Stoxradio: Away we go...

The immortal words of the late Ron Pickering giving the kids the get up to jump in the pool at the end of "We Are The Champions" (ask your Dad kids) the season is underway.
So off to St Day we go, were hands were rubbing, not with excitement or glee, more just to get warmth on what was a very, very, cold day at the West Cornwall track. An impressive 33 cars in the pits, which for an opening St Day was impressive. Also impressive was the sheer amount of newcomers, giving impressions that it could be a classic season in the Westcountry.

Heat 1 saw an early lead for newcomer Tom Clark (575) sped away into the distance. I am led to believe that Tom is a former track champion at the now defunct Westworld Raceway (aka St Columb). Early breakers were Ashley Rundle (116) and Matt Westaway (835), however a caution brought Clark's lead. However backmarker novice John Scorse (519) stayed on he racing line on the restart, causing Rundle to clip him half way down the straight which in turn sent Westaway spinning and causing the mother of scrambles for a clear line past the blue top. A further caution and Chris Mikkula (522), out in a car finished on Friday, and taken up Bristol for 10 shake down laps to break the seal, swiftly moved over in the RCE. Indeed, the man from Weston took the win, from Rundle...

Heat 2 saw an impressive start for Liam Deeble (785) who sped away to quite a lead. The blues broke away with Jay Tomkins (290) and Paul Butcher (189). Behind track champion Neil Hooper (676) and Nathan Maidment (935) were having a good old fashioned ding dong of a battle, with Nathan giving interest to the punishment dealt out by Hoops. However it was wiley old veteran, Butcher who got the better of Tomkins. Rumours were flying around from sources undisclosed that 3 of the 4 TARTs were partaking in a pre St Day ritual which took place in the Galleon, Fowey. Sources disclosed (Mrs Butcher) said that one was so joyous with drink, that she had to take his shoes off and put him to bed. Racing with a hangover, with the cool St Day air seemed to inspire the Gloucestershire builder as he took another victory.

The consolation looked a good learning curve for the novices, as the majority of them took to the track. Again it was Deeble who sped away, taking PJ Moss (979) with him, although he did look advantageous, and a borderline pringle! Behind a battle of Mid Cornwall was taking place between Westaway, the "Ladies Favourite" "Dangerous" Dale Moon (302), Andrew Bennett (830) and Dan Moss (797). Ryan Hoskin (991) waded in with the bumper and Dale was a little too keen allowing his way through, which collected Westaway and parked up beside him. Matt was thoroughly peeved off, as he said in the pits after "he wished he stayed at home", as he find himself an innocent victim in someone elses accident. After a further caution when Liam Deeble (785) was left with nowhere to go when Jay Scott (686) spun and stalled. After that caution, Bennett took the lead from last time feuders Jamie Beere (954) and Dave Sansom (352)

Final time, and this was for the magnificent replica old time microphone, for the "Voice of Autospeed" trophy, commemorating and celebrating of long time commentator Bill Dalley. Clark sped away into a quarter lap lead, Rundle broke from the yellows, and James Rygor (783) the Blues. Rundle caught Clark just as Justin Fisher (315) half spun, collecting Hooper, for a comparison on the Dulux Colour Chart to see who had the closest to Truran Purple. In the melee, Hooper was slowed, and Mikkula snuck through to join the party. However, Rundle held on for the win, with Rygor and Mikkula rounding out the top 3 and Clark taking an impressive 4th. Such was the quality of the blows, many of the lower places wanted another half dozen or so laps as there was plenty of bumper after the flags.

And with the national the last race of the day, and with Ranolph Fienes levels of frost bite approaching, Clark led away and this took an all too familiar form for the regular St Day viewer as Neil Hooper took the chequered along with a very impressive Jamie Avery (126)

So the touch paper lit on a big season for the Westcountry....a few salient points of order. After I outed Pit Lady Madge last week, she officially told Crispen, after Parky dobbed her in, that this season was her last. The over optimistic ice cream van, went home after heat 1, knowing that ice cream wouldn't be advisable. Mike Priddle (14) surveyed the new "Arena Seating". Whether he had designs of following the PR1MO Raceway (aka Northampton), for the "MDP Services Grandstand for f*&k^%g w%£k^rs"

Still it was nice to be back, at home...

Declan Hooper (967) is the son of the late Eric Hooper (ex367) who raced at St Columb, before a heart attack took him 1997. Makes me feel very old as Declan is 21, and I went to school with his big sister, and he was only a nipper when Eric died!