Arena, Essex - 4th November 2001 Firecracker X - The Action
This was the tenth running of The Firecracker which has earn't the reputation of being the most prestigious meeting in the country for showing off Classic Banger Material. Entry is limited to some 200 cars due to pit space, and there are restrictions on what you can bring, ie Mk2 Granadas are not acceptable nor this year was any jap material, unless they are limo or hearse versions. Around 170 cars made it to the pits though not all made the track.
Action photos at Arena are not easy as the wire fence plays havoc with our autofocus cameras, however, below is a selection of the clearest shots.
John Randall (207) chases Paul Byford's DK400 Hearse (992).
101, Gary Deacon waves them into his Ford LTD Wagon
Sonny Sherwood's Limo is big (348), but it just didn't compare to 677, Terry Wood's Lincoln Town Limo.
Wayne Rowland (530) on oppo put an end to 479, Martyn Ford's chances of winning a heat.
Peter van Damme (886) delt a masive T-bone to John Cope's hearse (869)
which left the DS420 in a sorry state.
Steve Shaw (350) lifts Steve Williams Chevy Estate (721)
Stuart Wilson (7) plough his DS420 Limo into Gary Staples P5 (277)
420, Neal Wells feels the force from 592, Mark Marchant's Granny Limo...
..however, it was Marchant that came off the worse.
Peter Lines (937) gets his Chevy Caprice sideways.
Dave Nichols (754) passes Ian Meakers DS420 Limo (666) with Andy Davies (49) in pursuit in his Granny Limo.
Frank Skinner (193) ploughs his Wolseley into 905, Andreas Vetterman's P5
Mark Mitchell (604) kept the Armstrong Siddeley Limo going well until..
Vetterman (905) gave it a stiff rear end shunt.
There was a little racing between the carnage!!
19, Dave Edwards (19) looks for a way out in his DS420 Hearse.
Simon Byrne (972) on oppo took out the Humber Hawk of Luke Radley (356)
Bryne (972) then carried on to destroy 235, Jason Randall's Ford LTD Falcon, as Kev Major looks on.
Byrne (972) again, trying to stop Chris Hussey (374) winning his heat.
Tony Garrod (676) aims his Lincoln Town Limo at the Mk10 Jag of Kevin McClagish (973).
Then Garrod (676) went after Steve Hardy (657).
Dave Marsh (929) takes a punt at 73, Scott Carter's Plymouth Volare Estate.
Then on oppo Carter (73) takes revenge on Marsh (929).
leaving himself open to a large portion from Simon Warner (129).