Remembering Rog #95

Sunday 3rd April, and an overcast day greeted Smeatharpe Stadium as the drivers and Autospeed put on a meeting to pay tribute to Roger Wilcock, who passed away in November

I knew Roger outside of the sport for sometime. He worked for one of my dad's biggest customers during my formative years, and was a fellow Callington Young Farmer, when I started he was finishing - many an YFC disco would end up in some Wilcock hi jinx, usually in a fight or two! We had seen what a character he was in Taunton Speedweekends, the pig racing, the lighting of chest hair, he was one of a kind, both on and off the track, and I don't think the mould is available to make another.

Such was the measure of the man, that this meeting had to happen. His friends on and off the track made sure it was going to be a good un. Gordon Moodie travelled through the night, forsaking Buxton to come down and race and pay his respects. Rumour had it he was hoping to unleash the trolley that Dave Richardson had been creating, just in case the infamous Trolley Dash was repeated. Along came our Barry too for a play for the first time in a while, as this was a Goldin stomping ground of old.

Presentations were made to each competitor, and a vast array of sponsorship and trophies were on display was a real treasure to behold, prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, meant that there was pleny of silverware, that if it was "cashed for gold" it would have singlehandely brought the country out of recession.

So to the racing. In practice, the lap record went. Barry Goldin (401) rediscovered the quick way to go round Taunton, then unfortunately in the meeting, re-learnt that she can be a cruel mistress! Heat 1 saw Matt Westaway (835) runaway, leaving Chris Bradbury (886) too much to do to overhaul the yellow top. In Heat 2 James Rogers (544) and Jack Aldridge (921) ran away it, until 1 to go when Aldridge pounced and Rogers spun, leaving Aldridge clear to take it. The highlight of this heat though, was the trading of bumpers between Gordon Moodie (7) and Neil Hooper (676), awesome stuff, and got the crowd going. Had it not been for Chevy Mills (538) being in the middle, this could have continued for laps and laps. Then, the heavens opened, it started spitting, and the recently returned regenmeister Jeremy Moss (707) was spotted by Andy Maidment (dad of Nathan (935)) doing a rain dance when it started it spit and spot with rain. Needless to say, the Moss tribe's rain gods were worshipped, as both father and son Jeremy and Dan (797) flew away in the consolation. However Dan was a little keen - he got docked for trying to keep up with Dad. However, with cars spinning everywhere, it was particularly tricky, and James Rygor (783) took the flag, but Paul Rice was flying about.

Final Time, and with the track damp, and a steady drizzle pouring down, it was one of those finals that could be deemed as controversial. Bradders got a trademark good start, which was a fine line between being a "Pringle". Matt Linfield was certainly quick and whether Bradbury would have caught him, if the blue top hadn't met the fence exiting turn 4. Bradbury won a clear half a lap in the lead from Hooper and an impressive drive by Jay Tonkins (290).




The Grand National was another soggy affair, and all eyes on Bradbury, to see if an "advantegous" start was achieveable, and also to see how far he could get up the grid. It was clear for the outset that he was on a misson, as he brushed aside Moodie with relative ease on the soggy track. Meanwhile the unfortunate Linfield was making up for his final disappointment as his self built car was skipping through the puddles, with Rich Swales (162) setting the early running. 

So with soggy shoes, and pockets lighter from change being removed by the Marie Curie collecters (ably stewarded by Pit Lady Madge) it was time to go home from a meeting that I'm sure Roger would have loved, if not the weather...

Race in peace, Rog.