Photos: Trackstar Socal Media
Words: Mark Paulson
While the weather did its best to put a dampener on proceedings, the drivers still managed to put on a show in the Halloween Spectacular at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn, on Saturday night (27 October). Southern star #760 Joey Reynolds claimed the Unlimited Bangers King of the Fens title after #757 Callum Gill had earlier been crowned 25-and-under Champion of Great Britain. The 1300cc Stock Cars also contested their U25 event, won by #55 Ricky Ivatt. Reliant Robins completed the programme, with #383 Shane Harvey taking the meeting final.
Unlimited Bangers
The large entry raised a number of hearses and limos, with #791 Nicky Young’s stunning paint job on his limo and #77 Lee Ivatt’s huge Lincoln Town Car topping the bill.
First up was the tenth staging of the 21-and-under Championship of Great Britain. In the pouring rain, #548 Alex Utting’s Mercedes was initially awarded the win, claiming the lead when #165 Ben Randell (Toyota Soarer) spun out. Randell recovered to third behind #757 Callum Gill (stunning Ford Scorpio, returned from the Ipswich World Final), who would have been disappointed to finish second in the event for the third time in four years. However, a steward’s enquiry resulted in the result being amended, with Gill taking the win from Utting.
Action was provided by #246 Aston Burt, who made good use of his Limo to earn an entertainers’ award for an all-action display which included an on-opposite hit on Randell. Earlier, long-distance traveller #91 Sam Bartlett (Jaguar) blew up the spun #828 Jordan Sharpe (Mercedes estate), while #43 Luke Maynard earned an entertainers’ award for his hit on the spun #883 Jack Filmer, with Burt also going in for good measure. Along with Burt, #349 James Guppy earned a merit award for his smartly presented hearse.
The remainder of runners faced torrential rain in heat two, but still managed to turn on the style. Young found himself on the receiving end of the Damage Inc squad, with #821 Ryan Preston (Lexus) first dumping him into the infield tyres, before world champion #247 Lee Clarke (in the night’s oldest car, a Rover P5) blasted the limo too. The Volvo hearse of #467 Carl Sewell was splintered by #277 Sean Rowell’s Mercedes, then whacked by Ivatt before later getting involved in a wrecking train and finally being blasted by Bartlett. The train also involved Guppy, #318 Tony Citro and Young, while #332 Callum Henderson was done head-on by #128 Andrew Shipp.
Earlier, #52 Steven Dean blasted #449 Will Guppy’s Scorpio limo on the home straight and then faced hits from #222 Darryl Mills’s Toyota Previa and the hearse of #282 Bobby Daniels, which snapped alarmingly on impact with the people carrier. The action-packed affair led to entertainers’ awards for Bartlett, Dean, Mills, James Guppy, Young and Sewell, all well-earned.
Out front, #200 Steve Farrell just managed to avoid on-opposite attacks to win from #399 Jonny Atkin.
With many drivers struggling in the conditions, a consolation was not required, so the King of the Fens became an all-in final. In it, #388 Taylor Sowter gave up the lead to blow up Henderson and later delivered a heavy follow-in to #612 Daniel Loades, before blasting #517 Sid Cooper on the home straight. Cooper had already suffered a similar fate at the hands of Farrell.
#127 Tom Blackmore and Loades had spells in front before #760 Joey Reynolds took over with three laps to go, going on to win from Atkin and, despite all the action he’d been involved in, Sowter. Needless to say, Sowter earned an entertainers’ award, along with #460 Luke Tongue.
1300cc Stock Cars
The opening stanza for the 1300s was two races in one, the white and yellow graded drivers joined by others who were aged 25-and-under for the third running of the U25 British title. After a first-bend pile-up, #428 Ben Airey led from #880 Anthony Kerr. The latter then took up the running, and was challenged by #55 Ricky Ivatt until he took a trip into the wall. Spedeworth visitor #183 Ryan Jordan moved ahead, but a recovering Ivatt was the quickest man on track and moved inside to take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. Jordan ran wide on the final bend but just held on from Kerr (the first over-25 driver home) and Airey, who completed the podium in the British title race.
Ivatt doubled-up in heat one proper, turning on the style as he lapped cars around the outside for a comfortable win from Jordan and #473 Dean Moat who had had a spell in front but seemed to struggle to keep his car on the frontrunning pace. Chasing the national points title, #216 Dan Booth beat rival #450 Luke Jackson to fourth, despite a steaming engine that was no doubt struggling to ‘breathe’ through all the wet shale.
The second heat was cancelled and few managed to return for the final in the wretched conditions. Ivatt again led but was chased down by the impressive Booth who used the bumper to get past and take the win, while Ivatt held onto second on a profitable night for the youngster. Behind them, debutant #44 Jamie Fitzakerley enjoyed a good battle with Moat for third. Fitzakerley took the place on the last lap and held off Moat’s challenge on the final bend to clinch it. Jackson was fifth to just about keep the national points title battle alive.
Reliant Robins
The three-wheelers struggled to be their usual entertaining selves in two races in the horrible conditions. #576 Colin Aldred won the first from #385 Roy Gedge, and thought he’d won the final too, but was penalised for starting well out of position. #383 Shane Harvey inherited a maiden win from #66 Steve Willis.
Credit must go to all the drivers – and their hard-working support crews – for going beyond the call of duty in such awful conditions.
Following a Stewards enquiry; the result of the 25 and Under championship for the Unlimited Bangers weas amended: