Bangers back to entertain at Barbados Festival of Speed

Fresh from a successful outing at Ipswich SpedeWeekend at the Foxhall Heath Stadium a few days ago (July 1/2), the Dreamers Banger Racing Team have confirmed their participation in the second Barbados Festival of Speed on Saturday, October 14. The Champions of oval racing join former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button and the spectacular Twister Aerobatics Team on the growing list of acts confirmed for the second BFoS at Bushy Park Barbados.

  The one-day event will be the first to benefit from the facility’s new all-arena lighting, currently being installed, and will run from day into night, starting at 2.00pm. In addition to the headline acts, more of which will be confirmed in the coming weeks, the eight-hour show will include a cross-section of local motor sport disciplines.

  The team will again be led by UK Action Cars boss and Dreamers Captain Steve 'Cecil' Anscombe, who added to his string of national and regional titles with the Micro World Cup Championship in Scotland last October. Looking forward to returning to the Caribbean, Anscombe said: “We greatly enjoyed displaying our brand of racing – and entertainment – to a whole new audience at Bushy Park last year, although being a race track it was a new challenge, away from our regular ovals.”

  Alongside National, European and World Championship Hot Rod and Stock Car events, last weekend’s event included the North versus South Civil War Team event, featuring 40 cars on each team, the Southerners captained by Dreamers team member Darren 'The Cheat' Terry-Brand. Anscombe said: “We had a very strong southern Army and I am pleased to say we won . . . and I took a cheeky Demolition Derby win, too.”

  The 16 purpose-built Micro Banger race cars which were used – and abused – in last year’s event were shipped back to the UK for rebuilding. Anscombe says: “This year, they will all be painted in the flags of different countries, for example the UK and United States, and various Caribbean flags, including of course Barbados.”

  Drivers returning to join Anscombe for a second visit include his son Jack, Terry 'Ginge' Boxell, Colin 'Jonesy' Jones, 2016 Micro Banger Scottish Open Champion Ed Kennett, Nath Olden – he finished a strong second in the 2017 Unlimited Heavy Metal Classic at the Standlake Arena in Oxford in January - Pete 'Bodja' Osborne, twice winner of the Entertainer of the Year Award, Reece 'Hobbit' Priestley, the 2015-16 Wimbledon Track Champion and Terry-Brand.

  This year’s newcomers are Andy Beaven, Gordon 'Basher' Coull – having ‘talked the talk’ last year as co-commentator, he gets to ‘walk the walk’ in 2017 - Lee Jordan, recently crowned the 2017 1300cc Stock Car English Champion, and his brother Ryan.

  Anscombe added: “The team has had a quieter year than normal, doing fewer but more exciting and more challenging meetings. Last year’s run of four consecutive team event wins made us bigger targets than ever, but our two teams still managed second and third at the most recent team event at our local Arlington Raceway, Eastbourne. Ten of us travelled up to Scunthorpe in March, to take on 150 of the local banger racers, with the expectation of being absolutely smashed to bits . . . but we still managed to come away with some silverware, with heat wins for myself and Craig Hook who raced in Barbados last year, while I won the Allcomers Derby and Demolition Derby and Nath Olden took the Entertainers Award to prove we weren't just racing.”

  The team has also been raising funds for a charity, which can be followed through the team’s Facebook page (Facebook/The Dreamers UK Banger Racing Team). Anscombe said “We have been helping to promote My Shining Star Children's Cancer Charity. It’s a charity that has really touched everyone in our racing community’s hearts; to hear what these children and their families go through in their struggle to beat this horrific disease has inspired us to want to be of help in any way we can. It's a truly amazing cause.”

Barbados Festival of Speed – ticketing information Saturday, October 14, 2.00pm to 10.00pm (gates and ticket booths open 12.30pm) General Admission - Bds $50; Child (7 to 12) Bds $25. Clubhouse (food and drink on sale) - Bds $150; Child (7 to 12) Bds $75. VIP (food and drink included) - Bds $500; Child (7 to 12) Bds $250. Corporate - Bds $100; Child (7 to 12) Bds $50. Children six and under are free. Hilti Hammer 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus General Admission pass for each occupant

Tickets are now available on-line at www.bushyparkbarbados.com and at the Bushy Park Circuit Office, also at Automotive Art Wildey, CS Pharmacy (Broad Street, Bridgetown) and Sol Speightstown, Warrens and Wildey. Patrons can buy their advanced tickets using the Massy Card at the Bushy Park Circuit Office and Automotive Art Wildey