Report by Mark Paulson
Pictures by Damien Widdows
RDC’s 328 Daniel Lathan is the new 2-Litre Banger Shale World Champion. The Diss-based driver added to his growing list of title successes with an excellent performance at the Norfolk Arena, King’s Lynn on Saturday night, 3 August. 382 Jack Foster Jr proved Lathan’s biggest challenger but was removed on the final bend, but with 17 Kyle Overy and 33 Jason Jackson inheriting second and third, the result was still an all-visitor 1-2-3. 27 Terry King went on to win the meeting final World Masters, while support on the night was provided by the 2-Litre Saloon Stock Cars and Junior Bangers.
2-Litre Bangers
An excellent turnout of nearly 90 Bangers necessitated two last chance qualifying heats to be run. The majority were, as expected, Mondeo or Cougar mounted, with the odd Vauxhall thrown in for good measure. More unusual, were 5 John Paul Pyle’s Nissan Prairie, 22 Dave Vincent’s Honda, 107 Nathan English’s Nissan Bluebird and the Rover 75 of 448 Paul Dean.
The first LCQ featured the slightly larger field of the pair and saw 389 Charlie Garrod, on his first appearance of the season, and 392 Sam Baines dominate proceedings on the third attempt to stage the race. The first attempt saw Garrod lead away but 10 Ben Collins spun and was hit on the nose by 26 Dan Holmes. Several others piled into the wreckage, including 512 Lewis Harvey whose machine was then clipped by 27 Terry King, causing the latter to roll onto his roof and the race to be stopped. In the second running, 100 Callum White and 479 Joel Allen went into the power station bend fence very hard, with Collins blitzing the latter, resulting in another stoppage to attend to Allen. With only 16 cars left running at the next restart, fears that the race would turn quiet were allayed when 515 Tommy Lee was leant into the vacated Allen machine by 247 Lee Clarke. That allowed 602 Shaun Cooper to blitz Lee, with the latter’s team-mate 513 Sean Harvey then piling in, followed by 404 Liam Brinton and Clark, as a massive wrecking train was formed. Clark, Cooper and Harvey were rewarded with entertainers awards for their efforts, while Garrod and Baines raced to the two world qualifying spots on offer.
The second LCQ was always going to be quieter but the Gladiators versus 348 Sonny Sherwood feud provided an interesting subplot. The latter has only recently returned from a three-year ban and is making the most of being able to race at ORC tracks again by travelling as much as he can. But the Glads had a three-year score to settle and were keen to do so. 549 Phil Smith leant Sherwood into the fence on the rolling lap, seemingly hoping someone would come round to blow him up. Sherwood escaped in time, however, and went on to put away 548 Jamie Avery before suffering the same fate himself at the hands of Smith and then being done head on by 423 Dan Oliver. In the race for positions, 122 James Woodley led but was dumped into the spun 171 Andy Frost, with red flags then called to assist. 89 Joe Barratt led away the restart but tangled with 525 Wes Starmer and was hen blasted by 843 Jacob Foster. That allowed 19 Joe Mullarkey to take up the running, but 180 Mark Foster moved from third to first on the final lap, Mullarkey just clinging on to second – and the last qualifying spot – from Oliver.
A grand parade was staged before the World Final itself which featured an “Incarace” drawn grid. Amazingly, the front row would feature the same pair as last year’s race – 331 Jason “Boxer Jack” Jackson and 328 Daniel Lathan. 119 Davey Cox and 17 Kyle Overy were next up, with 998 Wayne Cottrill Jr and 515 Gareth Flatters on row three. As the green flag waved, Overy pounced into an early lead but Lathan soon found his way past as Overy started to drop back. 382 Jack Foster Jr was quickly up to second from row five, while Jackson picked up damage on his left rear wheel, hobbling him for the rest of the race. While most drivers were in “race” mode, there was still plenty of action around the track but Lathan avoided the trouble to build a gap, usually having cars between himself and the pursuing Foster. Overy and Jackson meanwhile were having a cracking scrap for third, constantly passing and repassing. On to the final lap, Lathan’s advantage looked decisive, but 382 Chubby’s cousin 180 Mark Foster had other ideas. He stationed himself on the exit of bend two and pulled across the track, attempting to force Lathan to t-bone him. It didn’t work, Lathan instead clipping “Sparky”, but he was forced wide and into the fence, delaying him in the process. Still, it wasn’t enough for Chubby to catch him and Lathan roared to the win, his second “major” at Lynn in less than two years. Chubby meanwhile was removed head-on by the lurking 338 Terry Garrod on the final bend and finished off by outgoing champion 399 Jonny Atkin. The locals couldn’t prevent a visiting clean sweep, however, as Overy and Jackson came home safely for second and third. 22 Dave Vincent was the first home driver past the flag ahead of 212 Richard Maryon and World Final debutant 551 Brett Jackson. Lathan celebrated by exacting revenge on Sparky on the run-down lap, leaving the latter’s Mondeo well snapped.
A massive 48 cars lined up for the consolation, with the inevitable carnage ensuing. 388 Emmerson Fairweather blitzed Atkin, with 701 Kevin Cooper then piling in for the head-on. 241 Liam Cracknell, making a welcome visit from Mendips, blew up the latter while a near track blockage developed coming out of bend four. 327 Micky Maskell Jr blasted 841 Stuart Carmen as the leading 597 Andy Ashman spun out. That let in 66 John Hindley but he was removed from the lead with a lap to go. 100 Callum White duly came through to win from 611 Joe Geeves and Jack Foster.
The qualifiers-only World Masters had a 26-car grid and had a near race-long lead battle between 423 Dan Oliver and 602 Shaun Cooper. However, Terry King’s Cougar was catching hand-over-fist and passed both to take the win from Oliver. Cooper’s motor gradually gave up on him and he was caught by the pack, eventually being done by Jack Foster, allowing 148 Ian Redden into third, from new World Champion Lathan and 247 Lee Clarke.
32 made it back out for the all comers where 390 David Gibson followed in former European Champion 220 Marco Lode, visiting from Holland. A big pile-up on the road bend claimed many while at the other end Redden was blown up by Clarke. 247 “Bro” then backed off, allowing Baines, 27 Dan McMullan, 512 Lewis Harvey and Cracknell to form a super wrecking train. Clarke himself finished it off after completing another lap. Red flags came out for a fire under McMullan’s car, with the race awarded to 400 Kevin Shinn from 673 Darren Fendley and Lathan, once again pulling off a good result.
2-Litre Saloon Stock Cars
Despite the World Final in Cowdenbeath being just a week away, a most pleasing turnout of 37 Saloon Stock Cars were present and ready to put on their usual all-action show. The entry included a very smart new Sapphire for returnee 301 Tom Welham and a brand new Mondeo-bodied car for National Champion 116 Diggy Smith. The latter’s car was still having finishing touches made in the pits prior to racing. Meanwhile, former F2 racer 591 Steven Lawrence was also making his Saloon debut, in one of the Colliver hire cars.
The slightly lower than average turnout meant for the first time this season, the white and yellow grade race was standalone, and not part of the full meeting. Welham used his new machine to fine effect to win the 15-car stanza, bursting into the lead immediately and pulling out a considerable margin. He never looked like being beaten as 115 Scott Aldridge eventually overhauled 130 Joe Gladden for second.
Being all-in, the first heat proper was packed with 36 cars. Unsurprisingly, the action was relentless and spiced up even further by a heavy marker tyre being pushed onto the racing line in front of the pit gate. Many went into the fence trying to avoid it before eventually it was walloped head-on by 499 David Aldous in his part-repanelled car, sending the track champion high into the air before crashing back to earth. That pushed the tyre to the edge of the raceway and allowed the action to continue, uninterrupted until the leading 404 Robert Bulldeath was taken out and yellow flags called for. 23 Lee Pearce, mounted in the ex-729 Kris Woods car since the previous week’s meeting at Mildenhall, was black flagged for a loose bonnet as 106 Jamie Stafford led the pack away. Fourth placed 428 Lee Sampson was spun out by Aldous who himself was spun a couple of laps later by the British Champion’s brother, 149 Jamie Sampson. The latter looked impressive on his charge to second, but couldn’t catch Stafford. Not, that is, until the Spalding man was docked two places for jumping the restart, promoting J Sampson to first and English Champion 306 Daniel Parker to second.
The second, 29-car, heat was a little less eventful, though still featured a number of spins for some of the stars and champions, including Aldous and Smith. Out front, 591 Aaron Morris pushed 216 Dan Booth wide to take the lead, then 220 Casey Englestone spun 391 Craig Banwell from second. That became first when Morris retired, and Englestone just held off a fast-closing 18 Jamie Clayton to take the win, with 511 Craig Barnett third and Sampson brothers Lee and Jamie fourth and fifth.
Thirty survived for the final. Lee Sampson and Aldous made very rapid progress through the field until the former put 26 Tommy Barnes into the fence, which then caught out and delayed Aldous, pushing him into the marker tyres very hard (again!). After Welham had just avoided rolling his smart new car after being turned into the fence early on, Englestone saw to it that there was still a roller. The pacy pair of Aldridge and Stafford headed the field on the restart, with 152 Chris Fountain third, but he immediately spun the place away. That let Lee Sampson and the lapped Aldous join the lead group, with Clayton also latching on. The positions remained static for a while before Clayton got inside Aldous and Sampson passed Stafford. Clayton tried to put Sampson and Stafford away in one move but only succeeded in delaying himself, bringing Aldous back within range, resulting in a spin for the 18-machine. So Aldridge held on for the win, from Sampson, Stafford and Smith, an impressive fourth in the new car.
The all comers saw form-man Banwell expertly spin Welham from the lead and then build a big advantage out front. However, the lapped Welham would exact revenge later in the race, allowing Englestone through to take the win. He enjoyed a good battle with the backmarking Jamie Sampson, the pair passing and repassing, although it did not affect the race positions, and crossing the line almost perfectly together, Englestone inches in front. Smith came home second, from Lee Sampson, Aldous and 420 Ivan Street.
Junior Bangers
The youngsters in their little bangers were a late addition to the race programme. Fourteen turned up, though not all made it on track. 504 James Simpson won the first race after 123 Kieran Gray and 247 Jon Bailey had enjoyed spells out front. In the second, 364 Bradley Lee pushed Simpson wide to take the lead, but could not hold off points leader 77 Callum Gill who roared around the outside to take the win, surviving being leant into the fence by 33 Bradley Rouse on the final bend in the process. The final was won by 386 Daniel Petters, who just held off the fast-closing Gill. That was after Lee had been taken out by Bailey and the leading Simpson had hit the latter’s parked car.
Next up, King’s Lynn stages the 1300cc World Final for the first ever time, on 17 August. If last year’s European Championship is anything to go by, it will be a cracker. Also racing are the pre-1970 Bangers, while action resumes the day after with a wildcard qualifier for the Unlimited Bangers World of Shale Championship. Don’t miss it.