Report: Mark Paulson

 

The 13^th running of the Bandit Memorial for Unlimited and Two-Litre Bangers again proved to be an entertaining affair, with 791 Nick Young (Unlimiteds) and 390 David Gibson (2000cc) walking off with the major titles. Also in action were BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars for a World of Shale qualifying round – and they arguably upstaged the headline act with some superb action which saw 606 Andrew Palmer roar to a heat and final double.

 

Unlimited Bangers

Some late cancellations left the field at a lower than expected 37 cars, meaning they were put ‘all-in’, with the title race up first. Early action came when 115 David Hope’s huge (used) limo went out with several other runners, but most of the action was limited to spins on the wet track. 88 Lyndon Stark blew up 418 Simon Eglen, and 149 Wayne Bailey earned an entertainers award for his efforts. Meanwhile, out front, 791 Nicky Young was driving serenely to an almost flag-to-flag victory. He had a scare when he clipped a pile-up which allowed 960 Ross Winsor in front, but the latter then spun on the final bend, allowing 791 ‘Spud’ to win from Unlimited Banger World Champion 617 Jack Overy and 22 Dave Vincent. 

The two allcomers races were then won by 79 Ricky Twell and form driver 757 Callum Gill. Twell led the first from start to finish, winning from Young and Vincent as Winsor again spun out late on while well-placed. Gill took his fourth victory in two meetings in the second, winning from Overy and 552 Karl Douglas.

 

Two-Litre Bangers

There was a similar turnout of two-litre engined cars, with the Memorial race again first. That begun with 799 Tim Rees following in 725 Stephen Cooper before red flags were required to assist Rees’s team-mate 223 Daniel Bear. On the restart, 677 Matty Bradshaw led for several laps from 726 Nathan Cooper, but 390 David Gibson pushed them both aside in one move to take the lead. He went on to win from 322 Tom Fox and 599 Matty Butcher, after Bradshaw was given a hard fencing on turn one that required another stoppage. 

Gibson was initially declared winner of the first allcomers race before a lapsheet check revealed 326 Shane Lynn as the true victor. The race had featured several different leaders, with the Predators’ 219 Robert Betts among them until he was spun out by 352 Ben Mynott. Biggest hit of the race was suffered by Nathan Cooper on the back straight, sustaining very big damage for a Mondeo, with 479 Joel Allen earning the entertainers award.

338 Terry Garrod came through to win the second allcomers race which had been led much of the way by 175 Karl Corsby and featured 830 Lee White getting followed in by 103 Jack Deacon. The action was then rounded off with an entertaining destruction derby won by David Gibson with an impressive display of wrecking.

 

Formula Two Stock Cars

Rain struck as the first half of the 48-car entry emerged onto the track for heat one, providing some tricky conditions. Thankfully, although persistent, it was never heavy, so took little from the racing. After 235 Bradley Blyth had been caught by 55 Courtney Finnikin, the pair had a good battle for the lead of the race. Finnikin moved ahead, only to run wide and let Blyth back through, but she re-took the lead on half-distance. They continued their duel even after 177 Glenn Scott had caught and passed both, until Finnikin broke clear from Blyth as 226 Billy Webster came through to second. Scott had built a good lead by this time and took a comfortable win from Webster and 995 Michael Lund, as Finnikin spun herself out of third place on the final bend, not even recovering to make the top eight that qualified for the meeting final. 

Heat two required a complete restart after a messy first attempt, in which the yellow grade was virtually touching the white grade, left a spun 925 Paul Wilson stranded with three wheels on his wagon and 49 Paul Prest on his side with a very bent aerofoil. 444 Ben Howard led the restart until caught and passed by 662 Steve Wycherley. The Holbeach local then pulled out a lead which he kept until the final bend when 606 Andrew Palmer came in with a successful lunge. Palmer had scythed through the field in impressive style, latching onto Wycherley with a lap to go, but waiting until the final bend to make his move. Wycherley held onto second with 823 Sam Wagner third on his return after the birth of his first child.

The 30-car consolation, from which 16 would qualify, was led for several laps by 212 Jak Hall. 150 Mark Thoms then moved ahead, from 26 Gary Ford, but a tangle with the lapped 320 Daniel Pooley allowed 724 Tom Pell through. Pell had sustained his own damage in the tangle though so led for barely half a lap before 158 Will Clement took up the running. When Clement ran wide, 597 Barry Clow moved ahead but he was pushed wide by 289 James Waterfall, with 905 Rob Mitchell following through. Waterfall went on to win from Mitchell and Clow.

The final also tracked 30 cars. Howard led away once more, as Clow took a heavy backwards fencing, but gamely sat it out. Several laps later, 259 Simon Farrington spun on the same bend and was collected a few times, so yellow flags were called for just short of half-distance. Howard still led but soon lost out to 388 Ian Mallinson. But Palmer was on another charge and moved inside, pulling clear to take the win from Mitchell and Wilson.

The 35-car grand national was a hectic affair and provided the early yellow flag Palmer needed to improve his chances of a first-ever hat trick when 103 Carl Issitt was embedded in the back of Webster on the back straight, with 692 Andy Bottomley stranded alongside. Pell led and continued to do so until spinning after a yellow flag, allowing Finnikin ahead. The Leek lady ran wide, allowing Wagner and 871 Mark Simpson through, with those two then staying in that order and Mitchell completing the top three. Throttle problems while in the top 10 had put paid to Palmer’s hopes of that elusive hat trick.

 

Unlimited Bangers	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Bandit Memorial	791	617	22	960	79	790	322	811	338	222
All Comers 1	79	791	22	382	617	88	757	128	552	830
All Comers 2	757	617	552	601	399	830	888	222	688	22
DD	688
Entertainer Awards	128	149	22	811	222
Merit Awards	178	418	392

2L Bangers	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Bandit Memorial	390	322	599	328	726	399	830	339	175	404
All Comers 1	326	390	328	339	337	338	322	8	479	830
All Comers 2	338	599	339	390	337	830	552	nof
Destruction Derby	390
Entertainer Awards	479	206	103	479	519	339
Merit Awards	128	551	178

F2 Stock Cars	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th
Heat 1	177	226	995	235	788	728	768	298	977	724
Heat 2	606	662	823	259	444	103	871	225	81	905
Consolation	289	905	597	219	925	38	449	388	524	18	81	212	158	377	55	331
Final	606	905	925	226	449	444	823	377	788	55
Grand National	823	871	905	219	788	768	995	55	289	298