The weather was dry with some sunshine but the exit to the turnstyle bend seemed to be a bit slippery after the second Banger race. In the Bangers there was a good mix of cars with 363 Sam Trim in a huge limousine 34 Terry Phillips in another limousine. 4 Bob Barnes and 58 Martin Dalton both had Hearse's. and 446 Jason Burt in a Granada Estate, and a quite a few Volvo Estate's and Jaguars and Granadas.
The Top Tin Awards went to 7 Jamie Charles in a Mk2 Granada and 269 Rob Houghton and 920 Simon Sparrow both in Yank Tank's. Simon’s was a very rare Chevy Impala four door pillarless saloon.
In the Bangers Thunderbolt XII the 34 cars that turned up put on a good show and was split in to two heats then a consolation. The First heat started off very quiet with a fast pace, until on the pit straight 91 stuffed S.Trim and 555 Shifty Ben Williams then Houghton joined the train!! Then there was a few other big hits. 517 Scott Weldon went onto win from 136 Paddy Connely then 1 David Thomas.
In the second heat there was a bit of a push-on on the rolling lap and 68 Steve Stockley spun out of pole trying to avoid the pace car just missing it!! 270 Shaun Baker was in the front of a 5 car train that went into the pit bend wall. Dean Arm ran into 4 Big Bob's hearse. amongst other action. 128 Mark Atkins took the win from 989 Dean Arm then 443 Dave Harvey.
In the consolation M Dalton took Jamie Charles out and Sparrow, 54 Tom Davey then attacked the Chevy with a huge hit, jacking it nicely, and was the demolished then 59 Mike Jones piled into the train, and some how a very bent Charles managed to limp away before they was a red flag to get everyone out their cars safely. Only 4 cars made the re-start which was won by 298 Sam Wyatt from 416 Danny Lawrence then 40 Pete Stanley then Charles.
About 24 cars made it out for the Thunderbolt XII Final which got off to a lively start and D Arm managed a double rollover with a little help from some friends!! On the re-start Lawrence was on the receiving end of a very big hit. Shifty Williams and Trim was putting some good hits. With 2 laps to go long time leader Weldon got put into some cars on the pit bend by 998 Billy Dennison who was then helped into the pile up by 382 Jack Foster jnr who went onto win from Jason Burt then Sam Wyatt . 11 Cars made it out for Allcomers race which was won by 714 Paul Smaldon with only 5 cars surviving for the D,D which was won by Dean Arm who has provided a lot of action all afternoon.
In the Special Rods there was two heats with 13 cars in each heat. In the first heat 175 Kevin Scammell was the early leader from pole. Within the first few laps 35 Mark Johns lost control getting up the inside of 386 Bobby Stilgoe and tipping Stilgoe onto his roof resulting in a red flag! Scammell led the re-start from 26 Andy Bennett then 136 Jason Horseman then 210 Paul Barnes. Barnes soon got past them to take up the lead. 23 Ross Stuckey followed 47 Richard Howard through the traffic from last on the grid. R Howard got passed Horseman for second then Horseman got a wobble on and lost speed, so Ross Stuckey went round his outside for third. by this time Barnes was to far ahead for R Howard to catch, so Barnes took the win from R Howard then R Stuckey. In the second heat 38 Conor Jeffries outdragged 120 Andy Latimer to take the lead. Jeffries and Latimer built up a big lead.
By the half way mark 18 Russ Colenut had got up from last on the grid to third place and 41 Dene Howard in fourth.Jeffries car went sick and Latimer got passed. With 5 laps to go Colenut caught and passed Jeffries then Latimer to take the lead D Howard ended up broadside on the pit bend. Colenut went on to win from Latimer then D howard. 8 cars made it out for the the Consolation Race. Scammell took the early lead from Jeffries, 27 Dean Quinn had a half spin and Bennet spun narrowly avoiding an accident!! 270 Shaun Baker soon relieved Scammell of the lead then went onto win from 44 Sam Howard then Jeffries. In the Final Latimer soon built up a big lead from pole.
There was a big battle amongst the Blue, Red and Star grade drivers and 440 Steve Griffin got spat out of the pack towards the wall!! Colenut, R Howard, R Stuckey and Barnes kept swapping places as they made there way from the back of the grid. Latimer went on to win from 6 Andy Wadley then Baker from 21 then 18.
Although there was only 9 Hot Rods they produced some very close and exciting racing. Because there was a clutch start 117 Dave Tossell started every race from the infield at the back. In the First heat 258 James Griggs built up a big lead from pole. 205 Mike Norton then 18 Larry Langmead eventually found a way past 55 Alister Lowe to relieve him of second place. 718 Colin White was following 282 Steve Hunt from 7th and 8th. White boxed Hunt in behind Lowe and went round the outside of Hunt and nipped passed Lowe with hunt closely behind, then White and Hunt managed to pass Norton. White set about reeling in Griggs but he was to far ahead and White crossed the line behind Griggs nose to tail, with Hunt in third. In the second heat Hunt led the race from pole and white quickly got into second from 4th on the grid.
Further back there was a great battle between Norton, 35 Neil Muddle, Griggs and Lowe. Griggs managed to break free then Tossell decided to join the party! White couldn't find a way passed Hunt and they crosed the line nose to tail with Langmead in third. In the Final Griggs again built up a big lead from pole. White was again following Hunt from 7th and 8th, until Hunt tried to go round the outside of Norton and White got up the inside of Hunt, then White switched to the outside to go round Norton.
With two laps to go White managed to reel in Griggs and on the last lap White went on the outside of Griggs and they crossed the line side by side in a photo finish!! It was declared that White had beaten Griggs by about 6" with Hunt in third.
RESULTS - 06.05.12
Hot Rods:-
Heat 1 - James Griggs 258,718,282,205,18,55,35,117,578
Heat 2 - Steve Hunt 282,718,18,258,205,55,117,35
Final - Colin White 718,258,282,205,55,35
BANGERS:-
Heat 1 - Scott Weldon 517,136,1,446,179,58,269,363
Heat 2 - Mark Atkins 128,989,443,714,988,162,731,382
Cons - Sam Wyatt,416,40,7
Final - Jack Foster 382,446,298,128,1,303,714,731
A/C - Paul Smaldon 714,989,988,731,382
DD - Dean Arm 989
Special Rods:-
Heat 1 - Paul Barnes 210,47,23,440,993,173,43,136,175,26
Heat 2 - Ross Colenut 18,120,41,39,122,304,6,21,270,44
Cons - Shaun Baker 270,44,38,49
Final - Andy Latimer 120,6,270,21,18,47,210,23,173,304
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