NEC 2012

As always my favourite weekend of the year lived up to expectations and got 2012 off to a flying start.  Considering  we were so well organised I still somehow managed to turn everything into a huge last minute rush with me getting up at six and spending four hours charging around like a lunatic until we were ready to leave.  I did remember everything though - a miracle in itself I’m sure!

Because I’ve still as yet to pass my trailer test and with Dad being really busy at work my Aunt said she would run me and the car up to the NEC.   It’s only an hour away so she drove up, dropped me and the trailer off and headed home.   I unloaded the car and put it straight in the Live Action arena and headed for a look around the show until everyone else arrived.   I like every aspect of the show but walking around it on your own can be a little tedious and I was glad when the time came to check into the hotel.

I’m in a very lucky position to have such a great group of friends but unfortunately they all live at opposite ends of the country to each other and it’s very rare that everyone is all together in the same place at once; this thankfully is one weekend when we are all together and we always make the most of it.   After one of the nicest meals I’ve ever eaten (where between us I think we ate an entire trawler load of prawns) and a few drinks at the bar we decided it was time to head off into town.

Six of us piled into a taxi and headed into Birmingham.   Three English and three Scottish – Hot Rods is definitely an international sport!   We went straight to a 70’s bar called ‘Flares’ and with half of Scotland already in there, the vodka and Jaeger bombs were very soon flowing.   70’s music is definitely before my time but the company was great and we had a really good night.   I’m a bit fuzzy about when or how we got back to the hotel but I do remember Terry Maxwell appearing from nowhere and trying to buy the taxi we were getting in.  Random times!

The next morning wasn’t as good as the night before and I’m sure Gav will sympathise in how bad I felt as we sat there looking at our breakfast whilst everyone around us tucked in to big fry-ups.   We spent the day wandering around the show feeling sorry for ourselves until the time came to head off into the arena for practice.

I was feeling fine by this point and was ready to drive the car again after the break.   It was a great group of us doing the racing and we had a laugh in the pits the whole time we were there.   Gav and Carl had offered to help me with the car and we got stuck in and got it ready to race.   It felt good to be back behind the wheel.  We did three practice runs then it was back to the pits to wait for the show to start.

 I think the whole event is well timed and well run - a real credit to all involved, and although I struggled getting to grips with it in there and ran round at the back for all three races it was still great fun.   The unforgiving concrete wall around the edge might have been a deciding factor though as Jason very unfortunately found out when his steering broke.

Once the show had finished it was straight back to the hotel for another meal and a few more drinks.  We must be getting old though as we decided to stay in the hotel rather than join John and the others back in town.   We were joined by Gav Taber, his team and our friend Scott and had a few drinks before retiring to bed at a much more sensible hour to get a good night’s sleep.

Sunday morning saw a much more sociable breakfast before checking out of the hotel and heading back into the show.   My Dad and Neil were heading up as were Jay and Sarah so it was nice to spend the day walking around with them and catching up with everyone.

The live arena was much the same as the night before but with added oil so once again I did take it fairly steady - not great to watch I’m sure so sorry about that.  We survived all three runs though and the car is now ready for a bit of testing before the season gets back underway in a few weeks time.

Once the show had finished and the car was back in the car park, a few minutes of panic ensued – I couldn’t find the trailer keys.  After much rummaging through my pockets and on the floor I found them stuck down the side of the seat in the car.  I have never felt so relieved in all my life, as the big hitch lock on the front was definitely going to be a bit of a stumbling block in getting the trailer hitched onto my pick-up!

With the show over for another year and the car back in the trailer it was time to head home.   Thanks to everyone who helped get the car ready and helped me whilst I was there, also thanks everybody for the great company.  I’ve included a couple of pictures; one of me in the arena, one of John’s mint new Lightning Rod and one of us all - after a few drinks!

Thanks as ever for reading.

Roll on Autosport 2013!

Mikey

www.mikeygodfrey.com

mikeygodfrey.com

I’ve been looking forward to writing this week’s entry for a while now - it seems as if after a few quiet weeks there is so much to say!

I’ll start with last weekend’s awards evening and what a top night it turned out to be.   There was a great atmosphere and it was nice to see people and have a few drinks.   It was also a good chance to have a chat with Deane and Les and listen to what they are planning on doing with the Nationals in the future.   It all sounded good to me and will definitely raise the profile of the formula when it all comes into play over the next few years.   Barry Lee who presented the awards was brilliant – he is as good a speaker as he is a driver; I think the sport could use more characters like him now.   Some of us were still going strong long after the party had finished, with Gavin and me being the last two National drivers up.   I think I headed off to bed at about 4.30am!  Spedeworth’s man in a kilt was still with us at this point too but now seems to think he has one up on me . . . perhaps ‘round two’ this weekend can at least level the score.   I think a big “well done” to the drivers who won the awards is due, and a massive “thank you” to Lucy and everyone involved for putting on such a great night.   Your hard work was definitely appreciated and I will certainly be back next year.   Judging from the drunken photos that keep appearing everyone else enjoyed it too - although I can bet there were a few serious hangovers the next morning!

With the car now finished and loaded in the trailer ready to leave for the NEC I can finally reveal what we have been up to over the last few months.  As you know we rebuilt and re-panelled it completely for this year in a bid to save weight.  We wanted to do something a bit different with the overall look of the car too.   Once again TPR Signs came up the answer - silver carbon-fibre vinyl!  All of the bits that are usually silver have been wrapped in it, from the roof and bonnet right down to the back of the mirror.  It took Jay hours to do and I know there were a few very late nights.   The result is stunning and definitely worth all his hard work.   From a distance you can’t really see it but as you get close you can see and feel the carbon pattern all over the top half of the car.   Once this was done it was treated to a completely new sticker scheme and a shining new set of wheels.   We managed to get a good amount of weight off too, so all in all a very successful few months.  I’ve included some pictures in here so you can all have a look.

It also gives me great pleasure this week to announce the launch of my brand new website http://www.mikeygodfrey.com/.    This is another fine piece of work by TPR and is online to view now.  We’ve been working on this idea for a while and I’m very happy with the result.  I hope nobody gets the wrong idea - I don’t think I’m anything special and I’m not trying to turn myself into a star - but it’s a good way for people to following what I’m doing, have a look at some photos and to see who all the people are who make my racing possible.   I’m still going to be putting my blog on nationalhotrod.com every week though so you can keep reading it on here.   The website will be updated after every meeting with results and photos and we have a couple of ideas in the pipeline that will be coming through very soon too.   Both Jay and Sarah have put a great many hours into everything for me over the last few months and I really can’t thank them enough.

The show is only a matter of hours away now and I’m itching to get up there.   Gavin and Carl are going to help me with the car and I think pretty much everyone I know will be there at some point over the weekend!   Thank you to everyone who has made the car possible – I hope you are all as pleased with it as I am.   Thanks to all of you who still read my blog every week - I do genuinely appreciate it.
Until next week.

MIkey

The end of a great year

I know I say it so often but I can’t believe how fast this year has gone!  Christmas seemed to race by and even though I spent most of it ill in bed it was nice to have a few days off from work and relax a bit.   It’s straight back to it now though and the NEC countdown is well under way – I’m excited already!

Everything is looking good with the car and all is going to plan for now.   This will change I’m sure and no doubt we’ll be running around on the last morning putting the final few bits back together!   I haven’t really mentioned the car much recently but as you know we’ve had all the panels off and been on a bit of a weight saving mission.  Having trimmed, removed and replaced all the necessary bits it was time to clean it and put it all back together.

Having smashed the car so many times, both Dad and I are experts at rebuilding it and it’s amazing how quickly we can get it back together when we get stuck in.    We mock fitted all the panels then took them off again and sent them away for a coat of paint.   They came back all shiny and new and once again we got stuck in and bolted them back on.    When we built the car originally we mounted the pins holding the driver’s door on too low, meaning I couldn’t let myself out of the car without a lot of drama.   It also flapped about through every race which was very annoying!   The pins are now mounted much higher, the door fits properly, and hopefully I’ll be able to take it off myself!

With the car back together and the panels back on, it was time for a trip to Ipswich to leave it at TPR signs.   We are going to collect it next week and I can’t wait to see what they have done with it.   Not giving anything away but I know it’s something a bit special.

When it’s back we can do the last few jobs, fit the tyres and set everything up ready for the show.  I’ll be heading up on the Friday and hopefully it will be as wild a weekend as ever . . . . .  and with the awards night the weekend before it should be an action packed couple of weekends!

Looking back over the year it has been a great one both on and off the track.   There have certainly been some brilliant laughs along the way.   Every day I continue to live my dream.   There are so many people I owe such a lot to and without them none of it would be possible.   I couldn’t ever thank everyone individually but I just want to give a special mention to the following:  both my parents, Jay and Sarah at TPR Signs, Sonny and everyone at SHP, David and Lesley Haird, Gavin, Mel and ‘Team Sole Bay’, Carl Buckle, ‘Team Kew Racing’, John, Mel, Ross, Neil and the entire Bigmore family.

As ever I want to thank every person who takes time to read my ramblings every week though I’m sure some of you think it’s a load of rubbish – and you’re probably right!    I also want to wish everyone the best of luck for 2012, in general as well as racing.   I have no New Year’s Resolutions as such, only to keep enjoying life as much as I do now.

Thanks again for reading.

Happy New Year

Mikey