Last weekend, 20th and 21st May our vice chair man took the opportunity to travel to Hampshire to visit the 3rd round of the 1/12th Oval Sections 2023 oval national, and then after travelling across Wiltshire ended up in Somerset at the Mendip track for the 2nd round of the 2023 1/10th off road national series.
First, I paid a return visit to the 1/12 Oval section by visiting the Middle Wallop parish hall for the Skittles RC Raceway’s round of the 1/12 series where I was greeted with a warm welcome. Qualifying was in full swing with about 30 racers of all abilities, ages and sexes with local racers and a few who had travelled a bit further to take part in what for me was an almost silent hall room except for the odd knock as the cars hit the sides of the coffin.
The coffin took up 80% of the room with drivers pitting wherever there was space for a bit of the table. As the day went on, qualifying drew to a close. Following a quick break the various finals commenced and just before 5pm the top 3 in each class and top juniors were awarded with their trophies from an appreciative audience and 20 minutes later the car park was empty as the club officials packed the coffin away for another day.
Just over two hours later following a pleasant drive Saturday evening past Stonehenge, through the Wiltshire and Somerset countryside I arrived on the M5 ready to see how the 1/10th off road section was doing. Whilst the Mendip RC raceway had hosted many on road national championships this was the first time the venue had hosted a 1/10th off road national and lets just say the sun was shinning on the club enabling racers to pit, camp and park on every spare space in the venue’s compound. By the time I arrived racing was underway on the Sunday and as such I was limited to parking on the verge outside the venue.
As I walked in, I was greeted by smiling racers taking shade under the various manufacture gazebo’s, and the sight of qualification well underway on the recently improved off road track. Whilst I was on site the meeting ran like clockwork with commentary coming over the PA and drivers all lined up in advance of their heats, some sections should take note of how organised these racers are but when you have a grid of 150 drivers to get through the slightest delay has a significant impact on the finishing time of the meeting.
Every racer I spoke to was having a great meeting, even those on their second day and a bit pink in colour from not factoring up the day before, yes on Sunday there was the smell of suntan lotion in the air alongside that from the burger van !!
Before I departed both venues, I took the opportunity to talk to the club officials and section committee officers to see how their sections were going, have they seen any impact due to the cost of living increases ? and likewise how were clubs fairing ?. So far both sections have seen an increase in numbers, the 1/10 have a significant waiting list which is the size of most other sections meeting attendance lists so they appear to be offering what our membership wants! Both clubs welcomed the easy access they have to senior officials when needed.
Watch out for my next visit it could be on your door step!!