Arena Essex - Sunday 13th May 2012

(Report by Steve Linfield)

The second of the meetings for Autospeed at Arena Essex this season once again brought nice spring like weather, much the same as the previous early last month.  The BriSCA F2 Stock Cars raced for a World Championship qualifying round, whilst the Saloon Stock Cars and Bangers both had their version of the Essex Championship to go for.  Once again it was a very slick show by the whole team, with the meeting signed off just after 4.00pm.

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

The BriSCA F2 Stock Car entry did, perhaps, fall short of expectations with it being a more significant date but the over-riding factor was the clashing two-day meeting at Skegness which took away many would be attendees.   However, the number present mirrored last time with 29 cars in the pits and there were some fine travelling efforts with drivers from as far apart as Cornwall, Durham, Yorkshire and just about all points in-between, and no less than eight drivers on their first appearance at the venue which is very impressive indeed.   That said, it must be reported that the efforts of some of those who live an awful lot closer was very disappointing.     Fresh from taking his 100^th Final win at Mildenhall the previous evening, 886 Chris Bradbury produced a perfectly timed and executed last bend move to dislodge long-time leader 541 Luke Phillips on the last bend to win.  844 Darren Phillips then took heat two at a canter before the locally based brothers’ good day continued in heat three when Luke lead home Darren in a family 1-2 finish.   However, it went wrong for Darren in the Final when he crashed out early on along with 76 Chris Rowe and 677 Chris Roots.  324 James Thackra also had early problems as he tangled with 301 Charlie Whitfield and was playing catch up from there on in.  313 Phil Williams was the early leader until 960 Ady Whitehead moved past, but he was then shifted aside by 541 Phillips in a great battle between the two yellow graded drivers.   The pair of them opened out a good lead and whilst Bradbury was making good inroads through the traffic they looked like they would be hard to get hold of.  However, the engine’s had other ideas as first Phillips ran sick, and he retired and then a few laps later Whitehead also ran sick.   This eased Bradbury’s chance to reel him in and pass and he then went on to win, making it two World Championship qualifying rounds in two days and now an almost certain pole position for a Semi Final.   676 Neil Hooper held off 700 Adam Rubery to take second whilst Whitehead to his credit kept his car going to the flag and was rewarded with sixth place.   The Grand National saw drama when 606 Andrew Palmer blew his engine and 222 Ayrton Mills was the unlucky one to crash on the subsequent oil slick which brought out the yellow flags.  541 Phillips was clear at the time of this, but was passed by Thackra soon after the re-start and he went on to take the victory.  734 Glenn Sanders earned the £50 voucher from Randall Motorsport for the best white graded driver on the day, coupled with the £25 extra prize money with it being a World Championship qualifying round, whilst 541 Phillips got £25 extra top yellow graded prize.

Saloon Stock Cars

26 Saloon Stock Cars were present and again a fine fusion of north, south, east and west and four of the current champions present.   The April 1 meeting was simply stunning, especially in the heat races, and so that was a hard act to follow but once again there was some very hard and fast racing throughout with some big hits going in on all three of their races.   191 Shaun McMillan won the first heat by a proverbial country mile, but was docked two places for being judged to have jumped the start.  This promoted 1 Eddie Darby to the win, after he had fought he was from the back of the grid and shifted aside 298 Ian Elms in the latter stages.    Heat two saw an early yellow flag after 911 Pete Jennings had a wild ride on the home straight and into turns one and two that left him stricken.    Elms and 460 Cliff Friend set the pace after the re-start, but aided slightly by the yellow flag this time, Darby was in the lead by the halfway stage and went on to take the chequered flag this time.    The Essex Championship got off to a spectacular start for some, with April’s Final winner 6 Simon Welton spun early and 570 Simon Venni crashed hard in avoidance whilst not long after 22 Karl Petters was spun and was stranded on the exit of turn four to bring out the yellow flags.   191 McMillan was the leader at the time and he continued to do so at the resumption.  However, 698 Danny Colliver soon challenged him and when 191 slipped wide, he was only too ready to accept the lead.   Colliver then pulled clear whilst McMillan and 103 Chris Horwell battled over second, until Horwell spun the East Anglian aside.  This allowed 120 Shane Brown through into second but Colliver was too far up the road and went on to take a good win.  Brown was the runner-up and Darby got Horwell late on for third.

Autospeed Bangers

There were 25 Bangers present, and only 247 Richard Sparkes from Autospeed and thus making the trip from the southwest, the remainder was made up of local and/or regular drivers to Arena Essex.   The Essex Championship was the first  race and after an aborted first start, it got underway with 61 Darryl Theedom, who is the reigning Rookie Banger Track Champion at Arena soon into the lead and it was one he was not to lose as he won by a vast distance.  183 Jay Brown was second and 247 Sparkes third.    The first  allcomers race saw Sparkes take the win and then in the second won, it was perhaps only natural that he was going to be a marked man.  Having seen off a ‘stop and wait’ attack and one from 710 Sam Topley he appeared to have got away with it.  At the front 419 Steve Haines was miles in the lead at once stage but he was reeled right in by Sparkes and he was able to follow him across the line at the chequered flag.  However, he then dispatched the 419 car after the chequered flag, and then goaded the local drivers further by sending 123 Tony Hutton spinning across the shale and grass on the run down lap.  However, both then took matters in their own hands by driving at Sparkes in the wrong direction after the red flags had been shown with Haines meeting Sparkes with a large head on.  Suffice to say this is something strictly taboo in Autospeed Bangers, and any formula after the red flags.  All three were disqualified from the result, pending possible further penalty and Topley inherited the win.