Despite the weather forecast of steady rain all day, almost all of the drivers arrived for the Easter Monday meeting.
Spectators too, were not going to be put off, and it was amazing how many faithful supporters arrived to watch. It is support like this which makes us proud and humble.
A lot of the Junior drivers would be having their first experience of racing in the wet, but all coped very well, especially William Steeds(796) who took a heat and Final victory.
The drivers were split for their heats and raced an all in Final and Allcomers. Zoe Cambridge (273) won the second heat and was well on the way to an Allcomer victory, but hot the wall and was overtaken by Dan Milverton(16) who went on to win.
In the Special Rods, it was that man Barney again, who mastered a tricky track to carry on the way he finished 2011 with an excellent heat and Final victory, followed home both times by Points Champion Ross Stuckey(23).
With changes in his circumstances, Steve Griffin(440) has resumed his Special Rod career, and showed his class with a third place in his heat until the car was overwhelmed by spray in the Final. Also out in the class were Dean Quinn(27) and Tim Weare(304), both former and current banger racers looking for a quiet life, and both drove well, but it was Andy Latimer (120), retuning after twelve years to the Raceway, who clocked a victory, in the Consolation.
The Robins were plentiful-22 cars signed on, and despite all the competition, there was a hat trick of victories for Points Champion Lee Charles(499), and he made it look easy while all about him rocked and rolled around the Raceway.
The top billing for the Matches and Despatches hearse and limo bangers was well deserved, and the parade was solemnly led by starter Andy Chant in full morning dress, and once the funeral procession had passed, along came the bride and groom on top of Simon Sparrow’s (920) superb Daimler limousine, with accompanying Weird and White Granada limo of Terry Philips.
Lots of fun, and well receieved. Star of the show was undoubtably Shaun ‘Diabolical’ Dyer, who won both races convincingly, and almost won the Allcomers, and then was the last man standing in the Destruction Derby between the huge Lincoln Town cars of Trummer (363) and Boogie (262),which ended in decapitation for Winnie the Pooh, his faithful bear passenger, and survivor of two previous Hearse and Limo meetings, and total destruction of his hearse.
Trummer was the winner, as he was in 2011. 17 cars raced the first heat, which was fairly quiet, and then two more late arrivals Meerkat (739) and Woody (88) took part in the second and the Allcomers making it just short of twenty in all, but with the two Lincolns mentioned, plus the biggest ever seen of Rob Mills (404) which shed a wheel in a massive crash involving several cars on the start line in heat two, the track was always full.
Full marks to all the drivers who took part and made it a real spectacle. This meeting looks good for another year yet. Roll on 2013!
RESULTS - 09.04.12
Junior Rods:-
Heat 1 - 198 William Steeds,24,25,404,111,362,203,796
Heat 2 - Zoe Cambridge 273,510,87,313,61,16,777,39,30,224
Final - 198 William Steeds,404,87,510,313,16,61,39,777,796
A/C - 16 Dan Milverton,25,87,510,404,273,24,313,61,224
Bangers:-
Heat 1 - Shaun Dyer 731,523,58,262,363,508,507
Heat 2 Shaun Dyer 731,523,262,9,4,363
Final - Swampy 523,58,731,262,363,252
DD - Sam Trim 363
Special Rods:-
Heat 1 - Paul Barnes 210,23,440,136,35,47,41,38,21,2
Heat 2 - Joe Rowe 122,43,18,27,173,304,175,26,
Cons - Andy Latimer120 ,777,2,21
Final - Paul Barnes 210,23,122,43,18,27,47,35,41,136
Robins:-
Heat 1 - Lee Charles 499,445,3,644,33,266,674,437,26,39
Heat 2 - Lee Charles 499,437,33,369,674,445,100,21,266,39
Final - Lee Charles 499,445,33,644,266,264,100,99,21
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