Mildenhall Stadium
Saturday June 11 2016
National Bangers Inter Counties Team Challenge, Saloon Stockcars and Ministox
Report by Chris and Dave Whiting
The 2016 staging of the National Banger Inter Counties team challenge
raised 36 of a possible 40 cars with Norfolk (N) and Essex (E) fielding full
teams of eight while Suffolk (S) and Cambs (C) were one short and Kent (K) only
fielded six. A different format this year with two heats of six per team before
an all in final with the points scored 10 to 1 in the heats and doubled in the
final but only the highest finisher from each team counted for points.
A near full field for heat one with 29 cars and E599 Matty Butcher
clobbered the spun C285 Sean Dyer with a T-bone as S428 Ben Airey (estate)
fenced E267 Richard Butcher (Cougar) and N328 Dan Lathan treated the luckless
285 Mr Misery to a head-on, the latter taking a second one from E542 Craig
Oliver (estate). E103 Jack Deacon then piled C317 Nick Wakeham into Richard
Butcher while brother 599 Matty fared better and fenced K205 Mike King. K144
Jordan Godfrey stepped things up with a solid hit on 103 Jacko and he was nailed
in turn by N338 Terry Garrod while Oliver dumped Bungle and S817 Kurt Jacobs
into the growing mess on the pit bend before Airey piled E508 Harry Bradbury
through the passenger side of Bungle. N10 Ben Collins blasted Airey in turn with
the latter also T-boned by E206 Phil Milner before the reds flew with a wheel on
the track. A complete restart was ordered with N411 Matt Franklin turning C51
James Licquorice into the wall as N326 Shane Lynn thundered 206 Turkish into the
wall with Franklin attacking S913 Brett Osborne who duly piled in on Turkish.
S317 Callum Jacobs arrived to hammer Brett Osborne with Craig Osborne then
smashing Jacko into his brother with Jacko hammered by K557 John Small (estate)
only to come under fire from C841 Stu Carmen. Craig Osborne now stuffed
Licquorice and Oliver as Carman buried Airey which allowed the recovered
Licquorice to weigh in on the latter. Jacko turned round and Licquorice happily
met him in a wicked head-on as Lathan followed 508 Led Head in superbly. 338
Wingnut now turned round and stopped the leading C551 Brett Jackson dead in his
tracks with a front wheel hit as 817 Stig added Lathan to the pit bend misery.
Licquorice turned round for a revenge hit on Jacko, the latter taking another
head-on from Ratty as Craig Osborne also turned round to hit Collins head-on.
Stig nailed the now leading C317 Mr Thug in the midst of the mayhem on the pit
bend as Lathan continued on opposite with two attacks on Airey before Osborne
cracked the passing Mr Thug in the rear wheel but he still survived. S317 Stress
meanwhile T-boned Jacko only to come under immediate fire himself from Lathan
while Craig Osborne again targeted Mr Thug and stopped him with a head-on before
also attacking Ratty in similar fashion but the latter was still able to slip
through and take the lead. Jacko laid into Craig Osborne before he blasted Ratty
with a T-bone and Airey crashed Mr Thug into Jacko allowing Lathan to again
assault Airey. The leading Ratty then crashed out on the road bend with busted
steering as Franklin treated Craig Osborne to a head-on and Jacko met Lathan in
similar fashion. Mr Thug picked his way through to take the win and maximum
points for Cambs with Franklin the only other recorded finisher and he
celebrated with a shot on Airey to end a superb opener.
Most impressively 25 returned for heat two and it started in style as
Licquorice thundered in K108 Lewis Jefcote big time on the road bend where a
small pile-up had formed in which N730 Brandon Mayes hammered Airey before
Carmen stuffed 205 Gava into 108 Squeeky’s wreck. Brett Osborne then buried C212
Jack Maryon and Butcher which allowed E370 John Cobbold to nail the former as
N337 Ashley Garrod collected the spun Matty head-on. E143 Paul Russell turned
round to T-bone the passing S19 Joe Mullarkey with 212 Mario Kart hitting the
Gladiator in turn before Gava turned round and N339 Jack Garrod happily met him
in a fierce head-on, Osborne turning round to meet 143 Silly Paul in similar
fashion. Turkish clobbered Jack Garrod as 337 Pretty Boy turned round to
administer a hard revenge hit on Gava and elsewhere Mario Kart stuffed Oliver
before Pretty Boy inflicted more punishment on Gava with a hard roof bending
hit. Mario Kart hit Pretty Boy in turn only to come under fire from Oliver. The
final few laps proved quiet with Cobbold taking the win ahead of team mates
Oliver and Turkish which limited the points their rivals scored, a fourth for
Lathan meaning Norfolk led into the final on 16 points with a sixth for Mario
Kart meaning Cambs were just one point behind and Essex on 10.
Some more fine pit work saw 28 cars return for the all in final which was
another action packed affair. Led Head got things going by piling C178 Kieron
Bowman into the infield wall as a big push into the pit bend saw 730 Bubba bury
Matty and Stig as 144 Bungle found Brett Osborne for a shot and Mullarkey then
piled Led Head into the latter with Cobbold then drilling Collins into Mullarkey
as Lathan dumped Licquorice into the infield blocks. Turkish found Craig Osborne
for a hit and Stig then piled Ratty and Bungle into the former to leave the
track completely blocked on the pit bend. In an attempt to find a way through
S142 Jack Lower hit team mate Brett Osborne in the front wheel before Franklin
added Oliver to the heap only to take one in turn from 551 Jacko Jnr as Mr
Misery turned round and set about Cobbold. K26 Robin Ash cracked Ratty in the
front wheel, the latter taking further stick from Mario Kart. K557 John Small
(estate) elected to ram Bubba in reverse at the front of the blockage as Mario
Kart turned round to set about Franklin as did Jacko Jnr while Craig Osborne
smashed Turkish with a wicked head-on. Airey meanwhile blasted Pretty Boy while
Mr Misery set about the well repaired Gava and Lathan struck Jacko Jnr in the
front wheel. Stig scored on the leading Pretty Boy as he tried to find a path
through the blockage and Mullarkey now turned round to hit Ratty on the nose
with Jacko blasting the latter as the on opposite Turkish stopped Lathan with a
head-on allowing Stress to hammer the former. Ash and Bubba now shared a head-on
as did Jacko and Collins which allowed Stig to hit the latter as Lower turned
round and hit Pretty Boy on the nose. The reds then flew for a fire for Stig and
with the race in the final laps the result was declared, Pretty Boy having
lapped the entire field twice to claim the win and with it seal victory for
Norfolk.
15 came back for the Accumulator with Cobbold turning 557 Crazy John into
the wall before he smashed Bungle into the infield blocks with a big hit. Oliver
found the struggling Pretty Boy for a hit, the latter fighting on only to be
spun by Stress which allowed the on opposite Craig Osborne to nail Pretty Boy
before Garrod piled Stress into Bungle, Lathan collecting Stress and almost
rolling but he landed on his wheels and was duly belted by Cobbold as Osborne
and Pretty Boy met on the nose. The reds then flew with a fire for Stress with
Lower named the winner from Garrod and Lathan and we restarted with the DD.
Stig attacked Cobbold causing them to both collect some dead cars as Cobbold
turned Garrod into the wall and Pretty Boy set about Osborne on the road bend.
Cobbold lunged at and buried Lathan before regrouping to administer a massive
head-on to Ratty, Cobbold getting going again to then zero in for an even bigger
head-on to Garrod which killed both cars on the spot. Stig attacked Ratty on
opposite which allowed Oliver to weigh in with a big hit on the former before
Lower attacked Ratty and a shove from Oliver helped the former bury his target.
After a short break in the action Stig found Ratty for a hit as Lathan targeted
Lower who brushed it off to hit Ratty on the nose. Pretty Boy then weighed in
with a big hit on Lower only to take a hard one himself from Stig as Lathan
attacked Oliver who quickly responded with a T-bone on Stig. The Supreme
Champion continued to meet Ratty on the nose as Lathan connected with a solid
T-bone on Lower, the pair then sharing a head-on before Lathan was finished by a
front wheel hit from Stig who silenced Oliver in similar fashion to take the
win.
Heat 1 (29 cars): C317 Nick Wakeham, N411
Points: C – 10, N – 9, E – 0, K – 0, S – 0.
Heat 2 (25 cars): E370 John Cobbold, E542, E206, N328, N337, C212, S19 Points: N
– 16, C – 15, E – 10, S – 4, K – 0.
Final (28 cars): N337 Ashley Garrod Points: N – 36, C – 15, E – 10, S – 4, K –
0.
Accumulator into DD (15 cars): 142 Jack Lower, 339, 328, 370, 542, 206, 326,
817, nof.
Destruction Derby: 817 Kurt Jacobs from 328. Best Entertainer: Jacobs
A respectable field of 27 Saloon Stockcars gathered for round five of
their track championship but it was somewhat disappointing given that no less
than six drivers cancelled their bookings the morning of the meeting, the field
including 399 Cole Atkins and 781 Scott Sparrow on their formula debuts, the
former having only ended his Ministox career the previous weekend.
The White and Yellow grades race was headed by 399 Atkins, as 537 Tom
Alsop spun 147 James Dexter on turn 3. 399 Atkins opened up a gap over 537 Alsop
and the pack, before Alsop went wide on turn 3 and fenced himself. 399 Atkins
clipped the backmarking 147 Dexter into turn 1 and spun, handing the lead to 321
Marcus Skeels from 781 Sparrow and 248 Will Makins. 733 Kyle Picton and 448
Martin Kibble combined to spin 147 Dexter into turn 3, before 214 Tom Yould
hooked out 157 Max Stott off turn 4, as 321 Skeels took the win.
399 Atkins led heat 1 from 781 Sparrow and 537 Alsop, as 304 Martyn
Parker spun 214 Yould on turn 4. 349 Michael Allard dived into 888 Shane Emerson
into turn 3, as 730 Deane Mayes and 306 Daniel Parker spun 499 David Aldous on
the back straight. 304 Parker was then fenced by 220 Casey Englestone and 781
Sparrow on turn 2, before 6 Simon Welton and 248 Makins both spun together. 26
Tommy Barnes took out 499 Aldous on turn 4, before 570 Simon Venni spun 321
Skeels on the back straight. 124 Ollie Skeels was running in second, before 399
Atkins went wide on the pit bend after encountering backmarkers, and 124 Skeels
went through to lead with the lap boards out, going on for the win.
Heat 2 was again led away by 399 Atkins as 6 Welton hooked out 304 Parker
on turn 4. 124 Skeels spun 157 Stott off turn 2, before doing likewise to 214
Yould on the same turn on the next lap. 399 Atkins half spun on turn 2, where he
was clipped by 306 Parker, as 888 Emerson spun 327 Clayton Mallett into the home
straight blocks. 26 Barnes spun 321 Skeels on the home straight, before 389 Ryan
Santry turned 399 Atkins round on the home straight. 124 Skeels took over the
lead, as 26 Barnes spun and T-boned 730 Mayes on turn 4. 147 Dexter and 360 Carl
Waterfield both spun off turn 4, before 888 Emerson took out 214 Yould on the
pit bend, causing a small pile up with 232 Gavin Anderson and 220 Englestone
crashing in. 26 Barnes followed in 157 Stott hard on the pit bend, Stott tipping
onto two wheels as he bounced off the armco, as 124 Skeels claimed his second
win of the evening.
448 Kibble and 399 Atkins were early spinners off turn 4 in the Final,
before 570 Venni spun 26 Barnes in a home straight melee. 389 Santry and 349
Allard both spun off turn 4, before 6 Welton hooked out 570 Venni on the pit
bend. 781 Sparrow led, as 389 Santry took out 26 Barnes on the back straight and
733 Picton did likewise to 360 Waterfield off turn 4. 321 Skeels took over the
lead, but then spun on turn 4, handing the lead to 124 Skeels as 6 Welton took
out 349 Allard on the pit bend. A melee off turn 4 saw 304 Parker ride up the
fence and roll all the way over, bringing out the red flags. 124 Skeels led 537
Alsop and 499 Aldous for the restart, with a cushion of three backmarkers
between Skeels and Alsop, as 888 Emerson collected the turn 2 fence hard. 217
Sid Madgwick spun 214 Yould on the home straight, as 499 Aldous moved into
second, but 124 Skeels had a good lead, even spinning the backmarking 733 Picton
off the last bend as he took his hattrick.
730 Mayes spun on turn 4 as the Allcomers got underway, with 448 Kibble
and 399 Atkins doing likewise soon after. 537 Alsop led, as 448 Kibble took out
220 Englestone on turn 4, Kibble then spinning on turn 2 to get clobbered by the
traffic. 499 Aldous and 217 Madgwick spun 537 Alsop on turn 4, with 214 Yould
taking over the lead, as 349 Allard spun on the back straight. 389 Santry and
448 Kibble tangled to hit the infield blocks on turn 1, with 147 Dexter
collecting Santry head-on as he bounced off. The red flags came out with debris
on turn 1, and the result was declared with around three laps to run, 214 Yould
the winner to end a successful evening for the yellow grade and especially the
Skeels brothers.
Whites & Yellows (13 cars): 321 Marcus Skeels, 781, 124, 270, 214, 248, 232,
399, 537, 733.
Heat 1 (25 cars): 124 Ollie Skeels, 306, 730, 399, 157, 26, 147, 349, 6, 217.
Heat 2 (25 cars): Ollie Skeels,, 570, 217, 537, 270, 6, 321, 781, 730, 389.
Final (24 cars): Ollie Skeels,, 499, 306, 537, 217, 888, 730, 733, 220, 349.
Allcomers (19 cars): 214 Tom Yould, 306, 327, 537, 730, 499, 304, 389, 349, 217.
A very decent field of 23 Ministox
assembled for their latest track championship round, the line-up included
newcomers 333 Jack Bunyan and 340 Sam Bennett, while well travelled Scot 629
Euan Millar was also present plus a trio of visitors from Incarace and PRI.
Heat 1 was led by 327 Jolie Pettit from 342 Freddie Crittenden and 258
Craig Eltham. 229 Megan Petherick spun on the home straight as 333 Bunyan moved
into third. 339 Harry Atkins half spun 258 Eltham on turn 4, before 315 Charlie
Santry overhauled 333 Bunyan for third. Santry then moved into second, but he
could not catch 327 Pettit who took the flag, while 340 Bennett spun on the back
straight in the closing stages and nearly took out 368 Dan Santry.
342 Crittenden set the pace in heat 2 as 339 Atkins spun 370 Rowan Venni
on turn 2, Venni getting collected by 364 David Shearing and 566 Steph Sore for
a stoppage. The complete restart saw 342 Crittenden again lead, but 333 Bunyan
went round his outside, with 340 Bennett moving into second. 327 Pettit spun on
turn 1, before 258 Eltham spun on turn 3. 331 Archie Fryett collected the turn 2
fence, as 344 Danny Elbourn and 315 Santry overhauled 342 Crittenden to chase
front pair, with 344 Elbourn then barging past 340 Bennett on turn 3 with two
laps to run for second. 229 Petherick spun 350 Liam Webster off turn 4, as 333
Bunyan took the win on his debut, with 340 Bennett also putting in a good drive
for third. 356 Harry Overy dived past 304 Tony Elbourn on the last bend to claim
fifth.
The track was heavily watered for the Final, making the early laps
slippery, with 340 Bennett leading. 308 Molly Smithson bounced off the home
straight fence to spin, as 342 Crittenden took over the lead. 320 Luke Dorling
spun on turn 3, as 333 Bunyan moved into second and 350 Webster third. 333
Bunyan then spun in a turn 2 melee, 331 Fryett coming out in second place ahead
of 315 Santry. 333 Bunyan then spun on turn 3 to get caught up with 339 Atkins,
as 327 Pettit spun into the fence on the entrance to turn 3. 315 Santry
overhauled 331 Fryett and 342 Crittenden for the lead, while Fryett reeled in
Crittenden over the last few laps. 315 Santry took victory, while Crittenden
stayed ahead of a closing Fryett for second, and 356 Overy shoved past 344
Elbourn on the last bend for fourth.
Heat 1 (23 cars): 327 Jolie Pettit, 304, 315, 344, 333, 370, 320, 368, 392, 340.
Heat 2 (23 cars): 333 Jack Bunyan, 344, 340, 315, 356, 304, 364, 368, 320, 342.
Final (19 cars): 315 Charlie Santry, 342, 331, 356, 344, 258, 350, 629, 304,
368.