This Saturday sees the biggest night on the oval racing calendar as the National Banger Championship of the World sponsored by John Grose is staged at Foxhall Stadium with an earlier than usual 5pm start time.
218 unlimited CC cars are booked in to race at what will be the largest number of cars ever to appear at a single unlimited meeting. That will mean a healthy entry of Jaguars, an assortment of American cars a sprinkling of Vauxhall Omega and for those who want to get noticed hearses and limousines. However, the bulk of the field will be made up of the car that could have been designed as the perfect Banger, the ubiquitous and almost indestructible Ford Granada as used by last years winner Paul “Winkle” Tompkins from Basingstoke. Tompkins took the lead about half way through the race and looked quite untroubled in the closing stages to take the chequered flag. Drivers have been qualifying all year for the main event and to add real excitement there are three last chance races held before the World Final on the night. The winner of each of these races gets a place on the grid for the World race. Now, if this was a normal motor race you would have a slim chance of taking any honours from the back of the grid, but this is Banger Racing and anything can happen and usually does! This race can be won from anywhere on the grid, yes the top drivers are skilful drivers and their race craft has been learned over many years but in this race there is a huge element of luck involved and its got to be with you on the night if you are going to win.
Experience counts for a lot and there is plenty on the grid, previous winners apart from Tompkins include Jason “Boxer” Jackson who took the title two years in a row in 2006 and 2007 at London’s Wimbledon Stadium, Dale Hughes scored a popular victory at the first running of the event at Foxhall in 2008, the ever smiling Shane Davies is another who has held the gold roof along with Keith “Maveric” Painter who this time will be pinning his hopes on one of the last chance qualifiers. One of the longest serving drivers in the race must be “The Undertaker” Derek Caton who has been racing at Foxhall for many years and always brings plenty of support with him. If you are looking for a hard hitting contender then look no further than Jack Overy, never afraid to get stuck in Overy is a strong possibility for honours on the night. This is a true World Championship with drivers from all over the UK, and from Europe with continental star Maarten Steenbekkers making the trip to Foxhall in an attempt to take the prize into Europe for the first time ever. Longest traveller on the night will be Paul Esles all the way from Cape Town where he is a regular racer on the Spedeworth South African ovals. The top drivers are over from Northern and the Republic of Ireland including Steve Reynolds who represents Tipperary Raceway and Barry Hennessy who is coming from Nutts Corner Raceway although he will have to make it through one of the last chance races if he is to make the main grid.
So, Could we get a local winner? Great Yarmouth regular Michael Allard is possibly our best hope here in East Anglia although he does seem determined on crashing in these big races this year as he appears to have taken on most of the Midnight Runners team all on his own, not always a good plan! Another regular East Anglian racer is Danny Sutton who has had a successful Summer season at the Norfolk track and will be looking to carry on that form this weekend. Ipswich is not left out although Sean Parratt is going to need a miracle, or maybe two miracles if he is going to win as he needs to qualify on the night if he is going to make the main race, but at least he is here, part of the ever popular and ever present at Foxhall “Team Simple” Parratt will no doubt enjoy the night, even if that means having a big crash instead of any wins.
Banger World Final night is not just about winning the biggest title in Banger Racing, this is the night when the drivers prepare their cars to the very highest standards with metallic paintwork, expensive airbrushed signs and murals. Many race fans arrive early as the pits resembles a motor show rather than a Banger Race meeting and promoters Spedeworth advise race goers to be at Foxhall in good time and to follow the direction signs if approaching the Stadium from the A12 at Martlesham.