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Posted by ap Saloon Stock Cars Hot Rods Micro Banger Triples RESULTS HOT RODS MINISTOX BANGERS
on May 3, 2004, 9:19 pm
84.65.38.45
Smeatharpe 3.5.04
The Bank Holiday weekend was rounded off at Smeatharpe Stadium Taunton with a magnificent afternoon of racing, under a reasonably blue sky, and in front of a large, appreciative crowd. Whilst the Saloon Stock Cars topped the bill, the Micro Banger Triples proved to be a bundle of fun and entertainment, with further support coming from the Hot Rods and Ministox.
Whilst there were a number of drivers sidelined with engine problems, Steve Brown (108) 2003 Banger points Champion, made his official move into Saloons, and Somerset Stan (666) made his 2004 return to the Saloon Stock Cars, but he was only to complete one lap of the raceway before slowing into retirement, and he failed to take to the grid again. Vince Stone (710) therefore led heat one away only for Chris Horwell (103) to take over at the head of the field. Richard Paris (11) was certainly using the bumper, and it was his hit on Danny Hunt (382) that created a pit bend pile up that claimed amongst others Paul Soper (654). Further into the race Stone lost a wheel bringing out the yellow flags, which naturally allowed the star grade to eat into Horwells lead. It was a few more laps though before Eddie Darby (677) put in a challenge, at the same time a backmarking Soper pushed aside Phil Powell (199), who was running in third. Darren Bradford (207) and Adrian Lowman (120) clashed towards the end, in an incident that would carry over to the next race. Darby eventually took up the lead, whilst Horwell managed to retain second over a recovering Powell.
Horwell dominated heat two virtually from flag to flag despite the presence of Powell in his mirrors. Darby and Hunt fought out a magnificent battle over the course of the whole race, which was only resolved when Darby picked up a puncture right at the very end. Lowman attracted the black flag for attacking Bradford from the infield, the Hemyock based driver choosing not to take any further part in the meeting.
It was Horwell who led over the opening laps of the final before Powell squeezed by to take up the running. The Taunton based driver appeared to be looking good for his first ever Saloon final win, that was until he came across a backmarking Stone who proceeded to spin him out as he tried to get through. This handed the lead back to Horwell, with Darby by this time having worked his way up to second. Going into the last lap Darby squared up for the big push. Horwell, sensing that the hit was coming, moved to the outside going into the last bend. This seemed to throw Darbys plan, the Ipplepen based driver getting caught up with Horwell, allowing Hunt to dive through the inside. Despite the best efforts of Darby he could not get back across to close the door, and so it was Hunt who took the flag from Darby, with Phil Morgan (001) having his best result of 2004 so far by taking third position.
Dave Tossell (117) put on an excellent display of defensive driving to take the victory in heat one, despite the combined efforts of both Mike Loosemore (780) and Tyronne Snell (77) to unnerve him. It was Snell who finally got the better of Loosemore to take second, whilst Derek Palmer (758) claimed fourth.
Mike Sergeant (784) put his heat two pole position to good use by taking a flag to flag victory, once again the main area of action was just behind the leader, Palmer finally making it through to second to take up the challenge. Despite the fact that Palmer clearly had the faster car he could not get passed the Exeter based driver, and he had to settle for second spot, with Snell taking third.
With the highest point scores from the heats at the front of the grid it was Snell who led away from Tossell, Snell pulling clear from his rivals. Tossell had proved very difficult to pass in the heat, and so it proved again in the final, with firstly Palmer and then Loosemore taking to the outside in an attempt to get through. Finally Loosemore did get by, and he quickly set off after Snell but to no avail. Tossell continued to drive defensively, but cleanly, and going into the closing stages he had Serjeant for company. In his effort to get by Serjeant hit Tossell in the rear panel forcing him off line and out of third spot. This was quickly changed at the end of the race due to the excessive contact, with Tossell rightly being awarded third place, whilst Serjeant was docked the customary two places.
Ministox
Quite an entertaining, and controversial afternoon of racing from the Ministox to round off a busy weekend for the youngsters.
Samantha Bunt (995) jumped into an early lead in heat one, whilst the sisterly pair of Katie Dawe (910) and Josie Dawe (907) rapidly closed in on the leader. Jason Kingwell (927) was dramatically spun inside out by Sam Lobb (918), however revenge was swift in coming, Lobb taking the full force of a hit from Kingwell that left the Wadebridge based youngsters car firmly in the pit bend. Kingwell incurring the wrath of the steward sufficiently enough to be awarded the black flag. Katie Dawe held on to take the victory, with Bunt retaining second, however Josie Dawe fell foul of a last bend challenge that slowed her progress somewhat and allowed Craig Deer (970) to take third place.
Rob Weber (972) led the opening laps of heat two, but a stranded Bunt in the pit bend caused Weber to slow dramatically allowing the whole field to bunch together in the Honiton bend. Katie Dawe was the first to react, as she swept into the lead. Kingwell took second place, but he ran out of time in his quest to catch Katie as she took her second win of the afternoon. The final saw a frantic three girl shoot out after early leader Weber had been moved to one side. Bunt and the Dawe sisters fought tooth and nail over the lead, Bunt having to give way to the pair who then dramatically took each other into a marker tyre in the Honiton bend sending cars scattering in all directions. Naturally a yellow flag was called for, but Josie double-checked her car was ok, before re joining at the rear of the grid. Katie had somehow bounced out of the fence to retain second place, with Kingwell being the main benefactor of the incident by inheriting the lead. Once underway again Kingwell and Dawe opened out a bit of a lead to take the one-two, whilst the action continued further down the grid as Daniel Stone (916) and Rebecca Astin (911) clashed allowing Nathan Olden to take third place.
For the first time ever at Smeatharpe the Micro Banger Triples put on a quite magnificent afternoon of racing, with some huge hits, and scary rollovers the order of the day. Basically take 3 small cars, chain them together, put them out on track against each other, and let the fun begin. And so it proved with the opening lap seeing Ian Porter (202) inverted whilst travelling at speed down the back straight, Porter emerging from the wrecked car to huge applause from the crowd. More importantly Porter and his team were allowed to sort out their cars and re join the action, a fact that was much appreciated all round. Once underway again what happened next just defied belief. Travelling down the home straight as part of a whole load of triples the lead car in the Quality Assured team lost control and turned left half way down the straight. Naturally the lead car rolled, only to be followed by the second car and then the third car, to leave all three cars in the team on their roof! It really must be one of the most dramatic incidents ever seen at Smeatharpe. The crowd roared their approval as all three drivers emerged from their overturned cars. Basher Broad likened it later to the corkscrew ride at Alton Towers, it was really that good.
Once underway once more the Fast Food triples displayed a huge amount of teamwork in keeping their cars together, although there was one scary moment for them as they came to pass the team headed by Jay Tompkin, all six cars dancing and snaking down the home straight as one, with the Fast Food team, comprising of Richard Horwell, James Ogborn, and Richard Short, keeping it together to take the victory and a huge genuine round of applause. There then followed two heats of straight Banger racing, with the action continuing thick and fast, Ian Meaker merging from the pits in an old Wolsley 1500, and promptly stuffed it into a parked car in the pit bend. Paul May (778) took the victory in the first heat, whilst Stu Nightingale (179) took the win in heat two. To round off the action a very entertaining DD/KOC saw Horwell taken into the infield Armco by Tompkin, whilst various cars stormed into the rear of Tiggys Wolsley to finish it off. In the end the shoot out went down to a dual between Richard Short and Andy Beaven, and it was Beaven who took the win by way of a killer head-on.
SALOONS
H1 677, 103, 199, 244, 382, 720, 001, 654, 108, 11
H2 103, 199, 382, 677, 244, 720, 001, 11, 108, 207
FL 382, 677, 001, 207, 244, 720, 103, 199, 108, 654
H1 117, 77, 780, 758, 262, 784, 341
H2 784, 758, 77, 780, 117, 798
FL 77, 780, 117, 758, 784, 798
H1 910, 995, 970, 925, 964, 972, 916, 911, 907, 908
H2 910, 927, 970, 964, 916, 925, 972, 995, 911, 908
FL 927, 910, 964, 995, 907, 972, 911, 908
MBT 707.38.55. 290.179.322
H1 778, 57, 262, 179, 322, 265, 38, 202, 28
H2 179, 57, 778, 265, 38, 69, 565, 707
DD 83
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