Banger racing is a type of

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

event in which

automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

, traditionally derelict or totalled

classic car A classic car is typically described as an automobile 25 years or older, although a car's age is not the only requirement it must meet before being considered a "classic." However, a standard criteria for recognizing cars as classics does not ex ...

s from scrapyards, are raced on

oval An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas of mathematics (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.), it is given a more precise definition, which may inc ...

tri-oval A tri-oval is a shape which derives its name from the two other shapes it most resembles, a triangle and an Oval (geometry), oval. Rather than meeting at sharp, definable angles as the sides of a triangle do, in a tri-oval these angles are instea ...

, or figure-eight

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

s over several laps. The distinguishing feature of banger racing is that it permits and encourages contact between the participating vehicles, with the intent being to damage them over the course of the race. Banger racing is similar to

British stock car racing Stock car racing in the United Kingdom covers a number of different oval racing formulas. Contact is allowed in UK stock car racing, that is, if you are unable to pass an opponent using speed alone, you are allowed to push or hit your opponent in ...

and demolition derbies, and is popular in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(where it originated in the 1960s),

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. It is also known for being divisive among car enthusiasts regarding the motorsport's poor treatment of rare classic cars, the rare unchecked use of stolen vehicles at race events, and the dangers of crashing old cars with minimal safety features.

Racing

Unlimited National Banger World Final - Foxhall Stadium - Ipswich

Banger racing within the UK is usually held to one of three rule presets that consist of varying degrees of contact during races. 'National' banger racing is the only one which is full-contact. Drivers are allowed to pull off aggressive hits like 't-bones', 'head-ons', 'follow-ins' and 'jack-ups' that are not allowed in other types of banger racing. Meetings held to National rulings are very popular and usually more destructive. 'Rookie' banger racing is a format designed to prolong the life of driver's cars with limited contact between drivers. The idea was brought about in the mid-1990s for those wishing to race bangers across the course of a season on a small budget. The reduced costs and crashes mean it is a safer and less aggressive environment for drivers, but not as popular with fans. The 'Rookie' banger format is commonly seen as a stepping stone for drivers who are looking to step up to the 'National' banger scene, with many drivers stepping up or partaking in both throughout their careers. 'Back to Basic' banger racing is an emerging part of the banger world, that is growing in success and popularity by acting as an entry-level way for fans to break into the sport. Racing is often held in the same style as the 'Rookie' banger division, but car preparation is scaled back, with drivers being able to leave in dashboards and on-key ignition, that would normally have to be removed. Drivers are also not allowed to protect their vehicles as much, with cars usually being stripped-down versions of how they appeared on the road. This is currently seen as the cheapest and easiest way to race bangers and harks back to the sport's roots of simple preparation and large grid sizes. A banger race is distinct from a destruction derby, as the objective of the latter is not to turn laps, but to smash, destroy and ultimately immobilise all of the opposition, until only one vehicle is left. On occasions, though, the final event at a 'National' or 'Back to basic' Banger meeting may be a demolition derby where the cars that have raced compete to be the last one standing. At special events, caravans or small boats may be towed by racers during the demolition derby for added destruction during the event. Hednesford Hills Raceway MMB 18

At regular banger events, cars are gridded across the track, sometimes in a graded order of driver success, and then sent away to give a rolling start for the beginning of a race. Despite the racing element of the sport, the community often categorise drivers into two different groups. There are those who are regarded as 'rodders', a term derived from the

Hot Rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...

formulas that also commonly race on short ovals. These drivers aim to win races by any means possible. There are also those who are known as 'wreckers' and compete with the intention of destroying their own and other racer's cars. Wreckers are often more popular with the crowd, although drivers who win races and qualify for the world final are also respected. Along with trophies for race winners and podium finishers, there are often trophies presented to the 'Best wrecker', 'Best entertainer' and 'Demolition derby winner', in order to attract drivers of both persuasions. Another trophy often given is a 'best car' award which is usually either given to the best-presented vehicle or the rarest car, with the latter being the subject of much controversy with classic car enthusiasts. In a banger race, yellow flags are used during the race to warn drivers that caution is required. Cars which stall or are stopped by opposing drivers are usually left on the course while the race continues. In recent times, drivers have been encouraged to remain inside a disabled car while the race continues, as this is adjudged to be the safest option. The largest association of European promoters has indeed mandated this, it is now a punishable offence to leave a car during 'green flags' unless deemed an emergency situation. If it is deemed necessary to move them or if a driver is in particular danger (including fire), a red flag may be used to stop the race. Races are then usually restarted when the situation has been cleared.

Vehicles

Vehicles used in banger racing, called "bangers", are typically scrapped or written-off cars in varying states of disrepair. They are most often from the 20th century, but in general are usually not newer than 10 to 20 years. In modern banger races, there are different events held for different vehicle classes. The "''Unlimited''" class is the most common, where no limits are placed on

engine displacement Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as an indicator of the ...

. Despite the high running costs, this is usually one of the most competitive classes and is favoured by most drivers because of the high speeds and car strengths. Its main stipulation is that the vehicle must be

rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-whee ...

, unless it is from the American automotive market. This ruling makes car selections quite flexible for drivers, though certain models such as the SsangYong Rodius and

Chrysler Imperial The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler (division), Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced under the Chrysler name until 1954, after which Imperial became Imperial (automobile), a standal ...

are prohibited due to their disproportionate strength compared to other vehicles in the same class. The "''Under 2000cc''" class requires an engine displacement of under two litres. This class is particularly dominated by certain Ford models such as the

Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a Mid-size/large family car, large (D-segment) car manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company, Ford since 1993 across five generations for model years 1993-2022. As Ford self-declared world car, the Mondeo was intended to ...

and Ford Cougar, prompting some events to add additional constraints that force drivers to use different makes and models. The "''Under 1300cc–1800cc''" class, also known as "''Domestic Bangers''", has an engine displacement cap that varies based on the track or promotion that is holding the event. It is most common in the Rookie and Back to Basic formats. The "''Micro''" class consists of

A-segment The A-segment is the first category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represented approximately 4.2% of the ...

and

B-segment The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the third largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 15.5% ...

vehicles that are too small, underpowered, or uncompetitive to compete in the other classes. "Micros" have become increasingly popular due to the ubiquity of these types of cars in Europe and their cheap running and repair costs compared to the larger, older vehicles in other classes. Newer vehicles from the late 20th century and early 21st century, such as the Ford Ka,

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car that was marketed by Ford from 1976 to 2023 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and had been positioned below the ...

, and Nissan Micra, are more common in this class. Other banger classes exist that are mostly only applied for special events, including those for SUVs, 4x4s, vans, lorries,

large goods vehicle A large goods vehicle (LGV), or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), in the European Union (EU) is any lorry with a Gross combined weight rating, gross combination mass (GCM) of over . Sub-category N2 is used for vehicles between 3,500 kg and and N ...

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

es, coaches, double-deckers, " Siamese" cars (two car bodies stacked on top of one another, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lower car and the steering controlled by the car on top), or "pre-" age-limited classic cars.

History

Banger racing is said to have started in the early 1960s in the United Kingdom, after a race promoter observed the most popular features of race meetings were the crashes. Drivers began using vehicles with very basic preparation, such as removed windows and headlights. Safety regulations improved in the 1980s with compulsory roll cages, driver's door plates, and interior-repositioned fuel tanks. As the sport's popularity exploded during the 1970s and 1980s, many tracks in the UK and Ireland began to host banger events, building a strong driver and fan base in the process. These tracks and promotions began to host championship events, the first being PRI's Wimbledon World Finals in 1971 at Harringay Stadium in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The Spedeworth Unlimited Banger World Final was another major championship event, first held in October 1974 at

Wimbledon Stadium Wimbledon Stadium, also known as Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, was a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England. It also hosted stock car and other small circuit motor racing events, and until 2005 hosted motorc ...

; since 2008, it has been held at

Foxhall Stadium Foxhall Stadium is a Stock car racing in the United Kingdom, Stock car and Motorcycle speedway, speedway stadium located in Foxhall, Suffolk, Foxhall near Ipswich. The stadium is run by Spedeworth Motorsports stock car promoters. The stadium ...

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

. Around the late 1980s and early 1990s, promoters began hosting "open" meetings with few car limitations and large prize funds, the first being the British Open at Ringwood Raceway in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

and the Firecracker 500 at Arena Essex Raceway in

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. These meetings began to attract large turnouts and drivers from across the UK and Europe, with the annual Firecracker 500 becoming so popular that it became the venue's biggest meeting for fans and drivers alike until Arena Essex's closure in 2018. Rookie banger racing was introduced in the mid-1990s as a way to reduce damage and preserve cars for new drivers. The new class initially mandated that the opening laps of each race remained 'non-contact', however this was later scrapped, as the large number participants on track meant it was very difficult for drivers to obey this rule.

Turnouts

The peak number of cars to compete in one season was around 13,000 in 2003, of which around 9,500 were 'fresh' and had not been raced at any previous meetings. As for individual meetings, the largest turnouts vary depending on the banger class racing. Meetings with 200+ bangers in attendance would be considered some of the biggest in the sport's history. The Unlimited "Icebreaker" meeting held at

Swaffham Raceway Swaffham Raceway, originally Swaffham Stadium, is a Stock car racing in the United Kingdom, stock car and banger racing circuit in Swaffham, Norfolk, which also hosted Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing from 1987 until 20 ...

on 8 February 1998 drew 209 cars, making it the first turnout with over 200 competitors. The largest accurate meeting turnout on record was the 2017 Spedeworth Unlimited National Banger World Final in which 269 cars were in attendance. The largest team meeting in the Netherlands was the Unlimited teams event held at Oval Emmem in 2016, which produced a turnout of 240 cars. Turnout records have also been made within specific categories. The 2013 Olly Moran Memorial weekend held at Arena Essex Raceway in 2013 was the largest single-make turnout in the sport's history, with 232 drivers required to attend in a Mark I or Mark II Ford Granada. The 2018 Stan Woods Memorial meeting at Stoke had a similar requirement of only accepting cars produced before 1975, with 192 cars in attendance.

Criticism

Many vehicle enthusiasts, particularly classic car enthusiasts and automotive historians, object to banger racing, claiming it is responsible for the wanton destruction of restorable classic cars and their difficult-to-acquire parts, and is the reason why mid- and late-20th century vehicles from Ford,

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, and

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

among other marques, along with uncommon special-configuration cars (such as

hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...

s) and even some pre-war cars, have become increasingly rare. Banger racing enthusiasts claim that most of the vehicles used for banger racing are already damaged, destined for scrap, or otherwise beyond restoration, and that their use as a banger is a more fitting "send-off" than typical, "unceremonial"

vehicle recycling A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...

methods such as crushing, shredding, abandonment, or intentional destruction in

insurance fraud Insurance fraud is any intentional act committed to deceive or mislead an insurance company during the application or claims process, or the wrongful denial of a legitimate claim by an insurance company. It occurs when a claimant knowingly attem ...

schemes. Regardless, many members of the banger racing community aim to assist preservation where possible by selling intact parts such as interiors and spare parts to owners, or placing age limits on the cars they use to avoid destroying older, rarer vehicles. Criticism has also been aimed at banger racing regarding the uncommon use of stolen cars and car parts, even restored vehicles, and the lax efforts at some events to confirm proof of ownership. For example, in August 2022, a stolen 1985 Ford LTD Country Squire and 1965

Pontiac Grand Prix The Grand Prix is a line of automobiles produced by the Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac Division of General Motors from 1962 until 2002 as coupes and from 1989 through 2008 model years as four-door sedans. First introduced as a full-size car, full ...

were destroyed at Ringwood Raceway. The drivers and vehicles were apparently not checked beforehand, and their identity as stolen vehicles was only determined after both had been raced and destroyed.

Racing

Vehicles

History

Turnouts

Criticism

See also

References

External links