The weather was warm and sunny which made the track very dry and there was a very fast pace for the first meeting of the year. The 16 race programme was finished by 6pm.
In the Micro Bangers 52 cars turned up for the Micro Massacre. There were a lot of well presented cars, including 176 Ben King in a very smart Nova. There was also a good mix of cars with a lot of Nissan Micras and Ford Kas and a few Corsas, Novas, Fiestas and a Metro. 315 Jack Holmes had a Renault 12. 710 Ross Gould had a Triumph 1300, 731 Shaun Dyer had a Marina Coupe and 920 Simon Sparrow had a Mazda 818
26 cars out for the 1st Banger heat and quite a few drivers jumped the start so the Pace Car stayed on for an extra lap and caught a lot of drivers out!! 38 Craig Allan led the re-start and 227 Louis Aldom, 108 Rich Pearce, and 261 Jack Collins went out on the first bend, there was quite a few other knocks and spins, and Dyer was receiving a lot of attention, and 111 Tom Ruby went round the corner on two wheels before coming back down on all fours!! Allan went on to take the win from a strong finishing 252 Steve Bugler, then 206 Matt Kelly. There were also 26 cars in the 2nd Heat 284 James Head took the early lead from 427 George Harris and there was action from the start on the turnstile bend. Then Head ended up on his roof causing a re-start. 270 Slug was in the thick of the action, and 314 Jason Barraclough was dishing it out. Only 8 cars finished and 184 Andy Nutley took the win from 517 Scott Weldon, then 54 Tom Davey.
About 26 cars made it out for the Consolation Race and there were a lot of hits going in on the 1st bend and action all around with the turnstile bend nearly blocked then there was a red flag to help 802 Ringo out of his car. Only 12 cars made the re-start which was lead by 115 Pete Street, then 404 Rob Mills, then 444 Keiran Bellringer. 841 Tom Perkins spun Gould, then 840 Shepherd jacked up Perkins, then Street locked up going into the bend giving Mills the lead then the win, from Bellringer, then Shepherd, and only 8 finishers again! 24 cars qualified for the Final amongst the action there was a couple of three car trains one including, Sparrow, 511 Dan Crosbie, and Dyer. King got spun around and received a massive T-Bone from Sparrow, and Allan Jacked up Gould’s Triumph leaving Allan’s Ford Ka stranded with cars going round both sides of him!! Sparrow and Gould was in the thick of the action, and Davey went onto take the win from Bugler, then 311 Danny Allen.
About 26 cars came out for the allcomers race with 11 cars waiting on the infield for the D/D. In the Allcomers Race 256 Jamie Turner Jacked up Slug, and Davey received a big hit from 88 T.Wood. Street took the win from Bugler, then Weldon. In the D/D 237 Craig Maunder got put on his roof for the first stoppage, and Nutley got put on his side for another stoppage, and most of the action was going on the turnstile bend then the race had to be stopped and cancelled because S.Sparrow had to be cut out of his car.
In the 1st Special Rod Heat there was 11 cars 8 Andy Russell took the early lead from pole from 324 Paul Frankland then 7 Will Harraway. Frankland managed to hang on to 2nd for a while until he got it a bit wrong coming out of the bend letting the whole pack through. 18 Russ Colenutt managed to make his way up from last on the grid to 2nd and on the last lap he went round the outside of Russell and they crossed the line side by side and Colenutt just pipped him to the post leaving Russell in 2nd place. In the 2nd Heat there was 10 cars 309 Andy Oliver took the early lead from pole with 192 Ashley Raymond in 2nd until Oliver lost his wheel handing the lead to Raymond. 23 Ross Stuckey was making good progress until he was spat out of the pack going down the home straight, dropping him back down to last place! 720 Dan Latimer found a way past 6 Andy Wadley then Raymond to take the lead. 47 Richard Howard was flying from the back and by the half way mark he went round the outside of D.Latimer to take the lead. R.Howard went on to take the win by the length of a straight, from D.Latimer then, 41 Dene Howard, then Stuckey.
8 cars made it out for the Consolation Race Raymond took the early lead from Oliver, then Raymond retired handing the lead to Oliver. 26 Andy Bennet had the save of day as he got puncture coming out of the pit bend S-ing down the straight and done well not to wipe the field out on the next corner!! 122 Joe Rowe and 43 Andy Howard passed 35 M. Johns then Wadley then Frankland for 2nd and 3rd. Then J.Rowe and A.Howard went round the outside of Oliver to take 1st and 2nd. J.Rowe then went on to take the win from A.Howard then Frankland.
17 cars qualified for the Final - Russell led from pole from Frankland, then there was a crash on the home straight involving Wadley, Harraway , 51 Rob Price, 304 T.Weare and D.Latimer which the rest of the field done well to avoid!
Russell led the re-start from Frankland then, R.Stuckey, 700 L.Brice, 136 J.Horseman, R.Howard. R.Stuckey quickly got round the outside of Frankland but couldn’t find a way past Russell. Russell held onto the lead for quite a few laps until Russell spun himself out under the pressure! R.Howard quickly got into 2nd and had to reel in Stuckey. R.Howard caught and passed R.Stuckey. Then as R.Howard went round the outside of the backmarking Russell, R.Stuckey then got up the inside of Russell, and R.Stuckey and R.Howard spent the last few laps side by side and R.Stuckey just pipped R.Howard to the post. R.stuckey took the win from R.Howard then D.Howard.
There were 8 Hot Rods out in the 1st Heat 35 Neil Muddle lead from pole 125 Mike Hibberd passed 117 Dave Tossell then 55 Alistair Lowe, then Hibberd went round the outside Muddle to relive him of the lead with 18 Larry Langmead following closely behind.
718 Colin White started last on the grid and spent a few laps on the outside of 258 James Griggs before eventually getting passed, 788 Mark Shelper , retired with engine problems. There was a big battle between Muddle, Lowe, Tossell , Langmead, White and Griggs for 2nd place which White managed to get the better off!! By then Hibberd had built up a big lead and went on to take the win from White then Langmead. 205 Mike Norton managed to get his car out for the 2nd Heat making it 9 cars.
Griggs took the early lead from pole, Norton found a way past Muddle then Lowe, and then Norton tried to go round the outside of Tossell but couldn't make it stick!! Then just as White passed Langmead and Hibberd round the outside White was suddenly facing the wrong way!! On the re-start White was allowed to start at the back as it looked like a racing incident!
Griggs led the re-start and went on to win and White managed to get up to 2nd place with Tossell coming home in 3rd. 9 cars made it out for the Final Shelper took the early lead from pole and Lowe finding away passed Muddle for 2nd and Hibberd quickly got into 3rd place, and as Lowe tried to pass Shelper on the outside Hibberd nipped up his inside then flicked to the outside line and got round the outside of Shelper to take the lead and built up a big lead. White who started in 8th managed get into 2nd place then had to reel in Hibberd. White managed to catch Hibberd, and on the last lap Hibberd caught up with some battling backmarkers and White took the outside line and the crossed the line side by side in a photo finish, and Hibberd was declared the winner from White then Norton(from last on the grid).
The 1st Junior Rod Heat was for the novice drivers which had 6 cars in it 258 Dean Hughes led from pole and was flying and built up a big lead from 190 Ewan Gumbleton. With 3 laps to go Hughes got stuck behind a back marking 225 Joe Edwards allowing Gumbleton to catch up, then they both went round the outside of Edwards. Then with one lap to go Hughes got a bit too wide and Gumbleton didn’t need a second invite. Gumbleton went on to take the win from Hughes, then 34 Cameron Mc Colm.
There were 13 cars in the 2nd Heat 30 Joe Capel out dragged pole sitter 240 Rachel Bowering to take the lead. Capel then built up a big lead, and 66 Becky Pearce quickly got up from 7th to 3rd. Then Pearce went round the outside of Bowering to relieve her of 2nd, and 87 Callum Richards retired with a mechanical problem. There was a lot of place swapping amongst the Blue and Red tops, then 376 Daniel Kent got ½ spun causing a stoppage. On the re-start Capel led from Pearce then 224 Jordan Edwards, 300 Charlie Ayles made it up to 6th before he also had to retire with mechanical problems. Capel went on to take the win from Pearce then Edwards, 700 Ben Brice then 362 Aaron Loader from last on the grid. 9 cars made it out for the Consolation Race 61 Lisa Stevenson quickly got into the lead from 5th on the grid, with 956 Harry Thompson just behind her, and 62 Beth Stevenson had ½ spin.
Lisa Stevenson also retired handing the lead to Thompson. Thompson was having trouble trying to pass back marking 101 Jack Mintram then they had a coming together causing a stoppage and the race was declared as Thompson as the winner from Ayles then Kent and Richards. 15 Cars qualified for the Final Capel quickly got from 5th to take the lead from Pearce then J.Edwards, then Ayles. Ayles found a way past J.Edwards then had difficulty finding a way past Pearce, and Pearce and Ayles had a slight coming together, and Ayles got a black cross for contact, and Pearce got a black cross for not holding her line.
Then Pearce slowed right up leaving Brice now where to go and he spun her around, then a few laps later 34 Mc Colm and 285 Jason Anderson slid into the armco on the pit bend and the other cars looked a bit loose!! The race was then stopped and declared with Ayles taking the win from J.Edwards then Thompson, then Loader.
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Heat One
1st 190 Ewan Gumbleton, 258, 34, 285, 225, 111.
Heat Two
1st 30 Joe Capel, 66, 224, 700, 362, 53, 956, 61.
Consolation
1st 956 Harry Thompson, 300, 376, 87.
Final
300 Charlie Ayles, 224, 956, 362, 258, 30, 376, 87, 190, 225.
Heat One
125 Mike Hibberd, 718, 18, 258, 35, 117, 55, 788.
Heat Two
258 James Griggs, 718, 1171, 205, 55, 18, 788, 125, 35.
Final
125 Mike Hibberd, 718, 205, 258, 788, 117, 55, 18.
Heat one
18 Russ Colenutt, 8, 304, 85, 7, 700, 122, 53.
Heat Two
47 Richard Howard, 720, 41, 23, 51, 136, 6, 35.
Consolation
122 Joe Rowe, 43, 324, 6.
Final
23 Ross Stuckey, 47, 41, 700, 18, 122, 85, 43, 136, 35.
Heat One
38 Craig Allan, 252, 206, 363, 256, 511, 721, 440, 176, 237.
Heat two
184 Andy Nutley, 517, 54, 311, 427, 80, 840, 920.
Consolation
404 Rob Mills, 444, 840, 81, 242, 261, 731, 710.
Allcomers
115, 252, 517, 444, 184, 114, 311, 81, 363, 242.
Destruction Derby
Abandoned due to injury to Simon Sparrow 920.
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