Crashnet > Reports Index > Other Reports - 2000 Index > Wimbledon - Unlimited Banger World Final
Wimbledon Stadium (Spedeworth)
Sunday, 12th. November, 2000
Unlimited Bangers World Championship
1300 Stock Cars London Championship
Autospeed's Danny Hunt lifted this years' Spedeworth Unlimited Bangers World Final trophy for 2000 after narrowly beating PRI Drivers' Champion Sonny Sherwood and veteran multi-winner Colin Farley at Wimbledon Stadium on November 12.
The stadium was packed out for Spedeworth's annual Banger blowout, and this year were treated to the usual fireworks and, though there were no celebrities on hand this year, they did put in the cover band "Steps Beyond", though from where I was their performance was met with supreme indifference except for a few kids in the front row, and personally I could have cheerfully throttled the girl who kept screaming "OOO OOO" into the mike! Other than that, the meeting seemed well accepted, even the hike in entry fees taken without too much complaint, although the entry kiosks, especially the glass enclosure ones, caused the usual scrimmage!
As for the racing itself, the first heat was taken by Dave Guintini (314) in the closing stages of the race, ahead of Mark Anderson (17) and Paul Tompkins (82). There was some good follows and jackings, including Alan Hunt's (528) double attack on (343) towards the end of the race. The second heat was far more interesting, especially as it included some big name racers that normally might have been expected to be in the final already, including 1998 holder Colin Farley (6), Trackstars' Martin Brunson (T537) and Northampton's John Golden (N384). With a pile up on turn four spreading down the home straight, a general warning was issued for corner cutting, Mark Bryant (732) took one up the chuffer from Steve McEvoy (I39) while Mark Thomas (25) spun out Jenni Holliday (N71), one of two lady drivers in the race; the other, Annette Nicholls (T536) spent the latter part of the race playing bump with Bruno (T537) who was running in fourth. The race went to Farley (6) in the end, while second past the post Buster Godden (N262) was disqualified for excessive corner cutting, elevating (T209) to second and Bruno to third.
The final was preceeded by the usual grid draw, with some well prepared material on show including an Austin 3 litre estate which, according to one source trackside, was only the second time one had been raced. Mark Glenister (700) received a smart car award for that, as did Alan Reed in a Granada Hearse, his final one as he announced that this title defense would be his last race, backing up what had been said the previous week at Arena Essex. With these formalities over and Buxton's Jon Worstencroft (B751) installed on pole, the race started with Dave Vincent (R22) and Danny Hunt (A382) sliding off while most of the rest including Speedy were consumed by a pit end pile up. Richard Flockton (670) took up the early running while Wusty bounced off Tony Wade (P133) and spun out on the back straight, but Flockton was to eventually come a cropper himself and the running was taken over by Vincent with Sonny Sherwood (P348) close behind. Vincent and Mushy have long been racing rivals at Mildenhall and the rivalry came to the fore again as the pair swapped places at the front more than once, though Sherwood had the better time of it, his only fault being a stall on the home straight for no apparent reason. By half way, despite Carl Overy's (T617) tickle on Vincents' rear end, there were no Spedeworth in the top six runners, though this was to change by the end. Of other favourites by this time, Speedy had not survived the early pile up and Shane Brown (A120) had been fetched in heavily by Trevor Luff (N777) who himself had been shunted. It all looked rosy for Sherwood until Wusty decided to get involved in the title struggle and went for Mushy's rear end rounding turns one and two. Fighting to keep going, Mushy had to let Hunt through before he was able to recover on the back straight to second place, Vincent in third. From behind, however, last chance winner Farley was charging through the ranks and was able to take Vincent out in the closing laps, though he was too late to get further forward than that. The confirmation placed all four front cars as legal, which meant that the title would be heading home to Autospeed with Danny Hunt, PRI's Sonny Sherwood unable to close the gap at the end getting second, a miracle last chance drive from Colin Farley for third, while Vincent recovered to get fourth. And what was that flash I saw from the young ladies accompanying the winners around on their laps of honour? More about that later on!
The Bangers closed out with a couple of races, the first going to Mark Thomas, denying Mike Kilford (M202) a win four laps from home after Kilford had spiked Steven Cannearts (C00) early on, second across the line Steve Williams (A224) disqualified for a head on on the back straight safety area after the chequered flag, Dave King (206) his victim. The second race went to Mark Bryant (732) in a well spread race with Farley getting second, early leader Wadey getting shunted on the back straigt by Mark Watkins (I213) who was eventually also taken out by Alan Tarn (N294) and Gordon Coull (510) in a suicide double on turn one. Despite a good hard drive, Mark Holdsworth (I6) was to be disqualified from third for corner cutting. This left the final destruction derby, twelve cars wrecking themselves into oblivion starting with McEvoy jacking Mark Anderson (17) hard inside turn one while Kilford was spun in by Bill Bylett (26) before the event was stopped after John Dodge (701) was destroyed on the pit turn. The remaining cars tried their best to make something of it in the restart, indeed Kilford was to receive a monster bashing from Hunt, Bylett and Ovett, finally stopping when (209) stuffed one up his tailpipe, but the final run up was between Bylett and Ovett, Bylett's car flaming up deciding the winner as Showtime Ovett.
It was barely three weeks since Steve Jackson (376) lost his 1300 Stocks World title to Mark Smith (416) at Arena Essex, and he seemed determined to make sure that the London Open title stayed with him at least, though in the first heat he was beaten out by a good drive from Darren Goudy (256) in a well stretched 32 car start, Ian Blackman (204) spun from his position in second a bare 100 yards from the line. Lee Boulden (11), Polo's younger brother, then showed the Spedeworth drivers' champion a clean pair of rear wheels, Jackson only just managing to grab second from Mark Bloss (371). However with the extra laps afforded in the final, Jackson was to easily run to the front, keeping ahead of rival Smith all the way after the mid point red flag after Sam Holland (10) had to be rescued after crashing out on turn four. As for the display on show after the race... absolutely tittilating!!! I'll say no more!
Final Grid: Inside Outside 751 John Worstencroft (Buxton) 670 Richard Flockton 00 Steven Cannearts (CAMSO) 22 Dave Vincent (RDC) 236 Karl Gray (GMP) 382 Danny Hunt (Autospeed) 811 Pete Winter (TSR) 57 Stuart Cumming (RDC) 202 Mike Kilford (Ringwood) 27 Dale Hughes 348 Sonny Sherwood (PRI) 294 Alan Tarn (NIR) 75 Jim O'Brian (Incarace) 777 Trevor Luff (NIR) 41 Willie Skoyles 254 Richard Beare (Autospeed) 264 Mark Welland 172 Simon Byrne (Ringwood) 724 Mark Puddiphatt (NIR) 120 Shane Brown (Autospeed) 617 Jack Overy (TSR) 4 Dave Wilde 258 Mark Undershutz (GMP) 295 Graham Heywood (Buxton) 199 Phil Powell (Autospeed) 33 Gary Madgewick 536 Annette Nichols (TSR) 99 Richard Ahern (PRI) 207 Steve Ovett 88 Alan Read (TSR) 158 Shane Davies (RDC) 6 Mark Holdsworth (NIR) 700 Mark Glenister 331 Jason Jackson (PRI) 37 Phil Woskett (NIR) 133 Tony Wade (PRI) 206 Dave King 390 Steve Unsworth 45 Simon Tabinor (Incarace) 213 Mark Watkins (Incarace) 147 Andrew Davies (RDC) 46 Keith Painter Last car entrants 314 Dave Guintini and 7 Colin Farley Smart cars 88, 206, 700 (a rarity! An Austin 3 litre Estate...), 27, 33, 670 and 172 Results 1 Bangers LC1 314 Dave Guintini /17/82/R53/733/528/?266/260 2 Bangers LC2 7 Colin Farley /T209/T537/510/M224/294/576 NOCR 3 1300 Stx 1 256 Darren Goudy /376/373/371/181/416/71/657/11/204 4 Bangers UWF A382 Danny Hunt /P348/7/R22/I213/M202/206/46/I45/207 5 1300 Stx 2 11 Lee Boulden /376/371/416/3/256/36/657/771/211 6 Bangers 1 25 Mark Thomas /?66/82/26/T617/M202/264/528/670 7 Bangers 2 732 Mark Bryant /7/207/670/528/I60 NOCR 8 1300 Stx Final 376 Steven Jackson /416/373/71/371/256/72/657/600/44 9 Bangers DD 207 Steve Ovett /26 NOCR Results subject to confirmation by promoter. Stock car home promotions annotated by their number range. Codes A - Autospeed (South West) B - Buxton (Hi-Edge) M - Matchams (Ringwood) N - Northampton (Brafield) R - RDC (Mildenhall/Dover) P - PRI (Arena Essex) I - Incarace (Midlands) C - CAMSO (Continent) T - TSR (East Anglia/Sheffield) ? - Not listed (the programme had a few gaps!)