feast featuring the 2-litre saloons, their 1300cc counterparts, plus micro bangers and the belated King’s Lynn debut of the junior bangers. Be sure not to miss it.