Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 04/06 Monday, April 12, 2004 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2004 Index > Meeting 04/06

PRI Banger Team Championship Round 1 1300 Stock Cars Supreme Championship Qualifying Round 1 SuperBangers

PRI Banger Teams
There were a number of changes to the teams in the 2004 version of the PRI Banger Team Championships, with a few teams dropping out altogether and a few drivers swapping about, though the big question centred around a number of the favoured teams and their use of specially imported drivers. One notable ringer turned out for the Midnight Runner team, out to regain the title from the defending champions, the Condoms. Though still racing in his familiar Ahern rat colours normally, Richie Ahern made an appearance in the meeting in the familiar blue and white of the Runners, and the drivers' list made for some interesting reading, promising some clashes later in the season if some of the promised drivers turn out.

First blood in the heats went to the Gladiators, Dave Canham beating Anthony Oak who races this year for the ironically titled "Team No Mush". With Mick Bradbury and Craig Hewitt finishing third and fourth for the Cowboys, however, it seemed that the Canvey based team was making a serious attempt to take the first round, streaking into an early lead, the Gladiators unable to consolidate on their win as Danny Oliver ended up in a smash at the bridge end of the circuit. Tommy McGurk, previously a Creamster, this year races with the Dawn Raiders, though he would not finish this race following a run in with Dean Goodearl of another new team, the Essex Boys, who slung him into Ronnie Boy of the Ant Hill Mob into and abandoned wreck. Heat two, however, was something of a blowout for the Cowboys as they failed to score, Rob Farringdon grabbing the full ten points for Team No Mush ahead of Mark Want for the Creams and Malcolm Mortimer for Bad Company, the Condoms going ahead at this point courtesy of Rob Burbridge and RDC everything-winner Dave Vincent. It was a long wait in this race for anything to really collide, Dave Osborn of the Wrekin Krew getting the first smacking just after half way, Jason Jackson uncharacteristically getting caught too by the pit gate. The Runners wheeled their ringer out for heat three, while the Condoms took the opportunity to bring out Andrew Davies, though the winner was actually Chris Worthington, grabbing ten for the Menace, Jimmy Randall, just behind him, grabbing nine points for the Runners, Ahern adding to that in sixth and Davies having to content himself with an appearance in the consolation race. This made for an interesting setup for the consolation as the main contenders were now within only a few points of each other. The last chance to qualify for the final saw a lot of cars and drivers that you might have expected to have easily made their way into the main event, the Wrekin Krew and the Menace successfully using the race to boost their points, whilst the Gladiators, Condoms and Cowboys seemed more intent on getting the last few of their number into the final. Normally, Ian Smith would be racing a Gladiator car, but on this occasion his winners' points went to the Wrekin Krew, Ray Layton getting second spot for the Menace in a typically hard fought consolation race, including a big wrecking session on the pit gate turn, including one up the rear for Roy Laybourn from former OSH regular Jason Mills before Martin Scully was jammed up on top of the giggling Guy Edwards' wreck, then held in place by mushless Lee Callis. The latter part of the race wasn't so hard, though Darren Nash still found a few ways to have fun among the metal. He wasn't alone out there either.

Craig Hewitt was the only qualifier that missed out on the final, though whether this was the only reason why the Cowboys failed to score in the final is open to some debate. With thirty-nine cars on the circuit, it was bound to be a heavy event, though to start with the various drivers were pretty cautious about hitting anything. It couldn't last, however. Turn one clogged up early on, but little else up to the half way point besides a few spins. Farringdon led by that point, and was still ahead four laps out, with Davies moving up. Paul Whiteman was spun out of at this point by Lee West, then Dan Reid took Farringdon out which left Davies in the lead. It was left to Ahern to change that, taking out the current PRI World Champion on turn four and changing the whole layout of the result. However the race was stopped and declared at that point as Farringdon had to be fished from his wreck, the race going to Danny Oliver. Although his teammate Simon Smith was placed second on the day, later enquiries showed that Matt Fuller of the Runners was actually second which, when taken into account with the rest of the result, meant that the Gladiators won the round by one point ahead of the Runners with the Condoms in third place.

The meeting was rounded off as usual by a Rawlins 2000 Qualifier, a race and destruction derby run as a solo event. The race segment was taken by Paul Wilkes with Fuller in second and Gary Greenland third whilst a number of big hits started coming in even before the main DD segment had begun. Fuller decimated Wilkes after the chequered flag had descended, running straight through his back end, Ahern and Joe Warner being the last cars to still be around to have a go, though Warner's car was almost dead by this point and Ahern had also been playing hard, especially with Goodearl's wreck which had given out some time earlier. Ahern and Warner died without another hit leaving Fuller as the last runner running.

SuperBangers
Easter Bank Holiday Monday was the first outing this year for the SuperBanger formula, a formula that seems to have become quite popular with some drivers of the classic banger formula where they like a little contact but are less interested in having to carry the remains of the day home in a rubbish bag. Certainly it seemed that way with this first meeting of 2004 which saw so many cars turn up that an extra race had to be added, the meeting turned into a three group set up with an allcomers' final at the end.

The meeting was dominated by Barry Smith who managed to win every race he was in. Since he wasn't in the first race, it was left to someone else to pick up the first heat trophy, that person being Jamie Wilders, known normally for his National Banger exploits and not the only driver to make the switch to the all Granada Mk.II formula. Adam Stewart led the race early on from the front of the grid, building up quite a large lead until Wilders caught and passed inside on the pit bend, Fred Webb being the next closest in third spot but too far back to improve on that. Rob Sterling and Richard Smee fought over the heat two lead early on, but both would have to settle for positions down the order as first Wilders and ultimately Smith came into the group, though third place for Sterling, behind Wilders and Smith, wasn't a bad position to finish in. Smith would find his way past Wilders first, then both would pass Smee and Sterling as the race came to a conclusion. The result from the third heat sounded almost like a result from a decade before in the PRI full contact formula, with people such as Steve Davies, Roger Trickett and John Alder up there, though this would be a second win for Barry Smith, Stewart again making a good effort early on but losing out later on, though he would benefit from a late battle for second place between Davies and Alder that would see Davies hold on, Stewart making the most of the confusion to sneak through at the last moment for third spot. Smith won the final despite a spin, leading Stewart and Webb home, Smith leaving it until the very last corner to finally grab the win.

1300 Stock Cars
Easter Monday for the 1300 Stock Cars was really all about Darren Pratt, who managed to sweep almost all the maximum points for the meeting, only dropping a couple in the final by finishing second behind Derek Mortimer. Pratt went to the front easily, going inside Glenn Bragg early on then, after a few brief skirmishes, jetted away to collect the warm up race winners' trophy, James Avison holding Delbert off for second place. The first casualty in the final was Paul Haralambou who took on the armco on turn four and lost, Avison briefly leading, the Bragg, then all at the front mixed up allowing Mortimer to go through, with Pratt right on his tail in the final stages, Delbert just holding on to take the win. Pratt then repeated his feat from the warm up, the result very similar to that race with Avison and Mortimer second and third.

Points after meeting 04/06

Please note that the points shown are unofficial and are given as a guideline only. For the official standings, you should consult the monthly newsletter or contact the PRI Office during office hours on (01708) 867728.

Please note: The above result and the points below include the appeal made by 188 Matt Fuller regarding the PRI Banger Team final event result.

Also see Matthew Bull's website for more pictures from this meeting!

© 2004 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways