Hillclimbing

[Woolley]

I've got the availability forms for marshalling, so the dates will be submitted to Julian Floyd's site very soon.

[Paul Ranson]

The Centenary weekend will surely be in August....

Anyway by inference I think it likely that there will be one day meetings at Shelsley around May 15 and July 2, one of which will presumably encompass the VSCC? July perhaps? Anyway that gives us the 5 allowable weekends.

Paul

[FLoads]

As one of the people 'foisting' the fixture list onto people at the Classic Car Show, here is the information:
May 14th Aldon HSA & Invited Championships
May 15th Midland Speed & Invited Championships
June 4th Practice
June 5th British, Leaders, Midland, Paul Matty & special feature classes
July 2nd Midland & Invited Championships
July 3rd Vintage with VSCC
Aug 19th Practice
Aug 20th British, Leaders, Midland
Aug 21st SHELSLEY WALSH CENTENARY - Invitation with, maybe, one or two blue ones, red ones and green ones ?? Personally I would like to see the repro [?] Auto Union and the recently restored Bert Hadley twin cam Austin single seater.
What would the readers like to see at the meeting ?
Sept 10th Midland, Paul Matty & Invited Classes
and then
2006
2007
2008 and on and on.
PS: The old buffers are well and will be at all meetings together with the mechanic, electrician and the gardener and his boy [come and see us the day before the meetings, probably being assisted by a very well known character]. With the, apparent, sad demise of the hound I suppose the butler will be looking for a new job - perhaps serving in the restaurant in the Paddock enhancing what will be a very attractive outlook might be rewarding for the poor old chap.
Siz yer

[ranoff]

Originally posted by FLoads
[B]As one of the people 'foisting' the fixture list onto people at the Classic Car Show

Thank you Mr Loads, your info is welcome and a great relief to many. May your rake be ever ready. But not too many of different hues I hope. Now Mike_Wooshy will not need to divert his path to Knightwick. But then, if I was within 20 miles I would have to visit heaven for old times sake. Sunday walk soon perhaps?

[Fireblade]

Good job FLoads was on the ball there ranoff.

Hon Sec will hold you responsible should people turn up for the Centenary meeting in Sept instead of August.
The reason it is not yet up on SW website is that there are other events planned to mark the 100 years in Aug and some are not finalised as yet.

Will be up there in the coming week I expect.

[ranoff]

Originally posted by Fireblade
Good job FLoads was on the ball there ranoff.
Hon Sec will hold you responsible should people turn up for the Centenary meeting in Sept instead of August.

I am embarrassed! Lack of co-ordination between brain and typing fingers is to blame. Mr Loads info is spot-on. As you say, there will be some other events planned around the centenary.

As to drivers for the centenary, I hope Sir Stirling will be there and it would be nice to see a cavalcade or a class of former BTD and record holders in appropriate cars.

I would like to see all the insects together again.

Any news on the Dr. Gray Hardy Special?

[Woolley]

I'm already drooling at the prospect. Shelsley was one of the first places I spectated and is where I first got involved in marshalling. Going by the club centenary it should be an awesome event. I suspect it's going to merit plenty of discussion, so I'm minded to give it its own thread. In fact I think I will. See 'Shelsley Special'.

So back to drivers, I'm mightily surprised to see Willem's advert. A better value drive in a well sorted and potentially to be developed car has to be the bargain of the year to someone wanting to learn the ropes in the top class. Willem has been awesome all year, surprising everyone, I think, not least by having cured his liking for the scenery, and the car has proved to be very quick and drivable.

[listernoble]

Originally posted by keith h
well wolley old pal.I will be out with the chevron b25 in 05 to see if a sub 30 is possable at shelsley!regards from all at the chevron bar!!!!!

Keith,
What ho mate,didn't realise you did keyboards as well as spool valves.
Hope to see you next year with the G17.
Lister

[ranoff]

Originally posted by Woolley
I'm mightily surprised to see Willem's advert.

I feel the same way. It is a bargain compared to the alleged price on the Fleetwood car. Not that I think its any slower than a sorted GR55. I reckon an Adam or a Junior are the big difference there. For the regular driver, it ought to be Willems car.

BTW perhaps the posts with the Shelsley dates ought to go on the new thread? See you all on that thread very soon. I'm pretty sure there will be a lot more news on that subject very soon.

[keith h]

HI G17 we hope you enjoy your last season in the gineta!!!! couz as you know,Bee Bop gets her race licence in 95,and her dad being a tight sod wont let her drive the B25. see you in the chevron bar.

[Fireblade]

A Ginetta and a Time Machine needed in that case then 'Arris.
Neither of you will see 95 again.
Makes me feel old if Bee Bop is that age already.
(Quiet at the back you ugly rabble) I am not old, Bob Dayson is old.

[listernoble]

Originally posted by keith h
HI G17 we hope you enjoy your last season in the gineta!!!! couz as you know,Bee Bop gets her race licence in 95,and her dad being a tight sod wont let her drive the B25. see you in the chevron bar.

Keith,you don't reckon that old thing is worth more than the 17 do you?
Lister

[keith h]

Na its probably only worth 30 bob and a big apple!!!but BEE BOP is not unlike yourself in being a shoretas so her feet cant touch the pedals,especally the one in the middle!

[andymfell]

just read in this weeks MN 24/11/04

2004 british championship runner-up
Roger Moran will switch from Pilbeam chassis to a Gould next season having sold MP88-Judd to Ulster sprint & hillclimb champion John Leinster

also mention of Chris Merrick and Karl Davison sharing ex Roy Lane GR55-Judd in 05
Davisons GR37 up for sale

How large an engine are Roger & Scott going to use in 05 ?

[b1ackcr0w]

According to Autosport, a 3.5 litre Nic Mclaren XB V8 sililar to the Fleetwood car (I thought the Fleetwood XB was 3.3?). Should be interesting.

I'm well chuffed about the Merrick/Davison deal. Two drivers with a lot of potential who deserve a shot at the title in an up to date car.

[Fireblade]

Not many people know but Mr Davison rode Gracies Ducati up Shelsley one Saturday evening after practice once. Only problem was that a certain C of C happened to be at the MAC AGM at the time.

Ooops...........a Sunday morning appointment in the office and a donation to MSA funds followed.

[ranoff]

Originally posted by b1ackcr0w
(I thought the Fleetwood XB was 3.3?).

3.5 from the beginning of the 2004 season.

Only problem was that a certain C of C happened to be at the MAC AGM at the time.

That was unfortunate. However, all competitors sign up to keep the rules. Holding the MAC AGM in a tent was a little common and plebeian but was an attempt to attract more members to the meeting. Failed miserably though. I prefer environs that have a ceiling. If I want to raise my eyes and see cloth, I will sleep under a mosquito net.

[FLoads]

Thank heavens that good sense returned and the AGM's are now held in more appropriate premises. We are used to more substantial cover over our heads at SW, even if they are a little narrow for modern cars. However our local publican is having an erection for Xmas functions and was more than a little upset when we referred to it as a tent [what were you thinking ?], it is a Marquee was the response.
Could someone tell me more about Karl Davison as I, as a relative newcomer to SW, do not recall seeing him drive. He and one or two others whose names are mentioned as buying reasonably competitive cars do not, then, seem to put in an appearance - is it they are a bit parochial in their entries ?

[ranoff]

Could someone tell me more about Karl Davison

Gurston Specialist, regular track champion there but only enters certain British rounds, by all accounts he will be a regular next season. You will have seen him occasionally but he is not a run off regular in British championship rounds. Last car a GR37, all white except for red hexagon graphics around nose cone. Graeme Wight Junior won his first British Championship with a one-off drive in this car after he damaged his own GR51.

Bit more on the new Roger Moran car, note that this is a direct lift from Autosport which I read in the Rugby branch of Sainsbury's! What a mean old boy I am. Autosport say it will be built by Gould on a 1999 Ralt F3 tub, so not a new build car. Anyone got any comments on this choice?

BTW Mr Loads do be careful with the old square brackets [] as you could end up doing something in html that you are not expecting!

[Paul Ranson]

Willem Toet had his first British Championship win in Karl's GR37 at Shelsley. Must have been in 2000?

I think Roger's Ralt tub is the F3 sister to the tub that Gould built the Wight GR51 on. So it has the mandatory F3 construction and cockpit opening and padding arrangement but is otherwise somewhat similar.

Paul

[b1ackcr0w]

Karl could be a surprise. He's only been regularly seen at Gurston and Wiscombe, occasionally Prescott, where the competition hasn't been that challenging. For the last few seasons, Only Tony Marsh has had either the chassis or the horsepower to match or nearly match him.

The last time I talked to him about having a stab at the nationals, he freely admitted that he needed to, but couldn't afford to.

The next bit is something I would say to Karls face. You'll notice his driving style is very calm, almost boring. But somehow it's quite effective. I would expect him to be recording some of the fastest straight line times going, but I think will probably be too early on the brakes for corners, despite the fact that his lines are smooth and could take more speed. Overall, I will be quite surprised not to see him in the Top 12 quite often. I think that he will score well at the more technical tracks where other drivers try to bully the cars round. The pairing with Chris Merrick will do him a lot of good because they both have similar potential, and have both needed the test of an equal to push them on.

He's a nice bloke, one of the most shy characters I've ever met in hillclimbing but he's a good chap once you get to know him.

[b1ackcr0w]

These are dire times for Pilbeam!

What with Roger defecting to Gould and Willem looking very shakey for next year.

As I understand it, the only MP88 out next year is Tom New's 2000cc, which in the shark infested waters of the 2litre class is not where you want your only chassis running.

You would expect a response from Pilbeam at some point, has anybody heard any such rumblings from them recently?

[Woolley]

Karl has been very quick at Gurston - massive commitment into Karousel, if I remember. Should take to the car like the proverbial. Chris won't be a sluch either. Another promising combination. Any more news on Willem's car sharing search yet? I imagine top ten points are going to be a bit tough to get next year, and a share of the Pilbeam must be useful to someone.

[FLoads]

Ranoff, you know that my little crochet knows more about computers than I do. I shall ask her about square brackets and html.

[ranoff]

Originally posted by FLoads
my little crochet knows more about computers than I do.

As we are sometimes criticsized for being mysterious, Little Crochet is lovely Mrs Loads who is another of the Hillclimb musical fraternity, as is Floads himself, and me an ex chorister who can sight read after a fashion. Wrong thread but there ought to be some scope for organised musical activity at the Shelsley centenary. Lots of talent about. How about a Teme Valley musical festival? Should I eventually qualify for Parc Ferme entrance there is a lot of scope for motor sport musical activity there.