A large Bank Holiday crowd assembled under blue skies on Monday August 29th for their eagerly anticipated afternoon of close racing and sheer destruction! On the menu were the Special Rods, Hot Rods, Reliants and Bangers, with a Caravan race to finish.
Two heats for the Special Rods kicked off the afternoon, with Steven Baker(370) winning the first, and Points Champion Russ Colenut(18) the second. New driver Leigh Ashworth (777) won the consolation, and following the success of the last meeting, white graded Sam Howard(44) made it two finals in a row, with Ross Stuckey(23) second, and Baker 3rd, in which was his last race before beginning a University course. That makes three Finals this year for the Howard boys, brother Dene having won back in May.
The Hot Rods were contesting their West of England Championship sponsored by Mick Cave Grab and Tip, and Mick (89) was back to defend his title. There was drama early in the meeting when Colin White(718) a fancied runner for the title, lost a back wheel in the first Qualifying Heat, crashing heavily with Neil Muddle(35), while Larry Langmead(18) won the restarted race. White repaired his car for the second race, which he won, and then went on to win the Championship, from Steve Hunt(282) and Mick Cave (89). Steve Hunt was presented with the Points Championship Trophy for 2011.
Sixty Bangers were in the pits, some battle scarred from yesterday, and some fresh cars including the star car of the day, Shaun Turnage’s(114) Cortina Mk 1 from 1963, which had been in the family for 25 years! Not to be outdone, when the Grand Parade got underway Slug (270) produced another beautiful car and caravan combo, with a Morris 1000 as the tow car, which was kept for the caravan race itself.
Two thirty car qualifying heats were run, won by Arry Brown(113), and Tom Foolery(54) who had been loaded the previous day for excessive contact. Tom had learned his less on well, and went on to win the meeting Final, and then the Caravan Race, and the 2011 Banger Points Championship title!
The biggest field of Reliants for several years were present for their races, which were a straight race, ramp race and then their traditional Figure of Eight and Destruction Derby events. 27 cars signed on, including a three car team from Pill, as Sam Summerhayes and his crew made a one off appearance, two fresh cars for Steve and Micky Ford, making their debut in the Formula, as was Adam Ghey, and it was chaos from lap one of race one, and superb entertainment all day.
Lee Charles(499) continued his winning streak by winning all three events, although Mark Neville came oh so close to winning the ramp race, going flat out over the ramp as Charles slowed down to preserve his car. Come the Destruction Derby, however, it came down to a battle between Plymouth’s Matt Ashmore(674) and last year’s winner Mark Loader (444), but finally Ashmore nailed his adversary on the start line with a huge hit that rolled both cars, but he was back on his wheels to a huge cheer from the crowd, and drove away. First to congratulate him was Loader with a handshake.
The Caravan race was restricted this year, and eleven cars and caravans took to the track, including late entry Gordon Mintram(101) who was gifted Del Boy’s caravan when his own car expired. With less caravans, it was a much better race, with lots of spectacular crashes, until Mike Cocks(162) launched himself right up on top of the Widget(114) and Jimmy Tenbellies (122) wrecks in an almost carbon copy of last year’s MGB crash on the same bend! With drivers safely out of their cars, the race resumed, and it was that man Tom Davey (54) again, who won in superb style, and took the coveted shield. Unbelievably, Darren Feltham’s(364) caravan remained intact and Davey remarked after the race that the plan was to demolish it after the chequered flag, but sadly he got tangled in some wreckage and broke the steering on his car.
A brilliant afternoon, and roll on 2012!
RESULTS - 29.08.11
Special Rods:-
Heat 1 - Steven Baker 370,44,35,60,47,270,173,42,993,122
Heat 2 - Ross Colenut 18,23,26,210,41,10,22,136,43,273
Cons - Lee Ashworth 777,273,925,122
Final - Sam Howard 44,23,370,26,122,41,210,47,18,173
Hot Rods:-
Heat 1 - Larry Langmead 18,205,282,89,55,117,578,258
Heat 2 - Colin White 718,282,18,117,89,258,55,35,205,578
Final - Colin White 718,282,89,35,205,18,117,55,578
Rookie Bangers:-
Heat 1 - Chris Jeanes 113,991,13,134,475,364,111,10,328,208
Heat 2 - Tom Davey 54,45,956,129,333,929,734
Cons - Ryan Wadling 776,182,224,386
Final - Tom Davey 54,475,134,224,991,13,734,776,364,10
DD - Tom Davey 54
Reliant Robins:-
Heat 1 - Lee Charles 499,445,78,437,333,264,87,444,144,117
Heat 2 - Lee Charles 499,333,445,444,78,100,116
Fiq.8 - Lee Charles 499,87,445,444,364,162,39
DD - Matt Ashmore 674
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