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my 2016 Parmastox Arena Open Championship story The 2016 Parmastox Arena Open
Championship (titled
WACCy Races as a play on Arena's Waltham Abbey Community Centre location!) took place at the on 1st October 2016. The meeting doubled up as the fourth round
in the 2016 Parmastox British Championship hosted by Arena Slotstox Club and 18 drivers were racing; representing the following
Clubs. Arena (4) 4 Chris Branch 51 Christopher Isham 414 Barbara Skee 546 Mark Banham Anglian Racewall Club (ARC) (5) 64 Robin Bater 111 Miriam Yaxley 146 Liz Dicken 152 Mark West 331 Charlotte West Three Counties (5) 8 Steve Talbot 42 Rob Porter 77 Spike Rixon 190 Andy Hankin 555 Richard Sleeman Wellgate (2) 1 Charlie Nicholls 13 Ken Holmes Wisbech (2) 168 Charlie Cox 567 Jamie Sparrow For the first time in 2016 we
were able to make this British Championship round a family day out. Upon
arrival I wasn't sure to be racing, suffering with a slight cold and also not
wanting to damage my Parmastox that could jeopardise my attempt to win the Arena
Parmastox points! Whilst both my Parmastox passed scruitineering, my main
Parmastox was close to the minimum clearance so I decided to race my spare...
which proved to be a good decision! Points for all races were: 5
for 1st, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, and 2 for 4th and 1 for each of 5th and 6th Heats As at British Championship
rounds 1 to 3, each driver raced in three drawn heats of twelve races (two in
each lane) from grades over eight laps with British Championship points
scored based on finishing positions in each heat - 1st 6, 2nd 5, 3rd 4, 4th 3, 5th
2 and 6th onwards 1 - the highest points scoring twelve drivers based on heat
position points would then qualify to the semi-finals. Heat 1 After no practice, my spare Parmastox immediately had braid
problems lining up at my BSA grade of Superstar on the outside in heat 1 which
meant a switch of braids from my main Parmastox. The initial problems didn't
end there with a loose wire causing a non-finish on the first race on the
inside lane. A fellow driver helped to fix and what a difference it made... my
Spare was 'on it' for the rest of the day starting by winning all the remaining
9 races in heat 1 - 1st (6 points) of six drivers (48)! [All drivers representing Arena unless
stated] Race
/ Line
up 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Pos.
146
Liz Dicken (ARC) 4
4
5
4
3
- -
3
-
4
3 2
32
2nd
567
Jamie Sparrow (Wisbech) 5
5
-
-
2
-
4
4
-
-
4
4
28
3rd 168
Charlie Cox (Wisbech) - -
2
-
1
3
2
1
2
-
1
1
13
6th
13
Ken Holmes (Wellgate) - 3 4 3 4 - 3 2 4 - 2 1 26 4th 331
Charlotte Feek (ARC) -
2 3
2
1
4
-
1
3 3
-
3
22
5th 546
Mark Banham 3
-
- 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5 5
48
1st Heat 2 Heat 2 - 1st (6 points) of six drivers (42). Race
/ Line
up 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Pos.
111
Miriam Yaxley (ARC) -
-
1
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -
4 6th
8
Steve Talbot (Three Counties) 4 1 2 2
-
4
2
4
1
2
3
4
29 3rd 567
Jamie Sparrow (Wisbech) -
4
3
-
-
-
-
-
2 3
2
3
17
5th
546
Mark Banham 5 5 4 4 - 2 4 - 4 5 4 5 42 1st 64
Robin Bater (ARC) -
2 1
-
5
3
3
5
3 4
- -
26
4th
51
Chris Isham -
3
5 5
-
5
5
-
5
-
5 -
33
2nd
Heat 3 Heat 3 - 1st (6 points) of six drivers (49 - starting and ending
with 4 straight wins out of a total 9 race wins). Race
/ Line
up 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Pos.
13
Ken Holmes (Wellgate) 4
2
4
4
5
4
-
5
4
-
4 3
39
2nd
567
Jamie Sparrow (Wisbech) -
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
8
6th 546
Mark Banham 5
5
5
5
-
5
-
4
5
5
5
5
49
1st
1
Charlie Nicholls (Wellgate) - 3 - - - 1 5 - 1 - - - 10 5th 8
Steve Talbot (Three Counties) -
1 3
3
4
3
4
-
3
4
3
2
30
3rd
168
(Wisbech) -
1
- 2
3
2
-
3
2
-
- -
13
4th
My 18 heat points was the only maximum heat score and top scorer
for the semi-finals. SEMI-FINAL The starting lanes for each of the semi-finals
were drawn with all drivers starting from their grades. My semi-final draw was soon nicknamed the semi-final of death with
all drivers graded superstar or above and included the Arena Gold Top, Arena
Silver Top, myself as Arena Top of the Points as well as the defending British
Champion and with only the top three qualifying for the final. Consistent
scoring including 2 race wins - 1st (38) and I had qualified for my sixth
Arena/Hertfordshire 'Open' Championship final - second year in row after 3rd in
2015 and with my previous best result being runner-up in 2011 plus my second
consecutive final at a British Championship round in 2016 following 6th at
Wisbech. Race
/ Line
up 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Pos.
152
Mark West (ARC) 3
4
5
5
-
4
3
-
3
-
2 2
31
3rd 42
Rob Porter (Three Counties) 5 5 3
3
3
3
2
-
2
-
3
3
32 2nd 331
Charlotte West (ARC) 1
2
1
1
5
-
1
4
1
4
-
1
21
6th
8
Steve Talbot (Three Counties) 2 3 1 1 4 2 1 - 1 5 1 1 22 5th 51
Chris Isham 4
- 2
2
-
-
5
-
5
-
5
5
28
4th
546
Mark Banham 1
1
4 4
2
5
4
5
4
-
4 4
38
1st
FINAL The starting lanes for each of the six drivers
in the final were drawn with all drivers starting from the start/finish
line. The drivers I was up against in the 2016
Parmastox Arena Open Championship final: 64 Robin Bater: Multi-Slotstox champion
including 1993 and 2007 World Champion.
Former ARC Parmastox points champion and 4th in the 2016
British Championship series prior to this round. 146 Liz Dicken: joint 6th
with me prior to this round in the 2016 British Championship series. 555 Richard Sleeman: Multi-Parmastox
champion and 3rd in the 2016 British Championship series prior to
this round. 42 Rob Porter: Multi- Parmastox
champion including 2014 British Championship and reigning Arena Gold Top
Champion. 2nd in the 2016 British Championship series prior to this
round. 152 Mark West: Multi-Slotstox and
Parmastox champion including 2013 and defending British Champion. Top of the
2016 British Championship series points prior to this round. Starting in lane 2 (yellow lane) and with a 'on paper' favourable
lane draw I decided to go for it from the off and 5 wins plus a 2nd in my
second race in lane 2 in the first 6 races proved decisive together with only
one non-finish - 1st of six drivers (39 - the remaining drivers scored 29, 28,
27, 26 and 25!) to become the 2016 Arena 'Open' Champion (WACCy Races Winner)
and win my second English/British Championship round following the 2013 King of
the Fens Championship at Wisbech. My Parmastox ended the final with a partly
broken side iron but as this was due to race damage during the final it was ok
from a scruitineering perspective. Race
/ Line
up 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Pos.
64
Robin Bater (ARC) 4
2
1
2
2
1
4
5
2
1
1 2
27
4th 546
Mark Banham 5 4 5
5
5
5
3
-
1
1
1
4
39 1st 146
Liz Dicken (ARC) - 1
4
3
-
2
1 -
5
2
2
5
25
6th
555
Richard Sleeman (Three Counties) 3 5 3 4 - 1 1 - - 5 4 1 26 5th 42
Rob Porter (Three Counties) - 3 1 1
3 3
5
-
4
3
5
-
28
3rd
152
Mark West (ARC) 2
1
2 1
4
4
2 -
3 4
3 3
29
2nd
After several near misses in the Arena
Open it was great to finally win and even more special with the family in
attendance and I collected the winner’s trophy holding Harry in my other arm! 1st in the final equated to 12 British Championship Series points
and added to my heats score a first maximum total of 30 points by anybody in
the 2016 series (plus I won my semi-final so I was unbeaten all day!) and overall
I had moved up to 5th with 78 points. Grand Nationals were nicknamed 'Abbey
Nationals' at this round but I pulled out of these due to the boys needing some
daddy time on a long day for them. |
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