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National Bangers 1996 English Championship – 07/07/1996 – Ipswich – 1996 Spedeweekend

The Sunday saw an All Granada format for the English Championship. The championship race being moved to the Sunday for the first time having being contested on the Saturday for the prior ten years.

The Heats were split into a half cars format. 221 Birdy followed in 61 Flash to set the action rolling for the first heat. 283 Webby put away 126 Darbyshire. 488 United spun 547, but this allowed 359 GB to latch on to the former and follow him in. 108 Mr Softie set about 117 Kamikaze as 46 Maverick spun 88 Emmo. 108 Mr Softie spun the luckless 547. 46 Maverick attacked 9 Easter. 138 Cookie spun 509 Gray. 9 Easter recovered to attack 320 Duell. 732 Bryant removed 444 Cannell, before 206 Kingy jacked 17 Captain Caveman as the EA v South rivalry spilled over. 445 Smith ran 108 Mr Softie through the side of 320 Duell on the back straight. As this was all going on, 287 Gizmo bested 130 Laney for the lead. 509 Gray followed in 84 Bleach. 138 Cookie put the bumper in on 489 Pitman to end the action as 287 Paul Totham took the win ahead of 770 Julian Beaumont and 82 Paul Tompkins.

The second half car heat begun with 194 Cecil spinning 440 Gerbil straight from the off. 33 Magic spun 201 The Rev, as 41 Skoyles put away 310 The Legend. A big push into the turnstile bend claimed three East Anglians in the form of 175 Emmerson, 410 Nutty and 330 Went. 241 jacked 330 Went. 506 Mitchell stopped 41 Skoyles with a head on, the latter then getting set about by 427 Webb. 736 Krafty Kockney spun aside 15. 33 Magic set about 57 Boris. 40 went to do a revenge shot on 33 Magic but put himself in instead. 151 Warner buried 57 Boris. 385 Thurlow blew up on the turnstile bend which saw several drivers get caught out. 122 Sticko jacked 385 Thurlow to add to his troubles. 309 David Lane managed to survive the tricky conditions to take the win with 151 Robbie Warner taking second place in another East Anglian top two and 194 Steve Anscombe grasped third.

The English Championship was next up and saw heat winners 287 Gizmo and 309 Laney off the front row. 264 Wellard was the first casualty as he was spun aside by 25 Tombo. 359 GB followed in 527. 202 Jimbo spun aside 489 Pitman, as 66 Rogers put away 241. European Champion 41 Skoyles was put away on the scoreboard bend to scupper his hopes of adding the St George’s Cross to his roof. 202 Jimbo took out the leading 287 Gizmo, with 122 Sticko going in on the Heat 1 winner to ensure his chances of a quick recovery were slim. 82 Winkle hung 241 off a post, as 427 Webb jacked 126 Darbyshire. 732 Bryant followed in 410 Nutty, who went through the ropes. 287 Gizmo and 46 Maverick crashed out of some high positions although the former recovered quickly to set about 201 The Rev which triggered a small blockage on the exit of turn 4. 85 Stumpy attacked 287 Gizmo whilst 130 Laney pummelled 770 Beaumont out of the way as he looked to keep with the front runners. 770 Beaumont resumed the fray to tbone 359 GB on the shale. 7 Wally spun running mate 85 Stumpy while the leading 309 Laney took no chances with 202 Jimbo removing him from contention. 287 Gizmo tboned 359 GB hard and was jacked in turn by the lively 202 Jimbo. 444 Cannell weighed in on 85 Stumpy on the shale. The leading 309 Laney cruelly expired with a couple of laps to go playing into the hands of 194 Steve Anscombe who saw the final laps out to take the chequered flag and his biggest win to date; 130 Andy Lane and 66 Mark Rogers his place men to round out a Southern top three.

The DD commenced with 201 The Rev attacking 330 Went. 41 Skoyles went in with a shot of his own to 201 The Rev, only to cop a large portion in turn from 206 Kingy. 46 Maverick jacked 410 Nutty. 41 Skoyles came under further attention as 623 The Badger set about him allowing 84 Bleach to home in for a head on to former, and 46 Maverick finished him off with a jacking. 445 Smith set about 455 Frankie but this allowed 623 The Badger to deliver a jacking to the former. 410 Nutty followed in 84 Bleach and continued on to jack 310 The Legend who had just tboned 445 Smith. 84 Bleach had somehow managed to recover and drove through 410 Nutty in revenge attack, as 330 Went set about 201 The Rev, allowing 202 Jimbo to slaughter the 330 Granada in a revenge shot. 138 Cookie set about 46 Maverick before delivering a head on to 201 The Rev. 623 The Badger set about 138 Cookie and took a package himself from 46 Maverick. 138 Cookie went in on 623 The Badger who fought back with a jacking to 46 Maverick on the turnstile bend. At this point it was clear that the action had taken its toll on the cars as the hits were becoming increasingly slower – 138 Cookie going in on the nose of 202 Jimbo. 202 Jimbo managed to limp into a hit on 46 Maverick to take the win and round off a great weekend of action for the Bangers.

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