Arena Essex Raceway - Meeting 04/26 Sunday, August 15, 2004 Crashnet > Reports Index > PRI 2004 Index > Meeting 04/26

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars World Semi-Finals Group A Hot Rods Groom Motorsport Millennium Trophy Mk. III Granada Bangers

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars
With both semi-finals for the BriSCA F2 World Championship being held at the same circuit this year, Arena Essex saw more F2 Stock Cars on August 15 than before as the top ranking drivers competed for the right to race for the title at Barford in September.

Defending champion Barry Goldin was well placed to retain his title as he started the first semi-final outside Mick Sworder on the first row, and this was a chance to see the pair of them, both with past track championship titles, fight it out. Indeed it seemed that the cars leading this first race were mainly those with past Arena experience, Goldin grabbing the lead from the start and pulling well away from Sworder, Dave Luscombe in third while Daz Kitson managed a good race from the very back of the field to get fourth place. The second semi-final, however, was a little less straighforward as Gary Coffey and Mark Simpson tangled on the pit bend, leading to a complete restart as Coffey's car refused to start and Coffey himself needed some attention. On both starts, Gordon Moody started off well, but the second start was the important one as he and Bill Batten broke away from the pack, Batten using his knowledge of the circuit to get the lead. Tom Smarts' car also left its mark on the race by leaving an oil slick around the pit bend, slowing the race down and leaving more than one car ending up facing the wrong way. There were no further changes at the front, however, with the West Country ace Batten taking the second semi-final ahead of Moody with James Thackra in third. Post meeting scruntineering turned up nothing suspicious, so we have to makings of an interesting battle to come in the final. SF 1 Grid   Inside   Outside 152 Mick Sworder 401 Barry Goldin 154 Steve Green Jr. 559 Bert Finnikin 642 Dave Luscombe 905 Rob Mitchell 13 Andy Ford 103 Carl Isset 291 Craig Tomblin 676 Neil Hooper 315 Justin Fisher 717 Mike James 469 Ian Chalkley 82 Keith Brown 254 Richard Beere 15 Steve Green 128 Brian Stephen 130 Daniel Ford 309 Brian Forrest 890 Pete Rice 290 James Waterfall 606 Andrew Palmer 881 Sean Ward 731 Dave Ruby 732 Daz Kitson SF 2 Grid   Inside   Outside 901 Ian Thompson Jr. 79 Gordon Moodie 167 Bill Batten 69 Stewart Chalkley 170 Mark Helliwell 265 Bart Stephen 134 Andy Maynard 833 Rob Kaye 721 Graham Kelly 713 Martin Ford 111 Lewis Geach 871 Mark Simpson 744 Tom Smart 647 Chris Burgoyne 176 Gary Coffey 371 Peter Wright 49 John Davies 210 Chris Lindsay 781 Simon Walker 725 Paul Broatch 339 Stuart Kelly 667 Tim Farrell 324 James Thackra 702 Allen Cooper 925 Paul Wilson

In the support races, Matt Linfield won a somewhat delayed first race, held up early on as Chris Mykulla lost a wheel on a circuit that was a little unreliable due to a practice session oil drop. Linfield managed to grab the lead quickly after the start, though again the race was delayed by car damage. Calvin Warley took second spot ahead of Chris Bradbury, but there was plenty of contact through the race. Thirty cars turned out for the meeting consolation race. With that number, it was inevitable that some folk would come together, though Andy Ford did a better job at falling apart at one point. The consolation winner was Craig Tomblin, the race being declared as things went a little too far, two drivers getting loaded after the race which is something that hasn't happened often at this circuit with the F2's.

The meeting final saw some contact early on, Graham Malling and Lewis Geach meeting up with Stewart Chalkley who lost a wheel in the scrimmage while Adrian Blackwell took on the early lead. As with most of the racing that day, however, Blackwell faded back through the field as the graded drivers caught up, Sean Ward taking the lead while Bill Batten led the red top charge through. Batten would not repeat his winning performance, however, as he came out of the bridge bend only to find Bert Finnikin in his way, Batten flying through the air in a spectacular aerial spin on his way out of the race! Further down the order, Sworder and Goldin kept each other pretty busy too, Ward finishing first with no hindrance. Sworder made up for it in the Grand National Qualifier, Goldin deciding to give the race a miss. Sworder crept up the order, getting past Warley to win with a lap to spare, Chris Lindsay taking third.

Mk.III Granada Bangers
The Mk.III Granada Banger event at Arena Essex, an extra formula added to the August 15 meeting, provided a double win for Paul Hunter. He took the combined final and Rawlins 2000 qualifier ahead of first heat winner Mick Bradbury, with DD specialist Ian Smith getting the last car award.

Group A Hot Rods
The longest Group A Hot Rod race of the season, the Groom Motorsport Millennium 50, got a little shorter this year as, on August 15 at Arena Essex, the race was shortened. First by ten laps to forty, then to thirty as the race suffered two bad starts, the first seeing off Jason Griffiths, Dave Lamb, Steve Gooch and Bill Witherall, then the second leading to a pile up as Dennis Howes rammed into the side of the late booked West car around turn four, this leading to a pile up which turned out worst for Chris Fuller, a past marathon winner. By the time the race was ready to go again, the field was a shadow of the original thirty qualifiers, the race eventually ending up as a chase as Nicky Parris raced ahead, opening up a lead that defending title holder Chris Smith was unable to close in time. Previous title winner Gary Rouse took third spot.

Kurt Chopping won his first ever winners' trophy in the first warm up race, taking control from the start in a flag to flag victory, Trevor Gillman and Robbie Wolf behind him, though Wolf only just held off Griffiths for his points. Dave Lamb then did his back to front run to win the second warm up sprint race, taking the win outside Howes on the last lap, Simon Simmons in third. Some of the dead Millennium cars returned for the allcomers' race at the end of the meeting, though the race was easily taken by Clinton Groom, taking the win from early leader Parris and Dave Hutchins.

Last car: 336 Ian Smith

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

© 2004 Chris Johnson (Crashnet) / Promotasport Raceways