Standlake 10^th October 2004 Under 1800cc    Report by Bill

One shy of forty for this one including a brace of Ringwood drivers one of whom being 890 Barry Collins who had top fresh Ford with a tidy Mk3. Sticking with the Henrys 852 Jay returned his Corsair with 411 Baby Face completing the used beef racing his brother’s Hednesford Super minx estate. Once again though 313 Mick Cotton supplied car of the day, an Oxford. The Devils were out in force including new recruit Boomer no doubt out to support 578 Bert in his efforts to win this year’s points. Winnie started the day ten ahead of Bert with YoYo Man a further ten adrift with just the Metros to go after today. Not surprisingly all three were competing in both classes.

Heat 1 (27 cars) - for the opener with 712 Judy (Volvo 440) straight away hooking 600 Jason Emery out, Collins picked up & buried 573 Chris Brooks’ Maestro, sidelining his fellow Ringwood man 168 John Hallam (Capri) into the bargain. 77 Bass (Sunny) was soon parked alongside 168 when he tried to avoid Mayhem who unaware went on to lean 298 Ricky Bradbury’s Vole 440 in & gracefully fell over. Reds out to extract Mayhem & Emery from the restart avoided an embarrassing repetition when 37 Kevin Agutter (Mk2 Cavalier) tried winding him out, 576 Simon Hadland (Astra estate) hot on 37’s heels & indeed span his man. Things then went quiet until 112 Rusty (Accord) latched onto 417 Shelly’s Cav, the latter avoiding a fencing by leaning on 536 Kev Hardie (Prelude), Emery then catching 536. 252 Will Bignell (Rover 216) connected with 600 launching himself on two wheels, Emery then again in the spotlight when he foiled an attempted follow-in, 716 Jamie Lyden the assailant 691 Mr Shifter (Mk5 estate) the victim. Hardie then span Emery before taking out 110 YoYo Man (Cav), the latter no doubt gutted as he had been making steady progress & naturally eager for points. Lyden located Mr Shifter again & this time thundered his man in, leaving the tender Cortina typical of many such wrecks of the past. New FBI recruit 70 Steven Hart celebrated probably the sport’s first Proton Persona victory with a crash on 69 Martyn Cane’s more familiar SE version, Rusty & 815 Ian Castle (Sunny ZX) next over the line. Hart no doubt rued his actions though as he was quickly on the trailer & back to the workshop to weld a broken steering arm.

Result: 70 steven Hart, 112 Shaun Russell, 815 Ian Castle, 252 Will Bignell, 576 Simon Hadland, 54 Alan Cartwright

Heat 2 (30 cars) - with Jay burying Baby Face in a battle of the tin as 124 Orris removed Cane but went round himself. 36 Mark Bennett in his Nudge & Spin Maestro took a shot off Bass as 674 Anthony Telling’s ex prod rod Acclaim was buried by the pack. Rusty biffed 12 John Aldridge on the nose & then hooked Lyden out before a recovered Aldridge stuffed 456 Aaron Hawes (Capri) in the fence. Rusty arrived to remove Aldridge before Collins thumped Cane into the latter launching the Proton into a spectacular roll & trying to climb the Armco! Teammate Agutter copped a biggie unseen as 578 Bert (Cavvy) took the win  & more importantly maximum points, YoYo Man also scoring well in 2^nd with Castle once again 3^rd.

Result: 578 Bryan Tritton, 110 Derek Tyler, 815 Castle, 575 Paul Tritton, 536 Kevin Hardie, 54 Winnie

Heat 3 (29 cars) - Telling spinning & leaving himself broadside for a bone off 290 Andy George’s Cav who was in his first race. Bennett was whooshed in by the pack as Emery turned Judy to reverse heat 1 beginnings. Lyden, who was enjoying possibly his best meeting to date, picked Hadland up, running his man in with gusto, George then connecting with the stricken Devil. Rusty bounced Bignell round the wall as Collins & Lyden teamed up on 78 Paul Etheridge’s Mk4 Escort, Collins then putting 54 Winnie away. Hardie heaved Shelly aside, Orris doing likewise to Aldridge, however the latter bounced back to run Castle into Emery on the run down after the latter two had finished 4^th & 3^rd respectively, YoYo Man again scoring well with a 2^nd but it was Orris who took the win.

Result: 124 Carl Korszewski, 110 Yo Yo, 600 Jason Emery, 815 Castle, 12 John Aldridge, 112 Rusty

Final (25 cars) - Shelly survived an early spin in the final & went on to jack Mayhem impressively with 131 Elvis (Mk3 Escort) bravely charging in with a solid head-on to the Farina. Bert cleverly leaned Bignell into Winnie which was enough to spin the latter round. Shelly attacked 71 Mr Tea (Capri) & 272 Woody (late Orion) both of whom were in their first race as 817 Rich Hands (Stanza) tossed Agutter aside. Lyden met Collins on the nose though sadly this was on the centre as Hardie breathed all over Orris until the latter found a burst of speed to escape & the FBI man then had Rusty to contend with. Bert & 575 Tritt combined to remove Emery though this move ended 575’s race. 580 Dippy Dave (Astra) jacked Mayhem whilst things were looking good for Hart as he led the first six until crashing with Hands allowing Orris to take his fourth final in a row, quite a remarkable feat, Rusty & Bert next with Hardie who had driven a blinder outpaced but worthy of a mention in 4^th.

Result: 124 Orris, 112 Rusty, 578 Bert, 536 Hardie, 54 Winnie, 600 Emery

Demolition Derby (15 cars) - Mayhem sought revenge on Elvis for his treatment in the final only to put a wheel back. Agutter was lucky to escape a Castle biggie as Bignell surprised Shelly with a hefty head-on. Etheridge homed in on Bignell only to be blasted by Baby Face. Bert buried Winnie whilst Mayhem attacked Shelly which timely lifted the 417 back end just as Agutter arrived to put a wheel up inside Shelly’s Cavalier. Whilst watching this I missed Lyden invert, the reds coming out to extract the 716 Pilot. Bert bounced Mayhem off the wall on the resume before Winnie blasted 578 to stop them both. Jay steamed Hardie with the FBI man quickly avenging the move only to cop a rated shot off Dippy Dave. Jay then stopped Hardie with a head-on only to get bogged down on the centre whereupon Dippy Dave took the offence to 852 & dealt the Corsair a hefty one on the nose which killed them both. This left just Mayhem mobile who’s Oxford was doing a limping dog impression & he duly collected another DD win. To answer those who were in doubt, Cotton was certainly the last one moving & it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t take the charge to the others though you have to feel for Jay & Dippy Dave in particular as he had dealt the final blow.

Result: 313 Mick (Mayhem) Cotton

Bill

Standlake 10^th October 2004 Over 1800cc

16 unlimiteds with Granadas outnumbering Volvos 6-4. 275 Ozzie campaigned a Merc 200 estate (check the sign writing!) whilst 70 Steven Hart, 102 Graval & 298 Andy Dodge all plumped for Jags. Respect to Hart who had worked not only in straightening his tonka’d example but painting it too, likewise Dodge who must have spent many hours on his series 2 judging from the foot wells & front end!

Heat 1 (15 cars) - Just Hart missing from heat 1. Dodge an early spinner though he took both 718 Pete Newton & 414 Simon Scott with him. The latter recovered quickly only to cop one on the nose from 54 Winnie’s estate though this took the local man to the fence. 578 Bert (Mk2 Cavvy) bravely fired up Dodge with 851 Bode (Volvo 240 estate) then meeting 298 on the nose, lining Dodge up for an all Jag affair with Graval. These two met soon after, 102 again on the offensive which saw Scott accidentally catching Dodge with Ozzie giving Scott a portion of Merc. Graval took out 110 YoYo Man (estate) & 273 Erny (Volvo 240 estate) as Bert leaned on 007 Matt Cox (Vole 740) & got a biff off 491 Neil Sparks. 2 Jon B set the early pace but span out letting 606 Boomer (Bluebird estate) through for the win ahead of Sparks & Bert.

Result: 606 Liam Weedon, 491 Neil Sparks, 578 Bert, 2 Jon Bricknell, 54 Winnie, 707 Mark Court

Heat 2 (15 cars) -  with Dodge executing a fine t-bone fencing to Graval whilst Erny removed Cox to go 2^nd behind Jon B. Cox then copped blasts off Bode & Dodge though this ended the latter’s day with a wheel back. Boomer spun Cox who held it well until colliding with Bert who then easily removed Scott. Enter Jon B with a t-bone to the visitor en route to a comfortable win, Bert & Winnie his placemen.

Result: 2 Bricknell, 578 Bert, 54 Winnie, 491 Sparks, 273 Stuart Emery, 110 Yo Yo

Heat 3 (11 cars) - for a subdued third heat, Bert caused Erny to make an error allowing Ozzie to apply a bone as Jon B completed back-to-back wins, Bert once again 2^nd, Boomer 3^rd with Winnie celebrating 4^th by running Bode in big time.

Result: 2 Bricknell, 578 Bert, 606 Boomer, 54 Winnie, 491 Sparks

Final (9 cars) - Just nine for the final, Sparkes working his way up to 2^nd only to fall back, Boomer spinning Cox as Jon B completed a fine hat trick, Bert’s 2^nd place leap-frogging him above Winnie to go top in the points, Boomer again 3^rd, a repeat of the previous results.

Result: 2 Bricknell, 578 Bert, 606 Boomer, 54 Winnie, 491 Sparks, 275 Ozzie Summerhill

Demolition Derby - Five came out for the DD including Hart who soon turned it round & nailed Winnie over the rear wheel, 70 then chewed the fence whilst Winnie was forced to retire with a broken drive shaft. Jon B hit the brakes with Boomer obliging by steaming in before overtaking & reversing into his man to put a wheel up on the Donald & affected Jon B’s steering. Cox then arrived to jack Boomer which freed 606 from 2’s bonnet pin, Cox then delivering another blow which stopped his own steed. Boomer however steamed Cox which fired the 7 series back into life, enabling Cox to deliver a hard shot on the 606 tailgate before Jon B joined in with the telling blow on the new Devil. This left the FBI drivers to fight it out in a battle of the Voles, Jon B inviting Cox to steam his rear at which point the 7series went bang to leave Jon B victorious.

Result: 2 Jon Bricknell

After amassing 27 points Jon B elevated himself to 8^th in the points but the day belongs to Bert who must now be favourite for this year’s points title.

Bill