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1982 GRAND PRIX MIDGET REVIEW
MOTORING NEWS, WEDNESDAY, 19th JANUARY 1983
A year of progress
1982 saw the Grand Prix Midget formula stabilise and establish
itself as one of the most exciting formulas on the ovals.
Top honour of the season must go to Mick Bonner who regained
the world championship at Swaffam Raceway, a championship
he last won in Holland in 1978. Earlier in the season he let
everyone know his intention by winning the Scottish Championship
at Cowdenbeath, the first time the Midgets had appeared in
Scotland for 20 years and where they were given a reception
normally reserved for Liverpool football club! He also won
the Derek Kisby Memorial Trophy, as well as finishing third
in the National points championship.
Basil Craske started the season in good form with his VW powered
car winning three trophy races plus the British Championship
at Northampton. Although he went through a bad patch by his
standards, he still regained the points championship
he last held in 1980.
Former English Hot Rod champion Malcolm Goodman, a garage
proprietor from Norfolk, took his Cooper 'S' powered ex-George
Pollard car, and won the Graham Hill Memorial Trophy at Bovingdon
Raceway, facing strong opposition from the 1600 cc Continental
Midgets. At the last meeting of the season at Brafield stadium,
he retained the National title, a trophy he has won no less
than five times. In the points he finished - creditable fourth
after a bad start with engine problems. Malcolm is a driver
who has transferred from bikes to cars; at one time he rode
a Greaves works scramble bike before trying speedway and then
Hot Rods. In 1974 he joined the Midgets, and has since been
national points champion no less than four times.
Jerry Pinny raced in his second season with a Fireball rear
engined car, and although not winning any major trophies,
he always drove hard and was constantly in the points. But
rookie of the year must go to Alan Riley, who started the
season in a borrowed car, courtesy of Malcolm Goodman and
Alf Boarer. He later purchased Eric Fretten's old car but
never really managed to get the car sorted out, thus not fulfilling
his early promise. However he has already impressed enough
to show he is one for future star grading.
Dave Cox blew the cobwebs off his car after an absence of
four years. He proved he still has the same determination
and skill that made him a star man when Midgets used to run
under the Spedeworth banner, and by the close of the season
he had finished sixth in the points. Dave certainly had some
bad luck, making the trip from Maidstone in Kent to Cowdenbeath,
Scotland, just to have his throttle stick open in practice
and hit the wall, badly damaging his car. A 900 mile round
trip was quite some distance just to be a spectator, but undeterred
he was racing again at the next meeting.
Gary Pollard had a bad start to the season with a blown engine
and missed several meetings, but returned with a bang by winning
numerous races. He also retained
the East of England Championship, but towards the latter part
of the season he sold his car and although he only completed
two thirds of the season, he still finished fifth in the points.
Geoff Hughes Senior, racing a Mk.1 Dastle, powered by a Norman
Abbott Ford engine, has been racing in one form or another
for 30 years. He started out as a speedway rider with Wimbledon
and since them has participated in circuit racing, with both
bikes and cars. Geoff's Dastle was the only non-rear engined
car to get into the top six in the points championship, finishing
second and taking some good wins throughout the season, as
well as a splendid second in the World Championship at Swaffam
Raceway.
Brian Forrest always produced his immaculately turned out
Ford engined Dastle Mk.7 fitted with a Mk.3 fireball body,
with a great deal of help from his wife Lyn. Brian was unable
to do the complete season in 1982, but turned out whenever
he could and was always competitive and determined, achieving
some good results.
Mick Clements raced his own design Ford powered car, mounted
on a Hewland gearbox in the rear of the car, but only competed
towards the end of the season owing to pressures of work.
In spite of encountering one or two handling problems, he
was a very hard man to pass with an extremely fast car. Mick
hopes to do a full season next year and should be in with
a chance of taking some major honours.
Alf Boarer purchased Gary Pollard's Cooper S powered Arrow
and raced in the last three meetings of the season. He took
four wins in those meetings and is looking forward to next
season, when he suspects the car could well win the championship,
provided he drives well.
Dermott McGivern started the season as a member of the Namisca
club but soon discovered that as they could only muster four
or five cars, it would not be a competitive season. He then
joined the Grand Prix Midget Club and spent most of the season
starting from the back of the grid because he was running
a 1600 cc oversized engine in his Mk3 Dastle. Dermott came
to Midget racing via Grasstrack and gets the crowds on their
toes with his sideways style of cornering. Towards the end
of the season he put a 1300 cc engine in his car and achieved
some good results.
Dave Scott, from near Crawley, in his own design BMC powered
car, has been one of the most constant Midget drivers for
the past four years, and although he has not taken any major
honours, Dave is always very competitive.
Harold Lowe from Biggleswade in his self-built Ford powered
car was plagued with engine problems this season and thus
had a poor season by his standards. However when the engine
was running well he was a difficult man to catch. Harold and
brother John have been racing Midgets for the past six or
seven seasons, but John missed out this year whilst building
himself a new car. They both hope to be back winning in the
1983 season.
Dave Westbroom came back this season after a year's lay-off
during which time he got married and then built a new car.
Dave found that the pace had increased since he last raced,
and although he took some good places with his smart new car,
he was unable to make it back into the star grading. He plans
to find some more power over the winter and get back into
the front runners next season.
Anthony Brewer from Burgess Hill in Sussex, completed his
first full season in his Mk18 Dastle. This car, Ford powered
and Hewland gearboxed, was the latest design from the Geoff
Rumble stables, and Anthony succeeded in taking a win with
it at Bovingdon early in the season. From then on he made
his way into the star grading with some competitive hard racing.
All in all the Midgets have had a good and exciting season,
and seem to be going from strength to strength, with numbers
increasing ail the time. Feed-back from the promoters is very
encouraging for next year and points to them becoming established
as one of the top formulas on the oval.
Final Midget National Points Championship
1 Basil Craske 218 pts
2 Geoff Hughes 188 pts
3 Mick Bonner 177 pts
4 Malcolm Goodman 153 pts
5 Gary Pollard 130 pts
6 Dave Cox 102 pts
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