Showtime.....

Jazzhands, dancing girls, naff comedy set pieces set to an awful music soundtrack, Staged and badly cheroegraphed main routines. But enough about the Young Farmers Cabaret I was producing instead of being at the NEC this weekend. Although if you've been to the Live Action Arena, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The voice of Hot Rods on't Sky, David Richardson, does the same knockabout jokes every year with that stunt driving dude. "You've run over my toe!".


Yup the whole oval racing community decamps and gives itself a leg up whilst schmoozing with its more well known cousins. I wonder how Messrs Hamilton, Button, Webber et al would cope with the likes of Moodie, let alone Speak, who almost broke into those circles. Tim Sugden (88) has proved that you can move the other way lads from circuit to oval and its the likes of Molly who we need as ambassadors to keep banging on door from the snobbery that sometimes prevails at these junkets.

88 Tim Sugden, ex BTCC proving that you don't have to turn right.... Sponge Pic...

Don't forget that the Milky Bar Kid, Nigel Green (445)'s brother is Jamie Green top World Touring Car dude. It's an opportunity for us as a sport to show off that we are awesome and Europe's top motorsport formula.

So Bradders, Micky and Ally on the main stand and a virtual plethora of new Randall just off, same as every year. Last year seemed to be better was the general consensus, but then last year we had both gold and silver with new cars, we also had the juicy politics of Chairman Jeff, of which my stance was well publicized, and well applauded with all those who I spoke with!

Mickey Brennan's new RCE

Roll on next year, from what peeps where saying, it was the same old... however Sponge spotted something on Chris Bradbury's (886) new motor which sums up this site as well as his new Higgy...

and affection and tea and Menheniot air....

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.

Spongedaz Gossippants

Our intrepid snapper goes in search of gossip so juicy, the Man from Del Monte, has already said yes!


DOUBLE DUTCH

2 new cars for our clog wearing friends. H277 Ronald Claes has a new HCD and H7 has a new RWT.

CANDY SHOP

Mendips regular Steve Candy (687) has traded in the dated Higman chassis, and upgraded to a copy of an early RCE (think Chad Harris (29)) with the assistance of fellow Brizzle Shizzler Mick Weber (855)

NEW NUTS AND (SHAD) BOLTS

Former National Champion and all round top shale shifter Brian Shadbolt, has a nice new Randall Motorsport to play with. With a shale pedigree but not afraid of the tar, with this car he might go far!



Do you have any gossip for us? Gonna sound like 3AM in the Mirror but drop us a line at jhostoxblog@live.co.uk !!!

Stu Smith - A Stock Car Legend.

Now as the stock car world stops to gather to pay its one of its kind, we here at Jho's Stox Blog thought it would be fitting to give a glowing tribute to a stellar name of the sport which sadly passed away.

I'm talking of course about Stuart Smith - The Maestro F1 Stock Cars greatest ever driver, who sadly passed away just before Christmas.

I didn't see him race, but if those who did are to be believed, to see him race was something else. The match races with Bill Batten in the 70's proved that he could turn his hand to anything.

For me as a stock car fan, he stole the show on the BBC's "Gears and Tears"

A true character, and one that will be sorely missed. My sympathies to the family, and both on and off track on Heaven's Raceway have got one bright new star tonight

Big Ben..... Fund Update

The pages of the mighty fine Jho Stox Blog are not just for the musings of bald Cornish madmen oh no. We are a public service, and so with the help of Sharon Blood.... here's one of many Benevolent Fund Updates

The organisers of the F2 Drivers Benevolent Fund are pleased to announce our big fund raiser for 2011.

The winner of the Big Ben Fund Raffle will receive a Randall Motorsport Chassis worth a minimum of £2500.00. Further efforts are being made to step beyond a rolling chassis with other goodies for the car.

By late August/World Final time we are hoping to have this prize on regular display.

The price of a ticket is £5.00

Tickets will be going on general sale at the Autosport Show where you can purchase your tickets at the BriSCA F2 Stand.

Online purchases will be available the week after the autosport show and then they will be available to purchase at most meetings during the 2011 season.

Drivers have an early opportunity to get tickets by way of the voluntary purchase option on the 2011 licence form.

The winning ticket will be drawn at the 2011 awards night which is on Saturday 28 January 2012.

Keep checking back to see the full and inclusive list of what you have a chance of winning.

To date the winning prize consists of the following

Chassis
Fully bracketed roll cage
Roof Plate
Front and Rear Bumpers
Side Irons
Battery Tray
Engine and Gear Box Mounts
Rear Axle and Link Bars
Front Suspension including Rod Ends
Front Anti Roll Bar including Drop Links and Rod Ends
Morris 1000 Steering Rack including Heavy Duty Rack Clamps
Steering Column
Brake Pedal Bar including Pedals and Master Cylinder Bracket
Rear Anti Roll Bar including Drop Links and Rod Ends
Fully Panelled including Fire Walls
Dashboard
Rear Wheel Spring Guard
Wing Slider Kit
Light Weight Aluminium Wing

and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeeeeeeeee. Cheers Sharon. I might buy a ticket or two, this prize is awesome and incredibly generous of Randall Motorsport.....

 

Gossip with Sponge....

So here we are into the new year, and here comes everyone's favourite white top come snapper with gossip so hot, it could have married Andrew Lloyd-Webber!

 Sponge had to go incognito to get the goss

BINGLEY FOR MARK

Midlands yellow top and former Man of Kernow, 215 Mark Trevarthern is having a new Darren Bingley motor.

ROGERS GOES HARD

James Rogers (544) has traded in his old machinery for a new John Harding Motorworld, making him a contender for my throne as the most northerly Motorworld!

MURRAY JOINS THE ELITE

Rumours abound that one half of the Jones Bros. Stunt Display Team, Murray Jones (276) has sold the crowd bothering Higman steed and gone to see Uncle Terry

GREEN ARMY DISBANDED?

News from the Daddy's paintshop is that the trademark green bits of Liam Rowe's (605) ex Cuming Motorworld have gone and have been replaced with a blue for 2011.

Sponge will be our roving reporter bringing you the pics as quick as he can on Saturday night from the Autosport Show at the NEC, if its got legs or wheels, he'll be snapping it!

Fixtures and fittings

So its the moment your fridge door has been waiting for. The Brisca F2 Fixture List for 2011 is out, and well its very much the same old.

It's nice to see a few new tracks and a few returning ones, as I do think the sport could do with a few more, just too keep the sport going. Stoke is a welcome returnee, especially as the North needs it. (Is Stoke North or the Midlands? But then to me Plymouth is the North). Steve Rees seems to have the knack of finding places to race, to add to Coventry, Belle Vue, Sheffield, Bradford, Workington, Swindon and the aborted Brampton. I'm pretty certain he'd try and get back Boston if there weren't a lishing great Tescos on top of it. Have another fumble down the back of your sofa Stevo and see if you can find another 2 or 3!


Now this my friends is genius. Ever since dear old Kate said yes to being Willy's wedded wife, and PM DC gave us another long weekend, those kind royalists at Incarace gave us the perfect antidote to blanket TV coverage of the nupitals. If it was an actual blanket, it would be one seen wrapped around the foolhardy and brave supporters at Buxton in March. They have given us the reason why Bank Holiday were invented, to go racing. However I do think the 2's will be the bridesmaid to the intriguingly sounding Bride and Groom Bangers - I'm thinking Banger pairs, jag at the front, corsa at the back?

Now controversially it seems that St Day and Bristol are clashing again on the 29th May. Now last year this split the westcountry drivers that day to 21 at St Day and 22 at Bristol. Bristol lost out as on average they have 40 cars at a domestic meeting, whilst 21 at St Day is usually a good meeting (if they run 2/3rds format), 22 racing in the Mendip Hills can be pretty dire. Yes there are 172 miles between the two tracks, and yes in the past there were clashing meetings- but why the need to clash? For the past god knows how many years they have cooperated, I just worry why they don't know.

June looks fairly quiet, and July is the speedweekend showdowns. Skeg, then the Euros at Northampton again, where we once again are 3rd billing behind the tractors and plebels. Hednesford for the Semis I am not so sure about. I find the semis are often more entertaining than the World Final (although see last year for a rare good semi awesome World combo) and the last time the former reservior had it, it almost flooded with a tempest, however the Semi was dull. My only memory of that weekend was the fact that then missus lived in Telford, and if I sneaked along the A5 I could go up and see the girlfriend, spend some quality time with her and then some stockage. In fact it was the first meeting I went to, in the words of Eric Carmen...."allllllll byyyyyyyyyyyyy myyyyseeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllfffffff"

Now my love for shale is not great, but everytime I've been to shale, the racing has been top. Lynn should serve up a classic, if the 2000 version, Swindon and Mildenhall worlds should be the form guide for it. We've had 2 unpredictable world finals, will it be 3 in a row??

Now I like the end of season party feel that the Gala meeting had last year, even though the big race was more of anticlimax than a spotty 16 year old getting his first fun fumble with a female. Hopefully lessons have been learnt and we have a good send off....

Not long now folks....