Imagine the scene: late night at Loton Park.  The crowds thronging the terraces.  Simon Cole; feet planted at Triangle bend, head adorned with the traditional flat cap.  After the opening guitar riff, Simon’s raspy voice bellows into the microphone:

Back on black, I hit the track
I been too long, I’m glad to be back
We’re at
Loton Hill, it’s a thrill
Don’t keep me hanging about

I keep looking out the side cause it’s stepping out wide
Forget the Steves, who I’ll brush aside
I got eight pots, torque lots
Using every one of them and running top

At the back
Steve D’s back, Lyle is back
Shunter’s back
Peter’s back back
Well I’m back on black
Yes I’m back on black

Jo has the knack, giving it flack
Going like a bullet it’s the power Pack
Then
It’s the Prince, makes me wince
They gotta catch me, I won’t give them an inch

Cause I’m back in the swing and I’m beating the King
Nobody’s gonna catch me I’m the real thing
So look at me now, I’m just makin’ my way
Mogg tried to push his luck, just get out of my way

At the back
Micro’s back
Dave is back
Hastle’s back
Shelagh’s back back
Well I’m back on black
Yes I’m back on black

Outta sight

(with thanks to Malcolm, Angus and Brian – read it while listening to Back in Black turned all the way up to 11) (Photos courtesy of Rob Merry and Pete Ash)

3 Sisters, our TVR bash to the ‘The Jewel of the North' as described on the 3 sisters website; the go kart track near Wigan takes its name from the coal mining slag heaps it was developed from. 
We are on the full circuit 1500m, exiting the pit lane and finishing on Cowards Summit, a fun sprint suiting the class A cars and just short of mile or so, a tight twisty course.

Sitting there at breakfast, listening to the TVR banter I was kindly reminded by the members present, what happens on tour stays on tour! I think that’s a gagging order in journalistic terms, but one item worth listing and noting was the clerk of the course warning of the different types of tarmac used on this circuit and keeping it on the black. The weather started out promising and the forecast we thought to get better still, how wrong we were and the ensuing challenge to heed the clerk’s advice.

With a damp track from overnight rain P1 commenced with Mike Roe showing us how to do it with Geoff Stallard following up to give the Vixens a one-two followed by Dave Barrowclough and Dave Welton. 

With Dave Welton suffering electrical gremlins we were not to see him return to the track till T3.

P2 commenced with the track no drier and the weather looking to be deteriorating by the minute, but still with Mike and Geoff both improving times and with a small field of entrants Longton and District club did a fine job of running the event, enabling T1 to commence before lunch, however now with a steady drizzle coming down it did not bode well.

The track in the wet is a real challenge with only the final Conrad Straight and associated bend on and off giving a modicum of grip, this was starting to look like a rally stage.

T1 completed in the rain and Mike Roe showed his skill knocking time off his runs as he would on all subsequent outings, credit due on this circuit with the grip available.

Dave B taking 2nd place followed by Geoff, with Dave W in the pits chasing down the gremlins still. Mr Stallard indicating he was saving himself for the forecasted weather improvements and did not want to peak too early.

Over lunch it was clear the improving weather conditions we had all hoped for were very unlikely to occur so after some more TVR banter in the pits and the gagging order still in place for this writer we all faced the fact of more of the same conditions.

T2 and T3 taking place with total efficiency by the organising club. Dave Welton coming out only for the final T3 but with an ensuing spin not bettering his P1 time. None but Mike Roe making improvements to their times allowing Micro to take a well deserved 25 points in the wet slippery conditions, with the rest following along understeering, over steering and generally I think it’s called messing up.

Fingers crossed for better weather at Loton.

Dave Barrowclough
(Photos: Dave Cahill)

Everyone used practice for practice.  Gerald was thankful he had been made to walk the, very lengthy, course in the morning as it meant he knew where the chicanes were.  TN Watson was cursing he’d not walked the course, as the big 2nd gear chicane he’d remembered from two years ago is now a less severe 3rd gear in and out.  At least he’d improve on the next runs.  
Shunter and Jo were within the obligatory 1 second of each other with Shunter just ahead.  While HoBa was out in front, but already reciting the Racing Drivers’ Book Of Excuses – apparently his car was only running on 7½ cylinders.  

Everyone improved for second practice.  TN Watson didn’t need the sat nav to find his way round this time, Shunter and Jo found 3 seconds, and were still within 1 second of each other (Shunter just ahead), and HoBa was up front, but now complaining that his experimental 888s were not as good as the Kumhos.

We all spent a very pleasant lunchtime soaking up the sun, discussing the merits of spam done on the barbeque (try it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised).  The conditions were perfect for the afternoon’s timed runs, and spirits were high.

TN Watson was staying locally with friends, and I think he was already looking forward to one or three pints of the local brew in the beer garden of their local pub.  All sense of “getting a banker in” seemed to slip from his mind as he proceeded to spin at the awkward last chicane, taking out several cones, only to press on trying to make up time through the wiggles, which wiggled too much, meaning he found out that the gravel does what it’s meant to – preventing the car from hitting the barrier when he left the track.  Thankfully for Pete, no damage.  Thankfully for the rest of us, they made him drive back on the grass so the collected gravel didn’t drop onto the circuit.
Shunter and Jo found another 2 seconds and were now within 0.1 seconds (Jo just ahead), and HoBa was up front, now claiming the 888s were pretty good as they break away more progressively than the Kumhos.

The last timed run came round quickly, with everyone still focussed.  Gerald improved again, eventually knocking off a massive 11 seconds from his first practice, and gaining his second highest points of the year, which for his first time at this tricky circuit is a fabulous result.

TN Watson got his “banker”, but would have been cursing his double-off while enjoying the beer that evening.
Shunter and Jo found another 2 seconds, and were within ¼ second (Shunter just ahead), and HoBa was up front to claim the…no, wait, he’s third!  The Hunter-Briars rivalry had momentarily passed him by, so Jes’s retirement meant a “miserly” 24.85 points with the trophies going to Shunter and Jo.  

Hethel really is the best of venues when the weather’s like this.  Enjoying the sunshine, and scrabbling around for the (not so) minor placings.  

Go on, put some numbers on it.

Shunter