Hednesford’s turn to host a 1600 Bangers Gold Rush took place on Monday 2nd May. A few drivers made the effort on the paint front with 831 Josh Fuller piloting a smart Mk4 Vauxhall Astra. 99 Levi Dewey had a stunning Mk5 Vauxhall Astra. 670 Max Eaton made his adult debut with a smart Mk5 Vauxhall Astra. 481 Danny Willis had a well presented Ford Focus.
97 Jack Shepherd and 160 Simon Crew formed the front of the grid for Heat 1. 210 Daniel Barkham spun 292 Harry Airey. 331 Jason Jackson got removed on the back straight by 438 Josh Mayo. 557 Lewis Sharman buried 438 Polar. 455 Micky Cornish set about 610 Devon Usher. 409 Charlie Murrell spun 210 Barkham. 141 Jake Stewart spun 409 Murrell. 409 Murrell rejoined to turn 127 Kieron Andrews fence-wards, the reds coming out for 127 Andrews. The restart saw 160 Crew lead them away. 330 Tyler Wilkin expired from third place. 455 Micky Cornish followed in 815 Tom Castle which also claimed 842 Keaton Ivins. 306 Mitchell Hawkins took out second placed 97 Shep Jnr allowing 160 Simon Crew to open up a gap to secure the win.
160, 512, 36, 270, 310, 97, 521, 402, 60, 15
The second Heat saw 305 Alfie Cornish and 621 Gareth Parker off the front. 132 Robert James buried 666 Marc Hudson. Several drivers came together near the pit gate, most of whom being the Skegness based drivers; 39 Ryan Knibbs suffering the most from it all. A chicane opened on the exit of turn 2 with 172 Nick Mills sat passenger doors up across the back straight. 90 Joey Holmes Jnr ran 3 Harley McCarthy into 172 Milky. 714 Reece Peters ran into 172 Milky. 784 Tommy Killick ran 132 Archie Cullum into 714 Peters getting some air time as the red flags came out. 591 Aaron Morris lead from 621 Gruff and 305 Cornish. 670 The Man Jnr spun 682 Korben Quinn. 717 Harvey Devall Jnr spun 29 Jamie Locker. 08 Finlay Damon turned 537 Mase fence-wards. 90 Spud had a pop at 537 Mase. 295 Ashley Wallace ran into the spun 298 Carl Locker, tearing the passenger door apart from the former’s Honda Del Sol. 770 Bradley Beaumont ran head on into 298 Locker. 29 Locker jacked 770 Beaumont, as 591 Aaron Morris took the chequered flag.
591, 823, 414, 670, 295, 621, 305, 171, 128, 165
The Consolation race begun with 121 James Tibbles rattling the armco, as behind 537 Mase spun 132 Bobbles. 39 Knibbs collected 121 Tibbles. 455 Cornish weighed in on 39 Knibbs and was blitzed in turn by the following pack as cars went off in all directions. 610 Devon Usher spun 13 Morgen McCarthy. 345 Reece Keeping also coming to grief as several drivers had an off on turn 3 as well including 517 Ben Sanders and 133 Faye Madgwick. 666 Hudson and 301 Jack Botfield tangled leaving the former stranded on the exit of turn 2. 717 Harvey Boy collected 666 Hudson and had 452 Harry Eyles go in too. 409 Murrell turned 541 Craig Hanrahan left. 59 Tom Greenstreet spun 717 Harvey Boy. 99 Mr Gash collected 541 Irish and was jacked by 132 Cullum Jnr. 164 Jordan Murrell set about 291 Aaron Witton, with 409 Murrell running 59 Greenstreet into the back of them. 205 rattled 292 Harold around the plating before crashing into 610 Devon. 306 Mitchell Hawkins raced to a strong win.
306, 333, 894, 18, 94, 291, 452, 537, 409, 45
The Wildcard Final saw 591 Morris get a strong start from the front row of the grid. 385 Craig Thurlow was among a few early spinners along the back straight as everyone jostled whilst finding their feet. A sort out along the home straight saw 74 Patrick Mulroe spin 305 Cornish and get spun in turn by 512 Kieran Rowe, as behind, 594 Mason Burdett turned 311 Mikey Fitzsimmons fence-wards. 18 James Friston spun 594 Little Legs, before 60 Tim Crew spat 94 Jack Anscombe left. 621 Gruff set about 13 Morgen, the latter copping a rear wheel shot from World Champion 141 Snakey. 15 Jack Maddox had now taken up the running, with 591 Morris now dropping down to third place after colliding with 531 Brent Tropper along the home straight, with 36 Jamie Plane also going through. 299 Dale Locker followed in 594 Little Legs. The red flags coming out on track to attend to The Entertainers young gun. The restart saw 512 Rowe and 449 Bradley Green tangle with both having to take avoiding action around the lame 594 car. 557 Sharmo and 60 Crew crashed into Little Leg’s car. 299 Knocka spun 141 Snakey. In the battle at the front of the grid, 591 Morris regained the lead, with 36 Fathead stuffing 15 Maddox away. 295 Ash Dash took a pop at 310 Harvey Latkowski, spinning himself in the process. 310 Harvey followed in 29 Locker, and was duly done in turn by 291 Aaron Witton. 82 Wayne Quinn crashed out on turn 4 and was jacked by 299 Knocka. 591 Morris still lead with 3 laps to go, although 333 Brad Wickson was reeling him in at a rapid rate. 165 Charlie Barwell spun 36 Fathead from third place. 74 Mulroe turned 310 Harvey left on the back straight. 160 Crew spun 128 Daniel Allen. 333 Beachball took the lead with a lap and half to go and raced off to secure the win and book his spot on the World Final grid; 591 Morris settled for second place with 59 Greenstreet getting third. 210 Barkham spinning 74 Mulroe before the red flag.
333, 591, 59, 165, 521, 352, 823, 414, 18, 299
The Dash ended the day’s proceedings for the 1600 Bangers. 351 Adrian Martins was the first to fall by the way side, getting spun along the home straight. 823 Charlie Murrell attacked 621 Gruff. 537 Mase set about 306 Hawkins but buried himself harder in the process. 717 Harvey Boy got spun at the end of the home straight. 141 Snakey turned 438 Polar fence-wards. 331 Boxer Jack dispatched of 541 Irish. 3 Bunda buried the leading 59 Greenstreet. Greenstreet completed a lap before jacking 3 Bunda. 74 Mulroe followed in 521 Coveney on turn 4 before running in 477 Martin Harle on the next bend. 305 Cornish weighed in on 74 Mulroe. 512 Rowe had the lead as the race reached the half way point. 666 Hudson had a pop at 59 Greenstreet, the latter recovering to steam in with a solid head on to 3 Bunda. 541 Irish spun the leading 512 Rowe, before 94 Jack Anscombe jacked 477 Harle. 165 Barwell now lead as behind 414 Jimmy Craig spun 108 Lewis Jefcote. 325 Adam Wickson turned 670 The Man Jnr left. 59 Dob went in on 670 The Man Jnr. 717 Harvey Boy dispatched 59 Dob. 409 Murrell spun 325 Wicko. 165 Charlie Barwell raced to the win as it all kicked off on the back straight. 666 Hudson and 409 Murrell crashed out into the lame 670 The Man Jnr, with 842 Ivins catching the edge of the grass banking and rolling – 402 Albie Jenner and 564 Jack Priest also crashing into them before the red flags came out.
165, 414, 352, 333, 141, 305, 108, 409, 717, NOF
The Caravan Destruction Derby saw 9 drivers game to destroy some fibreglass, including 90 Spud, 517 Sanders and 201 Pez. 471 Trevor Perry had a tandem trailer with two caravans attached. A strategic caravan had also been placed across the winner’s ramp along the back straight. 517 Sanders wasted no time in driving through the errand caravan, splintering it across the raceway. 471 Fat Man went flying into turn 3 seeing both of his caravan’s topple over. 96 Wayne Davies attacked the back caravan of 471 Fat Man, with 122 Dan Edwards driving through the debris. The drivers begun getting stuck in to one another as the green flag was waved again to signify that contact could commence. 90 Spud attacked the leading 122 Edwards. 45 Brandon Barlow planted himself into the back of 122 Edwards at the end of the home straight. 45 Barlow again drove through the debris on turn 1. 98 Mad Mucker set about 201 Pez, the Scrapyard Screamer also coming under fire from 96 Davies. 471 Fat Man attacked 98 Mad Mucker. 45 Barlow parked himself on the back of 90 Spud’s trailer, clobbering the latter’s Focus in the process. 201 Pez attacked 96 Davies. 201 Pez then splintered the remains of the caravan that was originally situated across the ramp. 471 Fat Man attacked 201 Pez, the latter losing his caravan completely which got followed in by Fat Man. Pez freed Fat Man from the debris, the latter being the last one running with his trailer in tow. 471 Fat Man ploughed through several errant caravans before jacking 201 Pez. 201 Pez experienced a small fire on his Focus as the red and chequers came out to declare 471 Trevor Perry the winner.
Overall, a fantastic session which proved that with the right set of drivers, Hednesford can deliver the goods as a banger track.
