Report: Mark Paulson
Pictures: Damien Widdows

JACKSON'S HAT TRICK

Newmarket's Rob Jackson scored an impressive hat trick in the 1300 saloon stock cars as the Norfolk Arena staged its second meeting of the weekend on Whit Bank Holiday Monday, 27 May. He made the most of his last meeting as a white grade driver to scorch to wins in both heats and the final and put himself right amongst the frontrunners in the national points table. Also in action were the big van bangers which came in all shapes and sizes and provided plenty of entertainment, along with the more conventional 2-litre (non-Mondeo) bangers and the junior bangers.

On the third day of a busy weekend of world qualifying rounds for the 1300s, 31 cars were in the pits, although Ipswich's 10 Chris Crissell-White unfortunately couldn't overcome engine problems to make it out on track. Credit must go to 67 Craig Haxton and 529 Jason Sacker who again put in the miles to come down from Scotland and, sadly, again went home with little to show for it – except of course an enjoyable afternoon's racing on one of the country's finest raceways. Top marks also to those who had raced at Northampton the day before or Coventry on the Saturday night (or both!).

After an early caution period, 604 Jamie Smith took over from 350 Rob Jackson at the head of the field, only to be pushed wide by 344 Ross Fisher. The national points leader was unlapping himself having earlier been turned hard into the home straight fence by 447 Richard Hampshire. As Smith went wide 450 Luke Jackson moved in front but was then taken out by Smith's running-mate 704 Robin Cowles, also a lap down. Those shenanigans let Luke's father Rob back in front and the pair proceeded to have an excellent scrap, whilst 711 Clark Wells, in a smart new Honda Civic bore down on them. He was unable to overhaul the duo who then began to re-establish a gap, with Rob holding on to win from Luke, and Wells third in what had been a cracking race.

The three white graders were all over-excited at the start of heat two, making massive jump starts that saw them right on the tail of the superstars as the green flag flew. In the commotion, Luke Jackson tangled with Smith and performed a big one-and-a-half rollover, bringing out the red flags and a complete restart. After all that, Rob Jackson was the only white top left to take the restart and so he had things much easier than in the first heat, leading throughout. Behind him, Wells provided plenty of entertainment as he developed a new technique for getting round the track – no need to steer, just use the wall to take you round the bend! For several laps he thundered around the outside, carrying huge momentum and visibly more speed than anyone else. The method appeared to be working as he rose to third before it started to take its toll on the car, a loose front wheel in particular looking like it was slowing him up as he dropped back. What had been a smart car was definitely looking a bit more second hand by now. 07 Ady Moden was gradually catching the leader but ran out of laps to overhaul him, while he in turn was being caught by Fisher who had to settle for third.

With the car's rollover damage only superficial, Luke Jackson was cleared to start the final, which he led until baulked by Haxton, allowing father Rob into a lead he wouldn't relinquish. With just three laps to go, 119 Scott Clarke was turned across the nose of 653 Gemma Rainer on the back straight, with both cars coming to rest on the infield. But as Clarke pulled back onto the track, 838 Ady Wales unavoidably clobbered him, bringing out waved yellows. That allowed the star grade drivers to make up some of the gap to the leaders for a short sprint to the flag. Hampshire and 673 John Moat immediately shot into second and third but they were unable to depose R Jackson who held on to complete his hat trick. Wins will be harder to come by when he steps up the grades next month but with the kind of pace he is showing, he will be more than capable of holding his own amongst the big boys.

A turnout of twenty-two big vans was a very decent effort considering the difficulty and expense of sourcing and transporting the big machines. Although mostly Ford Transits and LDVs, 326 Shane Lynn turned out a slimy old ambulance and 273 Kevin McClagish topped the bill with a very unusual ex-Army amphibious vehicle. Its robust looking external framework must have struck fear into some of those in smaller machinery, but its challenge didn't last very long – it was rolled on to its roof in heat one, shearing the upper half of the machine sideways and rendering it out of action for the remainder of the meeting except the DD. 385 Paul Evans had a caravan stuck on the back of his flatbed which was soon destroyed by 721 Dan Clarke's big LDV. Out front, Lynn was spun out of the lead by 77 Russell Gill's smart machine but the latter was also delayed and 601 Chris Medler took the flag. He just held on, despite the attentions of national points champion 22 Dave Vincent who had a few nibbles of Medler's LDV with his Mk1 Transit motorcaravan, but just couldn't get by.

Lynn led heat two until taken out by 728 Tim Dray's monsterous bolide, which 780 Simon Sparrow, who had taken over at the front, then blitzed, doing his own engine in the process. 210 Steve Haywood got squeezed into the fence as he tried to pass, with 19 Joe Mullarkey also delayed in the melee. All that allowed Lynn to resume in front, but he threw it away in an attempt at revenge on 728 Spike. He partly succeeded but also took himself in. Through it all came a grateful Vincent, taking the lead on the last lap and claiming the win from Lynn and Mullarkey.

In the final Spike followed in Mullarkey before 851 Adam Storr did likewise to the second placed Haywood. Spike and 130 Chris White tangled on the power station bend with 851 Intimidator delivering a big shot to the former. The front of Storr's machine caved in alarmingly and the red flags came out with the race called early in favour of Clarke, with Vincent's second place giving him a big points haul and 597 Andy Ashman in third. Proceedings closed with the traditional DD which saw success for Spike.

With no Mondeos allowed in the 2-litre bangers are more varied line-up was attracted and a very healthy turnout of 36 cars. The Garrod brothers – 337 Ashley and 338 Terry – and Vincent deserve praise for bringing cars and vans to the meeting. 557 'Paranoid' Paul Bowen appeared to be on a mission in his Ford Focus estate. He delivered two big follow-ins on consecutive laps in the first heat, with 288 Aaron Phillips and 641 Jay Ruddock on the receiving end; later, in the final, 227 James Hope would also feel the full force of a Paranoid fullow-in. Team Bash team-mates 375 Jamie Childerhouse and 376 Jason Farthing had a good scrap at the head of heat one in their Primeras before the latter was spun out of second by 26 Daniel Holmes. Childerhouse held on to win from the rapid 116 Nat Cohn and 119 Davey Cox.

Childerhouse then went on the aggressive offensive in heat two, turning Bowen hard into the power station bend fence, while an excellent lead battle developed between 7 Ashley Ling, Cohn and Dan Phillips. Ling had gradually worked his way through the field, picking off 708 Jamie Nottingham's Bluebird and then Phillips to take up the running. Cohn meanwhile was also carving his way through the field in impressive style. He took the lead with a lap to go but in the multi-car squabble that also involved lapped runners, Ling fought back to take the win with Cohn second and 132 Robert James overhauling Phillips for third.

In the final, 764 Lee Reeve used his Focus estate to put in Hope and 8 James Jackson, before Paranoid delivered his aforementioned package to the former. 340 Wesley Freestone went on opposite to hit Cox on the nose, with Cruncher exacting revenge on the stranded Freestone a couple of laps later. Farthing drove away from the field to record a comfortable win while Cohn once again piloted his Vectra with prowess to complete a full set of second places. James and Nottingham rounded out the top four, while the action was completed by Ashley Garrod following in the latter's Bluebird on the run-down lap. An entertaining DD came down to a battle between 390 David Gibson, 572 Paul Scully and 601 Chris Medler, with the latter eventually prevailing.

There was a good turnout of youngsters in the junior bangers with the contact the heaviest it has been in their meetings so far in this, the first year of the formula at King's Lynn. 386 Dan Petters looked very quick on his way to a heat and final double, with 364 Bradley Lee taking the other heat. Points leader 77 Callum Gill also looked pacey as he claimed third with a final bend move on 93 Luke Niewenburg in heat one, before trying a similar move on Petters in the second. That didn't pay off as they both got tangled but Gill was again third in the final, despite starting from the very back.

The junior bangers have another outing this coming weekend (1 June), where the adult banger action is provided by the 1500s' East Anglian team event. The lady bangers will also be contesting their own team event for the first time, while the mighty 2-litre saloon stock cars are sure to provide some heavy metal action.