The first evening meeting of the season at Arlington Stadium got off to an eventful start.

The stock rods had barely got going when three cars collided on the Hailsham bend, causing the race to be stopped.

When they got going again, Brett Collison took up the running, which he held until just before the end.

Damon Wellman, who had spent the previous six laps on the outside trying to get past, eventually managed it.

Collison also led heat two for the first half of the race but then pulled off, leaving Jai Summers in front.

He could never afford to relax as John Smith spent the rest of the race virtually on his back bumper.

The final was even closer, with John Smith again setting the early pace before his brother, Joe, came through from the back of the grid to join him, the pair then racing side by side.

The more experienced Joe, however, could not find a way past, so it was John's race.

His results on the night were also good enough to make him the early leader in the season-long track champi-onship.

Two drivers, Kym Weaver and Sean Osborne, face bans after their cars failed to meet the minimum weight limit.

The ministox were also contesting the first round of their track championship.

The entry contained East Anglian Tommy Barnes, who looked dangerous in heat one before a combination of David Polley and Murray Jones took him out.

Polley eventually won the race and the final as well to go with the hat-trick he scored on the Bank Holiday, and he is clearly going to be the one to beat this year.

It did not go quite so well for him in heat two when Jones took him out as the pair battled for fourth place.

Barnes made the most of it to nip past and get third, while two local youngsters, Michael Stone and Mark Almeida, also benefitted.

Lady racer Jenny Harris, having her first outing at the stadium, looked as though she might win all three rookie banger races, building up a huge early lead every time.

Somehow, though, she man-aged to get involved in a crash every time and ended up not finishing any of them.

It was a good night for Andy Baitup, who scored his best-ever results with two wins and a second place.

RESULTS Stock Rods: Heat 1: 1 Damon Wellman (Hadlow Down); 2 Brett Collison (St Leonards); 3 John Smith (Tunbridge Wells). Heat 2: 1 Jai Summers (Halland); 2 John Smith; 3 Tristan Jackson (Hail-sham). Final: 1 John Smith; 2 Joe Smith (Tunbridge Wells); 3 Kim Carter (Southampton).

Ministox: Heat 1: 1 David Polley (Heathfield); 2 Michael Stone (Robertsbridge); 3 Murray Jones (Carshalton). Heat 2: 1 Stone; 2 Mark Almeida (East-bourne); 3 Tommy Barnes (Dere-ham). Final: 1 Polley; 2 Jones; 3 Colin Thorndyke (Romford).

Rookie Bangers: Heat 1: 1 John Chandler (Eastbourne); 2 Andy Baitup (Robertsbridge); 3 Simon Browne (Brighton). Heat 2: 1 Baitup; 2 Stewart Waite (Crow-borough); 3 Browne. Final: 1 Bait-up; 2 Dale Fairless (Tunbridge Wells); 3 Chandler.

OVAL RACEWAY Champion of Champions: 1 Phillip Young (Littlehampton); 2 Daniel Munday (Worthing); 3 Mark Empson (Southwick).

Super Saloons: Final: 1 Nik Wickham (Uckfield); 2 Jason Jor-dan (Burgess Hill); 3 Jason Brim-stone (Ropley). Heat 1: 1 Wick-ham; 2 Brimstone; 3 Bob West (Littlehampton). Heat 2: 1 Wick-ham; 2 West; 3 Brimstone.

Ford Rods: Final: 1 Colin Baker (Chichester); 2 Leeann Holmes (Brighton); 3 Richard Simmons (Burgess Hill). Heat 1: 1 Holmes; 2 Baker; 3 Darrell Wallace (Little-hampton). Heat 2: 1 Wallace; 2 Holmes; 3 Simmons.

Hot Rods: Final: 1 Richard Burtenshaw (Haywards Heath); 2 Mark Empson (Southwick); 3 Phillip Young (Littlehampton). Heat 1: 1 Burtenshaw; 2 Young; 3 Empson. Heat 2: 1 Burten-shaw; 2 Paul Williams (Upper Beeding); 3 Empson.

1,600cc: Final: 1 Jon Sayers (Guildford); 2 Ian Smith (Guild-ford); 3 Darren Akehurst (South-wick). Heat 1: 1 Akehurst; 2 Smith; 3 Graham Rainsbury (Woking). Heat 2: 1 Sayers; 2 Smith; 3 Akehurst.

1,450cc: Final: 1 Matt Char-man (Lancing); 2 Mark Waldman (Burgess Hill); 3 Keith Furminger (Burgess Hill). Heat 1: 1 Jim Stuart (Bognor); 2 Chris Light (Shoreham); 3 Keith Osborn. Heat 2: 1 Light; 2 Furminger; 3 Char-man.

Mod Saloon C: Final: 1 Gary Potter (Angmering); 2 Daniel Munday (Worthing); 3 Ricky Knibbs (Worthing). Heat 1: 1 Steve Fleming (Leatherhead); 2 Potter; 3 Munday. Heat 2: 1 Pot-ter; 2 Fleming; 3 Munday.

Prod A: Final: 1 Richard Toll-hurst (Croydon); 2 Chris Williams (Uckfield); 3 Russell Best (Hove). Heat 1: 1 Tollhurst; 2 Paul Lang-ridge (Brighton); 3 John Enright (Burgess Hill). Heat 2: 1 Lang-ridge; 2 Best; 3 Williams.

Juniors: Heat 1: 1 Alex Stamp-fer (Worthing); 2 Andy Enright (Burgess Hill); 3 Mark Pope (Southwick). Heat 2: 1 David White (North Cheam); 2 Daniel Wickens (Kent); 3 Ryan Trivass (Crawley). Heat 3; 1 Stampfer; 2 Shaun O'Donnell (Havant); 3 Ashley Brown (Worthing). Heat 4: 1 O'Donnell; 2 Jody Aldred (Chich-ester); 3 Brown.