New ORC/PRI World Champion

National Bangers
The weather started out well for the 39th World Championships for the National Bangers, though the scrutineers were being extra cautious this year with scrutineering with under car checks instigated as well as normal checks. There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as scrutineering was concerned although one driver turned out in an immaculate Omega but, when the car was lifted for its inspection, it was found that part of the exhaust was held on with a bit of old rope, to the driver's embarrassment! We also had the usual round of mishaps including Scottish driver Matty Thredgold (474) who, in an attempt to be helpful, left his bonnet unbolted only for it to blow off down the back straight! Shayn Windsor (160) repeated the trick later on in the scrutineering, though there wasn't much more that that, although the racing was delayed by a combination of traffic delays on the surrounding roads and a backlog of car checks.

The first "last chance" race was won comfortably by Matt Fuller (188) though the talk of the race was where Roy Laybourn (30) decided to take out his frustrations on cars on the infield. His actions sent dismounted drivers, officials and photographers alike running for safety. With the actions of the previous race, the members of the Cream Team were at first told that they were ejected from the meeting but the steward changed this ruling following an appeal which allowed the half a dozen Creams in the second heat to participate. Some of these, however, were to become involved in a major pile up on the pit bend. Not that what was left of the field backed off, Will Walmsley (14) getting attention from (222). The driver that won it, however, had come out at the last minute and started at the back of the grid, Ryan Cunningham (535). This would set a theme for the main final.

This year's World Final was a bit of history as the winner managed to take his title from the last car race. Matt Fuller (188), a former 2l Banger World Champion, managed to win the race from the back of the grid, finishing ahead of Lee Greenwood (81) and John Reeves (788), both representing RDC. Fuller had made significant progress from the back when the race was stopped and completely restart when Matty Thredgold (474) jacked John Seex (103) into the dead Barry Hennessey (279) car on the pit bend. The race restarted with a few holes in the grid, defending champion Jack Overy (617) deciding to join in with his team colleagues after his car was spun out of contention, providing plenty of entertainment as he managed to take on and stop a large number of cars in the increasingly clogged pit bend including Dale Hughes (227) who had been in contention at the time, Fuller taking full advantage of the blockage. Only eight cars finished out of the thirty-nine cars that started the race, Overy being the last of these. An enquiry followed as tempers frayed following the finish, a number of incidents taking place in the race control area.

The meeting "Grand National" Final started with 75 cars, only four of which managed to finish in an event that had to be seen to be believed! This has to be the most starters for a race at Arena Essex ever! The race boiled down to a major wrecking session on turns three and four, a number of drivers loaded for their actions as they all piled into cars on the centre, though the track itself became blocked. Spedeworth driver Andrew Cullen (397) took the win after Danny Sutton (439) was taken out on the last corner in the wreckage. The win in the last "Destruction Derby" race went to Lee Hughes (294) but the bit that was really worth the long wait was the wrecking at the end, newly crowned World Champion Matt Fuller unable to make his car last the distance, the last car award eventually going to Marty Eighteen (514). The Driver of the Day went to Dean Mayes (730).

SuperBangers
Chris Trickett (247) and Brian Jarvis (363) were tangled up on turn four at the start of the first race, Trickett retiring with damage to his nearside front and Jarvis returning to the race some way down to recover to seventh by the end of a race led for much of its length by Pat Ahern (99) until the last lap when Roger Trickett (145) pushed him aside for a win. The second race took place immediately after the Banger World Final which mean that the turns, especially turn four, were very greasy which caused Pat Ahern problems, spinning off the lead on the first lap and spinning more than once thereafter, a last spin knocking his back quarter in and locking one rear wheel, a trick repeated by race winner Chris Trickett, though only after completing the race distance! Trickett managed to grab the lead by first getting past Jarvis who wasn't quite as sure of his cornering on the greasy fourth corner, then easily going inside Darren Gray (509) in the closing stages for the win, Jarvis tagging on with first race winner Roger Trickett in third.

1300cc Stock Cars
Deborah Whiteman (635) won the Essex Championship race for the 1300cc Stock Cars, taking the lead late in the race from Banger regular Daryl Theedom (600) who also took the white top award, while Jack Wheelwright (616) narrowly missed out on the runner up position. Throughout the race there was fierce competition between the various high grades including George Heath (641), Alex Guintini (694) and Ian Beaumont (713). Darren Pratt took the £100 winner's kitty in the Dash for Cash race the finished off the day's racing for the 1300cc Stocks, Danny Wade trying his hardest to catch the leader but, as with many, floundering on the greasy fourth corner, hitting the wall on many laps.

Oval Racing News is back! Oval Racing News, on hiatus for the past season, returns with a new look but all the same action from around the world of short cicruit racing. Check your local track shop for copies.

Banger British Final

The heavily attended BBA British Championship final was won on Saturday night, August 8, by Davey Cox in a race that was stopped for a complete restart shortly after Jack Overy took out Dave Palmer and Shane Davies. An incident followed this as a car t-boned the Palmer vehicle well after the red flag, the offending car being "attacked" by a marshal.

Daniel Douglas just managed to hold out against a concerted effort by James Ellis to win the Reliant Robin World title in the same meeting. Further news may be found at the RDC Website, www.rdcpromotions.cjb.net.

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