Stoke Row Festival of Speed 2011 July16/17

[midgetman]

Al, you missed a great weekend, we had a ball. Grant P will no doubt post pics here, and he knows that any embarrassing ones will start a reprisal....

Don't tell Iain, but the duel-a-thon was quite the hardest thing i've ever done! Totally cream crackered but really good fun of a sorts.

Great weekend, can't wait for next year!

Allez Equipe Mayonnaise!

[Cliff Ryan]

Great day for a really good cause!

Good to spend relaxed time with Mike, Colin, Max, Grant & others.

We was robbed in the pit stop challenge!

Max - you didn't mention my sausage sandwiches!

Iain - well done mate - good cause & good day had by all

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Sorry to hear there were only 13 entrants Iain.

Enjoy your auction purchase, Colin!

Fabulous day today despite the weather gods trying to put a damper on things. It brightened up later, which was nice. Some fantastic cars and many tenthers supporting. The whole organising team do a magnificent job and deserve to get even more support next year!

Grant took many many pics so am sure we will get plenty on here, but enough of the motorsport stuff, the Saturday duathlon was main attraction! To set the record straight, there were 20 entries for it, but only 3 that mattered when it came to it- Delta, midgetmax and me. The rest were all from local bike and running clubs and looking very serious at the start. As JT is always looking for race reports, here goes-

The first element turned out to be a full-on mountain bike race twice round a 10km off road route, which would have been very scenic if you weren't trying to ride flat out through mud and puddles whilst avoiding tricky tree routes 'out to get you'. At the end of first lap I was lying 7th I think having just overtaken another couple of locals. I jumped off bike in order to swap shoes for the run, only to be told that it was 2 laps Never have that trouble in motor racing. I got back on bike and then had to overtake the two locals again and pedal flat out for another lap as I knew that would be slow on the run and didn't know how far Iain & Max were behind me. Mission accomplished was then allowed to dump bike and start the 5.5km running bit. Turned out this was also off road using same rutted muddy hilly tracks and darn painful when you havn't run more than 100yds in one go during last 20 years. Anyway I staggered round but unfortunately got passed by the two locals had overtaken before and finished 9th. Iain was 10th and although faster on run than me by 3 mins apparantly my bike section was over 10 minutes quicker, luckily. 'Equipe Credit Mayonnaise' rider, young Max, finished 13th.

Now that the nettle sting irritation has subsided and bramble scratches started to heal I feel a bit better. Hopefully leg joints and muscles will recover in a day or so as well. The tactic of not doing any training for the run worked as if had found out how much it was going to hurt would have found a reason not to enter.

All said, great fun, 'all for charity', and the BBQ afterwards was brilliant. Next year we need some more racers and tenthers to take on the locals.

PS- Big thanks to MRS RYAN for the sausage sarnies, and Cliff for delivering them.

[Cliff Ryan]

Mike you know me too well

[Alan Morgan]

I agree with all the above. A great day, despite the weather problems. The auction was hilarious, but still raised in the order of £2500. "Big up - massive respect in a area" for the catering team. Really good burgers with all the trimmings, up-market sausages in quality crusty rolls, home made cakes, cream teas, Pimms and beer - very professional, and all done with a smile.

It's amazing what a small village can do when its residents pool their resources!

[midgetman]

Thanks for the sausage sarnies Cliff, sorry you didn't get a mention first time round but MiniMM dagged the iPad off me and I've only just got onto the lap top.

The report:

I've never done singletrack before, I'm a road rider and runner myself and as I chased Mike down the tarmac road, the first turn off into the forest was a bit of a shock. The path wasn't wide enough for my bike, and in places it wasn't high enough for my head! In other places I was on full "opposite lock" between the ferns at 20mph, then when I got to Grant's photo point I thought I ought to put on a show and promptly headed off towards a bush at full tilt! Thankfully just got it under control in time....

Does anyone else recall Iain's post "it's not too hilly"? Well if that's not hilly, I'd hate to see what is and I was very relieved to jump off the bike and start running. Strewth, I always used to bunk off cross country as a kid, it was really, really hard work up hill and down dale. "Wrong slotted" in one place that made the run even longer, and thankfully the woods were so impenetrable I couldn't be seen walking. A last minute sprint across the village green would have been impressive if I hadn't been outsprinted by a toddler over the line....but I did it Feels like a race win to this overweight, underfit, nearly-fifty-something.

Great BBQ from the Friends of Stoke Row School in the evening, capped off with jawing into the night in the Delta garage, plus a midnight feast of triple decker ham sandwiches - pics to follow! - and a pleasant relaxed Sunday with racing cars and people make this a really fun event on my personal calendar. I'll be back next year if Iain'll have me.

[Colin McKay]

Nose only slightly out of joint that my pivotal role in the pit stop comp hasn't received a mention especially after all the training that went into a record-breaking 0.3sec lift on the jack, described by one open-mouthed spectator as simply the most beautiful, fluid movement he'd seen at a motorsport event this year. Though I say so myself, the balletic arc drawn through the air must have been a thing of wonder to watch. All was for nought however, as the 6 year old ringer in the driver's seat had put the car in gear and it couldn't be pushed to the wheel changing arena so we were already half a minute down at this point. I later saw the little beast clutching a double 99 whilst stuffing a fiver in his back pocket, pure coincidence I'm sure.

Seriously folks, a thoroughly entertaining day and I would have thought a substantial sum raised for a very good cause. Iain, where on earth do you get the energy???!!!

[delta]

Very quick post as life ar Delta ATM is bonkers on and off the track. Thanks for all the support to my 10/10 friends. Next year Al, and dont beat your self up its no prob mate. Star of the weekend has got to be the "Twig". Hmmmmmmmmmmmm wonder who he is

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

Star of the weekend has got to be the "Twig". Hmmmmmmmmmmmm wonder who he is

Yup, the "Twig" was brilliant, and to echo Alan's comment- you would go to the event for the food alone, without all the other attractions! Fortunately the calories expended on duelathon balanced out the intake on Sunday.

The official Ten Tenths team in the Pit Stop competition consisted of Colin, Cliff and me. Talk about fix! The car was left in gear so we couldn't push it, the jack wouldn't go underneath and wheel centre on my side 'optimised' so that it parted company with wheel itself and rolled away.......

[HRSTR5]

Like some other 'august' institutions at this time, "Team Freddie" wish to issue a public apology ... for 'cheating' in the Pitstop challenge! I couldn't get the fiddly spacer to locate properly, so it was just one thread on the nut, R clip hidden sneakily into the back pocket, and hand up for job completed! Sorry Jenson. Can't believe the "Twig" spotted the ruse ... ironic that Team AB up against us also got lobbed for a similarly uncomplete job!

"Team Freddie" enjoyed their visit to Stoke Row, well done Iain and crew, a huge effort, excellent.

Freddie himself was all over the place, I looked away at one point and turned back to find him actually underneath the Ford "Boardracer" - he's a nightmare! He was sleep before the third puddle on the way home (ie. very quickly!)

Reading the stories here I'm very sorry I missed the cycle race (not at all sorry to have missed the running!).

James

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The official Ten Tenths team in the Pit Stop competition consisted of Colin, Cliff and me. Talk about fix! The car was left in gear so we couldn't push it, the jack wouldn't go underneath and wheel centre on my side 'optimised' so that it parted company with wheel itself and rolled away.......

Cliff!!!! Blimey no wonder you lost, as a mechanic he is a bloody good accountant!

[Cliff Ryan]

Colin, sorry I didn't get to see your balletic movement with the jack, I was otherwise engaged, but I'm sure that it it wasn't for the fact that we were nobbled and that the other teams were cheating we would have won

Grant - thanks for the cd of photos from Donnington, I'm holding Al's cd to ransom until I get a full page apology in all the national newspapers from him for his above remark

[morninggents]

Looked on MST and TSL for Duelathon and Pitstop Challenge results but to no avail. Anyone point me in the right direction?

[Colin McKay]

I don't think you'll see anything for a while, the steward's enquiry will last at least until I pay my auction bill and without team reinstatement that could be a while.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Looked on MST and TSL for Duelathon and Pitstop Challenge results but to no avail. Anyone point me in the right direction?

Radio Le Mans never turned up either

[John Turner]

I'm still trying to get my head round Colin's 'beautiful, fluid movement' but ...... I just can't; the detail defies even my imagination, but haven't laughed so much for ages!

[midgetman]

It was a sight to behold. I tried to get the competing team disqualified for "unsafe release" but Iain and Alan would hear none of it

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Turner

I'm still trying to get my head round Colin's 'beautiful, fluid movement' but ...... I just can't; the detail defies even my imagination, but haven't laughed so much for ages!

John, you need to be there- next year perhaps? Sure Iain can find you a spare truck cab or motor home bunk for the night!

Havn't mentioned the classic cars- everything from a very early Rolls to F40. My favourite- the 'Giallo Fly' Integrale Evo- or maybe the red Escort Twin-Cam, or Colin's Mk2, or Alex Burns's (Richard's Dad) one previous owner Hillman Avenger......

[delta]

Originally Posted by midgetman

It was a sight to behold. I tried to get the competing team disqualified for "unsafe release" but Iain and Alan would hear none of it

It was "twigs" decision. Sorry. He even disqualified Mrs Delta's team. She is not speaking to him.But then she does not know who he is

[grantp]

I suspect that most of the teams should have been DQ for outside assistance ...

Still not sure how the eventual winners got back in after their earlier exclusion. I assume a suitably large brown envelope appeared from somewhere. Or an equally large bloke carrying a violin case.

I was rather impressed by the team of youngsters who joined in at the last moment having had no briefing or practice and very nearly won their heat by a mile. If it wasn't for those pesky retaining pins and The Twig's eagle eyes they might have done it too.

And the two teams who completed their runs during the instantaneous monsoon in the middle of proceedings. Bravo!

Luckily for the lad who gashed his knee and required the attention of a First Aider at least one of the fully qualified first aiders on site was able to rush to his aid. Had they not been so fast I suspect the the two medical consultants that attended him may have insisted on immediate dialysis and a trepanning op. You know how people prefer to play to their strengths and experience.

Also impressive was the way the entire area was transformed from industrial estate to BBQ park to exhibition area and back again within 36 hours whilst all the time there were at least 2 businesses running 24hours a day.

I guess it's all down to years of experience in circuit paddocks. I can think of a few organisation that might benefit from the same activity.

Pics will follow when I have sifted through and gathered a representative selection.

[Nick JM]

Fantastic to read that you all had a great time. Really gutted at not being part of it - daughter's 7th birthday on Sat and other daughter's dance final at the O2 (which they won!) on the Sun.

Had Mrs M's planning consent to leave the birthday early (we were at London Zoo) for the bike race until I casually mentioned that the meet time of 3.00pm I had told her had changed to 2.00pm.

Well all I can say is that whoever was at the zoo that day would have been treated to parental behaviour akin to some wretched soap off the box. Mrs M went mad, Nick JM's bike outing cancelled.

Apologies Iain, I was really up for it and a great cause too.Next year??

[Mike Bell]

Hi Nick, would be good if you can sort it for next year as some of us are bit past it for all that running and cycling. Some young blood to take on the local hot-shots would be good......

BTW when we were pushing your MG it felt as if the rear tyres had been flat-spotted. Any ideas?

[delta]

I guess its time to close this years thread but before we slip of the front page looks like we have raised well over £3000.00. So dispite the bad weather just a fantastic effort.Thanks guy's.
For some reason something is bothering me about this years show but I can't put my finger on it.Need to come up with some new idea,s for next year.So untill then.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by delta

.Need to come up with some new idea,s for next year.So untill then.

Mrs S suggested a "Nude pit stop challenge"
And by the way Iain, she said that 'until ' has only got one L and what is that thing stuck in IDEA.S she will give you the cane (if you want it) ?

[midgetman]