Report by Chris & David Whiting
A revised format for this year’s event saw the entry restricted to 24 teams, although 9 of the teams present failed to field full sides. Top car was the used Mk3 Capri of AS153 Jouke Kas.
Heat 1 was led by BN290 Ryan Anderson, as DB294 Lee Hughes and WB78 Lee Macey soon found the turn 1 fence. J12 Troy Cobbert fenced BN290 Anderson on turn 1 for the lead, as OS420 Matthew Jode was spun into the back straight fence. TM95 Anton Martin spun on the pit bend where he was T-boned by a recovered OS420 Jode, as SS444 Charlie Jackson blitzed SG317 Callum Jacobs near the pit gate. WB811 Pete Winter weighed into Jackson, before Winter had SS206 Dave King crash into him, BN216 Ben Naughton then joining the pit bend pile up. BN886 Mattie Seggons also ran into SS206 King as the pile up grew. OS98 Aaron Garrod went on opposite to hit DB294 Hughes, as TM37 Dave Lewis emerged from the chaos as the new leader. The track became blocked in the closing laps as TM322 Tom Fox weighed into SS346 Scott Saunders, with TM37 Lewis, DB349 Lee Saunders, SS206 King and SG732 McCauley White all crashing in on turn 4. Just TM99 Ricky Garrod and SS346 Saunders appeared to be left moving, with Garrod crashing into Saunders in the pile up, before TM37 Lewis got going again and shoved his way through to start the last lap. DB898 Andy Battle went on opposite to hit TM37 Lewis as he rounded the pit bend again, but Lewis kept going to take the chequered and end a destructive race.
DW331 Jason Jackson set the pace in the second heat, as BM248 Mark Taylor rolled all the way over on the back straight following a tangle with MB326 Shane Lynn and BH524 Amy Lathan. Taylor ended up parked on the pit bend where he was blitzed by RM307 Martin Kent. BB47 Archie Butts was then spun on the back straight to roll onto his roof, bringing out the red flags, the result being called with DW331 Jackson the winner.
AS153 Kas was tipped onto two wheels as heat 3 got underway, with SW883 Jack Filmer leading. CR9 Ben Cox was fenced on turn 2, as AS153 Kas went on opposite, meeting CR394 Harry Hill in a bone-shaking head-on on the home straight, bringing out the red flags. The restart was led by MH399 Jonny Atkins as a melee in the pack into turn 4 saw a pile up form on the pit bend. G787 Mike Amos rolled on turn 3, as the red flags came out to check on CR43 Luke Maynard who had taken a knock in the pile up. Another complete restart saw MH390 Dave Gibson leading, as CL9 Tom Jordan followed in AS48 Foppe Minnema on the pit bend, the latter getting some airtime. CL06 Neil Rawsthorne weighed into Minnema, before CL211 Jamie Pole fenced MH390 Gibson on the last lap, MH399 Atkin taking the win.
BB781 Scott Sparrow led the fourth heat before clashing with BM200 Ashley Grierson off turn 2. OS562 Gavin Barnes steamed DB898 Battle into the pit bend fence and they scuffed round the armco to the home straight, as BH127 Helen Roberts took over the lead. However, she ran hard into TM36 Ricky Lewis as he rejoined the race following a spin on the back straight, and TM322 Fox took over the lead. BN624 Jason Thurlow fenced BB517 Sid Cooper on turn 2, and they tangled with Thurlow tipping up onto two wheels. DB188 John Reeves went on opposite and lunged at the passing OS562 Barnes, but missed, Barnes then taking a T-bone from DB673 Darren Fendley on turn 2. The red flags then came out as BN216 Naughton’s belts had come undone, and the race was declared with TM322 Fox taking his second heat win.
J528 Lee Vaughan headed heat 5 as CL06 Rawsthorne fenced SS206 King to spin him on the home straight. WB828 Jordan Sharp went on opposite to head-on UN760 Harry Spencer on the pit bend, as CL195 Reece Marsh rolled off turn 2. The red flags came out for another premature end with SG292 Harry Airey declared the victor.
G390 Dan Stacey was spun and fenced on the home straight in the pack as the sixth heat got going, with AS212 Jack Maryon leading. Maryon then threw away his lead as he blitzed G547 Tony McNeil down the home straight, MH247 Jon Bailey taking over at the front. CG19 Joe Mullarkey then fenced MH247 Bailey on the home straight, Bailey rolling onto his side and back onto all fours, before taking a blitzing from the following SW883 Filmer. DW190 Steve Bailey took over the lead, as DW452 Anthony Sleeman fenced MH390 Gibson on turn 1, Gibson taking further damage from SW883 Filmer. AS51 James Licquorice went on opposite on turn 2, and tried to hit the passing DW331 Jackson, as G787 Mike Amos spun AS212 Maryon on the home straight. DW190 Bailey claimed the win, before DW341 Andy Jones dished out a head-on to MH399 Jonny Atkin under the red flags to end the race.
MB328 Dan Lathan led away heat 7 as a small pile up formed on the road bend. WB811 Winter spun SS84 Jack Ansell, as WB828 Sharp collected J528 Vaughan off turn 4. Sharp went on to blitz BB517 Cooper on turn 3, before BM205 Kieran Briddock hit J902 Rhys Mills on turn 4. J949 Tony Fidoe rolled off turn 2, ending on his side after riding the fence, the red flags coming out. Unfortunately, it was found that BH524 Lathan, who had been fenced on turn 1, was hurt and she had to be taken away by ambulance – we wish her well. The race was called at this point, with MB339 Jack Garrod the winner.
Heat 8 was led by AS212 Maryon, as SW884 Tom Filmer fenced BN588 James Bailey on turn 1. OS420 Jode went on opposite to meet DB188 Reeves head-on, with OS562 Barnes blitzing the latter. OS98 Garrod was collected by AS48 Minnema and DB116 Nat Cohn on the home straight, as OS420 Jode went on opposite to head-on AS212 Maryon and then AS51 Licquorice on turn 4. SW388 Taylor Sowter weighed into Licquorice, as OS211 Dennis Vorkink fenced DB116 Cohn at speed on turn 1, Cohn spinning. DB294 Hughes went on opposite to blitz OS420 Jode on the home straight, before TM99 Garrod went on opposite to meet MH247 Bailey head-on on the pit bend. SW884 Filmer further wrecked Bailey, the red flags coming out to check on him, with TM322 Fox leading the restart. DB898 Battle then gave Fox a head-on on the pit bend, with TM37 Lewis, SW884 Filmer and DB116 Cohn all crashing in. The red flags came out for debris on the track, TM322 Fox taking the win as the leader on the last completed lap.
The last heat saw DW331 Jackson leading as UN400 Mark Gibbons blitzed SB410 Jake Calvert on turn 4. The red flags came out for a lost exhaust on the pit bend, DW331 Jackson continuing to lead for the restart ahead of DW190 Bailey and DW74 Adam Hitchcock. The race went rather roddy, with DW190 Bailey taking over the lead, as ST888 Lloyd Stark went after DW331 Jackson, but spun, and Bailey took his second win of the day.
With the points from the heats added up, DWO were top, with Motorbitz, To The Click, Twisted Metal, Dover Boys, Team Underdogs, Team Starkey and Team Stig the qualifiers for the Final. However, these points were then reset prior to the Final, which was led away by MB326 Lynn. However, he was soon overhauled by DW331 Jackson, as SG669 Cal Curtis fenced UN123 Kieran Gray on turn 1. MB326 Lynn spun on the pit bend, before MB411 Matt Franklin went on opposite to take out DW331 Jackson on turn 2. ST868 Jorji Stark T-boned TM36 Lewis on the pit bend, as MB411 Franklin fenced DW452 Sleeman on the same turn. CL95 Luke Wagstaff gave SG428 Ben Airey a head-on off turn 4, before MB338 Terry Garrod T-boned DW331 Jackson into the pit bend fence. CL169 James Rushton T-boned TM36 Lewis on the pit bend, leaving the latter well wrecked, as MB339 Garrod met DW341 Jones head-on. Jones then gave MB338 Garrod a head-on, as a loose wheel brought out the red flags, with the result being declared and DW190 Bailey taking yet another win. However, with Motorbitz filling the next three places, they took the overall win in the Championship with 56 points, from DWO on 20 and Team Starkey on 12.
A big field assembled for the DD with 410 Calvert and 211 Vorkink T-boning 611 Carly Spiers into the turn 3 fence and 212 Maryon rolling as he piled into them, the rest of the field crashing in as the red flags came out. On the restart, most of the field went crashing in on the pit bend to form a track blockage, 47 Butts going in particularly hard. 411 Franklin went on opposite to blitz 341 Jones on the home straight, as 190 Bailey also went on opposite to weigh hard into 212 Jak Hall, tipping the latter up onto two wheels. 331 Jackson blitzed 48 Minnema on turn 4, as 06 Rawsthorne did likewise to 246 Butts on the home straight. 190 Bailey and 84 Ansell met head-on, as 9 Jordan went on opposite and leathered 331 Jackson on turn 4. 169 Rushton gave 96 Amber Daniels a head-on, as 307 Kent caught alight to bring out the red flags. Just a handful of cars remained for the restart, and they had a coming together on the home straight to reduce the numbers further, with 84 Ansell hitting 898 Battle. This left just 96 Daniels and 898 Battle in the running, and after a few head-ons, 898 Battle backed off for the win.
Results
Heat 1 (31 cars): TM37, SS346, DB898, SS206, nof.
Heat 2 (32 cars): DW331, MB328, DW341, BB512, DW452, BM205, DW74, RM876, RM474, MB326.
Heat 3 (32 cars): MH399, CL169, CL9, MH392, UN352, CL06, SB211, UN400, CL211, nof.
Heat 4 (29 cars): TM322, DB116, BN540, MB339, MB338, BM205, DB898, BN624, DB673, BB517.
Heat 5 (29 cars): SG292, UN313, SB410, CL211, CL06, SG817, CR9, nof.
Heat 6 (32 cars): DW190, DW331, ST887, ST888, RM141, ST88, SW883, nof.
Heat 7 (28 cars): MB339, MB326, SG292, MB328, MB338, BB303, BB512, WB78, SS444, SS205.
Heat 8 (27 cars): TM322, TM37, SW884, BN540, AS212, DB116, MH321, SW883, nof.
Heat 9 (32 cars): DW190, UN352, DW331, DW74, RM400, RM191, ST93, CR119, CL95, ST888.
Points after Heats:
DWO – 72, Motorbitz – 55, To The Click – 39, Twisted Metal – 39, Dover Boys – 28, Team Underdogs – 27, Team Starkey – 25, Team Stig – 23, Team Reem – 22, Team Bean – 18, Madhatters – 21, Seasiders – 19, Bits ‘n Bobs – 17, Team Sowter – 15, Stinkbridge – 12, Bangers & Mash – 10, Team Crunchers – 7, Team Allsorts – 6, Wildboys – 3, Goblins – 0, Better Halves – 0, Jokers – 0, Crazy Gang – 0, Team One Shot – 0.
Final (40 cars): DW190, MB328, MB338, MB326, ST868, TM37, MB339, CL95, SG292, DB294.
Points after Final:
Motorbitz – 56, DWO – 20, Team Starkey – 12, Twisted Metal – 10, To The Click – 6, Team Stig – 4, Dover Boys – 2, Team Underdogs – 0.
Destruction Derby (48 cars): 898 from 96.
