Arena Essex - Sunday 1st April 2012

(Report by John Wyatt)

A warm and sunny morning greeted those of us that made the long trip to Essex for what was to be the first venture for Autospeed at the popular and excellent facility that is Arena Essex. In all honesty the racing was absolutely brilliant, and those that did not attend, be it to watch or race, were the losers. I won't lie, after watching episodes of TOWIE (shuut uup), there was some fear among the ranks of the Autospeed staff members, particularly those from the Exeter area, but these proved to be unfounded and all survived, honour intact, and like the Dartford Crossing, some good bridges with the Essex boys and girls were built.  

BriSCA F2 Stock Cars

A good but not brilliant entry of 29 BriSCA F2s arrived at the Essex track but some interesting 'visitors' were among that entry including current World Champion 871 Mark Simpson and 886 Chris Bradbury, fresh from winning the meeting final at Kings Lynn the previous evening. I say 'fresh' but this was probably not the case as the man from Winnersh had broken down on his way back from Lynn with his 'shale' car, had to change tow-vehicles before loading his 'tarmac' car and heading down to Essex. Such is the commitment of this popular driver in his pursuit of the points Championship.

Running to a two-from-three heats format, heat 1 fielded 16 starters, including 886 Bradbury and Superstar 921 Jack Aldridge. At the green it was 222 Ayrton Mills who took it up from 313 Phil Williams with 886 Bradbury making an excellent start from the back of the grid, also going well was the very smart car of 8 Peter Hobbs and 783 James Rygor from the blues. By lap 6 Bradbury was already up to 6th, with 8 Hobbs now in 2nd and at half-distance the order was 222 Mills from Hobbs with 783 Rygor now 3rd but eyeing up 2nd which he took a lap later. 886 Bradbury moved up into 3rd behind 783 Rygor and as the laps counted down it was just a question of 222 Mills holding his nerve at the front. Last lap and 783 Rygor is right on the Mills rear bumper and as the two cars arrive at turn 3 launches himself at the leader, pushing the 222 car wide enough for him to pass on the inside to take the win, followed by 886 Bradbury and 183 Mark Guinchard with 222 Mills recovering for 4th. Unfortunately, after post-race checks, the 783 Rygor Randall machine failed with a front wheel off-set infringement and the victory was handed to 886 Bradbury. So, controversy in heat number 1........

Heat 2 produced 18 cars and included World Champion 971 Simpson and West Country star man 676 Neil Hooper in his smart new 'Motorworld' machine. At the green it was 222 Ayrton Mills who once again took the early lead, a lead he had stretched to almost the length of the main straight by lap 4, with local man 844 Darren Phillips in persuit in 2nd and West Country young gun 797 Dan Moss in 3rd - and 700 Adam Rubery also going well from the blue grade. At half-distance it was still 222 but 844 Phillips was getting ever closer, with 700 Rubery moving up into 3rd. With 3 laps to run 844 Phillips had taken over at the front with 797 Moss now down to 5th as 921 Jack Aldridge climbs to 4th behind Rubery. Last lap and 844 Phillips is well clear of 222 Mills who has 700 Rubery right on his tail but the blue grader is not quite close enough to pass and the chequered flag falls with the cars in that order. However, 844 Phillips is docked two places for a jumped start and after the usual post-race checks 222 Ayton Mills' Randall is also found to have a front wheel off-set problem and the win is inherited by a bemused 700 Adam Rubery, with 676 Neil Hooper promoted to 4th. Exit a very disgruntled Mills.

Heat 3 had 23 starters including 886 Bradbury and the immaculate RCE car of 522 Chris Mikulla. 313 Phil Williams was the early leader but already 844 Darren Phillips was flying as he had been in heat 2 and no suggestion of a jumped-start this time.......someone who was not going well at all was 522 Mikulla who unusually had a very slow start at the back of the field. Once again 8 Hobbs is going well, soon up into 2nd behind Williams, but 844 Phillips was looking very handy now into 3rd - as was 886 Bradbury up into 7th by lap 6. Hobbs took the lead briefly but 844 Phillips was soon on his tail with 541 Luke Phillips now up into 3rd, with big problems for earlier winner 700 Rubery who has had to take avoiding action to miss a spinning car and ended up beached on the inside of the turn 4 curb. 844 Phillips manages to pass 8 Hobbs but he then attempts to retake the position by pushing the 844 car wide which allows 541 Phillips into the lead, but again only briefly as 844 once again takes control - as 886 Bradbury moves into 3rd. With 4 laps to run it is 844 from 541 and 886 but 2 laps later Bradbury moves up into 2nd behind 844 Phillips and this is how they finish. A much deserved win for Canvey Island man Phillips, holding off the on-form Bradbury with best placed West Country finisher 676 Hooper again 4th - with no post-race penalties.......

26 runners lined up for the 'Premier Building Contractors/Top Cut Tree Surgeon' sponsored final and with three different winners and two earlier disqualifications it was always going to be difficult to pick an obvious winner. Almost as soon as the green flag waved there was action as 254 Richard Beere and 783 James Rygor spun on turn 3 but then a big accident half-way along the main straight involving 916 Luke Thomas and the unfortunate 844 Darren Phillips bought out the yellow/red flags for an immediate stoppage. With the 844 car perched sideways on across the bonnet of the 916 machine, with all four wheels off the ground, it was quite a head-ache for the joint Autospeed/Arena Essex recovery team, but unlike many amalgamated efforts the two cars were separated with the skill of a surgeon and the cars were re-lined up for a complete re-start. At the second time of asking it was 222 Ayrton Mills that made another blistering start and laid down the challenge to his 23 persuers, half a straight ahead by lap 3 from 313 Phil Williams and 8 Peter Hobbs. Once again 886 Chris Bradbury had made an excellent start from the reds and was soon right up with and past most of the blue grade - as Mills extended his lead at the front. 8 Hobbs moved past 313 Williams into 2nd with 541 Phillips also through up into 3rd, 783 James Rygor 4th and 302 Dale Moon finding some form and taking over 5th, Bradbury by this time was up to 7th. As we reached half-distance we lost World Champion Simpson to retirement as 222 Mills increased his lead further over 8 Hobbs and the field, 541 Phillips then had a problem and pulled off promoting 783 Rygor into 3rd from 700 Rubery and the charging 886 Bradbury. Next lap and 886 passes 700, with 676 Hooper moving into 6th. With 4 laps left to run 783 Rygor is looking ready to launch an attack on 8 Hobbs and next lap pushes his prey wide on turn 2 to move up into 2nd, with Bradbury then passing the number 8 car along the main straight into 3rd. With just 2 laps remaining it was just a question whether 783 Rygor had enough time to catch the flying 222 car but the answer was no and Southampton resident Mills took an excellent win, from 783 Rygor a very well deserved 2nd just in front of Shoot Out Champion Bradbury, with 676 Neil Hooper gaining his third 4th place of the afternoon. 8 Hobbs finished a creditable 6th. Thankfully this time 222 Mills' car passed post-race checks and he enjoyed a very popular lap of honour.

The Grand National saw a healthy 20 cars line up, with 222 Ayrton Mills at the front of the white grade as normal - but with the lap handicap for winning the final. 596 Richie Mead was an early casualty in this one, spinning out on the exit of turn 2, as 8 Peter Hobbs took the lead, two laps in and 844 Darren Phillips has another big problem and comes to a stop half-way down the main straight in almost the exact same place he finished up in the earlier final - which brings out the waved yellows in the interests of safety. 8 Hobbs it is who heads the remaining 18 car field for the re-start from 545 Paul Fearn in the ex John Fortune car, 783 James Rygor and 700 Adam Rubery - with 886 Bradbury already up into 6th. Before the green 797 Dan Moss is forced off with a puncture but as the race begins it is 8 Hobbs that makes a good start to take it up once more, from 783 Rygor as 545 Fearn makes an awful hash of the start, with 700 Rubery up into 3rd and 886 Bradbury into 4th. 783 Rygor soon passes 8 Hobbs for the lead as 886 Bradbury moves into 3rd, 115 Mike Green 4th, with 921 Jack Aldridge also flying and soon up with the leaders, as 954 Jamie Beere spins on the exit of turn 2. Before the 954 car of Beere gets going again, which he does, the waved yellow flags come out and we are into a second caution. 783 Rygor is the man at the front for the re-start from 8 Hobbs, 886 Bradbury, 115 Green, 700 Rubery and 676 Hooper, at the flag Rygor makes an excellent start but so to does both Bradbury and Green who pass the hesitant Hobbs into 2nd and 3rd. At half-distance it is 783 from the closing 886, 115, 700 and 676 Hooper, next lap and 676 Hooper passes 700 Rubery - followed closely by 921 Aldridge. At the front 886 Bradbury slips up the inside of 783 Rygor on turn 4 to take over at the front, 115 Green then puts the 783 car under pressure and with the help of his front bumper moves past the Westbury man into 2nd, 921 Aldridge pulls the same stunt on 676 Hooper on turn 1 to take up 3rd with two laps remaining. At the flag it is 886 Bradbury who takes the win from 115 Green and 921 Aldridge - with 676 Hooper recording his fourth 4th place of the day, how's that for consistancy ! No wins then for the West Country based drivers but an excellent afternoon of racing from the BriSCA F2s

Saloon Stock Cars

Another good but certainly not amazing enrty of 27 Saloons - but there was some quality among the ranks and the racing was certainly absolutely top-notch throughout the afternoon. Included in the line-up was current World Champion 1 Eddie Darby, Scottish Champion and National Points Champion 618 Stuart Shevill Jnr, who had won the meeting final at Cowdenbeath the previous evening, and English Champion 402 Shaun Webster.

Heat 1 produced all available cars and began with 382 Danny Hunt getting spun out even before the green flag had waved on turn 2, with local man 2 Paul Tuppen doing likewise on turn 3 - who was then collected by 120 Shane Brown. 6 Simon Welton was the early leader from the yellows before being passed by 318 Freddie Kinsella with 728 Kris Woods in 3rd, while at the back 1 Eddie Darby was flying. There was action all around the raceway as well as the battle at the front which was now headed once more by 6 Welton on lap 4, but 298 Ian Elms came to a standstill at the end of the main straight which bought out the waved yellows in the interests of safety. At the re-start it was 6 Welton that led the remaining 22 cars away from 728 Woods with 1 Darby already up into 4th, a lap later and Darby had gone 2nd with 18 Jamie Clayton up into 3rd and 401 Steve Webster 4th. The following lap and cheeky chappy Clayton passed 1 Darby into 2nd but a lap later that was reversed with 120 Shane Brown moving up into 4th as the race reached half-distance. As the laps counted down, 1 Darby passed 6 to take it up as 120 Brown moved up to 3rd but 6 Welton wasn't finished yet and re-passed the World Champion. A little further back and 65 Ian Willis was looking menacing as 1 Darby headed the field once more, with 120 Brown following him into 2nd at the expense of 6 Welton. Next, it is 18 Clayton getting back into the action, first pushing 120 Brown wide and moving into 2nd before putting the bumper in on 1 Darby to make a claim for the lead as 65 Willis joins in the fun and we have the sight of four Saloon Stock cars going down the start/finish straight neck-and-neck ! As the four cars attempt to round the bend together, they all go wide and 401 Webster goes down the inside of all of them to take the lead - but as they cross the line to begin the final lap 1 Darby recovers his composure and re-takes the lead but the action doesn't finish there, no sir ! As the leading SIX Saloons arrive at turn 3 for the final time, 65 Willis picks up 120 Brown and pushes him into the leading pack with such force that all five clatter into the turn 4 fence allowing the Slough man to shoot up the inside of all of them to take as dramatic a win as you will probably ever see at Arena - with 120 Brown somehow recovering for 2nd from 401 Webster, 'spectacular stuff' from the 'Loons hardly covers it and it is a suberb victory for 65 Ian Willis ! People complain that my race reports are too long but to give these drivers the credit they deserve cannot be covered in just a handful of words........

Heat 2 saw 26 cars take to the Essex raceway with novice 21 Matthew Tuppen electing to start at the back of the red grades. The action starts with 120 Shane Brown getting spun by 360 Carl Waterfield across the start/finish line on lap 1, as 21 Tuppen spins on turn 4, while 6 Simon Welton takes the lead. 298 Ian Elms then spins 995 Ben Goddard on turn 4 and then retires onto the infield as 6 Welton continues to lead from 916 Ross Thomas. 402 Shaun Webster then spins 1 Darby on the start/finish straight as 916 Thomas moves infront of 6 Welton, followed by 318 Kinsella, who then takes 916 Thomas to take it up. 6 Welton then re-takes Thomas on turn 4 and the World Champion Darby is running in last place. 6 Welton passes 318 Kinsella to lead once more with 916 Thomas then passing the 318 car, followed by 2 Paul Tuppen. Earlier winner 65 Willis then comes alive and moves into 4th followed by 401 Steve Webster as 318 re-passes 916 Thomas. With 3 laps left to run, 6 Welton is beginning to pull clear at the front but as he comes around turn 4 behind back-marker 22 Karl Petters, the 22 car clips the wall and spins right into the side of the leader, sending the unfortunate Welton into a spin and onto the infield leaving 318 Kinsella to pick up the pieces and take over the lead with 65 Willis looking threatening once more in 2nd. 318 began his final lap with 65 ever closer and 401 Webster tailing him, as Kinsella arrived at turn 3 for the last time he could be forgiven for worrying as the sight of the speeding 65 car filled his mirror and sure enough at an almost suicidal rate of knots Willis made contact with the Kinsella rear bumper. Such was the Slough man's speed it only managed to carry the pair of them wide into the corner, with the 318 car then spinning and the rear catching the 65 car in the process and half-spinning it, which allowed the waiting 401 Webster to shoot down the inside of the pair of them for the win, with 65 Willis recovering for 2nd and 916 Thomas an excellent 3rd. If the move had come off 65 Willis would undoubtably have become a hero but either way another superb showing from the brilliant Saloons !

The 'Embassy Scaffolding Services' sponsored final was an eagerly anticipated event and had 24 starters, 6 Simon Welton made the best start with 298 Ian Elms the first car to retire with a problem. 618 Stuart Shevill and 103 Chris Horwell have a coming together and both re-join at the back of the pack as 318 Freddie Kinsella sets off in persuit of leader 6 Welton from 2 Paul Tuppen, with 916 Ross Thomas 3rd. Surprisingly World Champion Darby has a spin on turn 2, putting him to the back of the field, and is soon caught by leader Welton, which leaves the spectating public wondering what he was going to do when the number 6 car attempted to pass - something he was going to have to do in order to stay in front of the rapid 318 Kinsella. You could tell Welton wasn't comfortable behind the World Champion and quickly made his mind up to pass the 1 car down the inside of turn 4 as the crowd held its breath, a move that thankfully went well and 6 Welton then began trying to put some distance between himself and 2nd place Kinsella. As 199 Phil Powell span spectacularly along the main straight, 1 Darby managed to un-lap himself so Welton had it all to do again and for a time it did look as if the World Champion was actually holding the leader up as 318 Kinsella was definitely closing the gap. 916 Thomas was the next man on the move and passed 318 on the inside into 2nd on turns 1 and 2, a couple of places behind and 120 Shane Brown was on a bit of a charge also, as 360 Carl Waterfield spins 911 Pete Jennings out on the main straight. Thankfully 1 Darby put his foot down which allowed the following car, leader Welton, to pull away a little from 916 Thomas but Welton then did manage to pass Darby down the inside on turn 3. With 360 Waterfield spinning 56 Georgie Boult aside, 698 Danny Colliver was now looking meaningfully at the rear end of 318 Kinsella as 120 Brown had passed both up into 3rd - just as 1 Darby re-passed leader Welton ! Last lap and 698 Colliver does send one up the inside of Kinsella to take over 4th behind 120 Brown as the chequered flag comes down on 6 Welton to bring to an end another eventful Saloon Stock race and indeed the formula's afternoon. A good win for 6 Simon Welton after  his earlier troubles in heat 2 and an excellent 2nd place for 916 Ross Thomas - with 65 Willis only managing an 8th place in this one !     

Autospeed Bangers

A good entry of South West based drivers arrived to do battle with several Arena Essex locals competing for valuable British Championship qualifying points set the scene for an afternoon of action from the nudge-and-spin brigade. Full credit particularly to the Cornish contingent who had travelled many miles to compete in this one. 

Running to a two-from-three heat format 21 starters lined up for race 1 which was a little tame, no doubt because it took a few laps for the 'visitors' to get to grips with the Arena track - which, let's face it, isn't at all like either Smeatharpe or St Day that they are used to. 20 Nick Manning was the early leader in the RWD BMW estate from 56 Rikki Stevens but 451 Mickey Reed in a very smart looking car was obviously the man on a mission and was soon up into the leading position. Even after a re-start, in the interests of safety for a stranded car on turn 3, the Plymouth man was not to be caught and took a deserved win and the honour of collcting the first ever Arena Essex Autospeed Banger winner's trophy. 247 Richard Sparks finished 2nd with an excellent drive from the red grade, passing 3rd place man 121 Graham Peers on the last lap.

20 cars lined up for heat 2 and began with 158 Sean McCarthy getting spun by 715 Chris Langmaid who was then collected by 244 on turn 4, while at the front the leader 436 Robbie Cole gets spun aside by 451 Reed who takes it up. From the back, the silver roofed 246 Ryan Sparks is carving his way through the field, shadowing closely his older brother Richard Sparks in the 247 car and as the race progresses the duo from Torquay are soon on the tail of 438 Dan Rice, currently 2nd. 247 then passes 438 Rice and then 451 Reed to take the lead, followed then by brother Ryan who moves into 2nd and at the flag 247 Richard crosses the line just in front of 246 Ryan, with 451 Reed behind him but in the exceitement of it all, with the champagne still on ice (!) 247 Richard Sparks is docked two places for jumping the start and so 246 Ryan is led into the winner's enclosure - with 451 promoted to 2nd.

Heat 3 produced 20 starters and had team-mates 56 Rikki Stevens and 436 Robbie Cole making up the front row. At the green 511 Dan Crosbie was the first spinner as 56 Stevens took off at the front of the field followed by 436 Cole. Lap two and Cole spins taking out 3rd place man 28 Steve Linly in the process, the popular St Austell driver having a nightmare of an afternoon as 56 Stevens is already carving his way through the back-markers and it is only lap 4 ! As the race continued 56 Stevens simply extended his lead, from 406 Chris Bridger someway behind in 2nd who was being caught by, you guessed it, 246 the flying Sparks and as the lap boards came and went, that is how they finished. A convincing flag-to-flag win for the man from Aldershot, with 406 Bridger making his trip up from Devon worthwhile coming home in 2nd. Sparksy finished 3rd - adding even more points to his afternoon tally.

And so to the final which saw 24 cars out on track, 45 Reed was the first casualty, spinning on turn 4, followed by 61 Darryl Theedom doing likewise on turn 1 as 20 Manning leads in the BMW from 56 Stevens. But as is now the custom at any track in Autospeed Bangers, both 246 and 247 Sparks' are charging through the field and although 56 Stevens takes over the lead you know it is only a matter of time before one Sparks or another hits the front and despite a good effort from 406 Bridger to delay the 246 car, getting spun out himself by 451 Reed for his troubles, it is not long before the 247 man is sniffing the rear ends of the leading drivers. Local Rookie racer 244 John Neill does his best to dis-lodge the leading 56 Stevens to head the pack briefly but then both 247 Richard followed by 246 Ryan sweep past the opposition to make it a 1-2 for the Sparks family - with 451 Reed pipping a recovering 56 Stevens for 3rd. Another good day at the office then for the boys from Torquay - and top marks for keeping the South West flag flying after a near disasterous day in the other formulas !