Three meetings and a jaunt over the Irish Sea

All in all it’s been a few busy weeks in my racing world.  We are still as disorganised as ever and have been forced into some late nights in the build up to the meetings.  One day I am determined to be organised and loaded with a bit of time to spare!

The first meeting I’m going to tell you about was Hednesford.  Ever since putting the Duratec in I have been looking forward to racing it round the Midlands track and it really didn’t disappoint.  The meeting started with a disaster though and as I dropped the clutch on the warm up laps I heard a nasty sound as the half-shaft snapped.  I limped off into the centre green and that was that race over.   I just want to thank everyone who helped get me back out on track for heat two which turned into a much better race with me crossing the line in second place.  The final was a great race too and I managed a fourth in that one.    Even watching Nationals there they look fast, but let me tell you that as you are coming to the end of the straights and hitting the rev limiter it feels like you’re absolutely flying!

The next meeting for me was a Saturday Ipswich.  I have always said that a Saturday under the lights at Foxhall is what Hot Rods are all about but it turned into a complete disaster of a night for me. The car felt blisteringly quick in practice but I just couldn’t get it together at all in the races.  I had terrible results in all three races picking up I think about 3 points all night!  The car was knocked about and I was left in a foul mood for about four days afterwards.  One good thing about the night though was Chris Haird’s drive in the final - from last car through to win it - a drive that in my eyes will go down in the history books, and one I know would have made David a very proud man.

Once home from Ipswich we went through every inch of the car checking everything only to find some bent bits of suspension.  This made me feel a lot better and stopped me beating myself up quite so much!  We got everything sorted and after evaluating the whole situation for a long time we headed off to Northampton with the attitude of forgetting the points and going to enjoy it.

I will say now that it is the best decision I’ve made for months and I can’t remember enjoying a meeting that much for a long time.  The car felt good and I had some cracking races.  I was pleased enough with a seventh in the first one but felt there was still more to come, so I went out in the next one and drove the car as hard as I ever could; this resulted in a much better race and a fourth at the flag.  The final was a race I really enjoyed too and after a few good battles including a really good race with Neil Stimson I crossed the line in third but got moved up to second after Neil got removed from the result.   All in all a really good day and I think everyone gave each other some respect which resulted in some good clean racing.

Now in between all this I took a flight over to Northern Ireland to stay with none other than our world champion himself.    It was a truly brilliant weekend and was crazy as you would imagine.  The good craic started as soon as I got picked up from the airport and lasted until I got dropped off again.   Tullyroan really is some place and I want to get out there and race this season.  It’s so well run and has such good facilities, and the fact that Glenn won a race and I didn’t pay for a drink all night were added bonuses!

After the meeting it was a panic to get back to Glenn’s, get changed and hit the town. The only problem was there were six of us and only five seats in the car!   It wasn’t an issue though and with Glenn tightly locked in the boot we headed off for the antics to begin.   After a brief stop at a party to collect 2-litre legend Adam Hylands we hit Portadown.    I’m sure you can all guess what the night was like and what chaos followed.   My personal highlight was when Sandstorm was played . . . it was a mass movement of racing folk onto the dance floor, throwing some no doubt very dodgy shapes!   At closing time after a few too many vodkas we did what any group of guys does and went back for a good night’s sleep!  Not likely, and we continued the party at Glenn’s until some un-godly hour when we all finally crashed out where we landed - having drunk his house completely dry and given the main man Darren Black an early morning phone call “Just to see what the craic was.”

There were a few sorry faces the next day as we headed off to Nutts Corner to watch the National Saloons.   The day ended with a disaster too, as during a Chinese meal Corb became detached from his chair and broke both his finger and his phone upon impact with the floor!    Now being a top group of friends we did the caring thing and laughed at this - a lot!    Besty did go to the hospital with him later to get him checked out and make sure it wasn’t life threatening!

All in all it was a top weekend with a great group of friends.  I loved every second of it and can’t wait to get back out there again for some more madness!

On a much more serious note it’s with great sadness we say good bye to another of our own - Stuart Carter, who was taken from the world much too young.  It leaves you thinking is this ever going to end?  R.I.P. Stu, you’ll be greatly missed by everyone.

With only one round left it’s going to be an action packed Hednesford.   We have a  bit of work to do on the car but (as you read this) I planned on taking a trip to Crimond to see the end of the Scottish points race with John and the team.   It’s been an action packed few months of racing and I love it!

Thank as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey

A Great Man

A GREAT MAN

This is a blog I hoped I’d never have to write.  It’s hard choosing the right words to do David Haird justice; the world of Hot Rod racing has lost one of its best and it will never be quite the same without him.

My first encounter with David and his family was one day in February 2009 when we turned up at his house to order a new Tigra.  Anywhere else you would have been given a tour, told the price, done the deal, paid the money and been on your way back home again . . . but not at David’s!  After numerous drinks and a long time spent chatting in his living room we finally got round to talking about the business of buying a car.  I had just turned 19 at the time and looking back now had a plan than was far beyond my means but David listened to me and trusted me.  We left his house many hours later with the car ordered and the promise that I would pay for it when I could.  Without him trusting me I would never have been able to have a new car and very much doubt I would still be racing Hot Rods now.

David promised me the car would be ready for the NEC the following January and he was true to his word.  We picked it up before Christmas and spent a few weeks finishing it off and personalising it.  Seeing my new car on the Haird stand at the show was one of the proudest moments of my life and David did everything he could to make it special for me.  There was nothing he liked more than seeing other people happy, whether that meant winning a race or enjoying a night out.  Whenever you were with him a good time was never far away!  That NEC weekend was brilliant and I will always look back over the antics and laugh.

I’ll never forget one particular night after a test day at Northampton when a group of us went out for a meal in Newmarket.  After what was a pretty civilised meal a belly dancer appeared and after a few hushed words in her ear from David she dragged me up onto the table in front of everyone!  Needless to say they all found it genuinely hilarious whilst I almost melted with embarrassment.  To make it all worse someone videoed it and put it on YouTube.  Good luck trying to find it though!

The help and support from David didn’t stop as soon as the car was built and he was always willing to help with spares and advice.  He had a way of making me believe in myself even if at first I didn’t think it was possible, and I’ve lost count of the times he talked me round and made me see sense when I was making threats to quit or telling everyone that I’d had enough.  One meeting at Hednesford I hit the wall coming out of a bend and destroyed the car.  Every corner was damaged and it looked very sorry for itself.  Once again it wasn’t a problem though and it went back into the Haird workshop only to emerge straight again ready for the next meeting.

All the time we knew him David was struggling with his illness but he was always so strong and kept on fighting and fighting.  To me he seemed invincible and I really can’t believe that he’s gone.  His business card is pinned to the wall above my desk and I keep looking at it with fondness and immense gratitude for all the support and genuine kindness he showed me and I think back to all the good times and smile.   He was a great man who helped and influenced so many people over the years and it’s been an honour knowing him.  Even though I only knew him a short time compared to some people I could fill several pages with great stories!

I was very lucky to class David as a friend and I can never thank him enough for everything he did for me and for believing in me and trusting me when so many others wouldn’t even give me the time of day.  I may be a single voice on here but I speak for many when I say “You will never be forgotten and certainly never be replaced.”  I feel sure that right now David is sitting looking down on us all with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other . . . and he’ll definitely be watching over Foxhall Stadium the first weekend in July!  Thank you for everything.  Rest in peace.

Mikey

Running out of time

Tomorrow we are racing at Hednesford and as of yet we’re nowhere near ready!  It’s been a very hectic few weeks and work has been manic too, leaving us with very little time to do the car.

I won’t go into too much detail because Jason has already told you all about it, but a few weekends ago we went on one of our legendary go karting trips to Aylesbury.  In the past these trips have earned a reputation for being complete and utter carnage, usually resulting with someone - if not everyone - getting thrown off the track.  Something must have come over us this time though and we were all very sensible and just wanted to race rather than destroy one another, and over the entire evening not a single black flag was issued!  I’ll happily admit that I’m usually terrible in a go kart but I actually managed to lead a race for a while and for the first time since we have been going I qualified for the final!  It was a great night, but I can tell you a hundred hard-fought laps in a go kart leaves you feeling absolute scrap the next day!

The meeting at Aldershot was one I’d rather forget.  It’s a shame because both the car and the track were good.  Nothing went my way though and apart from a 10th in the first race it was just a complete disaster.  I tagged the wall coming out of a bend in heat two and bent the wishbones on the passenger side. I said to Dad in a strop back in the pits “Let’s just load the car up and go home” - but we fixed the problem and I headed back out for the final . . . a decision I now regret.

It was one of those ‘unavoidable’ racing incidents but a few laps in I got involved in an accident going through one of the bends.  I don’t think it was that bad a collision but I bit my tongue and was walking around pretty dazed afterwards.  The car was a bit sorry for itself though with bits hanging off all over the place. Overall it was a meeting to forget and although I’m still just hanging in the top twenty it didn’t do my points haul much good either.

I had already decided not to race in Scotland because John Toovey wanted to make a few changes to the engine, so after the meeting we cut all the crash frames off with an angle grinder, took all the bent bits off and pulled the engine out ready to go back.  We have been having problems selecting reverse too so the gearbox was taken out at the same time.  This left a very bare car with pretty much everything from the bulkhead forward having been removed.

Although I wasn’t going to race I still flew up to Scotland to help John get his car ready for the European.  There’s a new service where I can fly from Oxford to Edinburgh and I can be at John’s house three hours after leaving mine.  Upshot of this is that unluckily for him, chances are I’ll be visiting more often!

I could easily do an entire blog about the weekend’s events; from the pub quiz to an epic road trip in a huge lorry but I won’t bore you with all the details and just stick to the racing.
Firstly:  what a place Lochgelly has turned into, the facilities are brilliant and the tarmac in the pits is better than on most of the motorways round here!  The meeting was really well run and I thought although there was one big accident, there wasn’t as much carnage as most people expected there to be with so many top-name drivers on a little track.  John had a couple of pretty mixed days with some consistent results mixed with a couple of DNF’s.  He came away from the European with a ninth and no damage meaning we could get loaded up and head to the beer tent to sample a few drinks before heading off into town for what turned into one of the best nights of the year . . . though my wallet and head disagreed next morning.

I felt a bit fragile the next day but it was back to the track for the second day of action.   On Sunday there were a few less cars but the racing was just as good.   John wasn’t very lucky in the first race and picked up some rear end damage but we rushed round and got it repaired for heat two.  I think this was John’s best race of the weekend and he come home with a 5th - keeping plenty of the big name drivers at bay behind him.  Once again luck wasn’t with him in the final and he picked up more rear damage putting him out after only a few laps.   All in all I had an absolutely great weekend with all my friends.  It’s a shame I didn’t have my own car there but I enjoyed working on John’s car - and it was nice that the only money I spent was in the beer tent!

Back down here in the real world and time is rapidly running out to get ready for tomorrow’s meeting at Hednesford.   We still have a great deal to do but we will be finished in time.  The engine is half in and some of the front suspension is on, but the rest is still to be done.  One day we will be ready to go racing with more than half an hour to spare, but until then the workshop is calling me!

The tragic news about the loss of Nick Thomas came as a complete shock last weekend.  It’s such a terrible thing and Nick was one of the best guys you could ever meet.  He always had time for a chat and would really go out of his way to help you any way he could. I’m sure I speak for everyone but “Nick, you will be deeply missed and have left a big void in the oval racing world.  Thanks for everything - rest in peace.”

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey

Back to the future!

I must confess to being one of the world’s biggest idiots.  Early this week I set my alarm nice and early so I could make a start on this before I went to work.   When I woke up late it was obvious that the clock was in fact an hour slow and I had to rush to get to work on time let alone get my blog started!

I’d like to look back in time today after finding various old photographs whilst sorting out paperwork in the office.  They span a great many years, all of which were long before I was even thought of and contain all sorts of classics from Dad’s Escort rally cars in the 1980’s to some really early black and white photos of my Grandfather racing a Stock Car at Brafield in the late 1950’s.  I’m sure they’re of no real interest to anyone else but they fascinate me, and even though no-one in my family had raced Hot Rods before me, racing - and cars - has always been in our blood and it was seemingly inevitable that I would end up racing too.

Racing can even be thanked for the job we do now, as the only reason my Grandfather got into scrap was him being told to get rid of all the old dead Stock Cars he had strewn around the farm at the time.  The same farm that was used in the 80’s and 90’s to build rally cars is still our scrap yard to this day.  You don’t have to dig too deep to find reminders of the old days though, with bits of Escort and rally stickers still found on the walls of all the old sheds and Dad’s old Escort can still be found hidden in the corner ready for a come-back one day (who will be driving it will no doubt be something we argue about when the time comes!).

Lots of people have asked me over the years why I didn’t have a rally car and the simple answer is you had to be 17 to go rallying, whereas I could race a grass track Mini when I was 10.  By the time I reached 17 I had a Hot Rod and oval racing had me hooked.  As much as I do love rallying I don’t think you’ll find me heading in that direction for a while yet!

I’ve included a couple of photos but you must excuse the quality as they are photos of photos taken with my phone!

 
Back in the present and we have plenty going on here.   For some reason we seemed to have a last minute rush before the Good Friday meeting and found ourselves finishing the car late Thursday night and then loading it on the Friday morning and heading straight for the track.  It was all pretty routine stuff we had to do, and even though we had the engine to fit I don’t really know why it took us so long to do it!

When we got to the track it was bitterly cold and although snow threatened a few times we actually had a dry day’s racing.  The car was much faster after its tweaks and although I’m not quite on the pace of the front-runners yet, that’s mainly down to me rather than the car!  The first race was a bit of a disaster and I can safely say for once that it wasn’t actually my fault . . . I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got tangled up in someone else’s collision.   I got off lightly though with no damage and made up for it with a third in the second heat - the best result for the Duratech yet!  The final wasn’t quite such a good race and after a few silly errors on my part I crossed the line in tenth after a good race to the flag with Robert.

So another meeting over and one closer to the goal of starting the world final; not the best of meetings but the car survived and I got a few valuable points.  The car is getting better with each race and I am now starting to say with some confidence that the Duratech will be the engine to have when it’s all sorted.

Now as I’m sure you all know I love a road trip and I went straight from the meeting up to Scotland with Robert.  It was my first trip since New Year and I couldn’t wait to see everyone.  Saturday saw the Hot Rods make their first trip of the year to Cowdenbeath and I can safely say it was the coldest I have ever been in my life!  I couldn’t wait to get in the ambulance and head back to John’s house - yes you read that right - it’s a long story but I found myself driving the track ambulance to and from the track!

Now this is just my opinion before everyone shoots me down in flames but I think Hot Rods in Scotland have such potential.  They have some really dedicated guys and some great tracks and it would be good to see the numbers increase on a regular basis. So if you’re reading this and have a car tucked away in the garage, dig it out and go for a spin - you know you want to!

As well as the racing it was great to see everyone and the weekend flew by.  I always love my time in Scotland and thanks as ever to John and Robert for letting me stay with them.

A couple more things before I go.   I would like to welcome my friend and long term rival Jason to the world of blogging.  We have known each other for longer than I can remember and have a fair few stories to tell so I hope he has as much fun doing his blog as I have doing mine and that you all enjoy reading it.  Try not to let his head get too big though - he’s not as quick as Hairdy yet!

Finally, I just want to say a huge “well done” to my little pal Sean Naismith for a brilliant first meeting in his Ministox at Barford on Sunday.   Three 2nd places and a win in the grand national are not bad for a ten year old.   We are all very proud of you.  Just make sure you keep getting T&B Motors in the victory pictures!

That’s it for another week, we have a few jobs to do before Aldershot and we would like to get the old lorry finished to sell.  There is also a go karting trip planned for Saturday which will no doubt end in tears for either Kewy or me - possibly both if things get too out of hand!

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey

All action - and surprises

Well here we go, the madness has begun and the racing is underway.  The ‘double-header’ which started the ball rolling this season has been and gone and normal service will resume for the next few months as the countdown to the World Final begins.

Before I go any further I’ll answer the question everyone is asking me:  “How is the Duratech?”   The throttle response is awesome and the speed it carries at the end of the straight is almost scary.   It needs a bit of development to give it more speed out of the bends and I’m working closely with John Toovey to get this sorted.   For an engine straight out of the box I’m really pleased with it.   It’s easy to forget just how much development people have put into the Vauxhall over the years and the Ford after all, is a relatively new venture in the world of Hot Rods with very few people having had one.  With a bit of fine tuning it will be up there with the best of the Vauxhalls, and when it comes to getting more power and tuning it, the Ford represents a whole new chapter with lots of room for improvements as we go along.   It’s something I’m very pleased to be involved with and am looking forward to seeing the progress unfold in front of us.

When you last heard from me we still had two cars in the workshop and lots of work to do.   We got mine very nearly finished and in a position to go testing and headed off to Birmingham to give it a run.  Jason was there too and we spent the evening chasing each other around the track like a pair of hooligans before heading off for a feed at Big John’s (the main reason I think Dad likes Birmingham).  I can tell you now there is nothing better than getting into a Hot Rod you’ve been working on all winter and driving it again after a few months out of the seat.  This left John’s car in the workshop and after a couple of evenings’ work this was finished too, so we took it to Birmingham for a few test laps  before John headed off home with it.  Unfortunately this didn’t quite go to plan, with John discovering a bent propshaft as soon as he pulled out on track.  This put an early end to proceedings but it was definitely worth an afternoon out because the lads had brought me some doughnuts - in an attempt to keep me quiet I expect!

John has since sorted the car and done a few very wet laps at Lochgelly to test it.  He’s happy with it and ready to go for the re-scheduled season opener this weekend - weather permitting!

It had been arranged for some time that the World Champion himself and our friend Besty would be making the trip over from Northern Ireland to stay with us for the first meeting, so after work on Friday I fought my way through the traffic to collect them from Birmingham airport.   When we got back it was time to finish the set-up on my car and head off for an early night.  Not likely!  As soon as the car was done it was in to get changed before we headed off out to sample a few drinks in town.   Although there were only a handful of people in the club we had a good night, the beer and Jaeger bombs were flowing so we stayed until closing time.

The next morning it was off to Birmingham for the first meeting of the season.   The weather forecast was terrible but luckily the forecasters were proved wrong and even though it was cold it did manage to stay dry for the whole meeting.  We arrived early so I could do some practice and I did a couple of runs to get a feel for the car.  Glenn (Bell) jumped in and had a run too so if anyone saw me standing at the fence watching my car go round, that answers that question for you!   As we walked back to the pits we became aware of some noise and commotion coming from the back of the lorry.   As we got closer we were greeted by Adam Maxwell and a load of the Northern Irish boys who had hatched a very well kept plan to turn up and surprise us.  Seemingly the whole world knew apart from us three, so well played lads, and Corb - we are forced to say that you in fact do love to travel!

The meeting itself was pretty good with me getting a 5th and 6th in the two heats.   It was fairly action packed but with some much needed points scored.    The final wasn’t to be as successful, with me crossing the line 16th, so just outside the points.   A lot of the drivers moan about Birmingham but I look forward to racing there and I’m pleased to see that we have a couple more rounds there this year.  Once the meeting was over it was time to load up and head home ready for Sunday - after a stop at Big John’s of course and then leaving Adam and his posse to go and cause chaos in Birmingham city.

The weather wasn’t going to be as kind to us on Sunday and as we drove to the track the rain, sleet and snow had already begun.  Unfortunately it was set in for the day and was enough to make any race track a very bleak place.   My car has always been a handful in the wet, but having the ‘World Champ and rain master’ on hand soon had this sorted and in practice the car was the best it’s ever been in those nasty greasy conditions.  Even though the car felt good the day turned into a disaster for me.   Things were going well in the first heat until going into the bend I locked a brake and slid the car into the wall, taking all the outside corner off in the process.   This left us with a big rush to get it all back together in time for the second race.  This one was pretty uneventful - I was steady to start with but was on the pace by the end picking up a 12th.  The final was another disaster.   The car was locking the brake again for the first few laps and by the time it seemed to have sorted itself I was at the back!   For a few laps in the middle of the race the car was brilliant but with a rapidly drying track I was soon left with the wrong tyres and started going backwards again.  I ended up finishing out of the points but survived the last bend pile up so that’s something to be thankful for.

When the meeting was over we were all left cold, soaking wet and in the case of the Irish boys - full of beer!   We just wanted to load the car in the truck, turn the heating up and head home.   The truck obviously had other ideas though and decided to uncoil the winch cable leaving us with the challenge of pushing the car into the back and then jamming it in place so we could strap it in.   Not a major drama, just not what you want after a particularly bad day.

So that’s it - I didn’t get the results I had hoped for but the car felt good and I really do have a sound base to work on over the year.   It was great to see everyone and I was quickly reminded just how many things we’ve planned for the year already!

We have a lot to do back at #27 H.Q. so I’ll keep you informed of progress.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey

The end is in sight

I’ll let you into a little secret  -  I’m sitting in the kitchen typing this wearing my racesuit!  It’s been a winter of eating, drinking and merry-making and this morning I suddenly had this worrying thought that my racesuit might not still fit.  It’s a snug fit at the best of times and there wasn’t much room for expansion, but all’s well - it still fits and a crash diet has been narrowly avoided!

I will begin with my car.  After many long hours in the workshop and many more by TPR Signs it is nearly ready.  I have a few silly little jobs left to do, then a big setup and it will be ready for a shakedown test to make sure there are no major problems before I can set it loose in anger and give it some proper testing laps.  With the work that’s gone into it and all the changes I’ve made it will be like having a brand new car, so I’ll have to learn to drive it again.  The engine is all in and running now and I have never heard anything else quite like it in a National Hot Rod.   Much to my father’s delight it sounds like a BDA in a rally car and if it goes as well as it sounds I have definitely made the right decision!

I know I’m biased but I always think the car looks pretty smart when I bring it out at the start of the year and improving it this time was always going to be a challenge for Jay. Well, I can safely say that he has done it.  He spent literally hundreds of hours on it and the end result is truly stunning.  I’m very lucky to have Jay and Sarah not only as sponsors but as friends, and if things go to plan we have a couple of ideas on the go that will hopefully be seen at some point over the coming months.  Watch this space!

As well as my car, John (Sibbald)’s has been parked in the workshop waiting for some attention, and with time rapidly escaping us we had to get on and finish it.  I picked John up from the airport on Thursday night and dropped him off again on Sunday afternoon and with thanks to Ross and my Dad we took it from a bare spaceframe to a complete car in that time.  While I was at work, John headed off early on the Friday morning to collect his engine from Anderson’s, and then in the afternoon we set about getting it back together.  By bedtime Friday all the suspension was sorted and fitted, the chassis had been touched up and the engine was sat in the hole.  Saturday morning saw John being a scrap-man in the morning followed by a couple of hours fishing in the afternoon.   The fact we had very little time and a car nowhere near finished then kicked in, and it was time to start burning the midnight oil.  After a late night Ross had all the panels on and John and I had finished the rest of the car (except a disaster with an oil filter) and it was ready for Dad to begin setting it up on Sunday.  When I dropped John off at the airport the car was very nearly done and another evening working on it should see it ready to take to the test track as well!

I must admit it’s lovely to walk into the garage and see the two cars sitting there ready to go.  It’s been such a hectic winter and I’m looking forward to both cars being back on the track.  There are so many people I would like to thank, who without their help and support it wouldn’t have been possible to get everything done… they know who they are and that I really appreciate it!

The plan now is to finish the cars, load the spares into the lorry and do some testing. Don’t ask me where or when as I have no idea yet but it will all sort itself out I’m sure. It’s less than two weeks until the first meeting, so time to get organised and make a plan I suppose.   Until I met John I was the most organised person in the world but his disorganised ways must have started rubbing off on me!

Before I go I just want to say a massive “congratulations” to Hot Rod driver Robert McDonald and his partner Lauren on the birth of their daughter Ayla.  She’s lovely and I can’t wait to meet her.  Only ten years and we’ll be building her a Mini!

I’ll be back before the first meeting with a final update.

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey

Plenty to keep us busy!

There certainly isn’t any rest for the wicked and since you last heard from me things have been absolutely flat out!  The car’s coming along nicely now and it won’t be long till it’s ready for the first testing session.  All the paintwork is done, the panels are back on and all the ancillaries are fitted.  It’s got a new exhaust from Simpson Race Exhausts, which is a ‘work of art’ and an absolute pleasure to look at.  The car is now sitting in the new TPR Signs HQ getting stickers done.  This is my favourite part of building a car and I love seeing all the designs and watching the car come together as Jay sends me pictures of it.

As well as my car there are plenty of other jobs to keep me busy.  John’s engine found its way into my pick-up at the N.E.C so Dad and I had a trip to Anderson’s one evening after work to drop it off for a rebuild.  I had arranged with Robert to pick his car up from SHP, for him in return bringing a Transit van down from Scotland for me.   At the same time John’s Hot Rod came down and is now sitting in my workshop awaiting an engine and a rebuild.

Swapping all the vehicles around turned into a military style operation.   We ended up with the Transit in our yard, Robert’s engine and various other items that would be heading back north on the front of his lorry, our Range Rover loaded onto the back and his spaceframe on the trailer!   John’s car in the meantime had acquired two flat tyres and had to be man-handled into my trailer at home. There was no chance that all this shuffling around of vehicles could take place in our drive so we went and caused a few minutes of chaos in one of the side streets opposite our house, no doubt leaving the residents of this usually very quite cul-de-sac wondering what on earth was going on!

When all this was done it was time to pile into the lorry and head to Stoke on Trent to attend former National Hot Rodder Iain Grayson’s 40th birthday party.  When we arrived at the hotel we had another mission: unloading the Range Rover so we could get to the party and I had a means of getting home next day - plus backing the trailer up onto the back of Robert’s lorry ready for the trip back to Scotland.   With all that done it was time to get changed and head off to the party.

Seeing as most of us were driving next morning and with Robert and Lauren’s baby due any day we were all pretty sensible and were back in the hotel by 1am.   It was a very good party though and we had a great night  . . .  but hopefully Gary will be able to remember the words to ‘The Gambler’ next time he decides to sing it in front of a room full of people!

I now have my new racing lorry and my Mum spent a very busy (and cold) Sunday peeling all the signwriting off it so I can get it re-done my way.  I have a few jobs I want to do to personalise it but I’m really pleased with it - and it will certainly be much better than lugging the trailer around everywhere.  The old lorry is coming together pretty well too and hopefully after a few more evenings’ work it will be ready to go on eBay and find itself a new owner.   While the car’s missing it will give us chance to try and finish it and also do some of the other jobs that get neglected whilst the car’s on the ramp.   I desperately need to sort my wheels out before the start of the year and all the spares need loading up into the new truck.  John is heading down in a couple of weeks and we aim to get his car pretty much finished and ready to go.  So you see, there’s certainly enough going on to keep us all busy!   Next time you hear from me I should have a finished car so I will upload some pictures and show you everything,

Thanks as ever for reading.

Until next time

Mikey.