Pics by Kevin Wickham – Report by Mark Paulson
The Two-Litre Saloon Stock Cars stole the show on a packed programme of racing at the Adrian Flux Arena on Saturday night (14 March), with a very large entry serving up five spectacular races. Prevailing in the main event was 6 Simon Welton, taking him to the top of the national points standings, if only temporarily. Also in action were 1500cc National Bangers where 695 Mark Mason claimed his first ever win in the meeting final. Completing the bill were Lady Bangers and Junior Bangers, with 3 Danielle Hewitt and 997 Wayne Cottrill taking the respective honours in each category’s main race.
Two-Litre Saloon Stock Cars
A 45-car turnout for a domestic meeting is simply fantastic and made for a night of action packed racing. Making their first appearances on track this season were 18 Jamie Clayton (who didn’t make it on track at our season-opener two weeks ago), 149 Jamie Sampson, 161 Billy Smith (both in new cars), 192 Robert Heanes, 312 Neil Payne and 391 Jake Banwell. There was also a track debut for West Midlander 750 Chris Key and a first appearance at King’s Lynn in the big Saloons for 344 Ross Fisher, the former 1300cc Stock Car World Champion.
As is usual at the Adrian Flux Arena, the three heats were split by grade, with the opener, raising 23 cars, reserved for white & yellow graded drivers. It was led away by 179 Stephen Usher before 144 Daniel Bullock pushed past, only to tangle with Key. That let Usher back through but he soon got pushed down the order again, with 525 Wes Starmer repeating his success of the season-opener, winning from 128 Craig Banwell and 304 Martyn Parker.
The yellow grade sat out the 28-car heat two which begun with a big pile-up wiping out the white tops on bend one. Before the rest could take advantage, red flags flew to assist 177 Chris Masters who had taken a hefty hit. The complete restart was led away by 270 Matt Fuller but it did not take long for 591 Aaron Morris to hit the front from whence he pulled out a big lead, initially from Usher. From the back of the grid, 6 Simon Welton was looking super-quick and fought his way into second by the time the chequered flag fell, unable to catch Morris, but completing a 1-2 for former 1300cc World Champions. “Perfect conditions – absolutely spot on,” reported Morris afterwards. The top three was completed by 349 Michael Allard.
Heat three was minus the white grade and fielded 30 cars. A spectacular race was filled with cars flying into the bends at unabated speeds, the drivers grappling with the beasts under them and sometimes riding the berms of shale that were forming at the base of the fence. 538 Jake Swann used them to launch himself up into a wall of death routine – and he wouldn’t be the last to do so. At the head of the field, Smith moved in front almost immediately and there he stayed, driving a smooth, controlled and fast race on his way to victory. He had been shadowed much of the way by 389 Ryan Santry but he slipped to fifth in the final few laps, with 217 Sid Madgwick coming home second, followed by the pacy Welton.
Sadly, Smith’s car expired under him having taken the flag in heat three, preventing him taking his place in the meeting final, which saw 35 cars on track. As Santry set the pace early on, the predictable carnage ensued, with action all around the raceway. Yellow flags were called to assist 26 Tommy Barnes, after which Santry got over excited and charged off too quickly on the restart, which didn’t last too long before another caution was called. This time it was to set 157 Max Stott’s car back on its wheels after he performed the wall of death routine two laps running, pushing his luck just a bit too far on the second occasion, his car ending on its side. When the race resumed, Starmer edged inside Santry, only to spin, which let Welton and World Champion 499 David Aldous past both. They proceeded to have a ding dong battle, passing and re-passing each other until an early halt was called to proceedings with Welton in front. On the back straight, 511 Craig Barnett and 360 Carl Waterfield had had an almighty coming together, rolling in unison in a manner reminiscent of 214 Tom Yould and 349 Michael Allard’s famous incident a year earlier, although with not quite so much altitude on this occasion. With a red-and-chequered finish, Welton was awarded the win after a check of the lap sheets, from Aldous, 18 Jamie Clayton, Allard, Morris and Jake Banwell.
Twenty-three returned for an all-comers race which was halted almost before it had begun when 350 Thomas Parrin was turned hard into the home straight fence. A brief halt for fence repairs preceded the restart which saw the white graders tangle with each other and let Madgwick through for a lead he would not relinquish. Welton’s sixth place completed an impressive night’s work which saw him shoot to the top of the national points standings, albeit temporarily, and open an 18 point lead at the head of the King’s Lynn track points.
The Saloons return on Easter Saturday when 306 Daniel Parker will defend his 25-and-under Championship of Great Britain in what is set to be another massive entry of cars.
1500cc Bangers
Fifty cars contested the first 1500 Bangers National Championship qualifying round, with 23 of them commencing proceedings in the white top whirlwind race. 880 Anthony Kerr won a lively race highlighted by 691 Ryan Bartrum thundering 93 Lewis Godfrey into 185 Dave Bonnett’s Mk2 Vauxhall Cavalier estate, earning Bartrum an entertainers award.
Heat one proper tracked 29 cars, with the action topped by a wrecking train on the scoreboard bend. That begun when 88 Lyndon Stark followed in fellow Boston man 256 Mark Ginders, only to be blitzed by 392 Sam Baines. Starky revenge came in the shape of 886 Lewis Stark, which earned him an entertainers award. At the front of the pack, 125 Nathan Lake led much of the way before being demoted by 399 Jonny Atkin in the closing stages.
Thirty-four cars returned for heat two which was not quite as lively. 389 Charlie Garrod upstaged his brothers by cruising to the win from 891 Ryan Preston – who earlier had dished out an impressive follow-in in heat one. 338 Terry and 337 Ashley Garrod made it three brothers in the top five.
The 24-car final was brought to an early conclusion when 412 Jake Burgess lost a wheel, leaving 695 Mark Mason clear to take his first ever win from Atkin and 601 Chris Medler.
Lady Bangers
An excellent turnout of 27 ladies provided some lively racing. They kicked things off with the final of the 2014 White & Yellow Grade Series, with 11 eligible starters. 8 Holley Sack initially led from pole position before 70 Sophie Unwin moved in front, but not for long. 88 Alice Sullivan moved ahead, hotly pursued by 818 Tiff Collins. Collins pushed Sullivan wide to take the lead, with the latter then retiring. Collins pulled clear but in the closing stages 611 Carly Spiers began to reel her in. She made her move and got through, only for Collins to spin her into the fence. From there Collins could cruise to victory from 661 Suzie Lambe and 781 Michelle Payne.
A big field of 26 cars took to the track for heat one proper which saw a red flag when 67 Charlotte Whitaker rolled. The complete restart provided a very lively race which included a track blockage on the home straight. Eventually prevailing was lady Gladiator 511 Liz Williams in her first outing for eight years. Former British Champion 319 Jodie Grief and Gold Roof Champion 4 Steph Street survived the carnage to complete the top three.
Heat two, featuring 19 cars was claimed by 3 Danielle Hewitt, on her return from maternity leave. It featured another roller, 79 Stacey Lightfoot on this occasion, with Williams then leading much of the restarted race. She was chased down by the superstars though, with Hewitt winning from 74 Caroline Garner and Williams holding on to third.
Hewitt completed a double in the final. Williams again led much of the way until she was spun out by the lapped Whitaker. Lightfoot took up the running, with Hewitt making the decisive move on the penultimate lap. The trophy placings were completed by 730 Marie Mayes.
Junior Bangers
Another very large turnout of 33 under-16s was more than had been expected and necessitated an extra race being added to the programme. That was for whites and yellows and was dominated by Startrax visitor 299 Tommy Callaghan, who won from 71 James Unwin and 186 Brett Gedney.
A whopping 28-car heat two was missing only the yellow graders that had competed in heat one (some hadn’t). It featured a roll for 246 James Butts but as his car landed on its wheels, the race was able to continue. A red-and-chequered finish was required when 324 Amy Lathan spun and was collected heavily by 607 Dylan Ashman, 10 Leeson Briggs-Price getting the verdict from Unwin and 123 Kieran Gray.
Briggs-Price led much of heat two until he was dumped into a marker tyre, letting 72 Breeze Atkin in for the win, although bizarrely, she took a heavy fencing after the flag. 823 Jamie Murrell came home second, with Briggs-Price recovering for third.
The 22-car final was called one lap short after 308 Adam Richardson clipped a parked car and was launched onto two wheels and then collected when stranded mid-track. By that time 997 Wayne Cottrill had worked his way to the front in his Vauxhall Corsa C. The similarly mounted 69 Brad Bartrum sandwiched Ministox expert 119 Harry Steward for the other trophy positions.