Rounds 18 & 19 - Loton Park, 5th & 6th August

Oh Deer, Oh Deer, Oh Deer

My Loton weekend starts at 6pm Friday, while most of the others are on route or packed ready for the off in the morning. NOT me! My car is an hour away in the wrong direction having a little work done at Neil Garner’s. On arriving it looks like I might not be sprinting this weekend: half the engine is on the garage floor. I'm told by Neil and his two technicians we’re not leaving until it’s sorted. 7 hours later and the car has oil pressure and no engine fault codes, on the trailer and a drive home to pack, just enough time to grab nearly 2 hours sleep, monster energy will be my friend this weekend... Saturday – the first two runs in the wet were interesting to say the least but new brake pads all round are now bedded in ;-) and I can push on in the drying conditions ending up with a respectable 3rd place and good points. Sunday – good weather conditions meant I could push from first practice getting faster and faster. I broke my PB twice in the afternoon and ended the day in the same place as the day before: 3rd. I’d like to thank Neil and his guys who stayed on and got the job done; don't know many places that would have finished the job in the small hours of Saturday morning. Rob

I always think of Loton Park as one of the big weekends in our calendar, personally it involves around 650 miles of driving from deepest Dorset and travelling back to my sister’s each night. But for most people it’s an away weekend of driving cars fast and socialising. Having not walked the course, a bit of overnight moisture still around and being the first visit with the Griff, first practice was a cautious affair, second practice was a bit pointless being the only wet run of the weekend. So the real effort only started after lunch and I was very pleased to still be in front, but we all know Moggy’s game plan and sure enough a banzai last run saw me demoted to second. On a two-day event I always feel you should start off as you finished the previous day, so I was delighted that both practice runs on Sunday were quicker than my best on Saturday. Seeing I had taken nearly a second off on my first timed run caused a degree of shouting in the car, and despite Moggy’s very quick 58 second run I was surprised to still be in front. From there the day went downhill with my final run very scruffy with far too much sideways action and no improvement while for the second day running Steve shaved a couple more tenths off to beat me again. Still at least I thought had a matching pair of prizes, only to discover as I placed them on the mantel piece that they were different shapes! Alan

Loton is such an enjoyable event. It was brilliant having Ali Brown and the TVR van to spoil us rotten. Having competed on both days for a change I now understand why people say this is their favourite hill climb. I received invaluable advice from the quicker drivers on gear change and braking points. This made the second day in particular more exciting as I was able to gradually reduce my times. Having made numerous errors on my final and quickest run I know I can do better next year. I just have to try to remember how to do it! Richard

I got a personal bo*****ing from the Clerk of the Course for not attending the driver's briefing and threatened with a fine (isn't that like bribing an official?) I was very humble and he was a nice chap – wrist slapped! First time for me at Loton on new tarmac in the rain....what could possibly go wrong? Great banter in the paddock, mainly taking the p*** at the single seaters with their starter trolleys and cling filmed tyres. Rob wondered if wrapping his tyres would help...not if we forgot to take it off on the start line! Moggy got a record number of re-runs, I reckon about 25% more track time than the rest of us? No complaints though as a couple of tips from him meant I improved my times by about 3 seconds on Sunday! Brilliant show of enthusiasm from Pete Watson taking his broken race car home on Saturday night and returning Sunday with his road car that sounds just as potent as the racer! Great parking position for the TVRs in the paddock, nice to have the hospitality van there, ably staffed by Ali on Saturday and minded by Steve on Sunday. Loved Loton Park once it dried out, could well be my favourite! Jim

One of the highlights of the year for our merry band of competitors. A combination of exciting competition and much merriment both in the paddock and overnight. AHD was set to win both days, but Moggy got re-runs and therefore hot tyres for his final runs both days – one due to Pete’s red car expiring, one to avoid two deers from expiring. Fabulous to see so many PBs – I managed to get mine down to within a second of Jo’s. The culinary delights were noteworthy. Pete W presented us with a fine display of his plums on Saturday. Pete A and I enjoyed the refined dish of faggots at the local pub – good, but not Black Country standard. And Stevie D’s legendary meal at the campsite was, well, legendary. Shunter

Some days you just shouldn’t get out of bed. Saturday was just such a day. The weather was crap, sorry, adverse in the morning, clearing over lunch break and the track was dry for first timed run. Not that it made any difference, the red chequered thing threw a hissy fit and decided to stop before the top of the hill and that was Saturday. One of the most challenging hills to master. Some bright spark suggested that I did a Stallard, went and got another car for Sunday. As I didn’t live as far away as Geoff and against my better judgement that is what I did, returning on Sunday with the blue road going Griff for Sunday. That all went well apart from a buttock clenching 360/720? spin on the grass at Museum on the first practice run. Woke up to find it wasn’t a dream and took it steady for the rest of the day with no excitements. Pete W

Loton tradition is camp and cook on Saturday night. This year was Chinese cuisine: Scallops, followed by Pork & Chicken Chow Mein, Beef in Black Bean Sauce and that well known Chinese take on an old favourite, Tiramasui. No Sake but we managed with a 32 year old malt. Good TVR turnout, but still short on Class A, with just me and Hank. Looking forward to seeing Simon’s Cosworth Turbo S soon. Anyway the white M held 3rd place after practice both days, only to slip back to 6th on Saturday and 5th on Sunday, despite me getting a PB. Doh! Stevie D

After a Friday evening nightmare journey, a walk of the hill on arrival seemed like a good way to stretch the legs and gave the impression of a fun weekend ahead with a big learning curve in store. Wildlife on the track included a bunch of rabbits, several pheasants and a couple of deer. What could possibly go wrong? Now to pitch the tent. Trying to find flat ground was going to be almost as challenging as the hill itself. Changeable conditions on Saturday morning didn't help the learning process or the times. Improvements were made in the afternoon timed runs but still way off where I wanted to be. The clerk of the course came to have a word (the second time in as many meetings). I thought to congratulate me on my amazing driving skills but apparently I didn't have my gloves on during the return run. I'm just so rebellious! Sunday practice runs were disappointing as I struggled for grip. Not helped by reducing tyre pressures when I should have been increasing them plus completing a 'quiet' run as not to upset the big guy upstairs on his day of rest. I finally found some grip after increasing the tyre pressures and just as I thought I was getting a feel for the hill the day was typically over. In all a slightly frustrating but enjoyable weekend and a start to learning the hill for next year. Hank

Sunday, day two, and we gather for round two. I know AHD and Rob P will be pushing even harder to take the win. The practice runs go well, but even though I manage to take half a second off my best time of yesterday it is not going to be enough to beat AHD on handicap. All rests on the final run and I am last to go. Time for the gloves to come off! Warm the tyres, pull up to the line, rev to 6½ thousand and off I go. A good start. I am concentrating hard to find that quarter second when the local wildlife decides to intervene. Men in orange suits waving flags appear in front of me at Loggerheads and I quickly realise why. Slamming on the brakes I come to a sudden stop and watch two deer bound across the track in front of me. Luckily for them and for the Griff I managed to stop. Can't imagine what Sara would say if I had to ring and tell her I'd wrecked the car again! Re-run required. Back to the start I go and Rob M notices the smile on my face. My close encounter has had an unexpected advantage for me: my tyres are now well and truly warm. My final run was another PB and just 0.04 off the TVR record for Loton. A stroke of good luck for me, but the wildlife cost AHD deerly. Moggy

(Photography: Peta Marshall, Shelagh Ash, Pete Ash, Shunter)