Photos: 1 - 17 Matthew Bull, 18 - 38 Damien Widdows.
Report: Keith Organ
It was good to get back racing the 9th December after 5 weeks off, a good days weather and a full pits – 158 cars across the three classes. Unlimited Bangers racing the Nutcracker, 1500cc Bangers racing the National Championship and Junior Bangers; it was a superb days racing.
Unlimited Bangers
24 Unlimited Bangers came out for the first race, which was for white grade drivers. Kevin McClagish (273) on pole position. Callum White (100) was quickly on the attack whilst McClagish spun in turn 1 and was caught by the field including Dalton Smith (662) and Phil Markham (127). Markham recovered and then went in on the Volvo of Terry Nightingale (191) in the backstraight. Matty High (222) followed in the Previa of Lewis Godfrey (93) in to turn 1. White then attacked Godfrey in the backstraight. Jake Westlake (901) then turned it round for Markham in turn 1; High was in amongst the action once more following in Brad White (312). Westlake still facing the on coming traffic was lined up for a head on by Ross Cooper (604) in turn 1; White also lunging in on Westlake; as did High, who t-boned the 901 Previa, Westlake’s punishment not over, as Callum Roberts (396) turned it round for the back of the Previa. Scott Gough (99) taking the win ahead of High in second and James Burrows (224) in third.
The Nutcracker event saw 43 cars on track with Callum White (100) on pole. James Burrows (224) and Callum Roberts (396) were the first casualties at the green flag with a spin as Terry Nightingale (191) was run in to the turn 3 plating by Lewis Winter (812); Winter getting caught up with Sean Mullins (353) in the process, Winter left broadside was then obliterated by Charlie Taylor (514). Laura Quadling (419) got caught up with Danny McSweeny (768) in to turn 1 as Ashlun Woods (271) was sent to the plating by Russell Gil (77). Into turn 3 Taylor Sowter (388), Lee Ivatt (77), White and Taylor trip over one another with the 514 limo getting some air time before White got a head on from Nicky Young (791). Back in turn 3 Woods was receiving more attention; this time from Burrows who rattled him round the plating, then a T-bone from Dalton Smith (662); shortly before copping a head on from Gill. Waved yellows were called for. On the restart Matty High (222) led them off, ahead of Lee Macey (78); the abandoned cars catching a number of the field on the restart including Ryan Leeks (11), Jordon Storr (221), Thomas Callaghan (299) along with McSweeny and Nightingale. Taylor had turned his Merc limo around at this point and went steaming in on the Previa of Burrows, along with Robert James (132) who had turned it round for Daniel Loades (612); the field with no where to go ploughed in creating a track blockage. Some pushing and shoving plus a hefty t-bone from Smith on Burrows and a way through was clear. In the homestraight and Michael Carter (329) had copped a shot off Young, Shayne Winsor (160) then went in the back of Young’s Volvo; Quadling arriving on the scene for good measure ploughed into to them in to turn 1. The Volvo of 222 was rattled around the plating in turn 3 courtesy of Kieran Bowman (178); as Taylor went on opposite for a head on with Carter in turn 2. Loades had also now turned it round in turn 2 and sought out Dave Vincent (22); catching him on the nose into the backstraight; Ross Winsor (960) with no where to go, then ploughed in the back of Vincent; Martin Mullins (355) then went in on Winsor. The Mercedes of Gill was left ailing on the outside of turn 1; which invited High in for a jacking; High keeping his foot to the floor; saw the pair skate around the plating in to the backstraight; Sowter arrived and attacked High sending him into a spin, just as Callum Gill (757) arrived who caught High with a head on. Loades went in on the back of the 757 car; whilst 77 backed across the track in to the path of Young; Young left stranded in the middle of the backstraight received a full throttle blitzing off of Bowman; who then in turn received the attention of Sowter; Sowter sent into a 360 spin was then caught head on by Phil Markham (127). The ailing Mk2 Granada of Storr shown as the leader; the lap boards presented; Mullins took Storr around in to turn 1. Storr momentarily stuck across the track; saw Scott Gough (99) obliterate the back end. Just the two finishers declared; Gough awarded the win, with Mullins in second.
The first allcomers drew out 22 cars; Callum White (100) leading the field off. Robert James (132) took around Gary Shaw (164) in turn 1. James Unwin (71) spun around White, allowing Micky Knight (619) to go in with a t-bone on White. Taylor Sowter (388) went in on Knight soon after; as Robert James (132) turned it round. Russell Gill (77) also going in on the stranded Knight Volvo. Brad White (312) your early leader. Shayne Winsor (160) took around Callum Gill (757) in turn 1; whilst Charlie Taylor (514) attackes Lee Ivatt (77) in the backstraight, whilst Billy Giddings (195) spun out Winsor in the backstraight. Darren Fendley (673) now your leader as the lap boards were presented. Sowter lined up the Ivatt limo which was left broadside across the backstraight; Sowter delivering an almighty t-bone. Sowter naturally backed off and soon went after someone else, White (100) was the unlucky one and Sowter blitzed the 100 Jag in turn 3. Ryan Leeks (11) turned it round for a t-bone with Gill (77) to round out the race, Fendley taking the win, Dave Vincent (22) coming home second and White (312) in third.
Allcomers two drew 16 cars back out; Callum Roberts (396) the leader from pole position. The race settling in to a quick rhythm early on; only Andy Ashman (597) and Daniel Loades (612) the ones to lose out in a spin in the opening laps. Callum Gill (757) got the better of Tom Waller (209) after a race long batter to take second, Roberts taking a convincing, clear win.
A handful of Unlimiteds remain on track to contest the destruction derby; Lewis Price (349) goes in with a head on with the Previa of James Burrows (224); Kieran Bowman (178) half spun himself allowing the opportunity for Charlie Taylor (514) to go in on the back. Daniel Loades (612) attacked Lewis Godfrey (93) in turn 3, Bowman then connected with Loades head on. Bowman tried backing off from Loades, but he was met with a strong blitzing from Price; Nicky Young (791) also offering the same treatment steamed in on the back of Bowman; Young was then met with a solid head on from Godfrey; Taylor joining in launched his limo at Godfrey. Loades and Taylor then clashed with each other, Danny McSweeny (768) dived in on Loades. Burrows had got back running again, but with severe steering difficulties; copping a shot off Taylor in the process. Loades had built up some speed and smashed into the back of McSweeney. After some more shunting and nudging it was down to Taylor and Burrows; with more pushing and bumping. The race was declared; Taylor awarded the win.
1500cc Bangers
The last chance race to qualify for the National Championship and over 35 cars took to the track. James Armstrong (845) led them off. Mathew Jode (420) was one of the early causalities as was Trackstar commentator Alistair Oxby (974). Sam Baines (392) turned It round for a head on with Jack Giddings (591), Lennon Phillips (440) the first to steam in on Giddings, then Liam Hard (747), before the rest of the field arrived on the scene. Baines got back going again and James Licquorice (51) this time was the one on opposite, the pair duly hit head on in turn 3; with Ben Collins (10) blitzing Baines. The yellow flags called for. Joel Allen (479) led the field off, but he was swamped on the restart by the field, Allen eventually taken around by Aaron Colbert (121). Ben Whitehall (379) took around Lewis Judd (908) in the closing stages. Collins took the win in the number 10, Nick Wakeham (317) took second and Cameron Hubbard (624) finished third.
The National championship grid with around 40 cars on track; Brett Judge (110) starting on pole; although the race was short lived when Jon Cullen (416) was involved in a hard collision in turn 3 prompting the red flags. Judge led off the restart, but was quickly swamped by the pack challenging for the lead; whilst Paul Lovick (26) was taken round by Kieran Bowman (178) in the home straight. Nathan Webb (315) had overhauled Judge for the lead in turn 3, whilst Ben Mynott (352) followed in Matt Tillow (556) into the abandoned Astra of Cullen; a number of cars tripped up in the commotion, Bowman and Jamie Blything (248) going round in a spin; as more cars thundered into the Tillow, Mynott, Cullen pile up. Whilst up the other end in turn 1, David Gibson (390) followed in Judge; Russell Gill (77) took Sid Cooper (517) in to the remains of Judge. Matthew Jode (420) attacked Bowman in turn 3, as a fire under the front of Damien Matthews (87) prompted a further red flag and race suspension. Webb now the leader for the restart; Thomas Fox (322) muscled his way by Brad Bartum (69) to take second, Lee White (830) quickly attacked Bartrum too in to turn 1; Troy Cobbett (12) trying to take avoided action run in to the back of the stranded Cooper car; this then caught out the passing pack as the Cooper machine rolled across the track. Gill then sent Jode, Cobbett and Cameron Hubbard (624) in to a spin in turn 3, which sent the leaders scattering either side of the pile up; Webb went high and Fox went low, Fox sweeping in to the lead as Webb parked himself in to the Tillow machine. Jonny Atkin (399) lunged in the back of Aaron Colbert (121) in turn 1, whilst back up front Fox was coming under pressure from Callum Gill (757) with White a couple of car lengths behind. Colbert returned the compliment a lap later and went in on Atkins; Gibson then stuck up for his team mate and blitzed the back of Colbert. An abandoned car slowed up Fox and Gill letting White to close up, White moved to second in turn 3 before Gill drove in to the parked car of Ben Collins (10) in the back straight; as Craig Gray (370) took around Tony Pallett (566) in turn 4. The Collins motor then rolled across the backstraight which caught out White, as the 830 machine blitzed the back end; letting Fox pull out a small gap in the lead; Gibson ploughing into Colbert once more in the backstraight. The last lap board was presented to Fox who then duly went on to take the win ahead of White in second and Andy Battle (898) in third.
27 cars on track for the first allcomers; Lennon Philips (440) starting on pole. AJ Marsh (365) and Joel Allen (479) were the first in trouble with a spin in the homestraight; Kieran Bowman (178) was sent hurtling to plating in turn 3 by James Cliff (21); but Cliff was taken around in to turn 1 and was caught with a t-bone from Lyndon Stark (88). Alistair Oxby (974) had come to a halt in turn 1 and was blown up by Bowman; before Bowman then blitzed the back of Connor Sheldrake (535). Nick Ungermann (666) was left stranded in the backstraight and was run into by Craig Keeley (994) whilst Bowman and Sheldrake were stuck in the middle of the turn were bundled in to by the passing pack Nicky Bishop (43), Andy Battle (898) and Martin Wesby (837); Brad Bartrum (69) also there, and with no where to go Bartrum was squeezed up and over into a roll. The red flags called for. Philips led the field off once more; Rhys Waters (282) spun out Chris Wick (10) as Nicky Bishop (43) did the same to Beau Southgate (241). A lap later and Bishop was amongst the action again, this time following Marsh into the plating in turn 3; Ben Mynott (352) jacked the back of Marsh. In to turn 1 and Wesby sent Jamie Blything (248) out wide in turn 1 in to the parked Oxby machine. Wesby and Battle were locked in a duel which saw them exchanges places and trading bumpers for third place and quickly gaining on second place Tim Rees (799). The lap boards were now out for Philips in the lead, Battle was now clear in second with Rees and Wesby squabbling for third. Wesby getting the better of Rees to take third in the last lap to round out the first allcomers.
The second allcomers drew a field of 32 cars led off by Cameron Hubbard (624) from pole position. Rob Betts (219) came to a halt on the outside off turn 3; he was then bundled in to by Russell Gill (77), Kieran Gray (123) and Ben Whitehall (379). Beau Southgate (241) run in Nathan Webb (315) in to turn 3, they were then joined by Charlie Taylor (514) and Martin Wesby (837) who caught Betts with a head on. David Gibson (390) latched on to the back of Matthew Jode (420) in to turn 1 attempting a follow in, but Jode held it, just brushing the plating; Jonny Atkin (399) took around Adrian Court (334) at the same time, Court getting caught head on by Taylor in the process. Tony Pallett (566) bundled Kieran Bowman (178) into a bunch of cars in to turn 3 to make up ground, but Pallett was forced to the infield with Lee White (830) retiring taking the UK champion Pallet with him. Gray tripped over a marker tyre in turn 3; Chris Medler (601) and Nathan Tupper (350) with no where to go run in to Gray. Eddie Stratton (501) thundered Southgate into the turn 3 plating; whilst Gill slowly manoeuvred himself in to position to take out Lennon Phillips (440) with a head on. The lap boards out for the leader Hubbard. Bowman went after Phillips; blitzing the back of the 440 machine, combined with the stranded car of Gill, almost a track blockage formed in the entrance to the homestraight. Jode lined up Phillips though, and ploughed through 440; Atkins dived in on Jode who bounced in to the path of new National Champ Thomas Fox (322); Jode then was clobbered once more by Medler making a mess of the 420 Escort. Stratton had turned it round in turn 1 and caught Atkins, Tupper and Fox; Bowman steamed in on Atkins as carnage developed on the homestraight amongst those already dead cars and drivers squabbling for places in the last lap including Tim Rees (799) who ended up with a did not finish. In turn 1; Ben Mynott (352) had turned round and obliterated Stratton making a mess of the 501 machine; rounding out the second allcomers.
The third allcomers saw a field of 15 cars on track, Jack Rookard (910) led them off from pole, but it was Cameron Hubbard (624) who quickly took over the running as the race quickly settled down in to a steady rhythm. Nathan Webb (315), Martin Wesby (837) and Andy Battle (898) battled for position further back. Wesby and Battle broke free from Webb, who then found himself battling Lee White (830). Webb and White tripped over one another in the backstraight; delaying their progress. Hubbard took the win, Battle finishing second and White behind him.
Straight into the destruction derby; and it was down to 7 cars; Terry Ruff (469) lunged in on Kieran Bowman (178); the pair slamming to the plating in turn 3. James Licquorice (51) wasting no opportunity crashed into the back of Ruff. Jonny Atkin (399) received the attention of Lewis Judd (908) a couple of hits the Atkin machine rolled up and over a marker tyre; prompting the red flags. Back under racing conditions and just the final few battled out for last car running; Nathan Tupper (350) and James Cliff (21) shared a head on, before Judd blitzed the back of Tupper as Jack Rookard (910) did the same to Cliff. Bowman joined the pile up slamming in to Judd as Ashley Garrod (337) went in too. Rookard slammed in to the back of Judd; with Garrod then going on Rookard. Some more pushing and bumpering; but it was Garrod who came out victorious.
Junior Bangers
A big grid of Juniors meant the field needing to be split across two heats, the first with 16 cars on track was led off by Lee Rennie (117). Jamie Wright (281) was the first casualty with a spin in turn 1 and he was collected by Jack Wilkins (85). Rennie was then taken out of contention by Jack Maddox (5); who in turn took out Declan Wakeham (317), Codie Reeves (188) run in to Wakeham head on in the process. Reeves quickly got back going again and then a lap later wasn’t messing around and took out Wright in turn 1. The top 5 positions all running together; 5 117 188 328 77, battling for position. Reeves now your leader; as Sean Unwin (71) and Riley Marsh (701) collide with the marker tyres in turn 1. The lap boards out, as Reeves and World Champion Ben Nichols (328) break free. Marsh took around Robbie Dillon (833) creating another obstacle in turn 1, Reeves having to avoid, run in to the parked Wakeham machine. Nichols left in front to take the win, Lewis Ivatt (77) picked up second and Harry Gelsthorpe (555) third.
Heat 2 for the Juniors saw 17 cars on track; Bradley Green (449) in pole position. Callum Self (667) the first casualty with a spin. Danny Elbourn (304), Lennie Murkin (608), Louie Cottrill (999) and Joey Holmes (90) were enjoying a great battle in the first half of the race. Maisie Armstrong (68) spun around in turn 1 and was collected by Self, Finlay Damon (08) and Harley McCarthy (131) also going in. Green was clear in the lead though. As Murkin and Elbourn continued battling, Elbourn getting sent to a spin in the homestraight. Jacob Rushton (800) took around Reece Davis (644) in a spin. Ed Selby (244) spun out Murkin as Harvey Webb (622) took around Ben Saunders (317) in turn 3 in the last bend, Saunders quickly recovering for 6th.
The Consolation drew a field of 15 cars, Callum Self (667) starting on pole. Emily Taylor (409) went in with an attack on Jack Wilkins (85), the 409 machine spinning herself out. Wilkins then clashed with 210; climbing up over and nearly rolling, Wilkins charging fast, leading the field. Danny Elbourn (304) and Louie Cottrill (999) battled it out in to the second half. Howe Reed (352) lost a wheel in the closing stages as Elbourn went in with the bumper on Cottrill. Finlay Damon (08) attacked Harry Cobb (229) in to the last bend, taking around the 229 machine. Wilkins taking the win ahead of Maisie Armstrong (68) in second and Damon coming home third.
28 cars for the final Lee Rennie (117) starting in pole position. Joey Holmes (90) bumpered Harry Gelsthorpe (555) wide as Lennie Murkin (608) goes in on Danny Elbourn (304) in turn 3. Holmes spun out Louie Cottrill (999) who was then caught in the process by Lewis Ivatt (77). Cottrill was left stranded at the end of the home straight, the charging pack came around bunched together, and with nowhere to go, Cottrill was blitzed by Maisie Armstrong (68); Cottrill was then mullered by the field. Red flags called for instantly, thankfully Cottrill emerged and got himself out. Ben Saunders (317) your leader on the restart, Jack Wilkins (85) and Jack Maddox (5) behind. The cars in turn 1 making the racing line interesting; Shane Masterman (822) and Jacob Rushton (800) trip over the abandon cars. Holmes was charging hard bumpering Harley McCarthy (131) in to turn 1 to no avail, Holmes tried again the next bend. Tommy Taylor Wilson (777) was dumped in to the parked cars in turn 1 as the lap boards were presented. The Wilkins machined erupted in steam, which made visibility difficult, with vision impaired Wilkins t-boned 777, once again prompting the red flags and the race declared; Saunders awarded the win, Holmes in second and Rennie third.
The Allcomers event saw 22 cars return, Jack Maddox (5) starting on pole. Lee Rennie (117) spun out Maddox early on, Ben Saunders (317) also an early spinner. Lewis Ivatt (77) attacked Lennie Murkin (608), as Ben Nichols (328) went in with the bumper on Finlay Damon (08) in to turn 3, Joey Holmes (90) offering the same treatment to Nichols. Emily Taylor (409) got caught up and was left broadside across the track backstraight, whilst Rennie leads. Sean Unwin (71) and 210 trip over one another in turn 1. Whilst Saunders bumpers Murkin in to turn 1, resulting in a spin for Murkin. Ivatt and Harvey Webb (622) collide in the homestraight; as Holmes moved by in to the lead, Aiden Storr (854) the last casualty catching a marker tyre in turn 1. Holmes took the win, Rennie coming home second and Nichols in third. To round a great day of action for the Juniors. This was also Nichols last race in the Juniors as he turns 16; good luck to him in what he does next.