Another fantastic night of racing is in the books, and whilst some formulas may not have produced the numbers we’d ideally like to see, they certainly made up for it with the entertainment on track. From huge hits in the 1800 Bangers to superbly clean racing from the Outlaws and Hot Rods, every formula played its part in giving the spectators a brilliant evening of action.

 

Here’s my take on what unfolded throughout the meeting…

 

I’ll start with the 1800 Bangers. The numbers weren’t exactly where we’d have liked them to be, but if anyone thought that meant a quiet night was on the cards, they couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

The drivers put on one hell of a show from start to finish. There were some huge hits, two or three brilliant jacking trains and plenty of action to keep the crowd entertained all night long.

 

What impressed me most was the determination shown by the teams. Considering the amount of damage sustained throughout the meeting, the fact that the majority of drivers managed to rebuild and make it back out for the final was tremendous.

 

A special mention has to go to the Sharpe brothers, Jay and Jordan, who pulled off nothing short of a miracle to get their cars back out for the final. At one stage it looked highly unlikely either would return to the track, but after some serious hard work in the pits they somehow managed to get both cars race-ready again. Efforts like that perfectly sum up the never-give-up attitude that makes banger racing what it is.

 

The final result was:

1800 Bangers Final

1st – 330 Jackson Whitehead

2nd – 221 Jordan Storr

3rd – 246 Dylan Ward

 

There were plenty of talking points too. Luke Tongue, being the entertainer that he is, certainly spiced things up by turning his car around and adding his own unique style to the racing. Then there was Max Bull, who somehow managed to become so well attached to the rear of Marty Dunderdale’s car on Turn 4 that it took two telehandlers and two tractors to separate them. Whether they were racing or trying to move in together remains unclear!

 

The Outlaws produced what was probably some of the cleanest racing I’ve ever seen at the Raceway.

The action was fast, competitive and incredibly respectful throughout the night. Every race was packed with close battles and quality driving, making it an absolute pleasure to watch.

 

A huge amount of credit must go to Gerry, June, Neil and the entire Outlaws team. From booking in drivers to organising the races themselves, they handle absolutely everything. The work they put in behind the scenes is exceptional and they deserve tremendous credit for continuing to grow and develop the formula.

 

The final result was:

Outlaws Final

1st – 41 Russ Heath

2nd – 864 Ste Preston

3rd – 212 Jak Hall

 

A special mention has to go to Russ Heath. After plenty of effort and perseverance, he bagged himself a final win and the celebrations afterwards said it all. Seeing him standing on top of his car with pure delight was one of the standout moments of the evening. A brilliant effort and thoroughly deserved.

 

The Lady Bangers once again demonstrated why they remain one of the most enjoyable formulas to have at the Raceway.

 

The racing was fast, clean and competitive, with plenty of action throughout the night. More importantly, the consistency of the formula continues to impress. The numbers remain healthy and the drivers themselves are an absolute delight to work with.

 

They’re always polite, always asking the right questions, respectful towards staff and officials, and they represent the formula brilliantly both on and off the track.

 

The final result was:

Lady Bangers Final

1st – 850 Mikaela Teal

2nd – 216 Jodie Mather

3rd – 7 Sarah Hunt

 

Congratulations to all three drivers, but also to the entire field for putting on another excellent display.

 

The Hot Rods delivered exactly what fans have come to expect: fast, close and highly competitive racing all night long.

 

As with any non-contact formula, there were a few occasions where cars came together, but when the racing is as close as it was throughout the evening, that’s sometimes unavoidable.

 

One driver who particularly stood out was 21 Neil Marsden. After securing second place in Heat One, he went one better in the final and claimed a well-earned victory.

 

Another driver deserving recognition was 125 James Liversidge. After finding himself out of contention in Heat One, he responded in the best possible fashion by bouncing back to win Heat Two in fine style.

 

The final result was:

Hot Rods Final

1st – 21 Neil Marsden

2nd – 325 Tom Bennett

3rd – 62 Kian Twigg

 

Looking back on the meeting as a whole, every formula played its part in making it a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

 

The crowd appeared to enjoy every moment, whether it was the huge hits from the 1800 Bangers, the quality racing from the Outlaws, the competitive Lady Bangers or the close-fought Hot Rod action.

 

The 1800 Bangers deserve one final mention. Despite the smaller numbers, they were absolutely outstanding and proved that entertainment isn’t measured by car count alone. Every driver played their part in producing a show that had the crowd hooked from start to finish.

 

A huge thank you must also go to all of our track staff, who were on point throughout the meeting and helped keep everything running smoothly.

 

A special mention goes to our paramedics, who dealt with every incident in fantastic fashion as always. Their professionalism and commitment never goes unnoticed and we’re incredibly grateful for the work they do.

 

We’re back on Saturday 27th June for what promises to be an absolute belter of a meeting.

 

Featuring:

• Back2Basic Bangers Gold Roof Shootout

• Back2Basic Bangers Lincolnshire Championship

• Outlaws North vs South

• Hot Rods Shaun Lane Memorial

• Lady Bangers

 

Racing starts at 4:00pm, and if this weekend was anything to go by, it’s one meeting you won’t want to miss.

 

We’ll have more details coming very soon, but for now, thank you to all the drivers, staff, officials and spectators who helped make this meeting another fantastic night at the Raceway.