Heavy Metal
Classic - 5th Jan 2003
Report by the Steamer
UNLIMITED BANGERS
TURBO CHARGED
Just
over 100 cars for the unlimited class at the Heavy Metal Classic with visitors
in attendance from much the same promotions as the smaller class. The Granada
entry included Mk1 limos from 49 Tony Whitcher & 807 Mike Yates, Mk2 limos
from Hitman 584 Sharky, 530 Mr Ass & 28 Ozzie (the latter used) & an
epic stretched Mk2 Estate from SAA man 52
Lee Grace. The Jag entry yielded a tender Coupe from
46 Maverick & an XJ-S each for 264
Mark Welland & 283 Bryan Webb (the
former used) while the SAA duo of 22 Kev Davies & 44 Mickey Dent were
resplendent in matching FX4 taxis. From the land of the rising sun, 312 Mr Turbo
returned his World of Shale winning Crown while 202 Kilf & 265 the Angel
were 300C mounted, the latter Welland’s ex-Krash Kings car. 425 Sonic returned
his Dryer Memorial 280C with 325 Steve
Wickson completing the Jap line-up in a modern Laurel. Detroit iron was supplied
by 622 Ifor Evans with a late Mustang (which never made the track), 328 Stuart
Morse with a Plymouth Volare Estate, 23 Swampy with a crispy Buick Electra &
87 Martin Lang with a magnificent Cadillac Calais. British steel came in the
shape of 4 Rover P5s, all of which had seen
previous action, in the hands of 11 Taz, 54 Winnie, 133 Karly Day & 273
Mad Mouse while 537 Mad Mitch & 896 Toyboy debuted P4s. 541 Cruncher
Cross returned an A110 Westy with running mate 719 Basher Bates in a
sweet
As
with the unders, the opening heat was for classic cars only though this did
include limos & strangely Webby’s XJ-S. Dent put Mr Ass & himself in
early doors before Swampy T-boned the latter big style pinning him against the
wall. Dent then caught the big Buick in the door though to his credit he was
quick to apologise at the end
Heat
2 was an all Granada affair by contrast & predictably it was somewhat tamer.
654 Gavage T-boned 402 Filo & then steamed 372 Manic while 756 Bart buried
338 Mark Gissing & 38 Dave Switzer blasted 25 Tombo as elsewhere
Vermin man 528 Dave Norris blew up 787 Pecker but that was it, 348 Mushy winning
despite a couple of spins from 471 Oakey & 99 the Cheat.
509
Fatboy Slim (XJ) attacked 238 Lozza at the start of the third heat but only put
himself in whereupon 774 Meatball planted 187 Wayne Bessant (XJ) into the
former. Lozza recovered to steam 706 Doug Jones (rad up SD1) as 753 Young Gun in
an XJ walled
the similarly mounted 10 Mike O’Dare before Mr Turbo followed 11 Dave Thomas
into Bessant superbly wrecking both motors. Maverick hit the unfortunate
O’Dare en route to third behind Sonic & 4 Wildy.
Morse
used his Plymouth to meet 106 Paul Gumm on the nose as heat 4 began while 97
Pratty followed Davies’ cab in & 804 Ben Small (XJ) buried 4 Charlie’s
late Saab into the wreckage. Welland attacked both Kilf & 365 Lee Church as
206 Kingy (XJ) stuck it to Rebel 250 Jeremy Hodgkiss who bounced back with a
shot on Church as Morse blew up 314 Stigy’s XJ40. 1 Mr B (XJ) won from 260
Keefy’s Vole 240 Estate & Mendips man 500 Mayo.
91
Dave Beauchamp planted 536 Annette Nicholls (XJ) soon after flagfall in the
fifth heat with Thompson then treating the first lady to a portion of DS420
head-on while Vigilante 911 Darren Saveall blasted Lang’s Caddy. The Welshman
hit back with a shot on Beauchamp as 731 Diabolical Dyer wasted 7 Jamie Charles
& Meatball hit Thompson while elsewhere Welland went for Kilf again. Mad
Mouse ran Kingy in leaving Mr Mag to take the win from the similarly mounted 563
Mark Sewell & a quiet Maverick.
Mr
B stuffed 145 Dave Heather’s XJ at the start of the penultimate heat while
Sharky came under fire from 700 Chrissy Boy though the latter was soon sorted by
Tombo. Mr Turbo was on the case again following the Angel in & then leaning
383 Dodger into the wall as the aforementioned Tombo won from Wildy & Mr B.
Hodgkiss
fired up the back of Tinman to set the ball rolling in the last heat kicking off
a superb back straight jacking train in which 83 Lost It Lloyd did the Rebel
& was done in turn by Stigy. Grace stuck Yates up a post only for 274 Jon
Adams (XJ) to waste him with a stunning shot which was much the hit of the day.
Lozza now went in on Lost It Lloyd & was terminated by Dent who was finished
in turn by Norris which completed the train as 248 Dave Harding stacked the
Cheat & then followed Rebel 150 Mark Smith (XJ40) in for good measure.
Tinman caught fire & Mad Mouse put Toyboy into the dead Norris car as
Charlie won from the Vole 240 Estate of 499 Lee Charles & 112 Rusty.
The final was poor fare; Sharky steaming Harding, Rusty hitting Day & Kingy finding Charles as Wildy won from Mushy & Webby.
The
Allcomers event which followed however was much better with Kingy crashing Mr
Mag from the off & paying for it with a shot from Saveall who was done in
turn by Ozzie. Welland attacked Filo but put both of them in the wall while Dyer
set about Kilf with much the same result & to compound his misery Smith then
nailed the Mental man’s hat on. Maverick fired into Thompson’s limo as Mitch
followed O’Dare in while Thompson recovered to deliver a head-on to Fatboy
Slim only to feel the force of Kilf as a result. Saveall enjoyed a head to head
encounter with Taz as Kilf attacked Mr Mag & Maverick hit O’Dare
Just
13 cars left for the derby including Mr Ass who had done well to resurrect his
broken limo. Small wasted 481 Bernie Spiers early doors with Morse also piling
into the latter only to feel the force of Mr Ass who was then silenced by
Maverick. Day hit Taz & Maverick gave Small a head-on which resulted in a
mouth injury to the former who was hit again by Webby before he could get out of
the car. Hope you’re OK by now Maverick. The event continued without stoppage;
Taz stacking Davies who had worked hard to get his crippled cab back out only to
take a T-bone from Mr Turbo
One
of the best Heavy Metal Classics for many years due in no small part to the dry
weather on the day.
UNDER 1800cc BANGERS
THE COOKE REPORT
A phenomenal entry of 138 cars turned out for the under 1800cc class at this year’s Heavy Metal Classic with visitors in attendance from all over the south and midlands as is the norm plus the usual contingent from the Isle of Wight. Materially Bluebirds were as dominant as ever but there were plenty of Capris as well including a Mk1 for 84 Andy Bevan and loads of Cortinas to boot including a used Mk3 for 58 Martin Dalton, a fresh one from 361 Chris Cogdell and a rare Estate from 759 Jim Craddock. Other seventies steel included a used HC Viva from 295 Dave Toyer and an Avenger from 133 Karly Day but turning the clock back a little further there were 6 A60s in the hands of 67 Gavin Staker, 78 Kevin Williams, 298 Andy Dodge, 313 Mayhem, 364 Flumpy and 973 Simon Chase plus a bubble Oxford from 298 Tin Tin. 22 Andy Tidmarsh returned a Phase III Vanguard which should by rights have been out with the unlimited motors while the Islanders impressed with a Singer Vogue for 222 Tom Oakley, a Gazelle for 333 Tony Cotton & a Sunbeam Rapier for 727 Simon Young. Cheetahs man 88 Donny Lane debuted a Corsair & 109 Shady turned out a pretty Standard 8 while 77 Bass rolled back the years with a seriously rated Mk1 Consul but even this was surpassed by 303 Dangerous Brian who campaigned a diminutive Austin Metropolitan.
The
opening race was just for the classics to give everyone who had made the effort
to find something different a chance of qualifying for the final. Staker
(Oxford) took Flumpy’s well used 16/60 out early doors & Young used the
Rapier to blast Staker in turn as Oakley
fired up the back of Flumpy before he too attacked rookie Staker. Day hit
Mayhem’s fintail Cambridge before Oakley put him away snapping off the Avenger
in time honoured fashion, the Islander continuing with shots to Tin Tin’s
bubble as Toyer took the HC to the win with Cogdell & Bevan his placemen.
Heat
2 was for all the FWD motors & it didn’t take long for the reds to come
back out as Animal 118 Jason Butler (Mk2 Astra) hit the wall with the result
that his bash hat flew onto the track. Thankfully he was OK & the race soon
resumed with Luton man 378 Aidan Parker running Mitch in & 58 Wrecker Day
(Carina Estate) stuffing 111 Steve Pritchett’s Mk2 Astra Estate on the top
bend as 961 Kev Lording buried 104 Lee Gumm. 404 Millsy leant 575 Paul Tritton
(Mazda 626) in only for 155 Mr
Demolition (Mk4 Escort) to plant the Autospeed World Champ as Tritton won from
114 Mark Turnage (Mk3 Escort) with the aforementioned Demolition third.
4
Charlie (Mk5) stuck Blackjack 201 Carl Noble’s Marina Estate in the wall early
in the third heat as 54 Winnie steamed 168 Gavin Barnett (Sierra Estate) &
711 Colin Duff (Capri) T-boned 41 Bulldog’s Riva causing a pile-up on the far
bend in which 865 Kevin Pepper rolled his Mk5 Estate. 143 Chicken Man T-boned
the Mk4 of 155 Carl Harrington at which
point the reds came out to rescue Pepper. It wasn’t
long before we were back in business however with 77 Matt Williams in a
Capri turtling 80 Robohop’s Mk5 Estate as 392 the Death Rattle (Mk2 Astra
Estate) careered into the wall unaided & was promptly done by 55 Cookie
& 924 Matt Harris (Riva Estate) who
repeated the dose. Winnie won from 560 Gary Reynolds & the aforementioned
Cookie for a Bluebird 1-2-3.
The
last heat of fresh cars kicked off with 32 Matt Small (Mk5) leaning 315 Jason
Ayles (Capri) in as 2 Jon Bricknell (Mk5) gave the similarly mounted 702 Jimbo a
steady T-bone. 29 Waspy (Mk5) blew up 12 Keno’s used version as Ayles fought
back with a shot on 362 Lionel Loader’s Mk5 only to find the fence at the
hands of 801 Mouse’s Vole 340. Elsewhere 53 Joss Brett (Capri) put the Riva
Estate of Luton man 270 Martin Ewins away as Waspy hammered Keno again before
Ayles bounced back once again with a shot on Small. This was repaid a lap later
at which point the Wally sparked up bringing out the reds but not before 233
Magoo (Capri) had set about 903 Andy Goodman’s Carina. The race was declared
in favour of 185 Stan Yaxley with Goodman second & Brett third.
Heat
5 saw Day meet Williams’ Oxford head-on from flagfall as Cogdell turtled
Craddock’s Estate with 696 Brian Morris (Capri) then leathering the latter in
style. Cogdell continued with a shot on 201 Mark Oakley’s Capri as Bass hit
Brett & 218 Rowan Malt (Riva) blasted Williams before Cogdell continued with
a blast to 722 Bob Ewins. Brett repaid Bass & Cotton stacked 750 Rock’s
Mk5 only
8
Martin Haycock (Capri) T-boned Dangerous Brian’s Metropolitan at the start of
heat 6 finishing it as 61 Ian Bullock (Mk3 Cavalier) attacked 781 Darren Andrews taking
the pair of them in. 300 Jon Ayles (Marina Estate) steamed Small as Lording won
from Gumm & Harris with 311 Danny Smithson (Riva) then blasting Small on the
run-down lap only to take a celebratory shot from Lording.
Millsy
attacked Dodge’s fintail Cambridge as the penultimate heat got under way while
Robohop buried Devil 574 Darren Pitkin’s Maestro & then stuffed 140 Derek
Ludlow into 126 Fred Casemore. 5 Fred (Carina) steamed Lane’s Corsair &
Foxy 150 Jonathan Miles (Sierra) leant
Chicken Man in with 207 Chris Newman (Mk2 Cavalier Estate) catching the latter
in the door before 794 Shaggy (Marina Estate) nailed his hat on. Meanwhile on
the home straight Lane wasted Robohop in style as
Flumpy hit Fred putting Shaggy away as a result, Tritton winning from 578 Bert
& the aforementioned Flumpy.
The
last heat was marred by the actions of 246 Jason Smith who took it upon himself
to attack Tidmarsh on the grass before the race began which necessitated
intervention from the tractors & resulted in an injury to a marshal. Not
content with this he then fired up the back of 3 Stumpy as the latter waited on
the grid before baling out on the grass, promoter Keith Hook removing the
offending car with a JCB to crowd approval. When the race began 33 Colin Murphy
crashed Staker as did 211 Ash Edwards who delivered a head-on as Tidmarsh blew
up Gary Reynolds. Chase in his first race of the day used his Cambridge to clout
199 Phil Cullen’s Mk4 while Cookie followed 69 Darren Jones in leaving team
mate 197 Pete Dodge to take the victory from 18 Malcolm Burgess (Mk2 Cavalier)
& 139 Grampy Fox in a Mk2 Astra.
The
veteran Fox rolled at the start of the final bringing out the reds but not
before Brett had run Goodman in, the re-start commencing with a pile-up on the
far bend as Flumpy buried Cogdell & then steamed 50 Anthony Orgee (Capri).
Dalton put Gary Reynolds in the wall & 17 Mr Boom (Sunny) attacked Waspy
taking both of them in with Dalton then running Toyer’s HC in to boot. This
allowed Orgee to meet the latter head-on as Cookie followed Day in superbly
while Winnie took the money followed home by Bert & Gumm.
An
Allcomers event followed in which Bass steamed Haycock & was done in turn by
Murphy with Fred likewise soon up the back of the Grimley man. Smithson attacked
731 Wayne Betts (Riva) & Tritton hit Bernie as Pete Dodge walled Malt before
the Wally T-boned Martin Ewins on the centre. Bob Ewins was out front by
contrast & even found time to bury Cullen en route to the flag while 817
Richard Hands used his Mk4 Escort to hit Martin Ewins putting both men in. This
allowed Dodge to deliver a head-on to the latter as Bert & Cookie filled the
minor places.
21
cars for the derby with Rock blasting Shaggy early doors & 15 Rob Phillips
in a Riva Estate attacking Goodman with the result that both found the armco.
Cogdell hit Phillips to finish him while Tom Oakley blew up Rock on the back
straight & Small sorted Goodman as Flumpy got stuck into Mark Oakley. Shaggy
enjoyed a head-on with Small & paid for it with a shot from Bricknell who
was done in turn by Burgess as Pete Dodge finished off Mark Oakley. Craddock had
done well to resurrect his broken tina & he managed a head-on with Flumpy
before it expired while Dodge continued his impressive showing with shots on
both Tom Oakley & Bricknell. Cogdell saw off Flumpy & then Phillips but
was finished himself by Dodge soon after as Cullen surprisingly attacked team
mate Cookie. Dodge now stopped Burgess as Cookie met Winnie on the nose while
Alex Reynolds met Cullen in similar fashion. Cookie was on fire by now but
continued regardless doing Cullen in reverse & then meeting Dodge on the
nose at which point he thought it appropriate to vacate the car leaving Dodge to
finish Cullen & claim a deserved win.
Good stuff from the small cars with Cookie & Tom Oakley particularly impressive.
The
Steamer