Report by Chris & David Whiting
National Van Bangers (19 vans)
Drivers Racing:
17 Kyle Overy 116 Graeme Jacobs 292 Harry Airey 469 Martin Baxter
19 Joe Mullarkey 144 Jordan Godfrey 317 Callum Jacobs 503 Ben Rogers
36 Ricky Lewis 187 Andy Marshall 343 Lewis White 673 Darren Fendley
37 David Lewis 204 Charlie King 370 Bill Parish 817 Kurt Jacobs
76 Terry Mansfield 206 Dave King 372 Barry Overland
Results:
Heat 1 (19 vans): 673, 370, 116, 37, 317, 372, 19, 36, 204, 206.
Final (16 vans): 370, 19, 817, 673, 204, 37, 317, 36, 206, nof.
Allcomers (13 vans): 116, 317, 673, 817, 206, 469, 36, nof.
DD (8 vans): 469 from 187.
The line-up included 76 Terry Mansfield back out in last year’s Mercedes 811 Bus, while Ice Cream Vans were provided by 36 Ricky Lewis with a Mk4 Transit and 317 Callum Jacobs with a Bedford CF. 469 Martin Baxter was racing a Mercedes 610 Bus, while 17 Kyle Overy had a Bedford CF Ambulance that had been used during filming for Casualty, London’s Burning and The Bill.
The heat started with 817 Kurt Jacobs spinning 36 Lewis, while 187 Andy Marshall overhauled 507 Ben Rogers for the lead. 469 Baxter spun on turn 2, before getting going again to blitz 343 Lewis White on the back straight. 187 Marshall pulled off, handing the lead to 370 Bill Parish, before 469 Baxter and 317 Jacobs spun near the pit gate. 204 Charlie King hooked out 36 Lewis on turn 4, before 206 Dave King spun 144 Jordan Godfrey on turn 1. 116 Graeme Jacobs spun 507 Rogers on the same bend, before 76 Mansfield T-boned a lurking 206 King on the pit bend. 204 King was spun on the pit bend causing a pile up with 206 King T-boning 144 Godfrey. 37 Dave Lewis and 116 Jacobs combined to T-bone 206 King on the back straight, as 673 Darren Fendley came through to take the win.
The Final saw 206 King attack 76 Mansfield, before 372 Barry Overland followed in 116 Jacobs on turn 3, Jacobs getting some airtime to snag the back of his van on one of Overland bonnet bolts and he ended stuck at a precarious angle. 144 Godfrey followed-in 187 Marshall on turn 1, before he was blitzed by 76 Mansfield. 370 Parish was leading, hitting 37 Lewis on the home straight, before 204 King hooked out 36 Lewis on turn 2. 370 Parish stuffed 507 Rogers into 206 King on turn 3, the latter then taking a T-bone from 76 Mansfield. 507 Rogers then T-boned 204 King on the home straight, before he was attacked by Mansfield. 37 Lewis crashed in on turn 3 along with 206 King in the closing stages, Lewis losing a wheel, as 370 Parish took the chequered.
372 Overland half spun 469 Baxter on turn 2 early in the Allcomers, which was led by 370 Parish. Both 469 Baxter and 673 Fendley then spun on the pit bend, as 204 King and 17 Overy lurked on the pit bend, with King taking a T-bone from 372 Overland. 343 White also collected 204 King, with 469 Baxter weighing into White. 317 Jacobs ran into 17 Overy, before he was hit by 370 Parish, causing a turn 4 pile up. 469 Baxter hit 19 Joe Mullarkey, as 372 Overland did likewise to 17 Overy. Overy hit the passing 317 Jacobs, before 206 King piled into him, King going on to blitz 36 Lewis on turn 3. 317 Jacobs hit 36 Lewis in the battle of the Ice Cream Vans, as 206 King again hit the now collapsing ambulance of 17 Overy. 36 Lewis weighed into 206 King, before they had 469 Baxter crash into them. 17 Overy’s ambulance was now starting to look like a flat-pack version, as 116 Jacobs took the win.
The DD saw 17 Overy back out, but with no bodywork, and started with 206 King squeezing 116 Jacobs into the turn 2 fence. 17 Overy again waited on turn 4, and took a T-bone from 469 Baxter, before 817 Jacobs crashed in. Both 317 Jacobs and 187 Marshall hit 116 Jacobs on turn 2, as 144 Godfrey T-boned 206 King on the pit bend. 469 Baxter reversed into 116 Jacobs on turn 2, before 317 Jacobs T-boned 116 Jacobs off turn 4. 187 Marshall weighed into 317 Jacobs on the home straight before spinning him on turn 2. 317 Jacobs and 17 Overy met head-on, before Baxter reversed into the former. 17 Overy could go no further with a broken propshaft, as 144 Godfrey freed himself from the pit bend and T-boned 206 King. Godfrey went on to hit 187 Marshall, as 206 King reversed into Baxter. 206 King and 317 Jacobs then exchanged hits, Jacobs reversing into King on the pit bend which bent the Ice Cream Van’s chassis, before 469 Baxter dished out a head-on to 144 Godfrey on the home straight. This left just 187 Marshall and 469 Baxter in the running, and they exchanged some hits, with Marshall having little steering. Baxter gave Marshall some T-bones, Marshall’s steering appearing to improve as a result and he gave his team-mate a T-bone back. However, Marshall’s van cried enough, leaving Baxter the winner.
