Photos: 1- 15 Jim Harrod, 16 - 30 Kieran Bonsall, 31 - 45 Kimberley Jessica
Report: Bryson Walker
Sunday 5th February 2023 saw the turn of the 1500 Icebreaker Team Championship at the Adrian Flux Arena, in what was a complete contrast to the weather conditions from a fortnight previous with a sunny winter’s afternoon gracing the Norfolk shaleway.
There were several drivers that made the effort on the paint front, with 44 Alfie Hill, 68 Kyle Gill, 97 Glenn Woodward, 98 Matt Harrison, 197 Glen Woodward, 205 Max Bull, 266 Barry Wright, 267 Tommy Wright, 313 David Wood, 448 Paul Dean and 743 Kavan Barton. 87 Damien Matthews and 420 Matthew Jode having a Ford Escort each, the only notable material worth mentioning.
87 Damien Matthews was the first to show in Heat 1, setting about 266 Barry Wright. A sort out on turn 2 resulted in a rollover for 204 Alfie Warren. The red flags then coming out on track, but not before 188 John Reeves spun 743 Kavan Barton. A full restart saw 188 Victor the first casualty, getting spun by 266 Cactus. 624 Cameron Hubbard collected a marker tyre on the exit of turn 4 to slow his charge, as up front, a superb battle for the lead had broken out between 730 Deane Mayes and 556 Matt Tillow. They were soon joined by 132 Robert James, and the trio enjoyed a fantastic tussle for the lead which culminated in a last bend move in which 132 Bobbles rattled in 730 Deano, leading to the former rolling and getting caught as he rolled by 30 Brandon Mayes, to bring reds and chequers, with 556 Matthew Tillow taking the honours.
Heat 2 saw 97 Glenn Woodward fall foul early on, and he had 359 Danny Smith run into him by 134 Carl Timmins. 252 Kieran Wietrzyk dispatched off 134 Timmins as they entered turn 1. 182 Ryan Knight and 425 Simon Nicholls clashed at the end of the home straight. 83 David Loakes laid into 410 Jake Calvert before the red flags came out on track. With SBS already packing out the top three, the restart was deemed to be unsatisfactory with the viewpoint held that 888 Lloyd Stark was deliberately holding back to allow his teammates an advantage. The next attempt at the restart saw a strong start from the SBS trio, and it wasn’t long until all four members had secured the top 4 positions, with 920 Kaelan Blakeman spinning 138 Ant Timmins to move up into fourth place. 98 Matt Harrison and 39 Ryan Knibbs clashed on the exit of turn 2, which sent the latter spinning. 83 Loakesy obliged to drive through the spinning 39 Knibbsy. 138 Timmins spun 98 Harrison. 20 Joshua Machin raced to the win, with SBS securing the top 4 spots in what is believed to be a first in Icebreaker history.
222 Brad Cook-Taylor attacked 550 Phil Jackson to set the action underway in Heat 3. 420 Matthew Jode got airborne off the back of 190 Ben Germany’s Astra leaving him stranded exiting turn 4. 540 Samuel Hayward duly blasted 420 Maff. 360 Marty Dunderdale spun 910 Jack Rookard, before 190 Germany delivered a head on to 420 Maff. 356 Sam Hills collected the luckless 420 Maff. 551 Brett Jackson homed in on 222 Gromit, before 360 Marty and 5 Jack Smith joined in creating an impressive auto-sculpture. 5 Smithy Boy spun 551 Jacko Jnr, which blind-sighted him of the incoming head on from 550 Fearless Phil. 828 Jordan Sharpe jacked 5 Smithy Boy. 68 Kyle Gill then attacked the World of Shale Champion, only to cop a head on in turn from 829 Jay Sharpe. 828 Sharpey completed a lap before jacking 68 Rocket Dogg. 248 Jamie Blything and 828 Sharpey collided along the back straight which saw them both end up facing the fence. 277 Sean Rowell spun 224 Graham Gamble. 248 Blything turned it round to meet 828 Sharpey in a head on. 910 Rookard jacked 828 Sharpey. 277 Sideshow delivered a rear wheel shot to Sharpey, before 551 Jacko Jnr delivered a head on to 44 Craig Law. 231 Alex Smith raced to his maiden National Banger win.
Heat 4 begun with 378 Jack Bailey rattling 974 Al Oxby around the plating. 51 James Licquorice weighed in on 378 Jacko which caused a bit of bedlam behind. 44 Alfie Hill turned 198 John Clements towards the armco. 781 Tyrone Hawes attacked 525 Wesley Starmer, before 51 Licquorice looked to rejoin and pulled across the leaders. This claimed 921 Jack Aldridge and 608 Lenny Murkin, as TKC and BFG squabbled for the top positions. 621 Jamie Barrett attacked 525 Wes, before running into 198 John Boy. 10 Chris Wick dispatched of 395 Harry Hill. The reds coming out on track, although the reason not known. 757 Callum Gill lead them away from the restart, although it all went wrong for TKC behind him as 77 Russell Gill and 622 Harvey Webb crashed out alongside 525 Wes. 595 Drew Burdett went on oppo, laying into the leaders. 566 Tony Pallett spun 395 Hilly. 10 Wicko spun 51 Licquorice. 757 Jack Jnr spun 621 Big Jim to take the lead. The remaining laps remained quiet, as 757 Callum Gill raced to the win.
Heat 5 began in manic fashion with 39 Knibbsy setting about 273 Stevie Hawes, before 302 Jack Smith endured a rough ride on turns 1 and 2. A pile up formed on the road bend with several weighing in. 48 Lewis Grummett jacked 888 Stark. 311 Garry Lown attacked 181 Craig Allen on oppo. 359 Danny Boy jacked 48 Grummy Jnr and was done in turn by a heavy shot from 861 Rob Milner. 20 Golden Boy turned 273 Hawes left along the back straight. 861 Milner stayed latched onto 359 Danny Boy and ran him into the pile up once again, also claiming 251 Lewis Wietrzyk. 138 Ant Timmins the winner this time.
The sixth Heat begun with 910 Rookard burying 624 Hubbard, which left the former sat prone for a jacking from 257 Benji. 23 Sonny Parsons spun 266 Cactus. 360 Marty delivered a head on to the spun 266 Cactus. 87 Damo weighed in on Cactus, who took further punishment as he looked to exit to the infield courtesy of 360 Marty. 277 Sideshow dumped 360 Marty into the marker tyre at the end of the home straight. 23 Sonny P met 257 Benji in a solid head on exiting turn 2, before 336 Jamie Plane laid into 269 Tom Morris which saw both crash out onto the infield concrete. 119 Davey Cox spun 24 Jaiden Gamble. 24 Jaiden recovered to follow in 23 Sonny P. 119 Cruncher securing the win, followed home by son, 9 Ben.
198 John Boy got all of shape but managed to recover without any scathe as the green flag dropped for Heat 7. 44 Hill set about 562 Jake Tansley. 132 Bobbles turned 744 Liam Barton fence-wards. 198 John Boy drove into 132 Bobbles which caused the latter to lose a rear wheel bringing a stoppage to proceedings. The action resumed with 557 Liam Jaggard setting about 921 Jack Aldridge, eventually spinning him left along the back straight. 337 Ashley Garrod spun 557 Lil Jagz, before 275 Joel Bond turned 126 Harry Barnes fence-wards. A sort out on the scoreboard bend saw 378 Jacko hit the plating hard, as 608 Lenny Murkin bounced 117 Lee Reynolds around the wall. 321 Kieron Fry decimated 378 Jacko with a huge hit, bringing out the red flags for the young Predator who required medical attention, although luckily it appears only a minor shoulder so we wish Jack well with that. The restart saw 116 Diggy Smith turn 275 Bond fence-wards. 44 Hill went on oppo delivering a brutal head on to 116 Diggy, the latter then copping an equally hard tbone from 321 Chatty Man as well as a rear wheel shot from 709 Ben Kaleta. 275 Bond then went on oppo stopping 621 Big Jim in a huge head on. 525 Wes steamed in on 621 Big Jim as the red flags were called. The race being declared in favour of 757 Callum Gill.
Heat 8 saw a few early spinners before the race turned quiet until 420 Maff followed in 301 Luke Smith. 829 Sharpey Jnr weighed in on 420 Maff, with the latter straight away putting thumbs up out of the window. 110 Brett Judge and 829 Sharpey Jnr tangled alongside 138 Timmins on the road bend. 381 Lewis Hopkin raced to the win, and then had 829 Sharpey Jnr run into him by 702 Jordan Eagle. 9 Cox then weighed in on 829 Sharpey Jnr before conclusion of the race.
Heat 9 saw 39 Knibbsy, 197 Microchip and 178 Slim crash out early on down the back straight. 595 Drew Boy veered across the back straight and copped a front wheel shot from 359 Danny Boy, and was then jacked by 525 Wes. 511 Gavin Wing attacked 460 Luke Tongue. 57 Lewis Garrod delivered a rear wheel shot to 511 Gavsta. 205 Max Bull laid into 57 Garrod, before 181 Craig Allen ran 12 Troy Corbett head on into 511 Gavsta. 198 John Boy got obliterated on the entrance to the back straight, with the red flags rapidly out for him. 622 Harvey Webb lead them away from the restart. 781 Taz spun 39 Knibbsy. Taz was then spun a couple of laps later himself by 757 Jack Jnr and 337 Garrod. 178 Slim weighed in on 781 Taz, and then came under fire himself from 800 Liam Halls. Halls left himself broadside across the home straight, copping a brutal tbone from 595 Drewboy. 594 Mason Burdett jacked 359 Dannyboy. 98 Harrison collected the lame 198 John Boy car along the back straight and was duly blasted by 525 Wes. 39 Knibbsy suffered another spin, this time courtesy of 994 Craig Keeley. 757 Jack Jnr spun 994 Keeley. 622 Harvey Webb raced to the win, his first on shale in National Bangers also.
117 Rennie and 39 Chubbs headed the pack for the Final. 920 Blakeman followed 389 Ryan Santry in hard, with the push from the pack behind seeing ‘Sanch’ cop a couple of nasty roof shots before landing perched on 151 Steven Jones. 744 Barton attacked 557 Lil Jagz as the reds came out. The restart saw 444 Law attack 131 Timmy Barnes, with the pair becoming lodged together. 336 Fathead laid into 87 Damo. 117 Rennie came to a halt on turn 2 and was duly leathered by 51 Licquorice. 178 Slim weighed in on 51 Licquorice, with 730 Deano jacking the Predators captain. 336 Fathead ran 188 Victor head on into 131 Barnes. 702 Eagle followed in 336 Fathead, before the red flags came out for 131 Barnes. 257 Timmy Aldridge lead them off from the restart, but was soon bested by 248 Blything who took up the running. 126 Barnes went on the attack, firstly dumping 9 Cox away and then spinning 119 Cruncher a lap later. 702 Eagle went on oppo with an attempt on 83 Loakesy. The latter completed a lap before jacking 702 Eagle hard. 248 Jamie Blything raced to the win from 337 Ashley Garrod and 257 Timmy Aldridge.
Into the DD, where 217 Tom McKee met 525 Wes on the nose and received a rear wheel shot in turn from 858 James Bruce. 336 Fathead and 920 Blakeman piled in, as 460 Tongue set about 608 Lenny Boy. 197 Microchip also weighed in, with 190 Ben Germany running 460 Tongue into the back of him. 608 Lenny Boy jacked 920 Blakeman and was immediately done by 197 Microchip. 39 Chubbs homed in for a large shot on 858 Bruce. 190 Germany jacked 39 Chubbs. A few hits were then exchanged under the scoreboard with 190 Ben Germany emerging the winner to round off a top day of action
The results from the final meaning that TKC rather comfortably won the event from THP7 A, and although having had an impeccable start to things, SBS just managed to hold on to third. Entertainer wise, it was very close at the top, and you can’t argue with the top three teams. Team Sharpe Boyz winning from Blue & Black, with Predators A taking third.
The Trackstar season officially kicks off on March 11th in an all banger event featuring Unlimited & 2L Bangers alongside the Juniors.