Sorry you haven’t heard from me recently but things
are still pretty chaotic here and finding time for anything other than work
proves to be a challenge!
After the first meeting I was filled with excitement to be back racing again but that quickly changed after a terrible day at Northampton on Good Friday. It poured with rain and even though the car felt brilliant in practice, things went downhill rapidly when the racing started. I’ve always struggled with visibility in the wet and today was going to be no exception - my glasses and visor ended up in such a mess I was just following brake lights and hoping for the best! This isn’t a safe way to race and resulted in a couple of DNF’s and no points.
With this terrible meeting over it was time to enjoy the bank holiday and make the most of having John and Kylie staying down with us for a few days. I spend a lot of time with them in Scotland so it was great to see them venture south. It was a full weekend of racing though, and after my car was finished on the Saturday it was off to Coventry to watch the BriSCA F1s. It turns out my directions aren’t that great after a few beers however, leaving Kylie to guess her way home for most of the return journey! The next morning it was off to Brands Hatch to watch the Touring Cars - and in true Sibbald and Godfrey style we were running late and managed to miss the first race completely! We watched the rest of the racing and had a good day out but I can’t really get into circuit racing - give me a packed grid of Hot Rods or Stock Cars any day!
The next day it was time to say farewell to John and Kylie as we headed off to Ipswich for our first Easter Monday meeting for a few years and they began their long trek back to Scotland. Now on paper it wasn’t a bad meeting with us picking up a good few points and a third place in one of the heats. It was a hateful meeting though with damage, chaos and falling out seemingly on every lap. Everyone had left their brain at home that day I think! Although we left with a straight car I was really down about the whole thing, and even considered what my future with racing would be for a few days after that.
For several reasons we had already decided not to race the European at Lochgelly but not liking to miss out on a good time me and my friend Joe “super ginge“ Palmer decided to fly up and take advantage of John’s wonderful hospitality. I’m sure I could have given you a great report on the racing if the big man himself Ronnie McMillan hadn’t given me a bottle of vodka for safe keeping. Unfortunately it wasn’t very safe, and that about concludes my European Championship report! I did enjoy the Speedway the night before though, so thanks to John and everyone for organising that for us.
Back home we decided, with the help of Matt Stroud, to make a couple of small changes to the car, nothing drastic, but enough to shake things up a bit. We were totally unsure what it would be like and headed off to Hednesford with an open mind.
From the first lap in practice I loved it, but never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted what happened next! I think during the first few laps of the day luck was on my side because just after I had overtaken Stuart McLaird all hell broke loose behind me as his engine blew up taking several cars into the wall and causing one of the biggest crashes I have ever seen during my time racing a Hot Rod. I was clear and safe of all the carnage but the same couldn’t be said for some of the guys behind me. Some seriously damaged cars were dragged off the track and hats off to everyone who managed to repair their cars and get back out again for the next meeting.
After the restart I managed to get into the lead and hold on to it until the end. Shane Bland had other ideas though and was right there on me at the end and one little mistake on my part would quickly have seen me relegated to second! It was great to get a win though. The last time I was on a pace car at Hednesford was dressed as a girl with Jason Kew after a charity bike race.
If it wasn’t good enough to win the first one, I managed to repeat it in the second race. Thankfully I managed to pull out enough of a lead to give myself some much needed breathing space, as I did make a few mistakes and miss the brakes a couple of times towards the end of the race.
To win two races is brilliant but to win all three is just a dream come true. I’ll never be quite sure how it happened but luck played a huge part in it all and I somehow managed to get to the front and hold on to the lead in the final as well. Another lap and I think it would have been a different story as once again Shane Bland was all over me. I managed to hold on though, making it the first 1 - 2 for the Duratech engine in a Hot Rod final - Graham Brown correct me if I’m wrong?
I’m sure that winning three races in a row will never happen to me again but what a great feeling it is. I spent the following week just taking it in and telling anyone who would listen all about it! Thanks to everyone for all the calls and messages and also thanks to John Duff at Wash ‘n’ Dash for the new tyre. I certainly won’t be quitting anytime soon now!
Before I sign off I want to congratulate John and Kylie on the birth of their little daughter Iona - who entered the world seven weeks early! You certainly gave us all a scare but I’m happy to say that although she will be in hospital for a while everything is going well and I can’t wait to head up and meet her. No more wild partying now John boy!
I will fill you all in on the Northampton meeting next time and all the exciting news on the Thunder 500 as well. I can’t believe we’ve only got one round left before the madness is over for another year.
Thanks as ever for reading.
Until next time
Mikey
After the first meeting I was filled with excitement to be back racing again but that quickly changed after a terrible day at Northampton on Good Friday. It poured with rain and even though the car felt brilliant in practice, things went downhill rapidly when the racing started. I’ve always struggled with visibility in the wet and today was going to be no exception - my glasses and visor ended up in such a mess I was just following brake lights and hoping for the best! This isn’t a safe way to race and resulted in a couple of DNF’s and no points.
With this terrible meeting over it was time to enjoy the bank holiday and make the most of having John and Kylie staying down with us for a few days. I spend a lot of time with them in Scotland so it was great to see them venture south. It was a full weekend of racing though, and after my car was finished on the Saturday it was off to Coventry to watch the BriSCA F1s. It turns out my directions aren’t that great after a few beers however, leaving Kylie to guess her way home for most of the return journey! The next morning it was off to Brands Hatch to watch the Touring Cars - and in true Sibbald and Godfrey style we were running late and managed to miss the first race completely! We watched the rest of the racing and had a good day out but I can’t really get into circuit racing - give me a packed grid of Hot Rods or Stock Cars any day!
The next day it was time to say farewell to John and Kylie as we headed off to Ipswich for our first Easter Monday meeting for a few years and they began their long trek back to Scotland. Now on paper it wasn’t a bad meeting with us picking up a good few points and a third place in one of the heats. It was a hateful meeting though with damage, chaos and falling out seemingly on every lap. Everyone had left their brain at home that day I think! Although we left with a straight car I was really down about the whole thing, and even considered what my future with racing would be for a few days after that.
For several reasons we had already decided not to race the European at Lochgelly but not liking to miss out on a good time me and my friend Joe “super ginge“ Palmer decided to fly up and take advantage of John’s wonderful hospitality. I’m sure I could have given you a great report on the racing if the big man himself Ronnie McMillan hadn’t given me a bottle of vodka for safe keeping. Unfortunately it wasn’t very safe, and that about concludes my European Championship report! I did enjoy the Speedway the night before though, so thanks to John and everyone for organising that for us.
Back home we decided, with the help of Matt Stroud, to make a couple of small changes to the car, nothing drastic, but enough to shake things up a bit. We were totally unsure what it would be like and headed off to Hednesford with an open mind.
From the first lap in practice I loved it, but never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted what happened next! I think during the first few laps of the day luck was on my side because just after I had overtaken Stuart McLaird all hell broke loose behind me as his engine blew up taking several cars into the wall and causing one of the biggest crashes I have ever seen during my time racing a Hot Rod. I was clear and safe of all the carnage but the same couldn’t be said for some of the guys behind me. Some seriously damaged cars were dragged off the track and hats off to everyone who managed to repair their cars and get back out again for the next meeting.
After the restart I managed to get into the lead and hold on to it until the end. Shane Bland had other ideas though and was right there on me at the end and one little mistake on my part would quickly have seen me relegated to second! It was great to get a win though. The last time I was on a pace car at Hednesford was dressed as a girl with Jason Kew after a charity bike race.
If it wasn’t good enough to win the first one, I managed to repeat it in the second race. Thankfully I managed to pull out enough of a lead to give myself some much needed breathing space, as I did make a few mistakes and miss the brakes a couple of times towards the end of the race.
To win two races is brilliant but to win all three is just a dream come true. I’ll never be quite sure how it happened but luck played a huge part in it all and I somehow managed to get to the front and hold on to the lead in the final as well. Another lap and I think it would have been a different story as once again Shane Bland was all over me. I managed to hold on though, making it the first 1 - 2 for the Duratech engine in a Hot Rod final - Graham Brown correct me if I’m wrong?
I’m sure that winning three races in a row will never happen to me again but what a great feeling it is. I spent the following week just taking it in and telling anyone who would listen all about it! Thanks to everyone for all the calls and messages and also thanks to John Duff at Wash ‘n’ Dash for the new tyre. I certainly won’t be quitting anytime soon now!
Before I sign off I want to congratulate John and Kylie on the birth of their little daughter Iona - who entered the world seven weeks early! You certainly gave us all a scare but I’m happy to say that although she will be in hospital for a while everything is going well and I can’t wait to head up and meet her. No more wild partying now John boy!
I will fill you all in on the Northampton meeting next time and all the exciting news on the Thunder 500 as well. I can’t believe we’ve only got one round left before the madness is over for another year.
Thanks as ever for reading.
Until next time
Mikey
