Sunday 17 September

 Report: Mark Paulson

Brandon driver 22 Dave Vincent added another major title to his collection by scooping the Unlimited Bangers World of Shale in an action-packed race at King’s Lynn. Also on the bill were Saloon Stock Cars, contesting their Bumper Trophy, which was won by 420 Ivan Street. Junior Bangers completed the Sunday afternoon programme, with 90 Joey Holmes Jr winning the main race.

Unlimited Bangers

An excellent turnout of 69 cars were in action for their biggest shale-staged championship, an event which has a long history. Topping the bill machinery-wise was world champion 247 Lee Clarke in a Rover P5, while 222 Matt High turned out a Jaguar XJS. There was a larger number of Granadas, generally a rare sight at Unlimited meetings these days, returning from the all-Granada meeting a month earlier. 

First up, was a last-chance qualifier for the big race. 8 James Jackson dominated from the front of the 31-car field to clinch his place on the WoS grid, ahead of 103 Jack Deacon and the champion from 25 years earlier, 119 Davey Cox. Action was provided by 206 Phil Milner and 2001 champion 617 Jack Overy in particular; after Milner turned around to take out Overy, the latter exacted revenge a lap later. The pair both earned entertainers’ awards which also qualified them for the big race.

The 48-car grid for the World of Shale – including Milner’s very crumpled car – was subject to an ‘Incarace’ draw, which, amazingly, put defending champion 88 Lyndon Stark on pole position with world champion Clarke alongside. The full grid lined up as follows:

When the green flag dropped, Clarke immediately hit the front in his big old Rover. Stark held second until spun out by 266 Callum Hall, as the big hits started flying in on bend two between the Sowters and Bears, with 322 Tom Fox also getting blitzed. It led to a near track blockage, but Clarke continued to pick his way through, followed by Vincent.

Eventually, having held the lead for half the race, Clarke was spun out on the road bend by Vincent who had just managed to get on terms with him, and lost nearly half a lap. That promoted Vincent’s fellow veteran, and three-time champion, 160 Shayn Winsor into second until he got caught up in the chaos too. So 597 Andy Ashman was the next man to challenge Vincent, with Clarke having returned to third. But Vincent was able to repel them and build a gap, and Clarke worked his way past Ashman for second with two laps to go. But any chance of a trophy for the P5 ended when both the chasers got delayed in a bend-four pile-up.

So Vincent was able to ease to victory, and 757 Callum Gill took advantage of the others’ delay to come through for second, Ashman and Clarke recovering for third and fourth respectively.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” said Vincent after finally clinching one of the major titles missing from his bulging CV. “I can’t believe it.” It was the first time that the title had been won by a classic Granada since 2010.

Two allcomers events completed the racing action for the Unlimiteds, with 960 Ross Winsor winning both. The first begun with a big pie-up and track blockage on bend two. The big hits continued to come in, with 513 Sean Harvey and 362 Jonny James dishing out some big shots on 288 Carl Sowter and 01 Kyle Shires respectively. Winsor steered clear of trouble to win from 673 Darren Fendley and 318 Tony Citro, and then repeated his feat ahead of 760 Joey Reynolds and 128 Andrew Shipp.

Two-litre Saloon Stock Cars

The 24-car Saloon entry was lower than usual after a very busy period for the Heavy Metal Brigade. They didn’t disappoint with their on-track action though, after a quieter opening race for white and yellow graded drivers. That, held on a slippery track, became a bit strung out as 448 Martin Kibble won from 148 Ian Redden and the returning 537 Tom Alsop. 

In heat one proper, 192 Robert Heanes escaped as others tangled, building a big lead. It looked like he might hold it all the way, but was eventually chased down by 26 Tommy Barnes with a lap and a half to go. 148 Ian Redden had held second until he tangled with 35 Lewis Byron. That allowed 386 Daniel Petters through but he retired with a heavily smoking car. So it was left for Barnes to make up the ground on Heanes, which he eventually did. Heanes held on for second, with 131 Timmy Barnes third, ahead of world champion 306 Daniel Parker, the first of the stars.

A dusty second heat was won by 641 Willie Skoyles, who then suggested that this might be his last season in Saloons, as he evaluates other options. He chased down 349 Michael Allard who had looked like he might have the race sewn up before a yellow flag for debris. Allard held on for second, with 399 Cole Atkins third.

Heanes again pulled clear in the final, but veteran racer 420 Ivan Street closed him down and moved inside for the lead which he held until the end. 499 David Aldous ran out of laps to mount a challenge after pushing past Redden for second at the start of the final lap. Those two completed the trophy placings, with Timmy Barnes fourth, Parker fifth and Scottish visitor 38 Barry Glen sixth. Earlier, some of the bigger names, including Allard, 730 Deane Mayes and 304 Martyn Parker, had spoilt their chances by spinning out together and losing a lap, while Skoyles was also a spinner.

Junior Bangers

A very strong entry of 34 Junior Bangers provided some lively racing. 145 Liz Dicken was in the wars in the white grade race, pushing a marker tyre onto the track that led to a caution, and then later on rolling. Out front, 331 Archie Fryatt won from 783 Leah Roberts and 622 Harvey Webb. 

Heat one proper was punctuated by a couple of cautions and won by World Final runner-up 328 Ben Nichols from 114 Luke Spinks, before 77 Lewis Ivatt got a break in heat two and pulled clear to win from 90 Joey Holmes Jr.

Holmes went one better in the final, taking the win from 619 Bradley Tomlinson and 993 Louis Cottrill. Nichols and Webb provided the spectacular action when they pulled off a sequence of rolls in unison.