Arena Essex track championship is decided (From Thurrock Gazette)

Paul Whiteman crowned champion

2:00pm Saturday 27th October 2012 in Sport

MOTORSPORT: PAUL Whiteman was crowned the Arena Essex Track Champion in the National Banger formula on Sunday as well as winning a dramatic Olly Moran memorial race. However the day was not the dream it might have been for the popular Kent racer with some inter team squabbling.

Prior to the meeting, Whiteman discovered an issue with his car that could have affected his pursuit of the track title so Midnight Runner team-mate Billy King offered to swap cars for the day. Whiteman used the pace of his car to good effect, ensuring Bull didn't finish any of his outings. In the Olly Moran memorial final he cannoned the David Palmer car into Bull, leaving Bull’s car in the turn three armco. Although guaranteed track championship success, Whiteman wanted the memorial final too and he caught Dean Goodearl with a lap to go and spun him round. Goodearl’s team mate, Mark Marchant, appeared to attempt to impede Whiteman as he took the chequered flag so Whiteman despatched him heavily into the parked up Bull car. As the red flags flew and drivers began queuing at the pit gate , Goodearl drove at speed into Whiteman and, rather ironically, followed him into the Bull car.

It was a masterpiece of over-reaction, but as the brief argument subsided Whiteman took his winners trophy ahead of Jack Overy and Jack Deacon.

The Destruction Derby, with a considerably reduced Midnight Runner presence, was a fine end to the meeting with Marchant shrugging aside his earlier crash to put up a spirited display against Jack Overy, who eventually took the win.

Track honours were also decided in the Junior Mini Stox with Dan Newman taking the track championship in addition to the meeting final for the Essex Championship. Newman himself got to the front and was then nearly spun along the home straight by Sadie Betts, which dropped him down the order. Ryan Polley looked good, spinning Betts out of the lead until his car cut out. Reid Murray fought his way back from an awful start and briefly looked a likely winner but eventually Newman was able to pull well clear from Murray and a feisty Cole Atkins.

Anthony Lawrence managed to win the Lightning Rod Supreme Championship, which was the first race of the day. Gary Greenland secured the track title after a consistent, if unspectacular day.

Although Lee West was the man on form in the SuperBangers, Brian Jarvis did enough to secure his track championship, well clear in the final reckoning of West and Bernie French.

Just two fixtures remain at Arena Essex this season with the Firecracker Unlimited National Banger event on November 4. The Reliant Robins share the billing with the Bangers and thousands of race fans are expected. A fortnight later the ORC Banger Team Championship is the highlight of the final fixture, which also includes Junior Mini Stox and Saloon Stock Cars. The start time for both events is 1pm.