The 2017 running of the ORCI 2ltr National Banger Championship of the World moved venues for the first time in its history. The meeting has always been held at Hednesford Hills Raceway, but this year, promoter Incarace decided to move it to Birmingham Wheels Raceway instead. It raised roughly 60 cars on a sunny Saturday in the ‘steel city’.
LCQ
22 cars were out for the last chance qualifier with the top 10 making the grid for the World Final. The race started off quietly until Grey and Black member 843, Jacob Foster turned around on turn 4 to try and take out DWO star Nemesis, Steve Carter. Meanwhile, Trackstar regular 392, Sam ‘Baino’ Baines followed in the 372 Mondeo estate of Jay Matthews up on turns 3 and 4. 843 Foster goes for ‘Nemesis’ but misses, not one, not twice, but three times, but before he could mount a 4th attempt, he was t-boned hard through the passenger doors by 382, Tommy Hutchings who was then hit hard in the rear by Mad Hatter Sam ‘Baino’ Baines. The only action on the pit bend saw a big following in by 327, Syd Sherman on Georgie Lee in the number 2 car. 122 Mark Cooper Jnr raced to a Last Chance Qualifier win.
Race Winner: 122 Mark Cooper Jnr
ORCI 2ltr National Banger Championship of the World 2017
The main race raised its maximum 47 cars with all the seeded entrants represented and all 10 qualifiers from the LCQ making it back out. The race started off in manic style with cars going all over the place. ‘Bro’ in 247 picks up Brett ‘Bad-Boy’ Ellacott and follows him in to the pit bend Armco. It was all mainly spins until Mad Hatter 390, David ‘Gibbo’ Gibson gets spun on the entrance to turn 1 only to be hit flat out by DWO driver 190 Steve ‘Pikey’ Bailey just as the red flags came out. With Jack ‘Chubby’ Foster leading on the restart, younger brother Tom ‘Big-T’ Foster slowed to allow his big brother to open up a big gap straight away. DWO hard hitter and entertainer 341, Andrew Jones turns around on the exit of turn 2 to try and take out the leading Grey and Black driver. Unfortunately for Jones, he was met with a hard head-on by Mark ‘Sparky’ Foster before he could try pushing the car to the outside Armco on the exit of turn 2. Jonny Atkin in 399 then jacked the Andrew Jones car which then still managed to clip the leading ‘Chubby’ into a half spin and dropping him down the order to 6th. With Andrew Jones still sitting in the middle of the track, he was then hit hard over the left rear by Grey and Black hard hitter ‘Sparky’ in 180, leaving the Jones Mondeo a complete wreck. Meanwhile, on the home straight, Scrapyard Screamer 132 Chris Cullum delivered a hard shot to Grey and Black driver 312, Brad White bringing out the red flags for the second time. The restart was all fairly processional as there was only about 12 cars left running with 17, Kyle Overy getting pushed onto the centre and colliding with an already retired car on the nose. Dale Hughes was leading but ‘Bro’ was looking quick and moving up the order. With one corner remaining, ‘Bro’ made his move and put the bumper in on the leading Hughes, but he managed to hold on for another World title adding to the Unlimited one he won at Ipswich back in October of last year, meaning Dale Hughes is the only man to hold both at the same time. ‘Bro’ came home 2nd with 209 Tom Waller coming home in 3rd.
Race Result: 1st Dale Hughes, 2nd Lee ‘Bro’ Clarke, 3rd 209 Tom ‘Tombo’ Waller
All-comers 1
The first all-comers had a similar field to that of the World Final with 45 cars and began in a manic style with cars getting spun and pushed everywhere. The first notable hit came from the DWO vs Team Grey and Black war with DWO man Steve ‘Pikey’ Bailey hitting the rear of Jack ‘Chubby’ Foster’s Mondeo on the entrance to turn 1. 372 Jay Matthews was then followed in on the pit bend.838 Jamie Peters turned around on the pit bend and got a massive T-bone through the passenger doors by Barrow Boy, 275 Joe ‘Rusty’ Morgan. Peters in 838 gets back into it before getting spun again on the next lap on the pit bend leaving him vulnerable for a big shot over the right rear of his Mk3 Mondeo Estate by 720 Kenny Gabriel. A small pile up formed on the exit of turn 2 claiming a fair few cars and leaving the Scrapyard Screamer car of 299 Dale Locker a bit of a mess. Over on the other bend, Mad Hatter pairing Sam ‘Baino’ Baines and 399 Jonny Atkin went on opposite to carry on their feud with DWO. ‘Bro’ in 247 raced through the chaos to make up for his World Final disappointment to win the all-comers race. It was a raced filled with a lot of action that came thick and fast, it was actually hard to keep up with it all.
Race winner: 247 Lee ‘Bro’ Clarke
All-comers 2
Sadly, due to the curfew coming up fast, the second all-comers was cancelled.
It was a great night at Birmingham with some fast and frantic racing action. The main action came from the DWO vs Team Grey and Black war with Mad Hatters and Scrapyard Screamers also getting involved. Congratulations to 27 Dale Hughes on another title win.
