Wiscombe report

Along with a third of the field I entered the Saturday event at Wiscombe to get some sneaky practice in for the championship round the next day.  On my morning jaunt from the hotel to the hill, I picked up three other competition cars and we had a good run down the Devon lanes in convoy.  It also meant I didn't need to navigate my way to the venue.  However, when we got to the Spectators/Competitors junction they all went the "wrong" way.  Little did I know the reason why.  I followed the Competitors entrance signs and was directed to a rough, unsurfaced track (reminded me of Pestalozzi!!!).  I crawled down the lane, veering left and right to avoid the largest boulders.  I scraped my sump a few times, but made it reasonably unscathed.   Peter M didn't have such a good time, losing his number plate and denting bodywork.   Needless to say I used the spectators entrance the next day. 

Saturday was a very chilled out affair, catching some rays and not worrying too much about times.  The course was a hooligan's delight with two slidey hairpins, a yomp over a third gear crest and blind blast through the Gateway and Esses.  A covering of moss on the tree lined upper part of the course did nothing for traction.  I loved it!  I guess in its own way it was every bit as hazardous as my bugbear Pestalozzi (as several competitors showed), but once the visor was down the trees seemed to move back from the edge of the track.  I guess one man's Wiscombe is another man's Pestalozzi, as the saying doesn't go. 

Duncan Manning was sharing his Caterham with his dad, Bruce, on his first competitive outing in the car.  A bit of a baptism of fire but Bruce was enjoying himself and putting in some respectable times.  "I think its the course that's most like driving on the road".  I think I know what he means, but watch out on country lanes around Woking!

As soon as the runs were over on the Saturday, I was kidnapped by the Graduates and held to ransom in the beer tent.  I escaped but it was too late to get a tram ride on Seaton tramway - I was gutted.  I was just settling down for an early night, when the phone rang.  "Reception here.  There's a John and Alister in the bar to see you...".  So much for my mantra of not drinking the night before a race!

First practice run on Sunday was steady to reacquaint myself with the course and figure out how much grip there was after the overnight rain.  Second practice was the run I'd planned to try Bunny's Leap flat.  Woah!  Not flat easily, but easily flat if you know what I mean.  Halfway through the Esses suddenly I was blinded by a shaft of sunlight through the trees.  For the next half second I was driving on instinct and memory.  I kept on the black stuff (well, greeny black stuff) and made it to the top of the course.  Paul Butcher wasn't so lucky and hit the earth banking whilst blinded, spinning off the road and down the slope.  Somehow he missed all the trees and the only damage was his rear wing.  Jonathan Bass, one of the Graduates, wasn't so lucky.  The sun had moved by time they ran, and was blinding drivers over the finish line as well.  Jonathan missed the turn after the line and took off most of his front nearside suspension.  The Caterham was hastily rebuilt over lunchtime, and Jonathan went onto fifth with a bent chassis and only one run!

There was a sudden scruntineering blitz in the morning, when it was rumoured that a competitor had been using uprated spark plugs.  Nothing untoward was found by the scruntineer by the time he inspected the cars, but a lot of competitors were very disappointed that someone may have been flounting the regs to gain an advantage. 

I analysed my runs during the lunchbreak, and decided most time was to be made out of the hairpins.  I needed more traction, so poured all my spare petrol into the tank.   I considered refitting the spare wheel but decided that was taking things too far.   It seemed to work as well enough - so much for the supposed advantage of running an anorexic car on hillclimbs!

The times were tumbling below Saturday's efforts on the first timed run, with Dean breaking into the 47s.  I was eighth after the first run with 48.64, and didn't know whether I wanted the threatening clouds to produce rain or not.  Tim and Gary were only hundreths ahead but there were a few drivers close behind that could surpass my time on their second run.  The clouds abated to give a tense showdown.  John Barry further improved his excellent first run time to lie third until the last few runners came though (bearing in mind he was one of the few frontrunners not to have practiced on the Saturday).  There was a delay when Peter Mumford brought out the red flags after clouting the earth banking, shedding bits of bodywork, and going up on two wheels. 

Sitting in the queue for the start we could hear the run times.  John Bennett put in a 48.40, beating my first timed run and pushing me down to ninth.  I wasn't going to be ninth!  This spurred me on - I now had to improve on my first run.  The last time I heard before leaving the line was Tim getting into the 47s.  I had a good clean run, neat through the Esses and less wheelspin out of the hairpins.  I got out of the car and went to congratulate Tim on his time, but got a barage of (good natured) abuse!  I'd beaten him by two hundreths and moved into second.  We listened to the last few times come in.  Dean couldn't improve on his first run time, but Colin Hayes put in a 47.60 to win the class.  Jason improved slightly to grab fifth, knocking John Barry down to sixth. 

My two hundreths ahead of Tim altered the championship standings significantly.   Dean moved ahead of Tim by one point (the one point I'd take off Tim) and Paul B and myself traded places (by the one point I'd taken off Tim!).  Everything to play for in the final two races at Oulton and Snetterton.