Newsletter May 2011
A very long time since the last Newsletter, and no one seems to have missed it! All of our newsletters and other information is now online at www.mendipsraceway.com, and that is a trend which will continue.
We are five meetings into the new season, and not a bad one yet!
New Drivers
This Newsletter keeps you up to date with everything that is going on at the Raceway, and most importantly, your change of racing grade or roof colour. All of our formulae are regraded usually after every two meetings, and once notified, you must repaint your car roof in the correct grading colour.
Driver and Mechanic admissions
It has been evident at the beginning of the season once again that drivers do not understand the free entries that are granted with your Mendips Raceway racing licence. In all cases, the driver and one other person is admitted free of charge-all other family and friends have to pay.
When the tow vehicle or transporter arrives, that is when the free admissions are granted-not two hours later when a family member arrives on their own and claims a free ticket. If your wife, or girlfriend or mechanic wish to use the free admission, they must arrive with the driver. With Junior Rods, both parent are admitted free with the driver, and in all cases, we do not charge for drivers children under 15 years of age.
Brisca F2 Stock Cars
Whilst the World Qualifier was reasonably well attended, our second meeting on May 2nd was an all in format, as only 20 cars were available to race. This led to the cancellation of the Rookies Reward race, which was a great shame, and therefore that prize money will be carried over to the next round which is scheduled for May 29th. We will definitely run this round, and it will be for double prize money, so don’t miss out! The round is sponsored by Ray Lines Engineering, and is notable because it as near as we can get to 50 years since Ray Lines (ex613) won his first Final in a Junior Stock Car at Matchams Park, Ringwood-in May 1961!
On the subject of our next meeting, our traditional June event has moved to July, and the F2 stock car drivers have a chance to be part of our annual Cancer Charity meeting, which is titled Filo’s Crashmania, in memory of one of our most popular banger drivers, lost to cancer three years ago. We have raised around £15000 over the past 10 years, and we are delighted that the stock cars will be racing on that day for the Pink Ribbon Trophy, which has been presented especially for this occasion. Please make the effort to race on that day, as cancer is a terrible disease that affects every family, and we always have a great day fundraising, and the more outrageous pink stunts the better! Have a look at the 2010 pictures on our website to get the idea!
676 Neil Hooper 68
921 Jack Aldridge 45
835 Matt Westaway 34
886 Chris Bradbury 33
522 Chris Mikulla 27
315 Justin Fisher 26
374 Gary Stephens 26
606 Andrew Palmer 25
677 Chris Roots 24
990 Paul Rice 23
Bangers
The Micro meeting that started the year off was well attended and very entertaining, we shall do our best to fit in another next year. Hearse and Limos was not as good as previous years, but the large Bank Holiday crowd enjoyed seeing the big cars, and it was quite understandable that drivers wanted to keep them for THUNDERBOLT. This meeting may have another year in it-if you want it to continue then it will, providing cars are available, or otherwise we might try a big van meeting. THUNDERBOLT XI was very good, and had plenty of visitors, and Martin has to be congratulated for a well deserved win, even though he had to retire to win a Championship on his home track! We did not have any entries for the Hednesford 2litre World, which is understandable with fuel and car costs, but the first time for quite a while that we have not had drivers in a World Final. The next weekend is unders on Sunday and overs on Monday, and the second World Qualifier. This meeting was well supported last year despite being against Crasharama, so we hope that it will be again this year.
Top Tens
Bangers Banger World Qualifiers
363 Sam Trim 59 252 Steve Bugler 42
517 Scott Weldon 54 210 Paul Barnes 27
252 Steve Bugler 42 44 Steve Griffin 21
303 Jason Oliver 39 517 Scott Weldon 19
40 Pete Stanley 39 40 Pete Stanley 17
62 Brett Ellacott(v) 36 15 Ben Tovey 16
446 Jason Burt 29 224 Dale Edwards 15
790 Dominic Gumbleton 28 446 Jason Burt 11
58 Martin Dalton 28 162 Mike Cocks 8
210 Paul Barnes 27 11 Damian Deacon 8
Reliant Robins
Good to see some new faces finding out just how much fun you can have on three wheels, and the next meeting will be Crazy Day. The plan is to have a straight race, a wrong way round race, and a ramp race.
Due to the price of radiators, we are prepared to allow water tanks to be used. These must be no more than a couple of gallons, and fitted to the fibreglass above and in front of the engine, in the panel that used to hold the heater unit. Anything other than this will be refused.
Top Ten
Robins
499 Lee Charles 55
87 Barry Richards 48
3 Dan Tytheridge 42
444 Mark Loader 38
78 Mark Bowskill 37
445 Niki Loader 33
33 Jack Carnell 12
111 Tom Ruby 12
9 Adam Allias 12
39 Simon Faulkner 11
Junior Rods
We are very pleased with the progress here. The Assessent Day was a great success, and was really held because we had so many new drivers ready to take it. It was much less pressurised than a race day, and everyone enjoyed it. We have allowed the novice drivers to have their own heat in the two meetings staged so far, which has tilted the points and gradings slightly, but having looked at the points, we have decided to grade the drivers exactly how the points have fallen. If any driver feels over graded, and the by all means speak to Russ, and we can drop you down to a grade that is more suitable. New drivers may still start at the back of the grid if they wish.
Red Tops Blue Tops
127 Louis Aldom 52 273 Zoe Cambridge 16
510 Sid Harrison 46 30 Joe Capel 15
796 Daniel Steeds 37 39 Sophie Harris 14
404 Macauley Mills 36 202 Shannon Mills 9
87 Callum Richards 34 16 Daniel Milverton 9
6 Connor Jeffries 26 313 Charlie Boorer 8
14 Andrew Russell 23 122 Portia Rowe 4
205 Charlie Norton 23 25 Brad Seymour 4
111 Natasha Howe 23
Hot Rods
Having scheduled an extra meeting this season, it would be good to have some more drivers racing in the Hot Rods. As always, many thanks to the drivers who have turned up and made the racing as exciting as it has been, but we really need to get back up to double figures. If there are any more drivers out there, please do your best to persuade them to come and join us. Good to see Steve on top of the points, and he seems to be well on it this year, as is Larry, having finally got the Focus sorted.
282 Steve Hunt 77
18 Larry Langmead 75
718 Colin White 58
55 Alistair Lowe 47
205 Mike Norton 38
904 Wilson Hamilton 29
117 Dave Tossell 26
258 James Griggs 25
89 Mick Cave 12
578 Rick Lee 8
Special Rods
Sorry that the message didn’t get through to everyone about the new grades for last meeting, but not everyone can spend hours on the internet! We do publish this newsletter on the website every time, but you have to register to access it, which is not difficult. Lots of great racing in this class, and some more new drivers adding to the formula. Ross was unlucky to break a gearbox last time, or he would probably be even more ahead in the points! We carried out a random engine check at the second meeting, and there will be more such checks as the season goes on, thanks to our keen scrutineering team. There are no grade changes this month, but here is the Top Ten.
23 Ross Stuckey 62
18 Russ Colenutt 60
47 Richard Howard 56
42 John Major 53
39 Craig Harris 39
10 Stephen Hine 35
173 Alan Cambridge 31
122 Joe Rowe 31
41 Dene Howard 30
210 Paul Barnes 29
The Last Bit
We have received a letter from Avon and Somerset Constabulary to say that there have been complaints about dangers to cyclist and pedestrians in the are around the Raceway, when the traffic is dense going to and coming away from race meetings. They have asked us to bring this to the notice of all competitors, and so here it is.
It is more difficult to contact our customers, of course, but please, it you drive large transporters and similar vehicles, take care when overtaking or meeting cyclists and walkers, who have just as much right to use the Mendip hills as we do.
Bang On Track for Filo’s Crashmania
This is the schedule for the madcap trip that constitutes the main fund raising effort for 2011 For more details, and how to sponsor the trip, check the page on Ovalchat. Good luck to all taking part!
16/7/11 miles=360.1 23/7/11 miles=293.2 (total 2765.7 miles)
Mendips-St Day Northampton-Arena Essex
St Day-East Taphouse Arena Essex- Dover
East Taphouse-Neverbridge Dover-Smallfield
Neverbridge-Smeatharpe Smallfield-Rusper
Smeatharpe-Ringwood Matchems Rusper-Worthing
Worthing-Arlington
Arlington-Ockies House
17/7/11 miles=318.9 (total 679 miles)
Ringwood Matchems-Ringwood Cheetahs 24/7/11Ockies House-Mendips
Ringwood Cheetahs-Tadley
Tadley-Tongham
Tongham-Horndean
Horndean-Aldershot
Aldershot-Wimbledon
Wimbledon-Standlake
Standlake-Coventry
18/7/11 miles=305.6 (total 984.6 miles)
Coventry-Birmingham
Birmingham-Grimley
Grimley-Hednesford
Hednesford-Stoke
Stoke- Prestatyn
Prestatyn-Buxton
Buxton-Belle Vue
19/7/11 miles=447.8 (total 1432.4 miles)
Belle Vue-Warton
Warton-Glasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport- Belfast Airport
Belfast Airport-Nutts Corner
Nutts Corner-Ballymena
Ballymena-Belfast Airport
20/7/11 miles=396.9 (total 1829.3 miles)
Belfast Airport-Glasgow Airport
Gloagow Airport-Knockhill
Knockhill-Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly
Lochgelly-Barford
21/7/11 miles=296.4 (total 2125.7 miles)
Barford-Sheffield
Sheffield-Brampton
Brampton-Swaffham
Swaffham-Kings Lynn
Kings Lynn-Skegness
22/7/11 miles=346.8 (total 2472.5 miles)
Skegness-Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth-Ipswich
Ipswich-Mildenhall
Mildenhall-Henham
Henham-Northampton
For Sale
3.89 and 3.54 Escort diffs , half shafts and axle casings.
Call 01963220028
Copyright © 2022. Mendips Raceway. Mendips Raceway. Designed by APWD.
