Sunday 19th March marked the end of an era, as Spedeworth hosted the Plough Lane Classic, a final farewell to banger racing at Wimbledon Stadium. 101 cars filled the pits, with some stand out machinery in tow. 627 Terry Coke had one of the star cars of the meeting with his 1970 Plymouth Gran Fury Station Wagon. 632 Callum Reed equally impressed with his stunning Mk1 Ford Granada. There were a pair of hearses, with 522 Tim ‘Weevil’ James bringing a smart Mk2 Ford Granada version and 17 Kyle ‘Chief’ Overy’s a modern Ford Fairline version. 1986 World Champion 112 Sean Gallagher rolled back the years with an old school painted Rover P5. There were a break out of Toyota Crowns; 122 Mark Cooper Jnr having a smart Custom Coupe, 242 Ricky Korpiela and 327 ‘Suicide Syd’ Sherman also bringing stand out models. 514 Marty Eighteen had a tidy Rolls Royce. Elsewhere on the material front, Messers man 442 Ricky Deans had a used Mk1 Granada, 220 Tom ‘Lurch’ Pavitt and 349 James Guppy bringing fresh Jaguar XJ-S’. The used material came in the form of a Mk1 Ford Granada Saloon for 133 Ben ‘Werzal’ Wyatt, a Mk2 version for 787 Marc Key and a Mk2 Estate for TPL pilot 620 Guy Whitehead, a pair of Westys courtesy of 84 Jerry ‘Bleach’ Ansell and 414 Doom, and a used 1970s Mercedes S Class for 4 David Wilde. 329 Mike Carter had a fresh frog eye limo and 307 Jon-Joe Cunningham also turned heads with an all steel Mk1 Ford Granada Hearse which failed to race. There were countless amounts of top sign written motors on display, and only five Ssang Yong Rodius’ in the form of DWO pairing 190 Pikey and 341 Jonesy with Cream Team’s 688 United Jnr, Surrey Street Squad’s 400 George Kelly and TMT’s 141 Gary Lee having the others.
Heat 1 begun with 88 Billy ‘Ballbag’ Page (frogeye) being spat left by the pack and 362 Johnny James (Supra) getting spun by 327 Micky Maskell Jnr (Mercedes C Class Estate). 360 Dave Nichols (Jaguar XJ6) was buried into a post by 331 Jason Jackson (Frogeye Estate) and he was duly done over the front wheel by 725 Sibbs (Merc) as he backed out across the track and was also jacked by 198 Brandon ‘Ozzie Jnr’ Osborne (Merc Estate) for his troubles. 776 David Newman (Previa) was posted by 733 Ricky Stroud (Merc), as 622 Stuart ‘Stuie’ Davis (Previa) blasted 198 Ozzie Jnr over the rear wheel. 606 (Merc Estate) followed in 74 Adam Hitchcock’s smart Jaguar XJ6, before 209 Tom Waller (Merc Estate) homed in for a big jack up on 606. A few laps passed before 198 Ozzie Jnr blitzed 74 Scratchy.
331 Boxer Jack raced to the first win of the night.
Heat 2 was dominated by the Ssang Yong brigade. 284 James Head (Mercedes) got caught up with Surrey Street Squad pilot 400 Chip, and was duly jacked by 616 Jack Tickner (Jag XJ6) in return. 190 Pikey weighed in on 616 Tickner, as 341 Jonesy hit 228 Matt Fall (Supra) with a big hit on oppo. 614 Chris Hide (Lexus) tboned 341 Jonesy. 190 Pikey stopped 33 Gary Madgwick (Frogeye estate) with a stiff head on. 348 Sonny Sherwood (Frogeye estate) ran 89 Joe Barrett (Frogeye) into 190 Pikey triggering a decent wrecking train. 614 Mr Lossy jacked 619 Mikey Knight (Jag), with 9 Tom Jordan (Lexus) going in hard on 614 Lossy. 141 Lee piled in to 9 Jordan, with 245 Jack France (Lexus) also opting to join in the action. 662 Jamie Harding jacked 245 France and running mate 688 United Jnr went on to blast 06 Neil Rawsthorne (Mercedes C Class Estate). 146 Steve Voss (Lexus) caught 662 Harding, leaving the former prone to a succession of hits. 190 Pikey wasted little hesitation in blowing up 146 Vossy, 124 Oris (Previa) coming round to blast Vossy too, as 190 Pikey backed out to dish a hit to 614 Mr Lossy. 124 Oris backed out leaving 146 Vossy prone to a big jacking from DWO live wire 341 Jonesy. The yellow flags came out to assist 146 Vossy who took a hard battering. The race resumed with 382 Tommy Hutchings (Frogeye Estate) opening a big lead. 341 Jonesy buried 88 Ballbag into the pile up. 688 United Jnr and 341 Jonesy then shared a head on before opting to do some laps in the correct direction. 341 Jonesy caught the slowing 688 United Jnr, dulling opting to weigh in on the latter sending him to the infield. 382 Hutchings raced to the win.
The majority of the material appeared in Heat 3, including 632 Reedy Jnr, 627 Cokey and 112 Gallagher. 506 (Frogeye Estate) spun 522 Weevil as 769 Ben Englestone (Volvo 740) was sent fencewards by 242 Korps. 17 Chief buried 49 Blake MacDowell (Frogeye Estate). 627 Cokey leant 442 Deans up a post, which allowed 388 Taylor Sowter (Volvo 740 Estate) to blitz 442 Deans. 61 Barrel (Jag) sent 414 Doom across the grass, as 241 Paul Korpiela (Jag) attacked 747 Eddie Cotton (Volvo 740 Estate). 112 Gallagher followed in 384 John Golden (Jag). 388 Lump getting a big air time shot on 112 Gallagher. 627 Cokey drive through the rear end of 388 Lump. 61 Barrel buried 241 Korpiela, which left him open to a shot from 17 Chief. 506 spun 17 Chief. 61 Barrel followed in 522 Weevil, splintering the hearse on impact. 17 Chief jacked 61 Barrel, with 627 Cokey going in on the former. 122 Mark Cooper Jnr homed in for a big hit to 627 Cokey. 787 Marc Key guided his Mk2 Granada to the win.
776 David Newman was at the centre of the action at the start of Heat 4, firstly being tboned near the pit gate by 82 Ben Beasley (Lexus), before getting spat of a post on the home straight by 725 Sibbs. 362 James buried 160 Davy Patton (Jag), as 400 Chip met 2 Luke Dawson (Previa) head on. 400 Chip assaulted 776 Newman. 198 Ozzie Jnr jacked 160 Patton, with 327 Maskell running 182 Mad Mike through the back of 198 Ozzie Jnr. 2 Spooky stopped 331 Boxer Jack and 415 Scott Cornish (Frogeye Estate) on oppo. 171 Tommy West (Frogeye) done 2 Spooky over the front wheel. 182 Mad Mike collecting 171 Westy Jnr. 327 Maskell Jnr drive through 171 Westy Jnr as 2 Spooky met 198 Ozzie Jnr on the nose. 725 Sibbs attacked 224 James Burrows (Previa), which leant in 768 Calvyn Girling (Jag), triggering a pile up. 171 Westy Jnr done 224 Buggsy Jnr oppo and was jacked in turn by 171 Westy Jnr which caused 182 Mad Mike to get blocked in. 327 Maskell Jnr and 362 James piled in. 415 Corn Dog jacked 249 Will Guppy (Lexus), before homing in on 327 Maskell Jnr a lap later. 733 Stroudy and 182 Mad Mike shared a head on, 169 James Rushton (Merc Estate) weighing on 733 Stroudy. 114 Liam Lake (Merc Estate) stayed away from all the carnage to take the win.
Heat 5 started a bit quieter until 341 Jonesy done 4 Wildy on oppo, before treating 220 Lurch to similar treatment. 122 Cooper Jnr followed in 4 Wildy, also sending 89 Panda into a spin. 769 Englestone jacked 122 Cooper Jnr. 662 Harding stopped 769 Englestone with a hard head on. 528 Jethro raced to the win.
The Final started in similar fashion. 341 Jonesy met old team mate 133 Werzal in a solid head on, 514 Marty jacking the latter snapping the Mk1 Granada off a treat. The race was stopped to recover 133 Werzal from his wreck. The restart saw 124 Oris stop the smart Mk1 Granada of 632 Reedy Jnr on oppo. 141 Lee had a pop at 528 Alan Hunt (Frogeye), before earlier Heat winner 787 Key was met in a Rodius sandwich as 190 Pikey stopped him on the nose, with 688 United Jnr jacking him hard. 190 Pikey’s wrecking mission continued with a solid head on to 616 Tickner. 242 Korps also felt the wrath of 190 Pikey, as 341 Jonesy went in on 570 Jordan Cumming, as 89 Panda dished a hard hit to 124 Oris. 242 Korps looked to turn around but was treated to a tbone from Heat 2 winner 382 Hutchings, as 114 Lakey again picked his way through the chaos to take the win.
The DD saw 9 Jordan begin the action as he buried 733 Ricky Stroud into a post. 160 Patton expired on the entrance to the pits bend and was blitzed by a stinking hit from 190 Pikey. 414 Doom diverted to the rumble strips to jack 224 Bugsy Jnr, with 9 Jordan weighing in hard on 414 Doom. 506 ran 769 Englestone through the back end of 9 Jordan, which allowed 17 Chief to dish a massive revenge hit from earlier on 506. 169 James Rushton attacked 414 Doom, which allowed 190 Pikey to strike the P5 over the front wheel. 190 Pikey weighed in on 17 Chief at a thunderous speed, sending the hearse into 169 Rushton head on. 414 Doom recovered to blast 776 Newman. 190 Pikey jacked 414 Doom, who was severely axle tramping at this point. 382 Hutchings diverted to the middle to blast 414 Doom, and he was treated to a big hit from 242 Korps for his troubles. 190 Pikey dished a balls out tbone to 776 Newman to settle the DD, the latter seeking medical attention, but clambering out to congratulate 190 Pikey on his win. 414 Doom deserving of an honourable mention for his never say die attitude.
A top night of racing and wrecking in the capital, with the atmosphere being reminiscent of London Open and World Finals gone by showing how much the grandest stage of them all will be severely missed. Farewell old friend.
