CLASSIC DRIVE FROM KEITH PAINTER WINS PRE-1970 BANGER WORLD FINAL
Keith ‘Maverick’ Painter #46 drove a classic race to win the Pre-1970 Banger World Final at Wimbledon Stadium on May 15th. The win adds another title to the Maverick’s CV on top of the Banger World and English Champion titles.
The Pre-1970 World Final proved to be a real blast from the past with a large grid of classic cars, ranging from the once staple of Banger racing, the A60 through Ford Zodiacs to a show stopping 1950 Humber Pullman hearse – which sadly did not race due to engine problems.
Visiting driver Matt Millen, 924 drew pole position only to see that vanish in the early stages as his classic Rover was overhauled by Robert Jopling’s, 35 Zodiac. Jopling was going well until a very heavy shunt wiped out Steve Anderson, 323 on the scoreboard bend and caused a red flag race stoppage.
With the cars regrouped for a complete restart Jopling had it all to do again and was soon overhauled by Mark Thomas, 25. Thomas tangled with another classic on the back straight and with 8 laps to go the race became a two classic event with star driver 348 Sonny Sherwood powering his Triumph around the wreckage hotly pursued by Maverick’s Rover 3.5. As the laps wore down Maverick’s experience and the power of the big Rover began to tell and he passed Sherwood cleanly on the inside and held onto the front place to take the chequered flag ahead of Sherwood and Mark Welland, 264.
The second outing for the classic bangers saw a repeat of the World Final with Sherwood and Maverick battling it out. Sherwood got caught in pit bend demolition derby and Maverick swooped around the combatants to take the win.
Sherwood had to settle for depriving Maverick of a hat trick when he won the demolition derby in fine style with a head on blitz on the battered Rover P4 of Marty Eighteen, 514.
Rounding off the night’s action the non-contact Rookie Rods fought it out for their London Championship, which was won by John Turvey, 121 after an incident full race.
More action from Spedeworth Southern with the Rookie Bangers 6 a side team meeting and the Stock Rods on Sunday May 29th at Wimbledon Stadium, Britain’s finest stock car racing circuit.
More information from Spedeworth International spedeworth.co.uk Tel 01252 322 290
