On the Buses....

Bunter (left) shows the scrunched up fixture list to Messrs Carter and Rosevear

So, how we doing peeps, all geared up for yet another Bank Holiday weekend. As I'm no longer bothering the great unwashed and general scroats that lurk in Job Centres, I'm now back earning a crust. The downside means, I'm now officially a commuter into Plymouth City Centre, which means parking up at the Coypool Park and Ride (also known as the Plymouth Devils Speedway car park!) and catching a bus into work. So I know how frustrating it can be when you wait ages for one, and then 2 come along at once. It seems the proverbial bus syndrome has hit Westcountry meetings.

Last year we saw the first fixture clash for over 20 years in the Westcountry. The May Day Bank Holiday meeting saw St Day and Bristol clash which baffled all. The last clash was also a May Day Bank Holiday, with Newton Abbot and Mendips clashing, with turn just over 20 car turnouts. So, last May Day saw 21 cars at St Day, and 22 at Bristol. Both meetings were very "going through the motions", St Day probably more suited to a smaller turnout than the Cheddar track. 

Drivers were split, fans were split - despite drawing from the same resources, 2 sub standard meetings. 

Now for the past 20 years, fixtures had been agreed and sorted out between 3 promotions, as Taunton and Newton Abbot had to jostle- and often 2 meetings on one day, Smeatharpe in the afternoon, the Racecourse in the evening.

So why have Autospeed challenged the custodians traditional Bank Holiday Sunday meeting, and once again clashing with the Mendips. We've had no meetings for 3 weekends, and then another 3 weeks until we race again. Yup the bank holidays took a lot out of us, but really is there any need for this gap? What happened to the first Sunday in the month being a St Day also? A St Day or a Bristol last weekend would have worked, and wouldn't have hurt anyone...

It's the Devonians that will be, in the words of Karen Carpenter, "torn between two lovers". Where do I go?Which will be the better meeting? What if I miss a classic? Surely, these people would have gone to both if they were on, so not only would there be more cars if there was only one, it would have been better attended.

Current optimistic estimates give turnouts of around 25, with the Cornish based drivers staying about, and Bristol being reliant on getting passing trade from Birmingham en route to the Bank Holiday Taunton.

To bring it full circle, the added attraction/gimmick for this weekends St Day - bus racing. You wait 12 months for a bus to come along- then 6 turn up at once.....