Pics: Matt Bull

Report: Mark Paulson

O’DELL COMPLETES THE TREBLE

World and British Champion 171 Adam O’Dell added another major title to his collection at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn, on Saturday night, 22 August, when he claimed the 1300cc Stock Car European Championship. Spedeworth drivers came, saw and conquered as they scooped the top three places. Also in action were a massive field of Micro Bangers, where 256 Mark Ginders took the meeting final, and Lady Bangers, with 74 Caroline Garner victorious.

1300cc Stock Cars

A record turnout of 56 cars for the 1300s’ biggest date of the year at King’s Lynn was an absolutely superb effort from all concerned and included eight who had travelled from Scotland. First up was a last-chance qualifier for the big race, with eight places on the grid to be fought over by the 24 starters. White top 422 Martin Taylor dominated from start to finish to take the win from debutant 818 Lewis Stark and the man who won the European the last time it was held at King’s Lynn, 473 Dean Moat.

The eight qualifiers then joined the back of the grid for the championship race, which featured an Incarace draw among the seeded entries that left 379 Ben Whitehall and 121 Luke Morphey on the front row. English Champion 713 Ian Beaumont looked a big threat from the inside of row two, alongside 444 Natasha Street, while 371 Mark Bloss, who took the British Championship at King’s Lynn last year, was on row three. Double Steve Newman Memorial Trophy winner 167 Jimmy Morris was on row five and World Champion 171 Adam O’Dell on row seven. Trackstar top-dog 340 Wesley Freestone would have been disappointed to end up on row 11, just in front of his rival for the National Points Championship, 653 Gemma Rainer. The full, 39-car grid lined up as follows:

When the green flag dropped, Whitehall shot into the lead, with Beaumont following him through. Morphey came back inside into second but Beaumont spun him, which let Whitehall immediately open a gap to Beaumont, 276 Stephen Walden, Morris and O’Dell. Walden then spun on the second lap while O’Dell was making very quick progress, sandwiched between Beaumont and Morris in third by the end of the lap. Behind the leading four, 704 Stuart Henderson, 673 John Moat and 400 Kevin Shinn were clinging on. It looked like John Moat may get a little help from son Dean when the latter rejoined from a spin right with Beaumont. That briefly let Henderson slip into third, but Morris and O’Dell, who were having a good scrap, quickly got back past. 

As Beaumont reeled in Whitehall and the passed him for the lead, it was 22 Ian Cowern’s turn to try to disrupt the Spedeworth presence and help the home contingent. Lapped by Beaumont, he gave the leader a few hits in an attempt to dislodge him, but Beaumont held firm, before a caution was called to assist Stark.

At the restart, Beaumont had the lapped Dean Moat between himself and the pursuing O’Dell and Morris after Whitehall had slipped a little further back. It looked like he was going to make the most of it as it took O’Dell a whole lap to clear the backmarker and resume the lead chase, but he almost immediately latched onto Beaumont and moved inside to take the lead. The erstwhile leader was unable to hit back because Moat half spun him. That would prove decisive as after that the top three each had gaps between them and the positions remained unchanged thereafter, O’Dell reeling off the laps to take the crown, with Beaumont and Morris his placemen. Freestone did very well to come through for fourth, the leading Trackstar driver, followed by 780 Simon Sparrow and Whitehall who would surely be pleased with a top-six finish in his first major championship start.

“Really stiff work, really slippery,” said O’Dell afterwards. “This is the first time I’ve actually finished the European. I hope the crowd enjoyed it – we wouldn’t be here without the crowd. I had to work hard for it. There were a lot of decent drivers around me.”

Result

Three allcomers races followed the main event. In the first, 346 Anthony Warne battled through for the win from the under-graded 838 Ady Wales and the entertaining 161 Billy Smith. 

In the second, 149 Todd Payne built a big lead and survived a last-lap blitzing by the backmarking 23 Lee Pearce to take the win. It appeared that Walden had witnessed the attack and sought revenge for his younger colleague on the next bend, only to cop a big shot from Smith in turn. Smith managed to keep his car going and hold onto second, with Morris third. Further back, there were expensive-looking blow ups for 400 Kevin  Shinn and Bloss which would end their weekends.

Smith went all out on the rampage in the final allcomers race. Initially he seemed to be targeting Scots but then laid waste to 258 Wilf Bridges, with Pearce joining in to attack the stationary #258 for good measure. In the race at the front, Wales pulled clear of Payne and Whitehall to take the win, as the action continued further back. Freestone suffered another blown engine, with Beaumont getting turned around and t-boned in the smoke, copping some hefty damage. The action was completed by 218 Richard Smith taking in 93 Kevin Morrison after the flag, with the latter rolling on impact.

Micro Bangers

The excellent 83-car turnout of Micro Bangers was split in half for two heats in their final UK Championship qualifying round. The first saw a red flag after 14 Jim Bonnett was followed in on bend three and received some monumental damage. Thankfully Bonnett was able to emerge none the worse for wear and the race resumed with 104 Paul Brown Jr taking the lead after 664 Aaron Challis faltered. World Champion 673 Darren Fendley chased him down and took the lead with three laps to go, going on to win from Brown and 51 James Licquorice. 

Heat two saw two red flag stoppages with plenty more big hits going in all around the raceway. 551 Brett Jackson led until he was turned around on the back straight. The chequered flag then fell on 142 Jack Lower, only for 830 Lee White to be confirmed as the true winner.

The top 12 from each heat, plus race entertainers, qualified for the meeting final, leaving the rest that were still running to contest the consolation. After red flags for a pile-up at the end of the home straight, 123 Kieran Gray led the restarted race from start to finish to claim his first win since graduating from Junior Bangers, ahead of fellow teenager 247 Jon Bailey.

The final also saw plenty of action, but out front was led by 256 Mark Ginders from start to finish, surviving a scare towards the end to win from 338 Terry Garrod and 691 Ryan Bartrum.

Fendley then took his second win of the day in a very lively allcomers race, capped off by Challis, Fendley and White piling into the fence in a three-car train after the flag, with both Challis and Fendley ending on their roofs. That earned White an entertainers award, while lively Ministox graduated 331 Mackenzie Whitehead picked up his second entertainers award of the day for a good road bend blitzing.

Lady Bangers

Twenty-one ladies were in action, with 396 Kirstie Rix fending off the challenge of 257 Anna Piggott to win heat one from 818 Tiff Collins. Heat two was claimed by the under-graded 762 Kerry Thurgill. She had been chased by Rix until the latter spun. Points leader 3 Danielle Hewitt then chased down Thurgill but wasn’t quite close enough to challenge at the flag. 

Thurgill again made much of the running in the final until she was put away by 511 Liz Williams. Rix then moved ahead until she was dumped out by 74 Caroline Garner who went on to win from 514 Sherrie Martin and 4 Steph Street.

Earlier, Street had been proposed to on the track centre after coming fifth in heat one. Needless to say, the Gold Roof Champion said yes and celebrated with her best performance of the season to date.