Tongham 25 August 2025

TONGHAM BANK HOLIDAY

Monday 25 August 2025

Bank Holiday Monday at Tongham had a slightly more relaxed atmosphere after the chaotic Sunday event. The annual outing for Pre-90 RWD Bangers was to dominate the day. The controversial decision had been made to drop the regular Rookie Bangers from the day, which proved to be the right decision after Sunday’s huge turnout had more than filled up the now limited pit space. Apart from pit capacity, the shortage of water on another baking hot day also made it vital to keep the second day’s racing to a manageable size.

The plan had been to run all the non-contact groups in an allcomers’ handicap format, but with more cars than expected staying on (69 in total, including a few that just turned up on Monday), all the classes except the Super Saloons and 1450s ended up getting their own races, all shortened to eight laps to try and help conserve the water.

Eleven THUNDER RODS came out, with seven of them finishing after punctures and driveshaft problems accounted for the rest. Jordan Emery-Barker’s pink Mondeo led the field home, with David Lock, Ant Sawkins, Jordan Dell, Nick Sandom, Jamie Castle and Emily Richer following him home. Second time out Carl Sawkins kept his Fiesta going to beat brother Ant’s Civic, with David Lock, Nick Sandom, Jamie Castle, Emily Richer and Jacob Lock the other finishers. Banger regular Nelson Loverick had his first Thunder Rod outing in a BMW but was among the casualties. David Lock took his second trophy of the weekend by winning overall from Ant Sawkins and Nick Sandom.

There were just two SUPER SALOON starters with Dave Bullen’s Starlet ahead of Shaun Maynard’s Civic. The result was repeated second time out, while newcomer Aiden Seaman joined in, briefly, at the wheel of Aaron Buckett’s Honda. In the concurrent 1450 HOT RODS Poppy Carter obviously enjoyed her first outing in the Hayabusa-powered Pickup, winning despite a puncture, with Micky Hopcroft dropping out. Poppy then took a second win over Micky.

Six cars turned out in PRODUCTION B, with Ray Balmain returning after his big blow-up, but suffering a misfire all day. Thomas Connors got past Mo Penfold to win the first heat, with Mo second and Addison Sibley third from Lilly Green and Ray Balmain, after Laura Connors had problems. Thomas got to the front earlier in heat two and was chased all the way by Mo, with Laura third from Addison, Lilly and Ray. Thomas won overall from Mo and Addison.

Twelve JUNIORS had a shortened first race after Kaci Rogers spun in the dust. Jack Stacey had just made it through from the back to lead from Harley Boswell, who was only racing on Monday in his Nova. Ellie Lines was next from Hayden Bullen, Tyler Cushing, Jake Liyanage, Alexia Bowen, Charlie Plant, Elliot Simmonds, in his “spare” car, Jay Hopcroft and Callum Bealing. Jack Stacey pulled off at the start of the second race and had to borrow a car for the afternoon races. Ellie Lines continued her good form as she came through from an early fourth place to lead, then holding off Tyler Cushing for the win as Charlie Plant hung on to third from Jake Liyanage, Ayrton Simmonds, Alexia Bowen, Jay Hopcroft, and Kaci Rogers, with Hayden Bullen last to finish after picking up a bit of damage. Overall Ellie Lines was the winner from Tyler Cushing and Jake Liyanage.

The NOVICE JUNIORS were the next group out, with the day’s biggest grid of fourteen cars. Again they had a shortened first race, after Morgan Hands’ car stopped in an awkward place, but Harvey Wareham and Brooke Mitchell were well ahead at the time. Tia Stephens was running well, finishing ahead of Nicky Pidgeley, looking competitive in his first weekend, and second time visitor Fletcher Page. The second race ran its full distance, with Harvey again out front on our unofficial reckoning, although again the muddled start positions meant you could take your choice of who you thought was leading! Fletcher Page, Brooke Mitchell and Riley Cushing were close over the line, with Harry Williams’ Mini heading Leah Gregory and Alfie Symonds in the next group. Other finishers were Nicky Pidgeley, Kurtis Dunleavy, Isle of Man visitor Dylan Westbrook and Morgan Hands, while Tia and Poppy Stephens both pulled off, as did Seren Chance. The day’s trophies went to Nicky Pidgeley, Dylan Westbrook and Fletcher Page.

The SPECIALS started with six cars, but within a couple of laps lost Charlie Plant, Joe Morgan, having a go in Graham Baker’s car, and Danny Croucher. That race was abandoned, leaving Stuart Jewer with the win. Chris Carter took the second race from Stuart and Chris Jewer and overall the Jewer family took a well deserved 1-2 after all their bad luck this year, Stuart ahead of Chris, with Chris Carter third.

PRODUCTION A was the last group out in the “regular” heats, with thirteen cars signed on but only eleven making the start. A very close race involved Adam and Jamie Dade, Tyler Lamb and Oliver Hester all fighting for the lead, but with punctures and other damage, only five made the finish, Oliver just ahead of Adam over the line, with Charlotte Light getting a good third from her usual back of the grid start, ahead of Sadie Plant and Cherie Wells, who was trying the ex-Kara Duff Micra. Ten cars made it out for the second round, with Charlie Plant (in Tia Stephens’ car) and David Taylor (in Sadie Plant’s “Smallfields” car) non-starters along with Taylor Lamb. Jamie Dade this time led all the way, with Sadie Plant in a good second from Joe Morgan, Adam Dade, Charlotte Light, Cherie Wells and Chris Bealing, while Oliver Hester spun out to join Justin Johnson and Jake Kurn in retirement. Sadie Plant was taken out of the results, because the signing-on sheets hadn’t kept up with all the car swapping going on, and Adam Dade was the overall winner from Charlotte Light and Cherie Wells.

After the lunch break, when kids’ running races and “little tykes” races kept the action going, there was a limited programme of “fun” races – the ideas for such races seem to have run out somewhat these days. The “LE MANS START” races were well supported, starting with the Novice Juniors piling off the infield into the armco. They had another go, with Riley Cushing winning from Harvey Mawdsley and Brooke Mitchell.

The Juniors had ten cars out for their Le Mans start but, after one false start, they all squeezed into the first corner, Tyler Cushing coming out in front to win from Charlie Plant and Kaci Rogers, who did well to hold off the rest of the field. The Le Mans start races for the other classes all ran together, although one set of trophies was dished out for Prod A/B, won by Thomas Connors from Adam Dade and Addison Sibley, and another for the Thunder Rods, won by Jordan Emery-Barker from Emily Richer and Jamie Castle.

The Mondeo was straight back on track for the MECHANICS’ RACE, won by Jim Emery-Barker ahead of Bobby Pidgeley in Nicky’s Junior Micra and George Cooper in Jamie Castle’s BMW. The eight car field also included 1-litre Stock Car regular Rhys Mills in Charlotte Light’s Micra, Dannielle Phillips and Kayda Jones in the Dade family Micras and NASA Class 2 star Will Drayton in Mo Penfold’s Prod B, although Will sadly came to grief in the dust!

There was then a bit of a lull in proceedings while the dust settled, with just one ALLCOMERS race coming out, won by Shaun Maynard in his Civic from Micky Hopcroft’s Micra, with the Specials of Stuart and Chris Jewer not quite finding a way past Jamie Castle’s BMW.

On to those PRE-90 BANGERS. Unlike some other “classic car” Banger events, this one, run to Tongham’s nominal “nudge and spin” rules isn’t necessarily about out-and-out destruction and is eagerly awaited by both Tongham regulars and once a year visitors. Some will take most of the year building a car for the day; others come back with familiar cars. A late entry this year was the most recognisable Tongham classic of all; Bill Bylett’s Rover P4 “Cyclops”, which we were told was in its 37^th event – and went home fit for a few more! A limit of 50 cars was placed on bookings and although only 40 turned up on the day, this was enough for two split heats, an all-in second heat and final, an allcomers race and a fairly spectacular DD!

Fords dominated the line-up with nine Mk4 and five Mk5 Cortinas, seven Sierras and two Capris. There were four Mercedes (three 190Es and a 250); two Rover P6 and one P4; two Marinas; two Magnettes (or similar); two Morris Oxfords (a Series 1 and Series 2); one unidentified BMC Farina (not an A60!) and single examples of Morris Minor 1000, Sunbeam Rapier Fastback and MGB GT!

For a change the Bangers ran at the end of the first two blocks of heats, with the customary track parade slotted in first. The first heat was led all the way by former Angmering Junior Callum Penfold, who we last saw in an Austin Maxi at a regular Tongham meeting, but this meeting being all RWD, this time he was in a 190E. Other finishers were Carl Stacey Snr (Mk4 Estate), Rylee Holland (Mk3), John-Henry Smith-Clark (Sapphire), Brian Pugsley (Sierra), Lee Jones (Sierra), Albert Lee Garrett (Mk3), Carl Stacey (Mk3), Darren Jones (Sierra Estate) and Lee Winter (P6). The second heat in the split first round was led away by Simon Dixon’s Capri but came to an early stop when Rhys Gregory launched his Mk4 over the infield bank and rolled across the infield. Owen Illman’s Merc 250 was in front by then, with the other positions credited to Tony Roe (Mk4 Estate), Rob Phillips (MGB), Tony Cotton (Mk3), Jamie Duff (Mk4), Len Bowen (Mk4), Alfie Turner (Sierra), Rob Butler (190E), Jamie Watts (Mk4) and Graeme Daborn (190E).

For the second round the survivors were all in, with 31 cars making it out onto a lightly watered track. Lee Jones kept out of trouble to lead this one most of the way, while plenty of action went on behind, including Jake Butler’s Moggie taking on one of the P6s – the Moggie wasn’t seen again! Rylee Holland came in second from Brian Pugsley, John-Henry Smith-Clark, Jamie Duff, Dave Purt (Capri), Alfie Turner, Jimmy Loveridge (P6), Bill Bylett (P4) and Albert-Lee Garrett.

24 cars got as far as the third heat/final in the afternoon and just six of them survived with, from our unofficial notes, Tony Cotton crossing the line first, ahead of Brian Pugsley, Lee Jones, Tony Roe, Carl Stacey and Carl Stacey Snr.

The numbers continued to reduce as 20 cars came out for the Allcomers, although just 14 started the race, the others waiting on the infield for the DD. Tony Roe and Carl Stacey Snr set the pace but at the end it was Brian Pugsley in front as the race ended with a few drivers anticipating the start of the DD.

Eight cars then joined in the DD proper, unfortunately not including Jamie Duff, who’d received a couple of hard hits after the red flag in the Allcomers. Tony Roe’s Mk4 Estate looked the fastest and strongest as he disposed of the opposition and although Josh Collings somehow kept his Magnette just moving, he finally had the Cortina jack his rear wheels off the ground to end the entertainment.

That wound up a very enjoyable two day meeting, despite the heat and dust. Unfortunately we’ll be missing both Tongham’s September dates due to clashing Mini 7 commitments, but we hope the weather holds to finish the season with two more events in October.