Just over 130 National Granada Bangers descended on Norfolk for what looked like the meeting of the season. The sport’s biggest names came out to play with drivers travelling from all over England, Scotland, Ireland and Holland to race. There were some stunning paint jobs too, most of which were World Final standard. With this meeting, also being billed as possibly the last ever all MK1 and MK2 Granada meeting, there was a massive crowd there too. The Granada was the car to have in Unlimited Bangers, but as times have moved on, they’re very rarely seen on the Unlimited circuit anymore. This meeting was a bit like going back in time to the 90’s when the Ford Granada was in it’s prime.
The first race of the night was for Hearses and Limos and was meant to be a race which allowed these drivers to get a few laps in before they were mixed in with the saloon’s and the estates later in the night. But I think it’s fair to say, it was a bit more destructive than some people thought it would be. Just over 10 cars lined up for this one and began with Dutchman, 1 Maarten Steenbekkers running the Hearse of 349 Lee Saunders into the Armco on turns 1 and 2. With some front Left suspension damage, Lee Saunders smelt blood and turned it around on the exit of turn 4 to hit the lush MK1 limo of 791 Nicky Young over the rear Left corner damaging the suspension on the limo. Maarten Steenbekkers then hit the Saunders Hearse in the rear turning it and himself round in the process. Lee Saunders then went in head on to Scottish visitor 158 Gary Dickson which damaged his front Left suspension. Blake McDowell then went through the Left side of Lee Saunders Hearse immobilising it for the rest of the race. With Bobby Daniels smart Hearse conking out on the back straight and the massive crowd cheering him on, Blake McDowell went storming into the Hearse completely ruining it.
Race winner: 294 The Stuntman Lee Hughes
Race two of the evening was for MK1 Granada’s. The race began with 78 Lee Macey getting spun on the exit of turn 4 and Steve Guppy also getting spun over on turns 1 and 2. Meanwhile, Mike Pullen and Shayn Winsor tussled for the race lead. Shayn Winsor eventually getting the better of Pullen. The rest of the race was very timid with just a few spins with drivers wanting to save their cars for later in the night.
Race winner: 787 Marc Key
The third race of the night was for half of the MK2’s and raised 39 cars. The race began with a big push going into turns 3 and 4 causing a few spins as 611 Joe Geeves followed in the Gypsy Crew driver 82 Dave Norris. Gladiator 549 Phil Smith then followed in 25 Joe Parsons into the turns 3 and 4 wall catching some decent air time. With Phil Smith being stuck facing the Armco barrier, 327 Micky Maskell went storming in, jacking the Gladiator MK2 up a treat to a big cheer from the crowd over on turns 3 and 4. Tommy west in 171 then went through the passenger doors of the 327 Maskell car. Joe Geeves was then spun over on turn 2 before receiving a small head on by Scottish driver, 440 Peter McVay.
Race winner: 331 Jason ‘Boxer Jack’ Jackson
The fourth race of the night was the other half of the MK2’s and raised a similar field of cars. It again, began with a big push going into turns 3 and 4 claiming a few including 888 Shaun Stark who got some fairly hefty front-end damage after being spun into the Armco on the home straight. 291 Mick Turner got spun on the home straight before getting met head on by 380 Trevor Wright. 269 Dean French then stopped on the back straight allowing Posh-Wash young gun 333 Charlie Randall to jack him up with some decent air time. This brought out the Red flags.
Race winner: 322 Tom Fox
Race five of the night saw a return to the track for the MK1’s along with Hearses and Limo’s. It began with Lee Hughes following in 164 Gary Shaw into the turns 3 and 4 Armco. Lee Hughes then followed in the 614 car of Chris Hide over on turns 1 and 2. Irish visitor 201 Brian Mullen then jacked the stricken car of Gary Shaw. Mullen was then able to get going just in time as 100, ‘Mr Sat’ came in but only collided with the Armco barrier before stopping on the exit of turn 4. The Hearse driver sat their waving cars in, but no one obliged to destroy the Hearse. That was until 186 Mike Pullen finally went into the back of the Hearse to enormous fist pumps from ‘Mr Sat’. Lee Hughes then came around to jack the Mike Pullen car. Pullen and Hughes were joined together and got going again before coming to rest on the entrance to turn 1. Aaron Kelly clipped the Lee Hughes and Mike Pullen cars separating them. Mike Pullen then turned it round over on turn 2 and met Lee Hughes with a head on.
Race winner: 188 John Reeves
The sixth race of the night was for MK2’s running the newer engines. A big push into turns 3 and 4 again claimed a few. Lastrites driver Mike Flaherty followed in TMT driver 623 Ricky Hutton over on turns 1 and 2. Tom Waller hit the 78 Lastrites driver Enda McKeirman over the rear Right corner after he got spun on turns 3 and 4. DWO man Steve ‘Pikey’ Bailey then turned around on the exit of turn 4 to hit TGB rival 382 Jack ‘Chubby’ Foster over the front Left corner. ‘Chubby’ then turned it round to give ‘Pikey’ another head on. 21 Jason Colbert then picked up 141 Gary Lee on the exit of turn 4 and ran him along the Armco. 209 Tom Waller then came around to jack 21 Colbert only to then be done by Mike Flaherty.
Race winner: 209 Tom Waller
Race seven saw the older engines back out were we saw a mix of MK1’s and MK2’s for the first time of the night. 138 Jason Smy was spun over on turns 1 and 2 only to be jacked by 551 Brett Jackson getting decent air. Irishman Steve ‘Hotsocks’ Reynolds in 173 then latched onto the back of 82 Dave Norris on the entrance to turn 3 and spun him out. 887 Rob Browning then turned it around on turn 4 and was met with a hard head on by 78 Michael Birch who was then jacked by 1 Maarten Steenbekkers. Meanwhile, 396 Callum Roberts turned it around on turn 2 to give a head on to the 2016 East Anglian Champion 757 Callum Gill who was in turn jacked by 834 Jan Van Osch. The Dutch Ral 6005 was then t-boned hard through the passenger doors by Mad Hatter 390 David Gibson who in turn was t-boned by 79 Ricky Twell. The Red flag then came out to check on an injured driver after some heavy hits went in on that turn 2 pile up. The restart saw Maarten Steenbekkers follow in 291 Jay Giddings into that turn 2 pile up. Brett Jackson then went in on the Steenbekkers Hearse completely destroying it. ‘Hotsocks’ Steve Reynolds then jacked Jackson in 551 who was in turn jacked by 97 Dave Allen. Meanwhile, Andy Battle and Jack Overy battled each other hard for the lead with Jack coming out on top.
Race winner: 617 Jack Overy
The eighth race of the night was an all MK2 affair. 188 John Reeves was spun on turns 3 and 4 by Rhys Reed in 932. The rest of the race was very quiet until the last lap when a small tangle coming out of turn 4 involving Shaun Stark and Terry King was pushed down the home straight to the entrance to turn 1. 321 Andy Newton went in hard on Shaun Stark whilst 226 Brian Youngson went in hard on fellow Scott Marc Dalgarno. Tommy West then jacked Brian Youngson getting great air time as Rhys Reed came through to win.
Race winner: 932 Rhys Reed
Race nine of the night saw the newer engines back out on track and started off with a few spins. Jack Garrod then turned it around on turn 2 to hit Tom ‘Big-T’ Foster in the passenger side turning Foster round in the process. ‘Pikey’ then delivered a hard head on to Foster before Westcountry hard hitter and DWO star Andrew Jones jacked Foster bringing out the Red flags. The restart was quiet with just a few spins.
Race winner: 22 Dave Vincent
Race ten of the night was the older engines Grand Final and raised roughly 40 cars. A big push into turns 3 and 4 caused cars to go everywhere before a small pile up formed. 13 Aaron Kelly went on opposite at turn 4 and took out 331 ‘Boxer Jack’ who in turn turned it around to do Kelly head on. Tom ‘Leadfoot’ Grantham jacked 316 James Cushion. Brian Mullen was followed in on turns 3 and 4 by Mikey Maskell in 327 as the Mullen car kept on going finally stopping after hitting the 380 car of Trevor Wright over the rear Right corner. Tom Grantham then came around again going in on the Mullen MK2 limo with Jack Filmer going in on him. The Red flags came out for Joe Parsons after he took an accidental dooring on the home straight. The restart saw Jay Giddings get followed in on turns 3 and 4 by 388 Taylor ‘Lump’ Sowter. Up on turn 2, ‘Hotsocks’ and Liam Lake in 114 met head on only for Jack Filmer to go in on Lake. ‘Lump’ then turned it around to do ‘Hotsocks’ over the rear Left corner only for Jack Filmer to come in with a hard jacking to ‘Hotsocks’.
Race winner: 318 Tony Citro
Race 11 of the night was the newer engines final and raised a field of somewhere in the mid 20’s region. It began with 159 Callum Campbell, 341 Andrew Jones and 399 Jonny Atkin going off on the home straight together. 286 Dan Phillips spun of his own accord on turns 1 and 2 only to be hit by ‘Panda’ in 89. 159 Callum Campbell then went in big time on 286 Phillips. Campbell was then jacked by 1800cc World Champion Lewis Tingle. Andrew Jones then turned it aroundon turn 2 to give ahead on to Atkin in 399. Both reversed off as Atkin went around again only to have another big head on with Jones in 341. ‘Pikey’ then jacked Atkin. Atkin was then hit again by 339 Jack Garrod completely jacking up the Atkin MK2. Andrew Jones then went for the loan Bear Callum Hall but missed leaving Jones stuck on the stricken Phillips car. Callum Hall then went in with a hard jacking to Jones in 341 the following lap.
Race winner: 22 Dave Vincent
Race 12 of the night was an Allcomers straight into a DD. Just under 20 cars lined up for the race with just under 10 lined up on the infield ready for the DD. 661 was spun on turns 3 and 4 before getting a head on by Mike Flaherty in 16 who was in turn t-boned hard through the passenger doors by 209 Tom Waller. Jack Filmer then turned it around on the exit to turn 4 and hit Jack Overy in the passenger doors spinning him out. Jack Filmer then gave a head on to Lewis Tingle in 281 who in turn was jacked hard by David Gibson in 390. Jack Overy then went in for a revenge shot to Filmer in 883.
Race winner: 390 David Gibson (His first win in Unlimited cars!)
The DD started off with 226 Brian Youngson and 887 Liam Stark going head on over at turn 2 only for Stark to receive a massive jack up by 549 Phil Smith who rolled on impact bringing out the Red flags. The Green flag dropped again only for Jack Overy to deliver a head on with Lyndon Stark over on turns 1 and 2. Stark was then hit in the rear by 390 David Gibson who in turn was hit by 834 Jan Van Osch who was then hit over the rear Left corner by Overy in 617. Overy pulled off for Liam Lake to jack up Jan Van Osch. Liam Lake and Jack Overy then met each other with a few small head on’s before Liam Lake was declared the winner.
DD winner: 114 Liam Lake
All in all, I thought it was a great meeting with some ultra-smart cars, some cool sideways racing, some great wrecking and pitwork to boot. The Granada certainly is a great Banger!
