Mildenhall Saturday July 30 2005
National Bangers BBA British Championship and Saloon Stockcars Suffolk Open Championship qualifying

National Banger BBA British Championship sponsored by Mill Kitchens and Direct Recovery

Grade awards sponsored by Thetford Autoparts (National Bangers) and Roundhweel Racewear (Saloon Stockcars)

Pictures on this page by Matt Bull

For a gallery of pictures from Steve Fraser click here

For more pictures check out Timand Alex.com, Well Bent and Crash Attack

A quite incredible turnout of just around 140 cars gathered for the 2005 National Banger BBA British Championship with almost every major promotion represented. Car wise 462 Lee Campbell topped the bill with a smart Granada coupe while 52 Nick Potts had a tidy limo and 290 Jason MacMahon returned a well worn Mk1 as did 116 Mark Want with an estate and 811 Pete Winter returned his hearse from the unlimited while 384 John Golden debuted a Cressida, 172 Simon Bryne a smart Datsun 180B and 323 Paul Wilkes returned a Mk2 Triumph 2000 estate.

Top cars with 462 Leeky's Granada coupe and 52 Nick Potts' Mk2 Granada limo

With such a massive entry three last chance qualifiers were needed with 33 for the first and 871 Darren Stanion stuffed 227 Macus Keeble (Sapphire) from the off as 369 Jay Barrett blasted Mob man 455 Alex Ramsey and 192 Terry Nightingale connected with a T-bone on the spun Cortina of 214 Marcus Ballard before 14 Colin Lacey (Granada) blasted 525 Jason Elvin. 02 Billy Lee (Granada) attacked 369 Porn Star before Nightingale stuffed 125 Lee Overy only to be T-boned in turn by 455 Ako as 312 Tom Reynolds (Volvo 240 estate) hammered the smart Cortina of 611 Gavin Harris. 507 Ben Rogers attacked Ako and 312 Turbo delivered a head-on to Lee before 125 Hitler evened the score on Nightingale. 128 Andrew Lack and Stanion then clashed heavily as the former rejoined and the latter retired with the Mad Mob man going on to blow up 224 Dave Canham only to take one in turn from 731 Shaun Dyer after the Bristol man had already stuffed 35 Peter Lewis' Granada estate. 128 Lacky fired back to follow-in GMP's 96 Willie Mitchell as the leading 79 Ricky Twell (Primera) was stuffed into a dead car by Dyer allowing 323 Wilkie to slip by on the last lap. 479 Dirty Dan T-boned a lurking 564 Mark Cooper (Volvo 240 esate) but took one in turn from Dyer as Wilkie took the flag and the British place from 276 Wally Walden and 79 Twelly. Things repeated themselves on the run down lap as 479 Dirty Dan again T-boned 564 Coatie taking one himself from Dyer allowing Lacky and Turbo to also pound Coatie.

Big roof bender for 224 Dave Canham

One less for heat two with 204 Andy Bailey (Granada) dishing out a solid hit to 449 Melvin Sharman (Capri) from the off as 400 Kevin Shinn (Volvo 240 estate) opened his account with a hit on 565 Mark Carter (BMW 316) only to come under fire from 811 Pistol Pete as a result before 85 James Ellis (Granada) finished 547 Jon Reynolds' Sierra estate with a decent follow-in. 400 Shinny then destroyed the similarly mounted 15 Lee Weekes with a savage T-bone as Pistol Pete blew up 393 Lewis Geech (Cavalier) only to take a shot from 112 Ian Greatreax in turn but the reds came out for the shaken Weekes although the action continued briefly with Pistol Pete attacking 170 Darren Teal only to take further abuse from 112 Squeaky. The race resumed with 39 Steve Moore spinning and taking a head-on from 446 Lee Greer in an all Granada encounter with 58 Simon Warren T-boning the former as Bailey put Pistol Pete away and Squeaky continued with a stiff hit to Ellis. Bailey then ran in Warren and dumped him into the broken Weekes Volvo. 576 George Martin (Cavalier) further splintered the TSR man's hearse before Ellis turned round and hit 710 Ben Wilkins (Cortina) in a dodgy inside out attack with the latter pounded in turn by Pistol Pete with the latter then taking one from 78 Lee Macey. 229 Ritchie Holmes held off 292 Keith Saunders to win with Greer third. The final action saw 465 Andy Scarlett hit Pistol Pete on the nose.

811 Pistol Pete's splintered hearse

Up to 38 cars for the final last chance race with 156 Michael Maskall (Granada) stuffing 137 Lee Turner (Granada) as 507 Dan Fisher fired his smart Cortina into 209 Gary Haresign while 964 Nathan Olden (Volvo 240 estate) buried the saloon mounted 225 Orville Blake and 188 Matt Fuller (Granada) did the same to similar mounted 225 Craig Webb and 156 Micky Boy hammered 303 Steve Linsdale (Volvo 240). 702 James Dodge (Volvo 240) blasted 242 Ricky Korpiela head-on and 712 Andy Westgate nailed 216 Paul Beaven before 751 Michael Carrol's smart Granada took one on the nose from 188 Pretty Boy with 242 Korps turning round to blast the former as 702 Jimbo hammered Linsdale. 665 Stu Scarlett (Granada estate) turned round to blast 117 Mark Longley as 753 Billy Cunningham rekindled the Gypsy Crew v Midnight Runner feud by stuffing 10 Paul Whiteman with Pretty Boy attacking the former before 32 Mark Ruskin weighed in hard. Scarlett continued with a hit on Blake as 384 Goldie also pounded 753 Young Gun allowing Linsdale to his the Team Black man as 331 Jason Jackson (Cavalier) stayed out of trouble to win from Jimbo and 304 Dale Rainer (Cavalier).

All 40 qualifiers assembled for the British final with 131 Barry Wade drawing pole alongside 161 Karl Totham. 186 Mick Gedney set the ball rolling by attacking and spinning 462 Leeky with the latter taking one on the nose from 47 Andy Davies' Cavalier as 131 Wadey made the early rolling, 473 Mark Nicholls started a cracking show in his well smart Granada by following in 152 James Dillon as 116 Wanty hammered 752 Sam Cunningham only for 331 Boxer to run the former in as Nicholls continued with hits on 536 Annette Nicholls and 752 Mad Sam while 188 John Reeves T-boned 96 Willie Mitchell. A recovered Leeky hit the spun Nicholls head-on but was T-boned by 158 Shane Davies in turn as 119 Davey Cox (Mk3 Granada) took the lead while Wadey was stuffed into some dead cars by 225 Richy Edmonds which rolled the defending champion, the reds then coming out for a distressed Wadey. Cruncher led the restart but ran sick almost immediately allowing the smart 191 Shaun McMillan to spin him for the lead as Gedney removed Shane Davies. 348 Sonny Sherwood (Cavalier) reeled in 191 Mucker and they traded the lead several times before the former champ broke away. 364 Sean Winchester then piled Shane Davies into the inner wall as 190 Steve Bailey put away 801 Jack Foster before leaning 348 Mushy into some dead cars but the former managed to recover still in the lead and held on for the win, Boxer spinning Gedney en route to a fine second from the back, 148 Ian Redden third with 22 Dave Vincent (Granada) pipping a sick running Mucker for fourth.

Three of the smartest cars from 131 Wadey, 473 Mark Nicholls and 172 Bernie

The big four in the British

Sadly the skies opened for the first Allcomers with 31 cars with 117 Karl Dack stuffing Turner from the off causing the Essex Boy to be mauled by the pack as 614 Carl Lacey blasted 414 Lee Busby (Granada estate) and a pile-up broke out on the top bend while Carl Lacey T-boned Harris. 20 Andy Burbridge attacked Turbo and Wilkins ran in the Cortina of 887 Danny Heath before 37 Dave Lewis gave 20 Baldy a solid hit. The leading 399 Darron Atkins got caught up in the blockage on the final lap allowing Winchester to blast him and snatch the win from Martin with Dave Lewis the only other survivor.

With the rain still falling and the meeting running late the second Allcomers was the last race of the night and started with Micky Boy stuffing 107 Dan Chiplen as another blockage formed on the top bend while Lacky attacked 202 Mike Kilford before Olden buried Pretty Boy. The Runners continued to take some stick as Lacky followed in 208 Jimmy Randall (Granada estate) allowing Mad Mace to give the latter a well hard T-bone. Olden continued with a head-on to Squeaky with Pretty Boy attacking the Autospeed young gun in turn. 21 Jason Colbert (Granada estate) T-boned Micky Boy allowing 172 Bernie to attack the latter with the lively Lacky also having a pop at the Autospeed man. Vincent won this one from Colbert and 119 Cruncher for a Granada clean sweep.

Last chance one: 323 Paul Wilkes, 276, 79, 318, 155, 731, 128, 312, 401
Last chance two: 229 Ritchie Holmes, 229, 446, 78, 64, 576, 33, 465, 25, 811
Last Chance three: 331 Jason Jackson, 702, 304, 321, 209, 32, 188, 290, 384, 10
British Championship: 348 Sonny Sherwood, 331, 148, 22, 191, 161, 186, 172, 75, 225
Allcomers one: 364 Sean Winchester, 399, 576, 37
Allcomers two: 22 Dave Vincent, 21, 119, 125, 128, 47, 10, 172, 731, 304

Just over 40 Saloon Stockcars gathered for the qualifying part of their Suffolk Open Championship including several south west visitors but sadly not Scottish and 303 Frank Loeff a welcome guest from Germany.

Welcome German visitor 303 Frank Loeff

29 for the opener with 312 Neil Payne spinning 562 Trevor Gray as 569 James Radcliffe also spun and 912 Andi Newman set the pace. 807 Chris Murfin ran ito 377 Mick Oslar while 360 Carl Waterfield removed 111 Darryl Goodard and 26 Tommy Barnes and 350 Keith Tullet both went round as Oslar claimed both 390 Sam Gelsthorpe and 603 Wayne Peckham. Up front 419 Luke Grief took over before 511 Craig Barnett put 428 Lee Sampson in the wall and 417 Fred Powell spun 220 John Engleston with the former then getting involved with Goodard and 167 Richard Cosbey before the reds came out for the stranded Peckham on the home straight. The leading Grief was caught napping on the restart and 51 Paul Licquorice dived through but was spun by 512 Darren Barnett allowing 499 Dave Aldous to take over as Grief leaned in Newman before he spun Englestone. The leading Aldous was then scalped by the back marking Licquorice while Radcliffe removed Barnes with a fired up Aldous then spinning Englestone as Craig Barnett kept away from 438 Tony Lay to win with Sampson.

32 for heat two but a false start when 917 Graham Rutherford failed to start. When the green did fall Englestone spun 420 Ivan Street and 666 Stan Petty had out Goodard as Newman led from Rutherford and Petty. Sampson spun 219 Clive Grief and 720 Shane Brown spun 425 Richard Baldwin and Barnes spun Englestone before Rutherford moved into the lead as Powell hooked out Newman and Barnes tossed aside Oslar. Darren Barnett removed 562 Trevor Gray and Brown took out Loeff as 402 Shaun webster spun 199 Phil Powell and Clive Grief hooked out 557 John Banwell. Baldwin hit the spun Newman as 305 Nigel Parker removed Baldwin and Barnes continued his rampage spinning 490 Ian Jarman. Cosbey spun Rutherford as Aldous spun from contention and Barnes put away Newman with Aldous then leading the former in as Banwell spun Rutherford who was collected Englestone. Cosbey took the lead while Banwell flicked out Street before Webster retired from third in the dying stages as Cosbey took a rare win from Powell and Licquorice.

31 cars for the third heat which started in style as Licquorice buried Banwell resulting in the latter rolling onto his roof bringing the reds straight out. Luke Grief spun 50 Adrian Doney when the race restarted and Lay spun Englestone as Petty led the way. Payne spun Gray and Rutherford removed Cosbey before Lay removed Oslar and Newman and 149 Jamie Sampson went round as Webster removed 2 Paul Tuppen. Payne moved into the lead with Englestone had Petty round and the lead changed again with Murfin taken over before the reds came out again for Powell who had hit the inner blocks on the back straight knocking him out. Murfin led the restart away as Powell spun Jamie Sampson and Tuppen spun Brown while Gray hit the inner blocks. Brown came back to spin Jarman and Jamie Sampson removed Parker as Murfin took the chequered from Aldous and Baldwin.

557 Jon Banwell goes over in the third heat

Sadly the skies opened for heat four with just 20 cars contesting it with Murfin the first to strike spinning Clive Grief and 360 Carl Waterfield and Jamie Sampson hooked out Newman as Parker took up the running while Lay spun 468 Kelven Nicholls and Street hooked out Darren Barnett out. Murfin brielfy took the lead only to then spin and he quickly recovered to be spun by Santry with Murfin firing back to hook out Parker before Tuppen had his revenge on Webster spinning him. Baldwin took the flag but it was then revealed he was a lap down and Parker was the true winner from Lee Sampson and Peckham.

With the rain still failing just eight contested the dash for cash which was predictably poor. Santry spun Lee Sampson and then Baldwin who was collected in turn by Jamie Sampson before the leading Newman was spun by Lee Sampson allowing Santry to take the flag ahead of Lay and Cosbey.

Heat one: 511 Craig Barnett, 438, 428, 499, 199, 468, 27, 390, 569, 420
Heat two: 167 Richard Cosbey, 417, 51, 512, 720, 603, 390, 305, 219, 499
Heat three: 807 Chris Murfin, 499, 425, 368, 402, 511, 419, 438, 219, 220
Heat four: 305 Nigel Parker, 149, 603, 912, 425, 438, 2, 219, 402, 390
Dash for Cash: 368 Steve Santry, 438, 167, 149, 912, 428, 807

A night of two halves. Before the rain started to fall we saw some great racing with another amazing field of bangers, each of the three last chance qualifiers being lively while the British was an excellent race and both Allcomers had moments despite the conditions while the Saloons were their usual awesome self for the first three races but really suffered when the rain came down.