A very busy day of lively and spectacular action made for a thrilling afternoon in the sunshine at Smeatharpe, with full grids of cars for this year's National Bangers Championship of the World, which saw 617 Jack Overy regain the coveted title.
National Bangers
Just under 70 National Bangers, the season's best car count of unlimited cc cars in the westcountry, contested a hard-hitting day at Smeatharpe as 617 Jack Overy re-wrote the history books yet again.
The day's events for National Bangers began with a packed entry for the Last Chance race. After an enormous pits bend blockage, the race was stopped and re-run. By the closing stages, just four drivers were mobile. 282 Lee Treasurer and 241 Liam Cracknell booked their places, but in a dramatic last band, 38 Stuart Hollett spun away third place and 298 Sam Wyatt stole the last qualifying position for the World Final.
The 33 qualifiers for the main event entered the arena, received their qualifying memento and a flaggon of Tricky Cider, and then drew their grid positions, which left 349 Michael Allard and 47 Marcus A'Lee on the front row. From grid four, 998 Wayne Cotterill quickly established himself as the race leader, but a massive pile-up formed at the entry to the back straight, and that delayed many of the front runners. 820 Martyn Perkins took over the lead, but he only held first place for one lap, before he too became embroiled in the parking lot. That left the door open for 617 Jack Overy to assume command. Numbers dwindled in the closing stages, and only seven cars managed to go the full distance, with Overy a convincing winner of his fourth title, and his third in the last four years. 162 Brett Ellacott took the runner-up place, with 282 Lee Treasurer third and 262 Buddy James fourth.
The first Allcomers race lasted just seven laps, before there were no more cars left running, such was the freocity and frequency of the crashing on the exit of the pits bend. On count back, Cotterill had completed the most number of laps, and was awarded the win.
The second Allcomers only had four finishers, as the devastating action showed no signs of letting up. 207 Darren Bradford ran out the winner, whilst Overy (who had already effected a gold roof on his car), placed second, 44 Steve Griffin was third and 45 Anthony Croshaw fourth.
It took some time in the DD to finish off the huge Yank estate of 714 Paul Smaldon, but it was Griffin who finally did so, with a meaty hit on the back wheel. Smaldon was left with a car that would not move, and Griffin somehow managed to limp away in reverse to claim the victory, thereby ending a memorable day from the National Bangers, fittingly the best of the year at Smeatharpe.
BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
538 Chevy Mills and 276 Murray Jones were the star performers in the F2s. Mills gave himself a timely boost ahead of next weekend's World Championship at Skegness, when he scored a feature final win from the red grade for the first time. Jones followed up his spectacular fence vaulting incident from Bank Holiday Monday to take the W & Y Final, and win the Grand National.
Ministox
Another bumper showing of youngsters in the Ministox served up some exciting racing.
991 Ryan Hoskin, 128 Craig Banwell and 977 Kierren Bradford took the heat wins, and 942 Steve Gilbert made a very late challenge to secure the final, after he reeled in the impressive 935 James Flint. Third went to 932 Sam Moore.
Heat 1 W&Y |
276 |
374 |
835 |
302 |
14 |
891 |
31 |
954 |
306 |
916 |
Heat 2 |
105 |
276 |
306 |
189 |
302 |
886 |
830 |
464 |
990 |
522 |
Heat 3 |
676 |
992 |
105 |
254 |
189 |
14 |
830 |
162 |
605 |
990 |
Final |
538 |
886 |
374 |
315 |
276 |
189 |
14 |
835 |
254 |
676 |
Grand National |
276 |
783 |
886 |
14 |
835 |
522 |
676 |
254 |
315 |
302 |
Grade Awards |
W 162 |
Y 14 |
B 276 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heat 1 A&B |
991 |
315 |
156 |
935 |
953 |
986 |
954 |
907 |
903 |
955 |
Heat 2 B&C |
128 |
382 |
935 |
991 |
205 |
315 |
932 |
977 |
177 |
945 |
Heat 3 C&A |
977 |
128 |
954 |
156 |
205 |
201 |
942 |
989 |
945 |
277 |
Final |
942 |
935 |
932 |
991 |
382 |
156 |
128 |
954 |
177 |
201 |
Last Chance |
282 |
241 |
298 |
38 |
first 3 |
to final |
|
|
|
|
World Final |
617 |
162 |
282 |
262 |
44 |
360 |
241 |
nof |
|
|
Allcomers 1 |
998 |
331 |
202 |
nof |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allcomers 2 |
207 |
617 |
44 |
45 |
nof |
|
|
|
|
|
King of Crash/DD |
44 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Presented |
282 |
239 |
127 |
999 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oldest/Rarest |
714 |
410 |
511 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|