The end of the dream

 In hindsight I should have worn my lucky wetsuit last night.   It certainly turned into a night I want to forget. There were no specific incidents and I didn’t pick up any real damage but it was just an overall disaster.  I think any chance I had of qualifying for the world final is all but gone now, but never mind - these things happen - and I will move on to the next challenge and try and qualify again next year.

We had an embarrassing defeat before we even got to the track after trying to overtake Ricky Hunn on the dual carriageway, only to be left high and dry as he pulled back out in front of us and disappeared off into the distance.   We should have taken it as a sign and turned round and gone home!

It was one of those nights where I can’t actually find a reason for things going wrong.   I was trying hard enough and at times the car seemed to be absolutely brilliant so even now after hours of thinking it over and over I’m still no closer to an answer.   Must just be bad driving!  Everyone seemed to be struggling for grip though, and as soon as you picked up the rubbish from the outside of the track, the cars went to pieces for a few laps.

For all my moaning I did finish all three races but unfortunately only one was in the points - a tenth in the second race after what I thought was a really good race with Robert, where we traded paint with each other for a good few laps.   It was all good clean racing though and I’m sure come next season he really is going to be one to watch!

               My immediate thought on the way home was not to do Northampton but tidy the car up again and do the support races at Spedeweekend.   After a good night’s sleep and some talking round from Dad we’re going to get the car ready and have a go after all.   There’s nothing to lose and I look like a bit of a quitter if just because I’m not going to qualify I don’t turn up!   The point of having the car is to race so that’s what I intend to do.

               It’s looking to be a pretty good couple of weeks though with a trip to Scotland next weekend to watch a proper formula and one with almost as much contact as National Hot Rods - the National Saloon Stock Cars - and then John and co. are coming to stay the following weekend when we’re both racing at Northampton.  

              On a more cheerful note a big ‘well done’ to Kyle Hegg on his first win in his new saloon at Cowdenbeath on Saturday night, complete with his new T&B Motors sticker; more of that next weekend please Hegg!

              Maybe it’s not been the season I’d hoped for and looking back I wish I’d been able to do all the meetings but no point worrying about it now.   I still think I’ve made good progress though and have learnt a great deal so it will be back next year to have another go.   Sorry, but you won’t be getting rid of me quite yet . . .

              Thank you to everyone who came up to me last night and said they read the blog  - I appreciate it and I’ll be back next week with more tales from north of the border.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time.

Mikey

You’ve just got to love Hednesford!

The title pretty much says it all - no matter what the weather you can’t help but love racing at Hednesford!  With the exception of Tipperary we don’t run on a faster track anywhere and it’s only an hour and a half from home for me!

I think we were well and truly blessed with the weather.  Rain was pretty much forecast for the entire day and most of the cars were rolling out of their transporters with wets all ready bolted on. There was a heavy shower around start time leaving the track damp for the first race.  Thankfully I wasn’t in that one and was perfectly content to sit and watch it from the sidelines.   From then on the rain just about held off and with the track drying every lap I made the decision to bolt four slicks on for the first race.

As soon as I pulled out onto the track and saw how dry it was I knew I’d made the right choice.  The racing was to be pretty fierce all day and after 25 hard laps we crossed the line in 7th.     The second race was to be much of the same, only with a faster and drier track I fell back a few more places here though and crossed the line in 11th.

Come the final the track was bone dry and everything was back up to full speed.   It was 35 laps of non-stop action from start to finish, and with 4 laps to go I found myself in the lead with Gavin and Matt just sliding past on the last lap.   It put me in 3rd over the line but I was docked two places back down to 5th.   All in all a good day though, and points in all 3 races once again helps to just about keep the dream alive for another couple of weeks.    What happens in this championship is still just as open as it’s ever been!

I said last week I thought that Robert would be quick; I wish I’d bet money on it now because I certainly wasn’t wrong.   From starting last on the grid I was utterly shocked when I saw him in my mirror in the first race, ending with him pretty much pushing me over the line!  Certainly one to watch next year I think.   He was wearing my spare wetsuit so maybe it’s lucky like mine!   Somehow I doubt it though.

One man who didn’t have much luck on the day was Jason.  Not twenty minutes after they had left the track he rang me asking to give his team a lift home because the stub axle had snapped off on his lorry.   The lorry was left in the safe hands of Daz Owen and with a few extra passengers we headed back home.  It was a race to get back before it got dark though because just as we were leaving the track we noticed all the wiring had snapped for the lights on our trailer.   We all made it back and everything lives to fight another day!

We don’t have that much to do before Ipswich next Saturday and a couple of big nights in the workshop should see us ready to go.   It might just be me but I can’t believe there’s only two meetings left this season, it seems to have gone so fast.

Thanks as ever for reading.   I really do appreciate all the comments I get from people and try to make it as interesting as possible each time.

I look forward to seeing you all at Ipswich - I need as much luck as I can get so I’ll be wearing my purple wetsuit whether it’s soaking wet or boiling hot!

Until next time.

Mikey

A bit of a break

After Aldershot I was well and truly ‘down in the dumps’ for a few days but thankfully we didn’t have that much to do to the car so I was able to distance myself a little and clear my head without having to spend every night out in the workshop till eleven o’clock working on it.

It had been planned for a long time that last weekend I would go to Ipswich and stay with Jay and Sarah.   After work I jumped in the car and headed east, and can honestly say I have never driven through rain like it.    It was a struggle to even see past the end of the bonnet at times but apart from that it was quite an uneventful trip and I arrived at the office of TPR Signs three hours later.   Jamie and I had a list of ideas to talk through and when they all come to light a couple of them should be pretty special - I’m excited to say the least! 

We couldn’t decide whether to head to Kings Lynn for the evening and watch the saloons, go out on the town or have a quiet chilled out one.   The weather ruled out the Stock Cars so after a bit of organising eight of us were sitting round a table enjoying a meal.   As a general rule when you put Gavin and I together anything can happen and when you add Jay and Shaun into the mix chaos is almost guaranteed!    We must all be getting old though as it was quite a civilised night with us  sitting at one end of the table talking about racing while the girls sat at the other end talking about babies and weddings!

After a big breakfast Sunday was spent chilling out watching some very wet Touring Car racing before heading to see Steph and her family for a few hours to put the world to rights and generally just moan about absolutely anything.    I have never known two friends bicker like Steph and I and we are completely incapable of making any sort of decision between us!   This was followed by a very slow and congested trip back round the M25 and home ready for another week to begin.

Like I said earlier I had no major work to do to the car but there were still all the usual jobs to be getting on with, I don’t think a lot of people realise how many actual hours are put into keeping a car going and one week I will go into detail and describe exactly what is involved in the week to week upkeep of a National.    I find it’s the little jobs that take all the time and before you know it another evening has escaped you.

The poor car has gradually been getting scruffier throughout the season so I took it outside and gave it a good clean off before pushing it back into the workshop and setting about it with a paint brush and touching in all the scratches.   A metallic car looks lovely at the start of the year but come about the third meeting when it’s all scratched and tatty it doesn’t seem like the best idea anymore!   It’s certainly more than presentable now though and you won’t notice all the brush marks when it’s going round the track I’m sure.

After a bit of a low spell I’ve definitely got my enthusiasm back and can’t wait to get loaded up and head off to Hednesford in the morning.    It’s a track that’s grown on me over the years and I just love the overall speed of the place.   When you’re getting to the end of the straight it feels so fast, it hurts when you get it wrong there though . . .  something that I know only too well!

I think it’s going to be three really exciting meetings leading up to the end of the season and it still really is anyone’s game at the moment.   I know some of you talk about the golden years of Hot Rod racing but for me - with big fields of really close and competitive cars - it’s as good now as it ever has been.   I think it’s great that my good friend and Stock Rod legend Robert McDonald is back from a year in Australia and making his National debut in the ex-Steve Thompson Tigra this weekend.   I’ve seen Robert race many times and it’s almost certain to say that once he has found his feet he will be a force to be reckoned with out there!

I look forward to seeing everyone at a wet Hednesford Hills tomorrow.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time.

Mikey.