Last updated: 23^rd January 2019 21:20 

 

Photos: 

Photos 1 - 23: Matthew Bull

Photos 24 - 26: Darren Garwell

Photos 27 - 47: Damien Widdows

 

Report:

Mark Paulson

 

Team Extreme retained the Icebreaker title at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn on Sunday afternoon (20 January 2019) while underdogs the Boston Warlords scooped the day’s Entertainers’ League. Support was provided by Micro Bangers in which #308 Kevin Baxter took the main honours, and Junior Bangers, with #999 Louie Cottrill the final winner.

 

Unlimited Bangers

Icebreaker XXVI brought 88 cars from across the country and beyond to compete in teams of four. Overseas visitors included three from Ireland and lone Dutchman #211 Dennis Vorkink who lined up for Team Mates.

 

The day’s top machinery was brought by the Boston Warlords ‘B’ driver #256 Mark Ginders, who had a 1971 Pontiac, while #577 Alfie Lee of TNT ‘C’ fielded a Lincoln Town Car. There were also a number of limos, including a pair from the Irish Last Rites team, who ended up joining the Wild Boyz ‘A’ team after both were down on numbers.

 

The first round of heats was split three ways, and the second round in two, before an all-in final. The opener was highlighted by action between the TMT drivers and the Shunters ‘B’. The latter’s #612 Daniel Loades copped some heavy shots from #305 Alfie Cornish of TMT ‘B’, earning Cornish the race entertainer award, while the limo of the Shunters’ #791 Nicky Young was left banana-shaped. Out front, #116 Nat Cohn (Boston Warlords ‘A’, Jag) led until his driveshaft let go, flinging the car into the air over its own wheel. So it was left to #382 Jack Foster Jr, a late call-up for Team Extreme ‘B’ to win from #907 Cameron Bradford (Team Black ‘B’) and #267 James Steel (TMT ‘B’).

 

The Boston Warlords ‘B’ team began heat two in style with #851 Adam Storr’s Toyota Previa following in #16 Mike Flaherty’s Scorpio limo and then #579 Gary Beecham’s automatic Jag doing likewise to the smart Volvo estate of #661 Shaun Smith (Orange & White). Storr then continued the action by blitzing the Jag of #219 Robert Betts (Predators), being blasted in revenge by Betts’ team-mate #519 Lee Middleton. That brought a stoppage after Storr’s seat collapsed on him, but he had already done enough to earn a race entertainers’ award, along with Beecham and Middleton. On the restart, TMT ‘A’ pairing #88 Lyndon Stark and #570 Jordan Cumming appeared to be racing each other, with Cumming eventually winning from #288 Taylor Sowter (Team Sowter/Filmer) and #11 Ryan Leeks (Wild Boyz ‘A’), as #623 Ricky Hutton (TMT ‘A’) traded hits with the Shunters’ #174 Curtis Rathbone and #768 Danny McSweeney.

 

Heat three, although having over 30 cars, was a little quieter and instead featured a masterclass of sideways style and spinning out the opposition from Team Black ‘A’ veteran #617 Jack Overy who won from #362 Johnny James (Team Extreme ‘A’, Toyota Supra) and #160 Shayn Winsor (VS Massive). James had passed #103 Jack Deacon (Team Black ‘A’) for second with a lap to go and the latter was then spun by James’s team-mate #757 Callum Gill, only for Gill himself to be spun out by Winsor on the back straight.

 

Scores after first round of heats: 1^st Team Sowter/Filmer 25; 2^nd Team Extreme ‘B’ 23; 3^rd Team Black ‘B’ 20; 4^th Team Black ‘A’ 19; 5^th TMT ‘A’ 18; 6^th Team Extreme ‘A’ 17.

Entertainers’ League: 1^st Boston Warlords ‘B’ 30; =2^nd Predators & TMT ‘C’ 15.

 

Heat four’s entertainer award went to Shunters ‘A’ captain #514 Charlie Taylor (Jag) after he went on opposite to hit Hutton, with team-mate #513 Sean Harvey joining in. #288 Carl Sowter (Jag) joined brother Taylor on opposite to get the Demons’ #326 Reece Moran and the pair also traded shots with Beecham. At the front of the race, #99 Scott Gough (Team Extreme ‘B’) continued his fine form around the track with another race win, and with team-mates Foster second and Buddy James fifth it put the team in a very health position. #760 Joey Reynolds was third to keep Team Black ‘B’ in contention.

 

The biggest crash of the day came in heat five when the Volvo of #329 Michael Carter (Team Carter) was fenced by #830 Lee White (Team Mates), flying high into the air with its nose to the ground before coming to rest on top of White’s car. But the race entertainer awards went to #627 Terry Coke (Team Extreme ‘A’ for a head-on with Deacon) and TMT duo Lee and #157 Dom Hall for their combined efforts against the Shunters. Team Black ‘A’ put themselves into a very strong position going into the final with a 1-2-3 from #455 Rickie Finney, Overy and #247 Lee Clarke.

 

Scores after second round of heats: 1^st Team Extreme ‘B’ 50; 2^nd Team Black ‘A’ 48; 3^rd Team Black ‘B’ 40; 4^th Team Extreme ‘A’ 26; 5^th Team Sowter/Filmer 25; 6^th TMT ‘A’ 23.

Entertainers’ League: 1^st Boston Warlords ‘B’ 35; 2^nd TMT ‘C’ 30; 3^rd Shunters ‘A’ 25; 4^th TMT ‘B’ 20; =5^th Predators & Team Sowter/Filmer 15.

 

The 49-car final predictably brought chaos to the track, with the most spectacular moment provided by the Volvo 240 saloon of #321 Andy Newton (Team 22) who barrel-rolled down the track into the pit gate. Once righted, he drove the car off to the centre under its own steam (lots of it!). The Outsiders’ #632 Callum Read led much of the way, but the race exploded back into life on the final lap with some classic Icebreaker team racing. Having been parked up for much of the race, Clarke reversed out in front of the race-leading Team Extreme ‘A’ pair of Callum Gill and Johnny James, successfully wiping them both out. That allowed Clarke’s team-mate Bradford to win for Team Black ‘B’ but it wasn’t quite enough to topple Team Extreme ‘B’ for whom #327 Mick Maskell Jr was second. So Team Extreme ‘B’ took the title ahead of the two Team Black squads, while Beecham and Ginders put themselves about enough – having originally intend to just contest the DD – to clinch the Entertainers’ League for the Warlords from TMT ‘C’ and the Shunters ‘A’.

 

It had been an excellent day’s action in proper Icebreaker conditions (freezing but dry) with a good balance of racing, wrecking and teamwork.

 

Pt2 of the Icebreaker is in a fortnight’s time with a capacity entry of 1500cc Bangers booked to contest the smaller-car version.

 

Micro Bangers

A field of nearly 40 Micro Bangers provided support and brought plenty of action, including the most spectacular incident of the day which came in heat two. As the pack roared into the scoreboard bend on the opening lap, #51 James Licquorice produced a huge follow-in on #758 Paul Miller and managed to roll his own Ka all the way up and over the top of Miller’s machine before coming back to earth. After the restart of that race, #308 Kevin Baxter dominated, only to be delayed on opposite by the lively #214 Connor Osbourn. That let #88 Lyndon Stark onto his tail and he managed to spin the #308 to the infield as they crossed the line, #248 Jamie Blything also snatching second.

 

Baxter made amends with a dominant win in the final – although #566 Tony Pallett was rapidly closing in towards the end. That was enlivened by some hard-hitting action on the road bend between Licquorice, #93 Lewis Godfrey, #412 Callum Lacey and #591 Jack Giddings. Baxter and Lacey went on to fight out the DD too, with Baxter taking the win.

 

Earlier, #334 Josh Stewart had won the opening heat in which #708 Jamie Nottingham earned an entertainers’ award for a stiff on-opposite shot on #904 Reece Crane.

 

Junior Bangers

The youngsters also had their traditional off-season meeting in support of the main event and provided plenty more entertainment, including rolls for #267 Archie Fryatt (winner of the white-and-yellow grade race) and points champion #90 Joey Holmes Jr. #701 Riley Marsh won the opening heat proper, before #229 Harry Cobb took the second. The final went to #999 Louie Cottrill from Holmes and #7 Josh Mackay.