By now it’ll be nearly Mid Summers Day and half of most motor sporting seasons will be over!! I probably say that every year but I’m not gonna look back and check because the fact that the time whizzes by is still valid. The Marketing Machine championship will very soon be at our own North Weald sprint on June 22nd, entries may still be available so don’t delay in calling Tina Moon, 01953 451463. Marshals for this event please volunteer to Chin, 01732 823132.
I know that some of you are a bit down that a club of the stature of Sevenoaks has for this year been left with two sprints at the ever popular North Weald. Believe me, we have been trying to secure another venue and are still doing so. Crystal Palace has never left our minds and communications with Bromley council have been ongoing. It appears that at the moment nothing is going to change which will allow us back to this superb venue, but it will not just be discarded as an ‘oh well, we tried’. Dunsfold Aerodrome near Godalming and known to the Top Gear addicts as their test track has also been looked at by the Colin’s Rodger and Billings. Things looked promising for a while but now the aerodrome is having planning problems just allowing Top Gear to continue using it let alone a motor club for some real competition. However, it is another one that is filed in the ”to be looked at next year” drawer. Even the historical name of Valence cropped up a few months ago. This does unfortunately look like a non-starter as the golf course is still there and the option would have been to start from where the golf course access road crosses the original track. Those who’ve been to Valence will know how short it was anyway, 720 yards I think and about a 30 second hill on average, so virtually halving the length just doesn’t make it worthwhile. Not only that but because the venue hasn’t been used, the track licence which every venue must have has lapsed and Valence would now be treated as a brand new venue rather than one that had previously run for 30 or more years and that in itself would mean a great deal of safety related work would need to be done. All I can say is don’t get disheartened, we are looking but don’t forget that you the members may well know of a friend of a friend who has a mile long twisting tarmac drive. Give us their details if that’s the case, don’t assume that we know everything ……….. !
Our Autotest series has kicked off nicely with a total of 18 competitors out on the first round. Chris Judge took FTD on a very slippery evening, long fresh grass that just wouldn’t allow traction. No major mishaps, a couple of minor ones, Andy Elcomb’s radio controlled plane with mid mounted digital camera had a somewhat heavy landing …… I saw three people each carrying a part back to the car! Just thought, how I can use the name Andy Elcomb and minor mishap in the same sentence??? Answers on a postcard please. Then there was Andy Watkins’ expensive sounding engine problem on the Seat …… well what do you expect from a Spanish motor, hmmmm, aren’t one or two Ford’s built in Spain?? The thing was spinning over quickly, trying occasionally to cough into life but immediately dying. Ooooh, could be a valve, cam belt jumped a few teeth, lots of muttering. A call to the AA resulted in a local garage coming out and finding the centre electode of the dizzy cap missing. A temporary fix was made and Andy was on his way feeling slightly relieved probably. Rounds 2 and 3 will have happened by now but don’t miss June 26th, July 10th and July 24th. Also going on and interspersed with our own tests are those of Maidstone and Mid Kent Motor Club. Theirs take place on Wednesday evenings at Headcorn, the details are in the calendar in the back of ACORN.
Daren Hall and Andy Elcomb have been out again in the forests of South Wales doing the BTRDA rally championship. Andy will be doing a more detailed write up I expect, probably including one or two things that he just won’t be able to resist putting in eh Andy??? I mention it now briefly because we had a damn good result on the last round, the Red Dragon rally run by Port Talbot MC. 14th overall is not to be sniffed at, 180 starters, 120 finishers remember. The car’s driveshafts held together thankfully, the cancellations of SS6 may have been a blessing in disguise. The result would have been better still had Daren not had a slow speed off into a ditch on the inside of a 90 left. He couldn’t find a gear quick enough to spin the front wheels and drag the car around and it nosed gently into the bank. I know all this because Stefan Davis had lent Daren his video camera and mounting for the event and we could analyse it afterwards. 26 seconds were lost which although would only have moved them up to joint 12th, more importantly it would have given them the class win. Will Onions’ (Is that a real name..???? Ed) Escort RS2000, P30 FMC, took the win by 12 seconds at the end. It has given us renewed confidence and as long as GKN come up with the new shafts in time, we’ll be out again on June 21st in Sherwood Forest. (Watch out for the Merry Men! Ooh that gives me an idea for a photo...Ed)
A quick mention for a hillclimb that we have an invite to. Those who attended Karen Webber’s pre season speed meeting will remember that Gurston Down was on the list of venues available to us to include in the championship. It didn’t get enough votes, much to my dismay, but Mrs Jane Anthony of BARC South West still included the invite to Sevenoaks as a club rather than the MM championship. The date to which we are invited is July 20th, entries close on June 28th so it must fill up pretty quickly. If upon reading this you feel the urge to enter, I should do it quickly by firstly calling Jane on 01725 552832. If you feel aggrieved that it isn’t in the championship then you should have been at Karen’s meeting, don’t miss it next year! I shall be sending off my entry very soon. Interestingly, the regs show that for this event, an ACU permit has been applied for so there must be bikes there as well, how much better can it get? Bikes = babes doesn’t it Sam??

Mark Dawson