So its Easter and the start of the 2004 season propper, but wait... We will all be stuffed full of Easter Eggs and feeling sluggish.... ERM no it was frantic, close and action packed, not forgetting very very busy with well over 20 Super Bangers and around 40 Unlimited Bangers.. Thank goodness the weather held.
The MINISTOX had a few new faces and paintjobs. New faces included # 354 Lyall Slater
in a nice blue car, who spent the first few laps in either neutral or first gear then stormed it
when second gear was found, there was also # 131 David Jones with a lil red Mini, A Steele badged ministox too, red
of course with # 152 on it also lined up along with a nice bluey green car # 444 driven by a lass
called Lucy Isles Heardman... OOOOHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO another ruddy hyphenated driver, in fact
the lil sis of # 161 Nick Hyphenated, who was in a very smart new Ministox, complete with
smooth rounded corners and in the Team Hyphenated colour scheme. It was also the last ever meeting,
in Ministox for Hitman Hambilton, # 124 had also a new paintjobbi, but alas it had Wurth painted
all over it, and you know what I think of them lol. He unfortunately crashed out hard into the pit
corner wall in the Final, ending his Ministox career with a bang... a ruddy big bang. Talking
of big bangs a young lad by the name of Sam Twist, AKA Little Saint, blasted his way to the top
three of the field. He fought long and hard with his older bro in heat one, won heat two by
a country mile and fought long and hard for the final, with The male Hyphenated one. Little
Saint nudged Nick out of the way, then was nudged by # 101 Jimbob Hayhurst, who had had a mixed
day up to that point, though winning the final was a good thing for him, as was the second in heat two.
Anyway he spent a great deal of the day close racing with that one with the double barrel named
driver in car 161.. This looks like its going to be a big battle this season for the Championship.
That said action also came from # 492, young Dan Hurst, who was span out by that Haley Parkinson
gal in car # 344, Dan then did a three point turn in the middle of the corner, with all the
cars blasting past him on either side, that was in the second heat, in the final, # 140 and # 999
Darrell Shaw got in a tangle, Darrell was out and his abandoned car was clipped by Haley, then
it was clobbered gud n hard by # 561 Anthony Nicholson, who totalled the front of, and the engine
of his car, Darrell's hardly had a scratch.. As Carl, who had made a welcome return to the commentary
box said, 'It's hard to believe that these cars are driven by kids between the age of 10 and 16'
well maybe he didn't say it like that, but that what he meant, and by golly he was/is right!
The WARTON STOCK CARS were dominated by # 134 Alex (MB) Chapman, no that's not a typing
error. Alex was on a flyer, he won, heat one, after a recount, heat two convincingly and the
final, all this from a lad who, this time last season, had never driven a Stock Car! There were plenty
who did not share is good fortune and heat one claimed more than a few cars... # 81 Martin Clare
out after a spin in middle of the corner, # 34 Leon Jarman went out after going into the wall and
# 125 Wayne Palmer and # 135 Mick Howarth, both span, at the same time on opposite straights.
Heat two and a red flag for # 125 Wayne Palmer after a heavy shunt sideways into pit bend wall.
Another exit for a disappointed # 234 Jason Lord in his little beast. He span out after avoiding
another car climbing the wall on the pit straight in the final, though he seemed to be unable
to finish any race this meeting. # 717 went out in the grand national after a shunt in the pit bend.
A record (?) 21 SUPER BANGERS turned out, and there were incidents a plenty. However
.. Way back before the time of Rodder
Kellett, there was a driver who dominated the Super Bangers, his name was Tony Little, only
joking, it was JOHN RILEY.. The green # 14 car blasted its way to race and championship wins with ease.
Then on a sorrowful day it all ended, Black Flags were out in force and the era ended and the
new king took Riley's mantle... But wait, wot was this little green poogeot car, with an engine
where the front seats should be, and the controls where the back seats should be.. it had a number
on it.... a 1 and a 4.... surely it was not a return of the old King Riley??? If it is then there
is no way he can succeed after such a long lay off.... Well I can tell you it was and yes he could.
Mr Riley blasted his way to two victories, heat one and the final and came third in the Grand National,
where the winner of the final starts a lap down!! He has returned and seems like a main contender
to regain his crown this season. That said with such a big field, and many new drivers still to
start, maybe he won't have it all his own way. It was a first meeting in supers for # 18 Andrew
Molloy, who raced Ministox last year and has done quite well in bangers too, he was in the thick
of the action in heat two, getting tangled up with # 91 Phil Clegg and # 100 Peggy Potts, who had
a day to forget. The accident also caused the red flags after # 19 Michael Bell had a smash avoiding
hitting the wreckage. The red flags were out again after a smash at the pit corner in the final.
Team colours were prevalent with Molloy, DC and # 27 Molloy's Dad, who has a new number this year.
That said team colours they might have, but they scrap well hard on the track.. Its very entertaining.
BANGERS had a big turn out. Around six each for Bad Newz and TNT, three for Invaders and
shed load of others, inc. Bones, Dan Steele, Alan Lewis, Fat Daz and team ASAP... ERM who?
It all started off nicely enough in a TNT dominated heat 1, with gentlemanly driving all round.
Dan sniffed at Alan's rear, causing a spin for Dan, and Alan went on to take victory. Fat Daz seemed
to take the biggest hit of race, out buried in the pit corner wall. It was
the debut senior race for young Father Ted, # 51 of Invaders, he acquitted himself well and was
probably glad he weren't in heat two. That featured a good few Bad Newz and they kicked the
proverbial ass. Bones, who normally wrecks other cars, was left with both rear wheels off the
ground. Angus, # 416, and # 501 Ste Kaye took on Bad Newz, and came out worse for wear. Jacko
of the Riot Squad took out an impressive Granny Limo of # 151 TNT's Steve Scurr Jnr. Only three
from the large field finished, all of them Bad Newz cars! The Consolation race saw # 170 taken
out early and # 695 of THB take massive air onto the infield, but carry on racing. Paul, Invader,
Woods and # 106 ASAP multi coloured car, both had rear doors up and flaying in the breeze.
The Orange n Black Jag # 286 was span into inner wall. Le Finale et non goode drivin from # 528
Rob (invadere) put im out of le race. A nice pack em and stack em tho at pit corner saw young
Ted on top of # 62 David Eccles (Bad Newz). Ted's team mate/mentor Paul woods had smashed into
# 62 Dave Eccles, Paul got out of his car and two laps later Gypo Jim, # 270 of Bad Newz rear
ened Pauls car. And Alan Lewis was in mix thanks to a shove from
TNT's 111. Dan Steele was one of only four cars still running, in forth place. The other four
were TNT cars. Dan took almost one place a lap, without even touching the TNT cars in an impressive
Grand Finale finish. He took out # 474 in a Volvo in the Banger Mechanics race. Ted got tied up
with and took out himself and Paul Woods (oops), and a great wrecking train with # 117 of Bad Newz
, a TNT car and Jacko of Riot Squad piled over start finish line. Angus was mullered, along with
# 48 Scouse Kev, by the Jag numbered 286. # 117 and Fat Boy esq. of TNT ended up the rear of
young Ted's stricken car. Plenty started the DD, after hasty repairs on the track, Scouse
Kev n Jacko fought it out, as did, # 695 and Basher Kaye. Ste took the DD after being the last
car moving and burying himself in the rear of an ex Volvo estate with a plate number 474. Infact
Ted's car, Paul Woods's car and this ex estate car were perfectly parked with all front and rear
ends in a perfect line, which kind of summed up the whole day.. Perfik.
SnOrK
The results are: MINISTOX Heat 1 161 101 93 3 16 344 123 928 Heat 2 93 101 161 3 16 344 206 123 Final 101 161 16 93 344 206 123 131 Grand National 161 16 93 344 123 101 131 140BANGERS Heat 1 510 119 41 297 111 156 Heat 2 62 270 117 Consolation 612 514 696 Final 41 119 156 42 Mechanics 41 106 48 D.D. 501 SUPER BANGERS Heat 1 14 19 668 27 274 964 669 247 Heat 2 141 14 944 183 264 274 669 99 Final 14 274 18 88 944 27 200 183 Grand National 274 27 14 18 19 200 668 356 STOCK CARS Heat 1 134 342 102 717 347 65 911 343 Heat 2 134 234 102 342 347 251 252 911 Heat 3 V O I D Final 134 252 102 251 65 342 347 717 Grand National 65 342 102 251 911 347 134 135
