Stock car debut for Billy Newman at meet in memory of his late dad Steve

The stock car racing world gathered to pay tribute to Steve Newman in his memorial meeting at King’s Lynn on Saturday night.

The event attracted a big entry of cars and also saw the debut of the late Spalding driver’s son Billy in the junior bangers section.

Sutton St James racer Simon Venni claimed the major honours, becoming the fourth winner of the Steve Newman Memorial trophy with an assured performance on a track that caught out several drivers in conditions made tricky by the mixed weather.

Once Venni hit the front, he never looked like being beaten, coming home well clear of a good battle for second between Wisbech racer Wayne Cottrill Jr and hometown driver Lee Sampson.

Young Billy Newman led the drivers onto the track ahead of the big race in a poignant tribute to his father.

Earlier, he had enjoyed an eventful junior banger debut.

Newman found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when Wayne Cottrill III almost rolled his car and ended up landing on top of the youngster’s Ford Ka – bringing an end to the latter’s racing for the night.

Also on the bill was the revived “War of the Worlds” team meeting for unlimited bangers, which produced some hard-hitting action.

The six-a-side event featured a classic banger racing mix of good racing and big crashes.

The contest, held for the first time in over a decade, was won in dominant fashion by the VS Massive team based in the east of Norfolk.

It was the wrecking in heat two and the final that most entertained the crowd.

Initially, that was dominated by the Sussex-based Bears and Team Sowter squads, but in the final it involved almost every car on track with a massive, track-blocking pile-up developing at one end.

The next racing at the Adrian Flux Arena is on Sunday, July 18 (1pm). The 1500cc bangers, 1300 stock cards, junior bangers and lady bangers will all be in action.