A very wet Saturday

I’ve been busy since my last entry and seem to be living for the weekends these days.   Looking at my calendar I have very few free weekends between now and October.   I like to think I work hard during the week and being as ‘you’re only young once’  I’m making the most of every opportunity while I can and don’t have bills and mortgages holding me back.

Last Saturday morning saw me up at 3.30am and in my car on the way to the airport for what is fast becoming a regular trip up to Scotland.   I’ve been there so often recently that John has started asking for rent money!   It’s so easy to fly up and I was there by 8.30am.  John was busy working and I had plenty to be getting on with down at his workshop so despite the weather being more like January than June I trudged off down there to spend the day getting soaked.   I had somehow managed to convince my friend Ashalee that the workshop was ‘the place to be’ and she spent all day in the soaking rain too - the things you do for your friends Ash!

When John arrived it was time to head off to Cowdenbeath.   The weather still hadn’t improved and if I’m honest I’m glad John was racing rather than me!   I don’t know just what it is about the place and even though I’ve never even raced there myself I just love the track and the whole atmosphere of the stadium.   Not even the rain could ruin it for me.

John has really got to grips with the lightening rod now and picked up a 1st, 2nd and a 3rd in the races.   He starts last car every race and as all the other cars are getting quicker too he has his work cut out to get to the front.   I think they look like complete animals to drive after being so used to watching the Nationals and John had a couple of really hairy moments in the wet  - fair play to him though, he kept his foot down and held it in some pretty impressive slides.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Scotland without a night out so it was straight back from racing to shower and change then head out on the town.   It was the Armadale Gala that day so pretty much everyone was out.   Sunday was spent working again before a pretty hilarious evening at John’s followed by an early flight Monday morning so I wasn‘t too late for work!

With the Thunder 500 rapidly approaching we’re starting to get somewhere near with the car.  It’s not looking its prettiest I’m afraid but it will have to do for one night.  It’s being treated to some new panels and a coat of paint next week in time for Spedeweekend.

After the last meeting we decided to take the gearbox out and check it so that’s all done and refitted.  We needed to do a bit of beating to get the back end somewhere near straight again.   After a couple of hours with jacks, hammers and a big bit of wood you would never even know it had been damaged.

I’ve been thinking about breaking out my precious Compomotive wheels for this weekend but I’ve thought better of it and am keeping them for a slightly more special occasion . . . possibly Spedeweekend if I can bring myself to face the fact they might actually get damaged!

One last thing before I call time for another week.   It would be great if everyone could have a little look at my friend Ashalee’s website: http://racingdollspr.weebly.com/  I know she is looking for sponsors at the moment so if any of you are feeling a bit generous with the cash and want to help out one of life’s genuinely good people that would be amazing!

I’m really looking forward to the Thunder 500 - Steph’s giving out the trophies so I’m under strict orders to win one!  I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time.

Mikey

Starships are meant to fly

I’ve been plagued with more than my share of laptop problems lately hence I’m typing this on my Mum’s computer, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s been an awesome couple of weeks!

Unfortunately I didn’t qualify for the world final but I still had a pretty good last meeting. Like most of the meetings lately it looked set to be wet but thankfully it did dry up and even though the threat of rain never really left we spent the whole meeting on slicks running in the dry.

I finished the first race with a ninth but it was a day where I needed a top three finish in every race to stand a chance of qualifying.  So with that out the window I had nothing left to lose and time to have some fun.  My second race wasn’t much of a success either.  As I headed into the first turn and went to change into second the gear stick jammed solid leaving me completely unable to do anything.   The rest of the cars closed in around me and I ended up stuck on the exit of the bend.  As the yellow flags came out I felt sure that my day was over.   I even ripped my so-called ‘lucky wet suit’ off on the centre green in a moment of temper.

Back in the pits my Dad, Sonny and Jay had other ideas and the gearbox was soon in bits and put right again ready for the car to go back out in the final.  I can honestly say I have never enjoyed driving a race as much as I did that final, no matter where I finished or what happened it really didn’t matter and I could just focus one hundred percent on driving the car.  The first attempt maybe wasn’t as good as I’d have liked but after the yellow flags things just seemed to fall into place and although I would never have caught Carl or stopped Chris coming past I was really happy with a third place at the end.  As Sonny said, it was “…much better than putting the car in the trailer!”

It was a good end to what has been a very mixed year.   I’ve had some brilliant races and quite frankly some disastrous ones too.  I didn’t qualify but there’s always next year and 48 races to get there so bring them on!   A massive well done to Chris winning it for the fourth year running, and also to Matt - no one can argue how quick he has been this year and for the championship to come down to the last race shows how Nationals are better than they have ever been.   All the guys who qualified deserved it so ‘well done’ to all of you.

Maybe not so well done to Jason though on a day where his luck just seemed to run out, it was pretty scary watching the fire from my car let alone from inside his.  I have gone back on Facebook though so maybe he can cheer himself up by hurling abuse at me on there again.

Away from racing I’ve had a couple of enjoyable weekends.  Last weekend I went to Dorset fishing, and the Jubilee weekend saw John and Co. popping down from Scotland for a few days.  Needless to say we partied hard, drank too much and found out John is annoyingly good at ten pin bowling!   That’s where the stupidly random title for this blog comes from - it’s a song I always seem to hear on nights out and it remains stuck in my head for weeks afterwards!

It’s very sad news about the death of Steve Skitmore.   He was one of racing’s genuine characters, a Hot Rod legend in his own right and a big part of shaping the cars so many of us use today.  He’ll certainly be missed around the pits and did a lot to help a great many people over the years so R.I.P. Skitty and thank you.

Just before I sign off I’d like to say a quick “thank you” to everyone who has helped me this year - there are far too many to list individually but you all know who you are.

It’s time to get the car ready for the Thunder 500 now, a meeting I don’t normally do - but to hell with it, this year, why not?  But before that, Scotland is calling me back!

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey.

An awesome atmosphere

This could easily be one of those blogs that resembles a small book.   I don’t know where to start and after almost a week I’m still looking back at last weekend and laughing.   Ages ago Ben Newman and I decided we would head up to Scotland for the weekend to visit John and watch the Saloon National and the F2 British Championships.   Somehow though we both overlooked the fact that John’s house is indeed 400 miles away and leaving after work on a Friday is not really the best time to undertake such a trip.

After a relatively smooth run where we laughed most of the way, together with the world’s slowest McDonalds, we got to John’s house and did what any group of guys would do . . . we went out, so it was straight back in the car and off to Dunfermline, obviously I was driving so no drink for me but it was light by the time we got back to John’s and the others were merry to say the least!

Saturday morning saw breakfast delivered to us by our awesome friend Mel followed by a rather surreal trip to the track in an ambulance full of bouncy castles!   It’s best if we don’t go into all the details here.   The weather was absolutely perfect and it was the first time I have ever had to use sun cream in Scotland!    Most of my friends were at the track and I spent all afternoon just chatting to everyone.

 I enjoyed every race I watched over the weekend, the highlights being a win for George Macmillan in his F2 and main man Kyle Hegg picking up a win in the second heat after we had cured a misfire.  As well as being a brilliant track Cowdenbeath also has a very good bar, a place I found myself spending a fair amount of time!  Mix all this up with a bottle of port with Siobhan Martin and it turned into a good night at the Stock Cars.

Whilst everything else was going on I managed to acquire my new favourite possession - a smashed George Macmillan fin plate that he signed for me and which now has pride of place in the front of my workshop!

From the track it was straight to John’s for a quick shower and then back out again for another night on the town.   Everyone was out, including the Racewall’s very own trophy girls so it was always guaranteed to be a good one, although my liver probably wouldn’t agree!

The following day was gloriously hot again and the plan was to watch the big races and try to get back on the road for about 4 o’clock.   Plans never work out as intended though and we were still at the track at 6pm.   With George on the outside of row two for the British Championship we all had our hopes up for him.   It wasn’t to be though and after a very good race he ended up second, a bit gutting but I guess that’s racing after all.   He was certainly very capable of winning it but things just didn’t quite go his way.

I did my first ever lap of Cowdenbeath on the parade lap of the Saloon National Championship with Hegg sitting on his bonnet dressed as Tigger!   Unfortunately it wasn’t to be his race either and a broken rotor arm after a coming together with the wall left him out of it.

I have commented on the atmosphere at Cowdie before but nothing comes close to the atmosphere at the start of the Raymond Gunn Memorial race.   It was absolutely electric and the whole stadium just seemed to come together as one, in 13 years of going racing I have never felt anything like it, for me a truly moving moment.

After the race was over we began our long journey home, at one point whilst stuck in traffic the sat-nav informed us we had eight and a half hours to go but we managed to cut it down a fair bit.   We clocked up 1300 miles in little over 48 hours, saw some of the best people out there and had an absolutely brilliant time - I’m lucky enough to have the best friends going and I wouldn’t change them for the world.

Back to the present and the car is ready for Bank Holiday Monday at Northampton and even though my chances of making it to the World Final are now very slim I’m still going to give it my best shot.  John is heading down to stay with me for the weekend too so I’m sure next week’s entry will be on a similar theme to this!

Thanks as ever to everyone for reading and “No Ronnie, I won’t be adding a Mac to my name anytime soon!”

Until next time.

Mikey

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.

The only way is up

The way I’m feeling at the moment I could easily sit here and turn this into a page of solid non-stop moaning!   That was never what this was about, and it’s not what anyone wants to read, so I’ll try and find something positive to talk about.

Although some people don’t have a good word to say about the track at Aldershot, I don’t mind it.   It’s very tight but the car seems to go round it pretty well - and as long as people give each other some respect the racing is generally good.  The pits are without doubt the best pits we use and it’s only an hour and a half from my house.

When we arrived the sun was shining and you really couldn’t have asked for a better day.   The weather men were predicting rain in the afternoon though and for once they got it spot on!  For practice and both the heats the track was dry but it was full wets on for the final following some pretty intense rain showers.

None of the races really worked out the way I’d hoped and with spins in both I ended up at the back.   The first one I crossed the line 15th and the second 16th in races where there were “no other finishers” behind me.  The final wasn’t to be much better either and although it was good to drive in the wet (I can’t remember the last time we had a wet meeting) it just didn’t go to plan again.  The race started out great with me picking up a few places but things soon started to go backwards.  I ended up finishing in 16th  and just outside the points.

I suppose on the plus side we didn’t get any damage and the car was unloaded and back in the workshop by 7pm, but that didn’t really make up for the day we’d had, and I went off to bed on Sunday night feeling pretty sorry for myself!   I didn’t feel much better when I saw the points chart either, but I suppose I can’t get much lower and the only way is up from here . . . or as Gavin said when I was talking to him yesterday “You’ve got to win it or bin it. Drive it like a double vodka!”  Make of that what you will but I’m going to try as hard as I can for the last three rounds, pray for some luck, and see where I end up.

Firstly I’m sorry this entry is a bit shorter than usual, and secondly that it’s mildly depressive - well done if you managed to read it to the end!   Things will be a bit more cheery next time I promise.  We’re going to get the car sorted next week and are already looking forward to Hednesford on bank holiday Monday.   Lightning Rods are racing so John will be down too.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time.

Mikey