Photos: 1 - 19 Damien Widdows, 20 - 34 Jim Harrod, 35 - 46 Major Gilbert
Report: Keith Organ
It was a great action packed afternoon of Micro Banger and 1300 Stock Cars with the Big Van Bangers on the line up too. Good numbers across the three classes provided excellent racing on the last May Bank Holiday and the Bank Holiday crowd loved it.
Big Van Bangers
Heat 1 for the Vans grid a field of 17 of them for battle, led off by Mark Lathan (324). Taylor Sowter (388) the first casualty taken round into a spin in turn 3. The camper van of Michael carter (329) was spun around by Liam Weedon (606), collected by Matt Armstrong (512) and then the camper completely disintegrating when collected by Jordan Eagle (702). Carl Sewell (467) was being attacked by Lee White (830) down the homestraight, who was then in turn picked up by Chris Shipp (170), taking the pair of them to the fence in turn 1. Soon after, Sowter followed in Armstrong in to turn 3; whilst Sewell attacked James Burrows (224) in the former Trackstar Support vehicle. Burrows, Sewell and Lathan collided on the exit of turn 3, Sewell ending up beached across the track in the homestraight; Shipp obliged and drove through Sewell with a tremendous t-bone; Karl Parry (58) was offered the same in turn 3 from Armstrong. Lewis Godfrey (93) was then attacking Shipp in the homestraight, Nick Houghton (293) going in on Godfrey in the process. A lap later and Houghton was amongst the action once more, t-boning Brett Jackson (551) in turn 2. Shipp was left facing the wrong way in the homestraight and the destroyed camper of Carter caught him on the nose; Weedon spun around the van of Eagle collecting Carter in the process, as James Unwin (71) collected Shipp courtesy of Houghton, a caution period called for and the race declared. Eagle awarded the win, Lee Ivatt (77) second and Lathan third.
14 Vans returned for heat 2, led off by James Burrows (224). Lewis Godfrey (93) was sent to the fence in turn 1 by Liam Weedon (606); Matt Armstrong (512) picked up Nick Houghton (293) and run him in to the turn 3 fence, before picking up Taylor Sowter (388) and following him in to the turn 1 plating. Karl Parry (58) parked himself across the exit of turn 3 and backed it out in front of the leader Burrows. The next lap Burrows slowed down in turn 3; inviting James Unwin (71) in for a shot, Burrows left stranded was then attacked by Sowter; before backing out in front of Armstrong, a big t-bone assault the result, as Houghton was taken around in turn 2 and knobbled by the passing field. Chris Shipp (170) and Sowter attempted to make the exit of turn 3 difficult, and tripped up Burrows, Brett Jackson (551), Mark Lathan (324) and Godfrey in the process. Godfrey gaining retribution a lap later t-boning Sowter. Houghton still continued to make things interesting on the exit of turn 2, tackling Jackson and Weedon. Houghton went off to do a lap, before being met by Jackson who was now facing the wrong way; t-boning the Houghton Van. Jackson backed off and offered the same to Weedon, Jacksons LDV Convoy starting to snap off of Weedons ambulance. Godfrey t-boned Jackson a lap later with Weedon going in too for good measure; as Lee White (830) took the win, Weedon second and Lathan in third.
Mark Lathan (324) led off the final, 9 vans ready for battle. Liam Weedon (606) quickly assumed the lead whilst Matt Armstrong (512) followed in Lathan in to turn 3; Lee White (830) spinning out Taylor Sowter (388) in the same piece of track. A lap later and Sowter was in amongst it once more, t-boning the Armstrong van as he was backing off of Lathan. The lap boards quickly presented to Weedon; Lewis Godfrey (93) second and Nick Houghton (293) third. Sowter had ideas to make a challenge for the top three and backed across turn 3; Godfrey and Houghton with no where to run; went in the side of the Sowter van. In turn 2 and Brett Jackson (551) had turned round his van and sought out Godfrey, going in on the 93 machine, snapping the Jackson van in the process. Sowter continued to back out the track in an attempt to attack the other runners, but he was met by an almighty t-bone from Houghton, whilst Godfrey had done a lap of the track and went in on the back of Jackson to retaliate for the previous lap. A caution period required. Back under racing conditions and a one lap dash; Weedon led them off, but he quickly dropped back to Lee White (830) who stormed to the front, into the last bend and he looked set for the win, only for the Sowter Van to start backing out again, right in to the path of White; with no where to go, White ran straight in to the 388 van, White trying to keep the momentum going whilst hooked up with Sowter, Weedon running in to the back of White for good measure. With White just falling short of the chequered flag, Weedon stole the win, not other finishers declared.
Straight in to the Destruction Derby and Sowter continued to back out across the track and was met by Weedon ploughing in to the side of him. Weedon then circled the arena for more prey and found the old Trackstar support vehicle raced by James Burrows (224), Weedon blitzing the back of the van. Weedon the clear aggressor attacked Godfrey in the backstraight before going back around and offered the same to Matt Armstrong (512). Back around once more, Weedon launched in to the back of Godfry, the 606 Ambulance expiring on this impact. It was down to Armstrong and Godfrey, the pair of vans struggling for life, limped back and forth at one another; struggling to build up the speed. It was Armstrong awarded the win.
Micro Bangers
Josh green (834) led off the first Micro race; the white top whirlwind with 25 cars on track. Glenn Brooks (18) took a group of cars to the fence in turn 1, Barry Carter (433) and Ryan Leeks (11) catching the worst, whilst Joe Bull (115) was spun around in the crunch. In to turn 3 and Chloe McNeil (47) was followed in to the plating by Callum Lacey (412). Mark Simpson (136) and Ryan Hawes (621) tripped over the stranded Carter machine in turn 1; Alistair Oxby (974) going in on Simpson for good measure; Simpson collected further by the passing pack. Bull was in further trouble when he was followed in to turn 1 by Ryan Sutcliffe (664); Kieran Tweed (323) with nowhere to go, running into Bull. Brooks then blitzing the Leeks machine on the exit of turn 2. Cameron Hubbard (624) took Harley Messenger (809) in to a spin in the homestraight, spinning himself in the process. Charley Streeton (320) your race leader at the lap boards and took a steady win at the chequered flag, Sutcliffe coming home second and Lacey in third.
A short cloud burst in time for heat 2; the wet racing surface catching out a number of the line up, about 30 cars on track. Several beat up micros littered the race way, including Donny Mann (135), Jon Bailey (247) and others in a pile up in turn 2, as a caution was called for early on. The restart led off by Callum Lacey (412). Russell Gill (77) went in with the bumper on Dalton Smith (662) in turn 3, but this delayed Gill to allow Ben Mynott (352) to close in, the pair hooked up and clashed with the plating in turn 1 allowing Callum Gill (757) through. Mynott retiring from the running soon after, as the lap boards were presented, whilst Kieran Bowman (178) and Brad Bartrum (69) collided in turn 1. Lacey was now under fire from Lee White (830) was charging fast, with Gill (757) in close contention too. Nicky Bishop (43) attacked James Licquorice (51) in to turn 1, whilst White and Lacey stumble over one another in turn 3, letting Gill through to the lead at the last lap board. White went in with a lunge in to turn 1, but only unsettled himself getting the car sideways mid turn allowing Gill to pull away and take the win, White finishing second and Dalton Smith (662) coming through for third.
Heat 3 for the Micros was led off by Josh Green (834), with 33 cars on track. Green was quickly overhauled by Mark Ginders (256) at the green flag; as Cal Curtis (669) run in Fabian Leathers-Ashley (808) in turn 3. In the backstraight Jamie Blything (248) was taken around by Kieran Challis (666), spinning along the fence in the process; Curtis storming in on Blything as he recovered; James Licquorice (51) offering the same to Mark Simpson (136) who was also in the same stretch of track. Yellow flags called for; a complete restart required. Ryan Sutcliffe (664) led the field off; with bumpers going in all through the field, Lyndon Stark (88) coming off worse, ripping a wheel out on an abandoned car. Into turn 1, Aaron Mann (143), Ryan Hawes (621) and Callum Gill (757) all ended in a heap in the middle of the first bend, with Ryley Freestone (342) also retiring in turn 1; Barry Carter (433) picking out Hawes; lined him up and blitzed the 621 Micro. Carter was left stranded at the end of the backstraight and got caught hard by the passing traffic, prompting another caution period. Sutcliffe, Ginders and Alistair Oxby (974) in third. Ginders went in with the bumper on Sutcliffe into turn 3, the pair collecting a stranded machine in the process. Dylan Goodman (93) was on opposite in turn 3 and caught Oxby over the front wheel, ripping the leg out; Oxby was then caught from behind by Russell Gill (77); whilst Gill (757) took around Lee White (830) in the backstraight. Blything was now on opposite in turn 3 and searched out Mann for a head on, catching out Matt Tillow (556) in the process; Ben Green (634) your leader, Kieran Bowman (178) in second and Ben Mynott (352) third and Gill (757) in fourth, the top four all together in to turn 1, so close you could throw a blanket over them. On the exit of turn 3, Leathers-Ashley got Blything with a t-bone; the top four just missing the commotion taking the inside line, the lap boards now presented; Bowman leading, Gill, Mynott and Green the running order, but Gill muscled his way through taking the lead with 2 to go taking the win, Bowman second and Mynott third.
Jackson Whitehead (330) led the final off, a grid of 33 cars on track. The green flag was shortlived though, when Mark Simpson (136) was followed in to the plating in turn 3 by Callum Lacey (412); Simpson sent in to a roll with the momentum; prompting the red flags and a complete restart, Fabian Leathers-Ashley (808) led them off. The field ploughed in at the drop of the green, catching the parked Simpson machine. In turn 1, Nicky Bishop (43) blitzed Freddie Dann (220), Lacey ploughed in on Dann, as did harry Cole (293), a caution period called for once more. Back under racing conditions and the field once again pile in; Cameron Hubbard (624), Cal Curtis (669) and Lacey the early casualties. Nicky Bishop (43) picked up Alistair Oxby (974) and thundered him in to the plating in turn 1, Jon Bailey (247) stormed in, blitzing Oxby, Kieran Challis (666) dumped in to the pile up for good measure. Bishop piled in on Bailey, James Licquorice (51) going in on Bishop. A race stoppage called for. Brad Bartrum (69) your leader as the green flag dropped once more and the field set off; whilst towards the back of the grid, Taylor Sowter (388) tackled Team Bilge and set about Aaron Mann (143) and Leathers-Ashley in to turn 1. Ben Mynott (352) attacked Dalton Smith (662) in to turn 1, Lee White (830) also going in with the bumper, Smith went round in to a spin. Bartrum lost the leader spot at this point, colliding with a dead car in to turn 3; handing the lead to Charley Streeton (320); but he in turn was coming under fire from Kieran Bowman (178), Bowman eventually overhauling Streeton took the lead at the lap boards. Bowmans time up front was shortlived though, Leathers-Ashley went in the back of Josh Stewart (334) in turn 3; Bowman in an effort to avoid a collision with these two, Bowman collected another parked car, taking him out of the running and letting Mynott through. In to the last lap Mynott slowed letting Callum Gill (757) draw level anticipating allowed a cut back, Mynott went in with the bumper in to the last bend, but to no avail couldn’t shift Gill, who took the win, Mynott second and Bowman coming back for third.
In to the destruction derby, a big crunch in to turn 3, saw Fabian Leathers-Ashley (808), Josh Stewart (334), Barry Carter (433), Cameron Hubbard (624) and Dalton Smith (662) all collide in a heap, Hubbard going up and over in to a roll; prompting the red flags. Back under racing conditions, Jamie Blything (248) was attacking the back of Glenn Brooks (18) in the backstraight, Mark Ginders (256) going in on Blything. Josh Green (834) then attacked Ginders in the homestraight and dumped him turn 1; Ginders then get attacked by Ryan Sutcliffe (664) for good measure too. Sutcliffe then went on the attack again in turn 3, piling in on Blything; Hubbard offering the same to Sutcliffe. In the backstraight Brad Bartrum (69) went in on the back of Green, inviting a big blitzing from Kieran Challis (666) on the back of Bartrum. Hubbard was once again in trouble, clipping a wheel of Brooks in turn 3, sending Hubbard up and over in to a roll for the second time. Back under green flag conditions again, Brooks attacked Bartrum in turn 1, backing off and going back in on Bartrum twice more. Hubbard just enough life managed to build up speed and ploughed in the back of Brooks. Brooks declared the winner.
1300 Stock Cars
Over 50 cars in attendance, a full format used for the 1300 Stock Cars; the grid split into two heats, consolation, Final and allcomers the schedule. 412 had a good start to heat 1, but a caution period for a big roll over of Carl Sewll (467) courtesy of Mark Freeman (141) in turn 1, closed the field up and Lauren Overy (317) instantly challenged for the lead as the green flag dropped. Lee Pearce (23) muscled his way by Alan Lakey (466) in to turn 1, snatching second in the process. Pearce then left Lakey and Ben Englestone (769) to scrap for third position; whilst Callum Anderson (131) and Jordan Godfrey (144) did the same for fourth. The lap boards now out for Overy as she maintained a good gap over Pearce; the battle for third and fourth combined in to the last lap with Dan Moore (681) joining for good measure. The bumpers went in the last bend, Lakey coming off worst, demoted two places by Moore; Godfrey getting the better of the pack taking third place behind Overy and Pearce.
Jake Stringer-Adams (40) led off heat 2 with 27 cars on track; the bumpers flying in at the drop of the green flag. Stephen Murphy was spun to the middle early on as a result of midpack bunching In the homestraight, the same pack saw Scott Sparrow (781) rattle the turn 1 plating. The bumpers continuing to go in throughout the order at each bend; Ricky Ivatt (55) experiencing first hand when he was slapped in to the turn 3 plating by Patrick Fitzakerley (977); Will Morphey (129) offering the same to Jacob Bromley (303) in turn 1. The lap boards out for Robert Spinks (760); who took the win without challenge, ahead of Stringer-Adams in second and Kevin Shinn (400) in third. Anthony Kerr (880) Simon Sparrow (780), Barry Wade (731) and Megan Petherick (228) battled right to the end with a last bend lunge; Petherick catching a marker tyre halted her chance, but the other three charged to the flag three abreast; but unfortunately for these three outside of the top ten and would need to qualify for the final via the consolation.
Jake Perry (101) led off the Consolation race; 19 cars on track including superstar drivers; Dan Booth (216) and Jacob Bromley (303). Barty Ketteringham (209) and 412 were the first causalities with a spin at the green flag, a caution period called for. Carl Morgan (42) led off the restart; Ricky Ivatt (55) in trouble getting sent round into a spin by Bromley in turn 1; Bromley then went on to punt out Perry wide in turn 3. Megan Petherick (228) slapped the turn 1 plating courtesy of Barry Wade (731) before Natasha Wales (444) and Dan Weevers (333) collided in to turn 3, both cars getting sideways in to the bend. Weevers, Petherick and Wade now locked in battle, whilst up ahead, Bromley tripped over Anthony Kerr (880), collecting the plating in turn 1, Kerr was spun around by Bromley in to turn 3. The lap boards presented to the leader Luke Leedell (191) and Morgan in second. Ivatt in trouble once more who was spun by Ketteringham in turn 3, Ketteringham in turn spinning too. Leedell taking the win, Morgan second and Booth coming home third.
33 cars returned for the 1300 Stock Car Final, led off by Jake Stringer-Adams (40). The freshly watered track meant lots of sliding cars using the plating to help make the corners throughout the grid. A caution period was soon called for. Most of the field returning for the restart, Stringer-Adams led them off, Stephen Walden (276) in second and Robert Spinks (760) in third; the bumpers flying in all down the order on the restart. Lee Pearce (23) was the first of the top drivers to make impression, barging the field aside as you would expect in the process, Jacob Bromley (303) offering the same further down the order. Lauren Overy (317) snookered Jack Lower (142) in to Dan Booth (216) in turn 1; taking Will Morphey (129) to the plating in the process. A lap later and Martin Taylor (422) offered the same to Bromley, who took in Kevin Shinn (400) and Jason Clow (217) the fence in a similar manner. Four abreast in the homestraight wasn’t going to end well, as Ricky Ivatt (55) found out, squeezed into the marker tyres entering turn 1, Ivatt was whipped around 360 degrees, catching a head on from Lower and Overy collecting the front end in the process. A caution period called for. Beau Southgate (241) led the restart, Pearce in second and Walden in third. The mid pack scrambling to make up ground; saw the bumpers lunge in and the plating rattled once more. Dan Weevers (333) tripped over Stringer-Adams in the backstraight, sent sideways and helped around by Overy, Weevers was then stranded and collected by the passing pack with nowhere to go, Morphey, Lower and Clow the three to catch Weevers hardest. Shinn took Spinks to the plating in turn 1, whilst up front Pearce had taken over the running; ticking off the lap boards to take the win ahead of Southgate in second and Luke Leedell (191) who came home in third. Further back, Jack Wilkins (690) went in with the bumper on Jordan Godfrey (144) on the last bend, both then felt the force of Dan Booths (216) bumper, sending them fencewards, Morphey also there, in to the homestraight and Godfrey and Wilkins were sent in sideways, Wlikins bouncing along the plating across the line. Wilkins then collected by Carl Morgan (42), Natasha Wales (444) running into Morgan, to round out a great final.
Jake Stringer-Adams (40) led off the Allcomers, 28 cars on the track for their last outing of the day. Megan Petherick (228) was the first in trouble, sent in to a spin to the turn 1 plating; whilst Paul Sparrow (682) tripped over Keith Simmonds (352) in the homestraight, bouncing along the plating. The bumpers and battles raging through out the order; the superstars in particular enjoying a good squabble with Jason Clow (217) for company. Dan Booth (216) was the one to lose out though, getting taken around in a crunch in the backstraight, ending Booths charge. Mark Freeman (141) your leader at this point, further back Lauren Overy (317) was making full use of the front bumper and rapidly moving herself up the order. John Klyn (61) was spun out at this point, sending the field scattering in the homestraight. A caution period called for, as the lap boards were presented. Freeman led off the restart, but he soon dropped back with an apparent problem; letting Alan Lakey (466) in to the front runner spot; whilst Lee Pearce (23), went in hard with the bumper on Todd Payne (149) and Kevin Shinn (400) in to turn 1, Overy had now muscled her way by in to the lead spot; as Morphey went in on the back bumper of Shinn in to turn 1, taking Sparrow out wide too, the 682 machine slamming the plating, a lap later Pearce offering the same to Martin Taylor (422). Overy taking the win, Lakey second and Luke Leedell (191) coming home third, to round out a great of racing for the 1300 Stock Cars.