Brumteams
Birmingham, 21st March, 2 Litre Bangers Team meeting
Dave Goddard brings us this report from Birminghams early season team meeting which seemed a pretty lively meeting and a lot better action than of late at Incarace

Around 48 cars across a good 14 teams appeared for Incarace’s traditional early season team meeting, with the cream of the Midlands’ drivers turning out.  Nothing unusual car wise bar the Corolla 3-door Liftback of HJ969 Jamie Pickup, whose team-mate HJ165 Andy Curbishley had the smartest car.  This meeting also saw the debut of TM272 Gary Murrell’s new team the Muckers, while CL52 Baden Powell moved from the Demons to CrashCo.

BB - Barton Boys, CA - Coventry Avengers, CD - Coventry Devils, CC -CrashCo, CL - CrashCo Ltd, CP - CrashCo PLC, DM - Demons, FM - Team Fatman, HJ - Highjackers, MB - Men in Black, MD - Mendos, SN -Snomed, TW - Telford Wreckers, TM - The Muckers.

As usual, all cars are Bluebirds unless otherwise stated.

Two per team for heat one which started with a bang as the returning CA39 Steve McEvoy gave HJ101 Michael Forrester (Sierra) a big follow-in as the green flag went down, while DA999 Scott Hill backed BB222 Matt Logan into HJ49 Colin Hodkinson with SN132 Chris Cullum (Mk4 Escort) joining in.  TM303 Brian Cope put FM102 Tim Rodgers (Capri) over the banking and onto his side as 39 Smosha removed CP161 Pete West (Sierra estate) and CD461 Nathan Knowles blasted CL94 Richard Gover.  MD224 Graham Gamble (Primera) attacked CC54 Richard Hayward as Hodkinson landed a shot on the stationary CL220 Ian Markland and was done in turn by CL94 Richard Gover.  DM150 Chris Key threw a wheel, but appeared not to notice as he continued to spin FM45 Michael Bradley (Capri) into 94 Guvna.  CA61 Stuart Holdsworth did MB284 Andrew Edwards over the back wheel as 161 Westy ran in Knowles.  Up front lone Standlake visitor CP155 Craig Boyle raced to the win, while 999 Scotty followed in CC40 Ian Kitching and blasted CP227 Glynn Gorton after the chequered flag.

Result: CP155 Craig Boyle, CC54 Richard Hayward, TM272 Gary Murrell, CC40 Ian Kitching, DM999 Scott Hill, BB179 Shaun Rushton, CA39 Steve McEvoy, CA61 Stuart Holdsworth, CD461 Nathan Knowles.

The other half for heat two and MB83 Lloyd Isherwood was straight on the case removing MD86 Simon Carlton (Mazda 323), while CP248 Jason Crosbie hammered MB285 Darren Lewis only to have DM236 Andy Robinson piled into him by the latter’s former team-mate Powell.  The new CrashCo recruit went on to attackTM745 Andy Murphy as the leading DM234 Rob Merrick (Primera) sent 83 Lost It Lloyd up the banking (to the delight of the crowd!) allowing the lively Powell in for a shot at the Man in Black.  TM636 Lee Gray (Sunny) fired up the back of Crosbie as 285 Loony Lewis put MD400 Dave Butler into the stationary SN345 Carl Brown (Cav Mk3) and CA371 Karl Taylor walled BB189 Richard Myshrall.  Street Stox regular Merrick took the win but was excluded (allegedly after a protest from Lost It Lloyd) for using a carburettor engine (all Primeras were produced as injection), giving 165 Curbo the win.

Result: HJ165 Andy Curbishley, CP227 Glynn Gorton, CD6 Mark Holdsworth, FM495 Trev Morris, MB285 Darren Lewis, TM145 Andy Murphy, BB189 Richard Myshrall, FM77 Dean Perry, DM236 Andy Robinson, MB83 Lloyd Isherwood.

All in for heat three including the Telford Wreckers’ squad of Capris in their first race of the evening.  All three got caught in a turn four pile-up on lap one, which saw Key jack TW96 Wayne Davies (Capri).  MD205 Alan Gamble T-boned the stationary FM495 Trev Morris as 371 Rodney went after Lost It Lloyd who was then done by TW129 Shane Davies (Capri).  Alan Gamble was then rolled by Knowles and copped a hit from Loony Lewis while inverted, the reds coming out to check on the Mendo but thankfully he was OK.  The restart saw Butler, 303 Dangerous Brian, Knowles and Curbo all hook up on the back straight, with Brian being pushed out and catching MB43 David Rose to put him in, with CD6 Mark Holdsworth then pummelling Dangerous Brian.  The recovered Rose attacked CC70 Simon Needle(Cav Mk2) as Key blasted the bootlid off 6 the Good Lord’s Cav and 54 Bandit followed in Key.  The Good Lord was walled again by 155 Mr Demolition as Loony Lewis took his fifth win in three meetings at Wheels in 2004.

Result: MB285 Darren Lewis, CC54 Richard Hayward, DM999 Scott Hill, HJ165 Andy Curbishley, FM77 Dean Perry, CD6 Mark Holdsworth, CD461 Nathan Knowles.

The final saw 345 Watty meet Knowles on the nose on the rolling lap, with 495 Oompa Loompa going in on the former’s Cav.  Scotty walled Curbo and 220 Ugly as Smosha blasted 102 Lanky Tim and Powell also hammered Watty only to be wasted by 61 Son of God.  Scotty spun Murphy into a head-on with Lanky Tim before banking Hodkinson and walling the luckless Lanky Tim.  Bandit gave Pickup a rear-end shot on his way to the win and the title for CrashCo.

Result: CC54 Richard Hayward, MB285 Darren Lewis, CP155 Craig Boyle, DM999 Scott Hill, TM145 Andy Murphy, FM102 Tim Rodgers, CD461 Nathan Knowles, CA61 Suart Holdsworth.

Straight into the DD which saw Scotty hammer FM77 Dean Perry only to be wasted comprehensively by Knowles and Wayne Davies as Loony Lewis followed in Graham Gamble and Lanky Tim belted Butler.  Loony Lewis went in on 77 Fatman before jacking Knowles as Murphy went head-to-head with Wayne Davies only to be jacked by Loony Lewis who then did Knowles again.  The latter teamed up with Son of God to pound Loony Lewis who was finished by a shot from Shane Davies.  A final attack by Son of God saw him miss the Capri and put himself in the back straight wall giving the Telford Wrecker the win.

Result: TW129 Shane Davies from MB285 Darren Lewis, MDD CC70 Simon Needle.

A decent session at a cold but dry (except for the DD) Wheels, with some good hits from all teams.  Difficult to pick a Driver of the Night, but it just goes to returnee 39 Steve McEvoy for some huge hits in the heats.

Next up at Incarace it’s an Unlimited Double - Wheels on Saturday 27th March, followed by Hednesford the next day.  See you there!