St Columb. Going. Going. Gone. Gonna Cry.

So after years of will they wont they, the movers have arrived and started to demolishing it. Always a sad time when a track goes, but one you've seen grow, that's the bitterest pill.

Humble beginnings for the Mid Cornwall Track. Pic Courtesy of the "Autospeed To Take Over Westworld Raceway" group on Facebook.

The track started off in the mid nineties as a dust bowl. Later on, hardcore was placed and they raced on it, days before the tarmac was coming ! Hence why it always had that bumpy appearance. It was fraught with access issues from the start, ghaving being designated by the late Trevor Redmond as a filler for the gaping hole that the closure of Newton Abbot had left in his fixtures. Accessability meant a new road had to built into the track, as the dispute meant the road in was blocked due to access. Indeed, it wasn't until 1997 that we finally got to drive down there. Being a nubile spotty 17 year old at the time, it was also the venue for my first ever laps in a stock car. Excited and beaming from ear to ear, I adorned my steed and set off driving round like I was a combination of Rob Speak, Bill Batten and Aryton Senna, when in fact I drove round like Miss Daisy (slower Clarence, slower!), Maureen from "Driving School" and Bruno Senna. A lifelong ambition fulfilled, but none the less slower than the offspring of a couple of Norfolk cousins.

Proper drivers such as Chris Brewer, Adam Pearce, Derek Sillifant and the late Roger Wilcock cut their teeth there before graudating to F2. Former "in house" stock car drivers include Matt Westaway (835) and Jason Phillps (395). 2010 Novice of the Year Dan Moss also learnt valuable racing traits in the Robins

In the noughties, meetings dwindled and the banger infighting came to a head when Eddie James, head honcho at Westworld was poached by Autospeed. He took banger turnouts, and event naming illiteracy to new levels, as St Columb had the Boneshaker and the Blockbuster, St Day now had the Boneshayker and the Blockbusta, lovingly monikered as if it was written by N Dubz. However this hi viz spat ended up with the summer season dwindling to the occasional visit, and it was clear, there was no room at the inn for the purple people.

7th July 2009 - the end. The final flag furl.

Day 2 in an epic westcountry racing week. The perfect setup for the end of era. World qualifer. Every top name in the sport there. The first race winner (566 Percy Sleeman), the first final winner (218 Rob Speak). A fitting way to end that track was the 80+ F2's and 60 odd bangers from far and wide. Spectators lining up deep into the terracing, cars parked on the A39 and still racing at 11:45pm, it was the stuff of legend and a highlight of one of the best racing weeks of my life.

Top Bend chaos at the Final Meet - Courtesy of Sponge Pics

It gave us also 2 of the best lines ever to be uttered by a commentator. Brian Goldsworthy, at his magnificent best.


"05 Carlos Perez in a Toyota Crown, looks a bit better upside down"
"...some people have got a lump in their throat tonight, I've got a lump in my pants"

A difficult child, but best remembered for the good times. Driving thru the cowboy theme park gave it some gravitas. We outlaws is off to do some battle...

The pit straight, now. Courtesy of the "What Was Westworld" group on Facebook.

Question is.... an artificial surf resort 6 miles from some of the best surf in the world at Newquay? Holiday chalets with a lovely view of.....what exactly?

Such a bloody shame - if you missed going to there, you really missed out.

St Columb aka Retallack Park, Westworld Raceway 1997- 2009.