Standlake
8th June 2003. Summer open Championship
Another
excellent 68 car turnout for this annual prestigious event with the unders the
more popular class having 38 motors, including four A60s. 915 Vinny and 50
Screwloose campaigned used Cambridge and Oxford respectively whilst 117 Chinny
wielded a raced 15/60. Staying with the Wolseley’s 313 Mick Cotton had a fresh
16/60 and maybe not the oldest car of the day, 260 Keith Reynolds arguably had
racing’s rarest with a pretty Singer Vogue. Visitors in town today heralded
from Mendips, Paices Hill, SAA, Incarace and the mighty S!
Heat 1 (27 cars) - 274 Jon Adams was determined to wind Mayhem out in the opener and eventually succeeded whilst the ever improving 91 Dave Beauchamp ran 720 Kenny Blake’s mk4 escort in. 91 with 2 Jonathon Bricknell’s mk3 Cav in tow then removed 360 Bonkers’ smart BMW at speed causing the 360 fin plate to fly off and clear the Armco whilst 301 Darren Goves in a rear wheeled Bluebird launched an A60 attack, spinning Vinny before parking Chinny in Blake’s parked motor. 691 Mr Shifter (mk4) was dabbling with 133 Karly and eventually got the upper hand, spinning his adversary out as 104 Lee Gumm (Bluebird estate) roared off to a fine win ahead of 815 Ian Castle and the aforementioned Doughty.
Result:
104 Lee Gumm, 815 Ian Castle, 306 Marc Doughty, 91 Dave Beauchamp, 575 Paul
Tritton, 578 Bryan Tritton
Heat
2 (34 cars) - The
second heat began well with Mr Mag using the Vogue to spin 58 Martin Dalton’s
mk5 estate allowing 155 Mr Demolition (Capri) to thunder up the back of 58,
concertinaing the latter. Beachamp was getting a rough ride in the early stages
but shrugged it off with a blast on Screwloose whilst 580 Dippy Dave (mk3 Cavvy)
attacked Mendips star 12 Keno, the latter busy playing with 6 Gary Tomes
(Sierra) at the time. Dippy then copped a shot off Vinny who in turn was steamed
by 578 Bert which allowed Bonkers a free shot on the Cambridge as Gumm made it
back to back wins, removing 410 Muppet (mk3 cav) en route, 537 Mitch (mk3
escort) and Bert his placemen.
Result:
104 Lee Gumm, 537 Mitch, 578
Heat
3 (27cars) - Goves spun both Screwloose and 426 Slap’s rated rear wheeled
Sunny in the last heat whilst Bunny (who was now behind the 274 wheel) tossed
Muppet aside for a short lived lead as Dippy soon gave him a dose of his own
medicine, 580 in turn taking up the running. 291 Darren Mabbitt was meanwhile
picking on the vintage stuff, trying to run Mr Mag in before having Vinny round.
The latter was quick to recover only to cop a stiff blast off Slap as Bunny
buried Bonkers allowing Mabbitt a free shot on the Beemer. Bunny remained on the
case, firing Mayhem and Mabbitt in before jacking Vinny impressively. Dippy Dave
maintained his lead till flag fall ahead of the consistent Castle, with 576
Simon Hadland guiding his Cherry home in 3rd.
Result:
580 Dippy Dave, 815 Castle, 576 Simon Hadland, 133 Karly, 104 Lee Gumm, 2
Jonathan Bricknell,
Final
(29 cars) - The final commenced with a ‘60s reunion when Reynolds buried
Screwloose in style only to cop a blast off Bonkers, Mr Mag soon returning the
gesture only to feel the force of 306 Chunky’s smart mk3 Cav. Reynolds was
finally put down when 97 Rabbit (Charmant) jacked the metal firmly down on the
Vogue’s rear wheels. Tomes was followed in by 559 Neil Payne whilst Bricknell
removed the leading Hadland and very nearly Gumm too until Bert arrived to
attack Bricknell. Gumm’s narrow let off didn’t last long as 93 Mr Gobby
(Stanza) arrived on the scene which promoted Dippy Dave briefly but 133 Karly
soon fizzed him in to take over with Winnie snapping at his heels. Mayhem tried
to get Winnie round but the latter easily evaded his man and soon nipped past
Karly, the latter losing vital ground before removing parasite Beauchamp.
Hadland steamed Gumm, getting both front wheels off the ground in the process as
Karly jacked the 691 mk4 (driven by Paul Tritton) but befell a Bert follow in as
a consequence on the reds. Slap then became involved exchanging head ons with
Devils Bert and Hadland. Meanwhile Winnie was crowned Summer Open with Castle
and Mitch 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Result:
54 Winnie, 815 Castle, 537 Mitch, 578 Bert, 12 Kenny Gabriel, 2 Dave
O'Sullivan
So
to the demo. Mayhem picked Tomes up but copped Chinny when Tomes coolly
accelerated out of trouble, Chinny continuing to give Rabbit a bone before
exchanging head ons with Cotton. Chinny then survived a Bricknell follow in
whilst Gobby caught Winnie but he in turn was put down by Mayhem before the
latter then met Winnie on the nose. Chinny arrived to steam Mayhem at which
point both Wolseleys fell over bringing the reds out for an unconscious Mayhem.
Fortunately Mick soon returned from his dream and on the restart it had boiled
down to the Donalds of 104, 133, 274 and 301. Bunny and Goves both steamed Gumm,
Goves then turning attentions to Karly thinking he’d seen off Gumm. However
104 fired up and homed in on Goves, who replied with a head on. Bunny now found
a new lease of life and caught Gumm over the wheel, 104 continuing before
breaking to allow Goves to fire up the back of him whereupon Bunny arrived with
a stiff head on to Gumm. 104 was still game for more and copped a further blast
from Goves before he tried mounting Karly only to cop one on the nose from Bunny
and a t-bone from Goves which finally killed the game Gumm. Bunny then saw Goves
off with a final head on to take the win despite having been out of the action
for a couple of minutes, but considering this was how Goves had won his DD a
month earlier I doubt if he had any qualms about the decision.
Result:
274 Michael Bunyan
Unlimited Bangers
Of
the thirty overs just two were Volvos whilst from the land of the rising sun
came a Laurel for 984 Mark Byrne and Crowns for Real Steel pairing 737 Crash and
939 No Mates, the latter a custom coupe, but not for the first time eyebrows
were raised at the build spec of the latter two. Moving swiftly onto the states,
stable mates 719 Mickey Bates and 541 Nick Cross campaigned Mercury Grand
Marquis and Caddy Seville respectively whilst the best of British came in the
shape of four Jags, a used XJ40 for 106 Paul Gumm, fresh series three for 491
Neil Sparkes with series1s for 301 Goves (used) and 133 Karly (fresh). No
question about car of the class which once again came from Keith Reynolds, this
time a “jacked up” mk2 Zephyr with four studs on the front!
Heat
1 (23 cars) - The
heavens opened as they entered the Arena for the opening encounter but the rain
couldn’t dampen the action which amazingly started with Crash taking the lead!
Meanwhile his mates received attention from Karly, 939 ran in and 11 Taz nosed.
Crash naturally threw away his lead to blast Karly whilst Byrne fired up 71 Mr
Tea’s five series Beemer only to cop a shot off 537 Mitch’s Donald estate.
Crash steamed the Laurel, 383 Bulley (estate) and Gumm both instantly zeroing in
on the Real Steel man. Goves then hit Byrne over the wheel, the latter then
selecting reverse to meet his advancing brother 172 Simon who duly obliged with
a large portion. 984 was still mobile and soon repaid his spun bruv with a head
on. Goves meanwhile folded Crash’s boot up only for the latter to turn it
round whereupon Goves and 143 Chicken Man (estate) came off the centre at him
before he could do any damage. Crash fired back with a shot to Goves only to cop
a blast from 110 YoYo Man’s Vole estate as 54 Winnie chalked up another win in
his mk3 minster from the Bean fest ahead of the aforementioned YoYo
and Mendips guest 500 Lee May (estate).
Result:
54 Winnie, 110 YoYo, 500 Lee May, 112 Rusty, 939 Julian Camelleri, 172 Simon
Byrne
Heat
2 (21 cars) - Just No Mates from the Real Steel camp for the second heat. He
reversed 622 Ifor in whose estate jacked down on impact with the wall. However
this left the Crown Custom open to a fierce shot from Cross which actually
welded the two cars together and these two progressed to meet Bernie, Goves and
587 Pete Kerry (Volvo) causing a track blockage until Bates completed a Yank
sandwich by meeting Camelleri on the nose. Gumm zeroed in on Bates which freed
the 939/541 combination which continued against the flow, meeting Goves over the
wheel before No Mates directed his Jap at Bates. 530 Mr Ass meanwhile spun
Chicken Man en route to a fine win somehow resisting temptation to join in the
Real Steel bashing, Winnie bringing the minster home in second ahead of 364
Flumpys’s estate.
Result:
530 Mr A, 54 Winnie, 364 Flumpy, 112 Rusty, 654 Gavin Braggins, 260 Keefy
Heat
3 (18 cars) - No Mates and Cross reunited again in the third heat, the pair
of them getting air time when the latter once more tried mounting the Real Steel
man with Bates instantly zeroing in for a head on. A slow Mr Mag gently parked
up Bates whilst Kerry put Gumm away only to leave himself hanging on the wall.
30 Dim Tim trashed Taz whilst team mate Camelleri chained himself Siamese style
with Reynolds whereupon Gumm blasted the pair of them. Bernie arrived to meet No
Mates on the nose, he then repeated the move and copped a steam off Ifor as a
result. 311 Lee Bradbury was next to engage 939 on the nose but the
indestructible Crown once again drove off. Goves meanwhile chalked up the
victory ahead of Chicken Man and YoYo.
Result:
301 Govesy, 143 Chicken Man, 110 YoYo, 311 Lee Bradbury, 500 May, 30 Tim Day
Final
(15 cars) - 112 Rusty (estate) got off to a flyer in the final removing Ass
and YoYo, Ass then catching May over the wheel before jacking 654 Gavage. Flumpy
spun Dim Tim to set the early pace but that man Winnie was hot on his heels.
Karly forced Bradbury onto the centre, catching a napping Bully (who had gone
home for a saloon after his estate had been trashed by the Real Steel in the
opener). 311 returned to the racing line but Bates soon wound him out the latter
then meeting Bulley head on. Winnie eventually sneaked past Flumpy for a fine
double final win, 364 not far behind with Rusty back in 3rd.
Result:
54 Winnie, 364 Flumpy, 112 Rusty, 530 Mr A, 30 Dim Tim, 383 Bulley
Slap
(in the 133 Jag) homed in on No Mates in the derby only to feel the force of
Crandon as Taz took a psycho lunge at Reynolds, the Zody getting airborn before
Bradbury picked up and buried 587 (Haydn Carter) into 11 at pace, leaving the
latter’s wheel behind his seat and still firmly attached to the 587 Volvo
pulleys! Slap advanced to meet Byrne in a brave head on as Ass steamed 311 and
622 before engaging 311 in a head on which put a wheel back to leave 530
steeringless. This left Ass prone to a couple of hits from May who then stopped
Bradbury before reversing finally into Ass and claiming the win to end a lively
afternoon in the overs.
Result: 500 May
Finally
well done to “double champ” Winnie. Before everyone denounces him a rodder
perhaps somebody will do some ferreting around to discover if a montego has ever
won a final at the ‘Lake.
Bill