Roy B

Hi there folks, In this last one of the off season we’ll finish off the 2019 F2 WF weekend at Buxton with a brief look at the Sunday meeting. A few hours after the midnight finish of the Saturday WF meeting 46 cars were in attendance including three from the continent, eight from Scotland, and a quartet from NI. Charlie Guinchard (183) was using the Jon Palmer (24) car as his own was damaged from the Saturday CSF. Ht.1: 21 cars on grid with another flag to flag victory for Jessica Smith (390). Top 3: 390, Graham Fegan (NI998), and Luke Wrench (560). Ht.2: Adam Rubery (700) won this 24 car race. Top 3: 700, Mark Gibbs (578), and Gavin Fegan (NI718). Consolation: Chris Burgoyne (647) having missed the heats made his first appearance of the day in this and promptly won it. Top 3: 647, Richard Bowyer (761), and Brad McKinstry (NI747). Final: 761 crossed the line first for the victory but was adjudged to have jumped the start so was docked two places. After his early exit from the WF Luke Wrench (560) inherited the win. A feature of this race was Guinchy putting a big hit in on Graham Fegan. At the time I thought this won’t end well. Sure enough at the next corner the favour was returned with an even bigger hit from the NI998 car. It looked as though Graham was trying to send 183 to the Emerald Isle! Consequently the damage ruled the 24/183 car out of the GN owing to lack of time to fix it. The ever entertaining Fegan’s take on it was to simply say, “That’s what the bumper’s for”. Superb stuff. Top 3: 560, Sebastiaan Vowinkel (H33), and 761. Guinchy after the Fegan attack GN: Only 12 cars for this one. Another win for the impressive Harley Thackra (9). I thought the overall three days was a success especially Thurs and Sun. It was unfortunate that Saturday was such a late finish but big championship meetings always have the risk of overrunning. Rear corner damage for Jan Bekkers B96 continued below

So sad to hear this week that Mick Black has passed away. He had been a fan from the early sixties, and was of invaluable help in keeping Chris Pickup (50), and Dick Young (67)(attached pic credit) racing in the mid seventies. I got to know him when he was a mechanic for Glyn Pursey (175). He always had time for a chat, and rarely missed a meeting. I will miss seeing him around the tracks. RIP Mick

continued from above and another blast from the past a Ford Zephyr Who remembers one of these in the tv series Z-Cars?

continued from above This may look like any other Banger but it has an interesting story. It was made in South Africa in 1982 and imported to the UK in 1986. Only 200 RHD estates were imported in total. It is one of only two known survivors. The plan was to restore it as a show car but the shell was in a very bad state. The A-pillars and bulkhead were a mixture of gravel, newspaper, silicon, and filler! Virtually every seam had rotted out. The inboard brake calipers were seized and leaking. Amazingly though the engine fired up on the first crank after standing since 2012! It took four weeks of extensive welding to the A and B pillars, bulkhead, the entire floor and front chassis rails just to get it race ready. Another rarity - An Austin A55 continued below

Hi there folks, Just a few pics from yesterday’s Aldershot meeting. It was the Saloons annual visit and just under 20 cars took to the tarmac. Diggy and Billy Smith were evenly matched and raced in tandem throughout. At the end of their first race a last bender from Diggy on Billy for the win looked on the cards but it looked like dad let lad have the victory. Top 3’s were: Heat 1: Billy Smith (161), Diggy Smith (116), and Aaron Totham (561). Heat 2: Jack Grandon (277), 561, and 116. Final: 277, Jack Rust (172), and 561. Bangers were competing for the Undercracker Trophy. Forty were in attendance with a few rare cars racing. The track safety procedures here were as follows: At the end of a race all drivers had to be in their cars. If any drivers had left their cars during a caution period they would have been outside the confines of the track already. They were not allowed back on at race end. When the marshals were happy the pit gate was opened. All cars were then removed. Track clear up/corner marker tyre re-positioning then took place. Only after this were the next set of cars allowed on. It all went smoothly, and was very well organised as is the Spedeworth way. It did not take any extra time either. Diggy and the team changed a stuck in 3rd gearbox on the 176 car between races. Here's the old box coming out. Applying sealant to the mating face of the spare bellhousing before attaching it to the gearbox Billy works on the replacement continued below

continued Charlie Guinchard's car was done for the weekend after the Consolation Semi Final Ben Lockwood's after the Final We’ll have a look at the Sunday meeting next week, and also the opening National Series rounds from Taunton & Bristol. Then to round off this winter series we go “off the beaten track” once again. Join me as we take a walk around a remote Yorkshire dale known mostly for its beautiful countryside. However, this idyllic scenery and the hills around were once home to heavy industry. We’ll see what we can find.

continued The Sebastian Vowinkel car to continue

continued from previous post The defending champ Jan Bekkers tries out his new front outside tyre warmer to continue

continued from previous post Team Wrench on with the engine swap WF Day – Saturday 7th Sept An 82 car full to overflowing pits, with some cars outside on the grass verges. The meeting format featured three heats (incl. the WF). The Consolation Semi –Final was a standalone race. Time trials for the overseas drivers came first though. These were split into three quick fire sessions with all ten cars on track together. Kay Lenssen (H154) was the pace setter and was never challenged. Joining him on row three was veteran Jan Bekkers (B96). Sam McKay (NI24), and Wim Peeters (H124) slotted into the sixth row. A dummy grid was formed on track for the customary grid walk/meet the driver session which was extremely popular with the spectators. The opening race was the CSF. Twenty-four on track to try and secure one of the seven spots at the back of the WF grid. It is normally six but Sam Weston (468) had withdrawn from the big race. At the drop of the green polesitting Liam Bentham (488) got a big hit from Ollie Skeels (124) and ended up spinning into the first bend fence. Liam Rennie (3) was unable to avoid the 488 car and his race lasted no longer than his Semi at St.Day. Charlie Guinchard (183) and Dennis Middler (41) were also involved. At the start of lap two Chris Burgoyne (647) took the lead from Skeels before the caution flags flew for 183 who had been hit by Mark Gibbs (578). The lucky top seven at this stage were: 647, Craig Wallace (16), Jon Palmer (24), 124, Jordon Thackra (324), Steven Burgoyne (674), and Stephen Mallinson (788). The restart saw the front two break away as Skeels took Palmer out wide. The younger Burgoyne then passed them both when the 124 car got a flat. Mally’s challenge ended when he hit the stationary Harley Cornock (517) car. Up front Wallace moved ahead of Chris Burgoyne with a well timed nudge at half distance. Thereafter the positons remained static until the chequered flag. Top 7 who went through to the WF: 16, 647, 674, 24, 324, Micky Brennan (968), and Adam Rubery (700). Following this race it was on to the meeting proper and the two heats that preceded the WF. Ht.1: Another win for Harley Thackra, with Mark Gibbs and Aiden Derry (147) completing the podium. Ht.2: Jonathan Hadfield took the win from the blue grade, followed by Richard Bowyer (761) and Ryan Jones (72). It was now time for the World Finalists to come out on track and in the correct grid order as below: Inside: Outside: Gordon Moodie (7) Ben Borthwick (418) Andrew Palmer (606) Luke Wrench (560) Kay Lenssen (H154) B96 Jan Bekkers (B96) Steven Gilbert (542) Justin Fisher (315) Matt Stoneman (127) Ben Lockwood (618) Sam McKay (NI24) Wim Peeters (H124) Kelvyn Marshall (101) Aaron Vaight (184) Robbie Dawson (854) Rob Mitchell (905) Craig McConnell (NI925) Sebastian Vowinkel (H33) Dale Moon (302) Jack Cave (801) James Riggall (527) Euan Millar (629) Tsjalle Greidanus (H229) Gavin Fegan (NI718) Dave Polley (38) Ben Goddard (895) Timothy Bailey (817) Craig Wallace (16) Gerrit Huussen (H440) Curtis Greer (NI122) Chris Burgoyne (647) Steven Burgoyne (674) Jon Palmer (24) Jordon Thackra (324) Micky Brennan (968) Adam Rubery (700) “Gentlemen, start your engines”, was the call from MC Richard Kaleta, and the grid set off on two slow rolling laps. It was just about twilight and this added to the atmosphere. At the drop of the green Moodie gave it max attack, whilst Borthwick bounced out of the turn four fence into the path of the pack. Wrench ended up becoming launched into a barrel roll over Stoneman and on down the straight. Red flags were shown immediately. All were ok thankfully. A full restart would now follow minus 560, 127, H33, 184, and 418. Everyone moved up the grid through the vacant spaces but could not change sides. B96 was now on the front row with 7. Again the 7 car shot away and survived an attack from 606 going into turn one. Bekkers was slow off the line and got fenced by Ben Lockwood. Palmer (606) had ended up going wide and got involved in a pile up which earlier had claimed Riggall, Greidanus, Cave, and Thackra. Four more cars piled in which required a caution to clear up. A great battle for 2nd had been raging prior to this between at least seven cars. Rob Mitchell in particular was hitting everyone bend after bend. Gilbert and Marshall pushed Lenssen wide on the restart and Moodie was clear to build a lead at the front. As the battle intensified behind, the 7 car was able to extend it. Peeters came up into second with Dawson briefly in third. However, Mitchell and Marshall shoved him out wide in turn 1, and Lenssen’s attempt at a challenge was brought to a halt by a combined big hit from Jon Palmer and Euan Millar. Next to go were Millar, Wallace, and Fegan who ended up in a pile in turn 4. Peeters had by now edged clear in 2nd as Mitchell and Marshall swapped places. McConnell arrived on the scene and got past Mitchell for 4th. Behind these two the 24 car fenced Ben Lockwood. Moodie by now was cruising to his third world title although he had a fraught few laps after passing a backmarking Riggall. The 527 car followed him closely for a few laps and had some digs at his rear bumper. It was looking like he was going to pull a controversial move until another car got between them with a lap to go. The 7 car duly took the victory and a successful defence of his title. Interviewed post race he made mention of his demise 10 years earlier when he was cannoned into the fence on the opening bend by Speaky and Chris Bradbury. “I just had a wee talk to the fence – I said: “You did not get me this time!” he laughed. “A lot of people did not know that I’ve had a broken hand since Venray – i kept it quiet. So it was alright with one hand!” Third placed Marshall said, “There’s no catching Moodie is there? I tried getting Gilbert and Lenssen into him at the restart but he just rubs it off.” Top ten: 7, H124, 101, NI925, 905, 674, 542, 647, 854, and 38. Two Consolations then followed with 5 to qualify from each. Yellow roofed Ben Germany (190) led the first until Millar stormed through with 4 to go. Top 3: 629, 127, and 190. Riggall won the second which had slightly less cars. Top 3: 527, 618, and 24. By the time the cars came out for the Final it had been six hours since the first heat. The race was only minutes old when Lockwood had a major crash on the back straight. He went over the Hadfield car and took off up the fence leaving his car looking the worse for wear. It was that man Harley Thackra again who took the flag to complete a heat and final double. The race was notable for a big hit on Millar from Chris Burgoyne as revenge for a few incidents in past races. Top 3: 9, 801, and 527. The O’er the Border Trophy was raced for in the GN. Fittingly it was won by Steven Burgoyne. Top 3; 674, H33, and 905. The meeting ended virtually on the stroke of midnight with a rather depleted crowd, some eight hours after it had started. To the promotions credit they stuck to the meeting format and did’nt resort to cancelling races. Roy Goodman in his 90th year has a catch up with Jimmy Wallace continued on next post

Hi there folks, It’s the 2019 F2 WF at Buxton this week. The event was a three day affair beginning on Thurs 5th Sept. We’ll have a look at this and the Saturday meeting, and cover the Sunday next week. Thursday 5th September A thinly populated crowd were on hand to witness forty cars gather for a full format programme. In the forty there were seven from Scotland, four from mainland Europe, and a lone entry from NI were in. In the pits pre meeting the Burgoynes’ were swapping gearboxes between the 647 and 674 cars, and Luke Wrench (560) replaced his engine. Ht.1: A battle between Gordon Moodie (7), and Matt Stoneman (127) at the back drew the attention as Harley Thackra (9) leapt away from the yellow grade to take the victory. Top 3: 9, Jonathan Hadfield (142), and Tsjalle Greidanus (H229). Ht.2: Another Thackra was doing well in this one, Jordon (324) racing from the blues. However, it was Jessica Smith (390) who was charging away up front. At race end Jon Palmer (24) who was taking no prisoners stormed through for the win. Top 3: 24, 324, and 390. Consolation: Kelvyn Marshall (101) just caught Russ Chadwick (137) for the victory. Top 3: 101, 137, and Wim Peeters (H124) Final: Thirty on track. Thackra (9) crossed the line first for a double win. Jess had driven brilliantly and was only caught by the winner. Jan Bekkers (B96) was closing fast and nearly took third from Mark Gibbs (578). Top 3: 9, 390, and 578. GN: It was the 390 car all the way as Jess took a very popular win ahead of twenty-five others. Top 3: 390, Ryan Jones (72), and Steven Burgoyne (674). Dave Polley built this in 7 days Chris discusses the gearbox swaps to continue on following post

Thank you for a top interview! Kelvin is a great character and always good to talk to. I'm really enjoying these mid-week "Small Talks". Any chance of the odd one or two through the season?

Photo credits to the aforementioned Mr. Bastock, and Unloaded 7.3 magazine.

What a great couple of pictures from the lens of Dave Bastock. Steve Rees was Guest of Honour at the F2 Awards Night, and Jon Palmer (24) gave him a very warm welcome!

Cheers stox74. Sorry to disappoint but i literally would'nt have the time to do this throughout the year. F1 is the priority in the season. I work a rota shift (incl. nights) and 3 months out of 4 it clashes with race dates. I can work the shifts around racing by swapping a few and using hols. Any spare days off you'll find me lurking around anything derelict/abandoned. A fair few disused railway tunnels can be waist deep in water through the winter usually with some old dead rats floating about! Definitely a job for summer. I do appreciate your suggestion though. We'll be having a look back at the 2019 F2 WF later this week.

It was announced that the new car was not quite ready Daryll

Front corner damage for John Thompson (701) A jubilant JP with his Final winners trophy. Trying to get him to stay still long enough for a photo was a challenge!

The new Polley tar car Speaky was in the 101 car

New pit access route Nice artwork on the Phil Mann (53) bonnet

Hi there folks, Skeggy report from yesterday. Apart from a rain shower midway through the meeting it was a gloriously sunny day. There was a bitterly cold biting wind at the start but this eased off thankfully. A careful selection of where to park was necessary as the amount of recent rain had left the ground very soft, and the potential to get stuck was a high probability. The Skegness team were on hand to make sure everyone got away ok at the end. The new plating at turns 1 & 2 has been installed, and a metal barrier at the entrance to pit road has replaced the chain. Also, similar to the bridge over pit lane is another container which you now go through to access the pits. It's located behind the bar in the same area as the pit access route we have used for the past couple of years. The meeting began at 13:00 and finished at 18:30. A nineteen race programme consisted of F2, 2L Saloons, ORC Ministox, Junior Rods, GT Hotrods, and Rookie Bangers. Richard Kaleta made mention that the on track H & S procedures may add a bit of time, but to be honest i think it was more the amount of races than anything. Thirty-three F2's raced a two heats, Final & GN all in format. Ht.1: A thrilling race long battle between Jon Palmer (24), Dave Polley (38), Charlie Guinchard (183), and Rob Speak (218) saw some big hits going in. Tar F2 at its best. Tremendous stuff! Whilst this was all going on Liam Bentham (488) had shot off from the blue grade to claim the first of his three victories. Top 3: 488, Ben Germany (190), and 38. Speaky in the Kelvyn Marshall (101) car was 7th. Ht.2: A multi lap duel between the dynamic duo of 24 & 183. Both drivers gave a great display of side by side passing and repassing. It ended though when Jon piled Guinch into a back marker in turn four. Top 3: 488, 38, and James Riggall (527). A flat outside rear for 218. Rob did'nt come out again. Final: A win for the 24 car made the six hour journey for Jon well worth it. He got the 2nd and 3rd finishers to sit on his knee on the podium. The look on James Riggall's face was a picture. Top 3: 24, 527, and Ben Goddard (895) GN: Another flier for the 488 car. Top 3: 488, 527, and 183. The Polley cars were quick all meeting and look as though they will be strong on tar this season. Eighteen Saloons raced a two heat and Final format. Speaky doing double duty today. Ht.1. Top 3: Charlie Santry (368), Aaron Totham (561), and Billy Smith (161) Ht.2. Top 3: Ryan Santry (389), Diggy Smith (116), and Wes Starmer (525) Final. Top 3: 561, 161, and 116. The new pit road barrier Plating at turns 1 & 2

Speaky Michael Allard

New paint job for Timmy Barnes Diggy's

Hi there folks, Just a short report on the F2 & Saloon's opener from King's Lynn. A large crowd were on hand to witness a very good meeting. A full pits, and a track that had been prepared to the usual excellent standard even with the amount of heavy rain there's been. Even needed watering later on! Plenty of new and refurbed cars on show from all three formulas. Close to 80 F2's in the pits. Ht.1 (26 cars) Top 3: Billy Banwell (277), Luke Wrench (560), and Jon Palmer (24) Ht.2 (29 cars) Top 3: Ben Chalkley (69), Stephen Mallinson (788), and Neal Smith (657) Ht.3 (22 cars) Top 3: Tony Blackburn (225), Ollie Skeels (124), and Liam Bentham (488) Consolation (40 cars) Top 3: Kyle Taylor (136), Brian Shadbolt (70), and Josh Rayner (414) Final (38 cars) Top 3: Courtney Finnikin (55), Jack Aldridge (921), and Mark Clayton (81) GN ( 40 cars) Top 3: 69, 921, and Michael Wallbank (524) Speaky was in the Bingley car that he has raced before. A heat 8th, and Final 9th for Rob. He had some close dicing with Dave Polley. Gordon Moodie failed to finish his heat after ending up facing the wrong way in turn two. He then pulled off at the start of the Consi. Courtney was flying in the Final and took the lead from 921, and pulled away again on a late caution restart. Both Daz Kitson and Jon Palmer put up a good fight against Dave Polley. On to the Saloons. Following on from a W & Y heat 1, heat two saw a continuation of the Billy Smith (161)/Timmy Barnes (131) feud with both trading big hits. Going into the last bend Ryan Santry (389) was leading until Tommy Barnes (26) piled in and Diggy swept past both for the win. Top 3: Diggy Smith (116), Tommy Barnes 926), and Lewis Gallie (182) Ht 3. Top 3: Shane Emerson (888), Charlie Santry (368), and 116 Final. Top 3: 26, 888, and Terry Garrod (338) New RCE for James Riggall Neal Smith, "The Prince" is back.

The ex Richy Ahern car now with Niels Tesselaar, and looking good. Many thanks to Bas for the pic.

Hi there folks, Last week as you know we paid a visit to Arlington Stadium nr Eastbourne. Well two days later sees us 486 miles away at Armadale Stadium where by coincidence the Eastbourne Eagles speedway team are competing against the Edinburgh Monarchs. They had’nt been to this track since 1995-6, the days of the all-in Premier league. Of all the clubs Edinburgh had raced against their record with the Eagles was the worst. Starting in 1985 they had only beaten them three times on 21 occasions. They were in luck this time though, winning the match 51-27. Unfortunately the bad weather which had dogged the F2 racing in the south-west last week reappeared here. The preceding 24hrs had seen lots of wet weather, and this meeting was abandoned after Ht.13 owing to a massive rain storm. The venue opened in 1939 for greyhound racing which continued until 2016. Motor sport has played a part here as well. It opened as a tarmac track on the 28th May 1971, and was modelled on the shape and size of Wimbledon as most major Spedeworth championships were held at that venue. This enabled the Scottish drivers to get more practice on a traditional oval. Cowdie had an even squarer shape then than today. Interestingly it was number 9 John Duncker who won the opening Superstox heat, the opening F2 heat at Cowdenbeath in 1965 was also a number 9, Peter “Pepso” Dent. The stadium has a “lived in” charm about it much like some of our tracks of the past. Rumours abound each year that the track is due to close soon, but no announcements so far. What does’nt help is the fact that Glasgow Tigers home fixtures invariably clash which reduces the crowd attendance here. A decent turnout for this one though as Glasgow had postponed their meeting. There was even an F1 driver spotted in the crowd (307). Fellow Stoxnet member Steve Harris was there to see the 1989 Saloons WF. Ray Goudy (156) was the winner that day. The Open Scottish for the Saloons was also raced for that weekend, and Steve has very kindly sent me the attached link to the race on YouTube. Plenty of action in this especially towards the end. Many thanks Steve for the info etc. The main reason for travelling up to Scotland though was for the 2019 Saloon Stock Car World Championship so let’s head to the Cowdie WF weekend over the 17th/18th August. Day one. GMP Scotland last staged the Saloon WF back in 2013. Two years ago it was an Autospeed staged event there. The 2019 event was the tenth time Cowdie had played host, and it is the track that has held it the most. A Saloon Stock Car World Final at the Racewall is something that should be on everyone’s to do list with an atmosphere that is electric. The fastest time in practice was initially set by Graeme Shevill (661), and then equalled by Adam O’Dell (171). At 4.00pm the seeded drivers brought their cars on track for the hugely popular grid walk. Posters were handed out as you entered the track. These had all the cars on with space for autographs. Following this was the last chance qualifying race. Stuart Shevill Jnr (618) won this one, and with the next five cars over the line they would start on the last six rows of the grid for the main event. The World Finalists (incl. one driver from the Netherlands, and five from NI) came on track in a cloud of smoke through a tunnel that had been erected at the pit gate. Just at the wrong moment a big rain shower arrived and soaked the track. All their car set ups from practice were now of no use. The grid was as follows: Outside Inside 600 Barry Russell 116 Diggy Smith 399 Cole Atkins 730 Deane Mayes 306 Daniel Parker 661 Graeme Shevill H16 Jeremy van de Kraats 711 Anthony McIvor 171 Adam O’Dell 56 George Boult Jnr 157 Max Stott 349 Michael Allard 153 Ryan Wright 811 Kieran McIvor 670 Ross Watters 902 Bradley Compton-Sage 570 Simon Venni 120 Luke Dorling 951 Robert Mawhinny 747 Matthew Stirling 26 Tommy Barnes 38 Barry Glen 684 Ian McLaughlin 470 David Vaughan 214 Tom Yould 5 Tam Rutherford Jnr 199 Philip Powell 131 Timmy Barnes 125 Euan Mathieson 85 Kyle Irvine 389 Ryan Santry 618 Stuart Shevill Jnr 229 Graeme Anderson 507 Paul Honeyman 800 Scott Greenslade 124 Andrew Mathieson At the drop of the green Diggy just got into the turnstile bend ahead of fellow front row starter Barry Russell. H16 and 747 spun on the home straight, with 661 doing likewise on the top bend. Michael Allard hit a marker tyre, and Deane Mayes retired after spinning and hitting the pit bend wall. The wet conditions were playing havoc with cars spinning at random throughout the field. Smith was clear of Russell, but Ross Watters had come up into third. On lap 12 the yellows came out after Honeyman hit a tyre, spun backwards into the wall and came to rest on the racing line. He was collected by the pack and needed assistance from his car. The restart had two backmarkers between 116 and 600 but it only lasted a short while before another caution for a shed wheel. At the next green Russell was right on Smith’s tail and made two attempts to pass going into both bends. The action continued with Allard spinning Stuart Shevill Jnr out of fourth, and then Parker and Yould bounced off each other in the pit bend. Smith had opened the gap by now but with three to run Russell closed it slightly. The home fans were willing the 600 car on but Diggy managed to stay ahead to cross the line to become the 2019 World Champ. Emotional scenes at the start line as family and friends mobbed him when he got out of his car. Top 10: 116 600 670 661 214 684 171 26 120 389 A Consolation followed which saw Billy Smith (161) out for his first race of the night. He hunted down and passed early leader Marc Honeyman (107). Within a lap though 107 was back in front and remained there for the duration. The Final was for the Inter-Nations Cup. The opening lap saw 161 spin, and following a heavy shunt into the turnstile bend wall a caution for Ryan Wadling. Tommy Barnes had also been treated to a trip around the wall. At the restart Colin Savage stayed out front for a few laps until Ryan Santry forced a way past. Russell was on a charge through the field and soon caught the leader. He stayed on his back bumper for a few laps until sending him wide as the race wound down and he took the victory. Top 3: 600, 389 and 730. The F2’s were racing for the Mac 100 Trophy in honour of one of the all-time greats of Scottish stock car racing – George MacMillan (100). A season’s best turnout of 27 cars, with six from England, and a trio from NI. After an unsuccessful trip to St.Day the previous weekend, Liam Rennie (3) won both his heats. Steven Burgoyne (674) won the third heat. The Final was a drawn grid and saw Rennie on the front outside of the reds. After the early lap sort outs he made his way quickly through the field to victory again, with Euan Millar (629) and Garry Sime (480) following him home. A great disappointment was losing the F2 GN, and the Saloons Allcomers because of the totally pointless inclusion of the Mascars and Jascars causing the meeting to run over time. Day two It was a day of mixed wet and dry conditions. Another good display from the Saloons who raced a two from three format. Ross Watters (670), Marc Honeyman (107) and Willie Mitchell (96) all scored heat wins. The Raymond Gunn Tribute race came next. It was an action packed affair. Honeyman took the early lead until a race suspension to retrieve Matty Stirling’s (747) roof panel after it became detached following a big hit from Timmy Barnes (131). At the restart the 107 car continued to lead despite the best efforts of Watters to close him down. Top 3: 107, 670 and 730. The F2’s were down to twenty cars for day two. Rennie continued his winning ways with victory in the opening heat. Robbie Dawson (854) won heat two, with Steven Burgoyne (674) getting the lead in the closing stages to win the Final. Top 3: 674, 184 and 852. The GN rounded off the afternoon with the win going to Euan Millar (629). Pics in the gallery when up and running again. Later this year we have the Scottish weekend coming up. Most folks will be coming from the south and will use the A74(M), M74, M8 route. There is a glorious alternative to this mundane motorway slog. How about allowing 30 mins longer for the journey and going by a fantastic scenic route away from the boredom of the motorway? Join me now as we take the road less travelled. We leave the A74(M) at junction 15 and head into Moffat. This was a centre of the wool trade, a spa town and is home to the famous Moffat toffee. This is more of a boiled sweet than traditional toffee. Over 300 kilos are made every week. It is produced to an old family recipe. In the late 1800’s the present owner’s great-grandmother first sold it commercially and it was made by hand in batches of 7 pounds (3 kilos). The Star Hotel is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s narrowest hotel at a mere 20ft (6m ) wide. The town is the ancestral seat of Clan Moffat, and nearby is the Devil’s Beef Tub which was used to hoard stolen cattle. We’ll pass this on our way. It is a 500ft (150m) deep hollow in the hills north of the town. It gets its name for a resemblance to a tub used for preserving meat. The Border Reivers( cattle raiders) used it for hiding the cattle, and their enemies referred to them as “devils”. On the 12th August 1685 a fleeing covenanter John Hunter tried to escape pursuing dragoons by running up the steep side of the Beef Tub. He failed, and was shot dead on the spot. A monument to him stands on the south west rim. From 1633 Moffat began to increase in size from a small village into a popular spa town. Moffat Spa contained sulphurous and saline waters which were believed to have healing properties for skin conditions, gout, rheumatism, and stomach ailments. The water smells very strongly of sulphur, and if you’re that way inclined you can drink a glass of it. Mind you I would’nt want to risk it on the way in case it gives you a “loose” weekend requiring frequent changes of underwear! The prominence of the town in the wool trade is commemorated with the statue of a ram which was presented in 1875. The ram’s ears are missing, as they have been since it was first installed. Moffat is a great little town for a stop off on the way. We now head out of town following the A701 to Edinburgh. This is brown signed as a scenic route. After a couple of miles we reach the last junction with a classified road for a long way. Shortly after this we cross a stream known for the connection with a gruesome murder case which took place in 1935. Dr Buck Ruxton of Lancaster killed his wife and nursemaid, then cut up their bodies and placed parts of them under this bridge and the rest at other spots in the area. We soon come to the aforementioned Devil’s Beef Tub on our right hand side. There is a layby to park in if you want to take some pics. A sad tale to tell now. Just north of here on your right is the “Postie Stone”. It is a memorial to the guard and driver of the post coach who both died in a blizzard in 1831 while trying to deliver the mail. The inscription on the tablet reads: “Near the head of this burn on 1st Feb 1831 James McGeorge, guard and John Goodfellow, driver of the Dumfries Edinburgh mail lost their lives in the snow after carrying the bags thus far”. On the morning of the 1st Feb 1831 the driver and guard had set off from Dumfries for Edinburgh. Snow had begun to fall heavily and they had occasionally to force the vehicle through ever deepening drifts. Both were experienced men with a strong sense of duty, and "a bit of snow” was not going to stop them. Having taken on two more horses and some extra passengers they were forced to abandon their efforts in the intensifying snow. Two male passengers returned to Moffat on horseback to raise the alarm, whilst the several female passengers sheltered inside the coach. The driver and guard decided to proceed on horseback with the mail. They then freed the horses and struggled onward on foot with the heavy mail bags to try and make it to the Tweedshaws Inn. This was where the horses were due to be changed over. Tragically, both men succumbed in a fierce snow storm after a few more miles. Their horses survived and made it to a nearby farm, thereby raising the alarm. Although the monument is beside the A701 evidence has shown that they were on the old road slightly to the east when they died. Part of this old route can be followed on foot today, and there is a sandstone block to mark the point where the guard was found. The men were buried in the Old Churchyard in Moffat, where there is an inscription and memorial to both men. We leave this spot now and continue on to eventually run parallel with the River Tweed. The river’s source is in the hills to your right and starts out as a barely visible stream. We are in a wide river valley now and among a vast area of forest plantations. We next come to the only settlement for many miles. The tiny village of Tweedsmuir, where an unclassified road leads to the Talla Reservoir. Let’s stop, and I’ll tell you a bit about this section, and as a bonus it is railway related as well! There are various embankments to be seen from this point on. These are from the long closed railway used for the construction of the reservoir. In the late 1800’s the expanding city of Edinburgh was in need of an increased water supply. This area in the hills 28 miles from the city was chosen. A natural loch in an area of high rainfall was ideal. In 1897 Victoria Lodge was constructed at the southern end of the site as the headquarters of the Edinburgh Water Company. All materials were lifted from there by a ropeway called a “Blondin” after the famous tightrope walker. Stone and aggregates from quarries in North Queensferry, pipes, valve gear, and pumping equipment from Central Scotland, as well as clay, gravel and sand for the embankments. Puddle clay was used to make a watertight barrier and this came from Carluke. This type of clay had originally been developed to line canals. Over 100,000 tons of materials were transported for the building of the reservoir, and at least 30 of the workers died during construction. How did they get all those materials to build Victoria Lodge and the reservoir in the first place though? Well, given the remoteness of the location and the fact it was 1000ft (300m) above sea level a railway was the only answer. Eight miles to the north was Broughton station which was on the Caledonian rail line to Peebles. An approach was made to the railway company and agreement reached whereby they would double the track to Rachan a mile east. The Talla line would branch off here.The cost of this being met by the water company. By 1896 all work associated with this new line had been completed by the Caledonian. Sidings, together with a shed and platform were built alongside the A701 south of Broughton. The one extravagance on the line was the Tweed Viaduct. This was a 100ft girder bridge built to carry the railway and water pipeline across the Tweed. The abutments for this were of high quality granite obtained from a quarry in Italy. A stone laying ceremony took place to mark the start of the lodge construction. Members and guests of the water company were brought from Edinburgh by a special train dubbed the “Tweedsmuir Express”. Owing to the tight curves on the Talla section the locomotive had to be changed over to two short wheelbase tank engines. The main contract for the reservoir construction eventually fell to a man by the name of John Best. He had a canny idea to take a financial interest in the Crook Inn which was situated two miles north. This was built in 1604 and reputedly the oldest licensed inn in Scotland. He constructed a wooden platform alongside the locomotive watering facility at Crook. It was only a short walk from here to the other “watering facility” – the Crook Inn! Events here on a Friday night after the men had been paid can only be imagined. It was said that Best paid his men their wages on a Friday, and by Monday had most of it back! The official opening of the reservoir was on Sept 28th 1905. Once again special trains brought dignitaries along. Flags and banners festooned the works, and the lodge was decorated with crimson cloth and shields. A Union Jack waved over the whole scene, and at the head of the terrace was a flag which was the Scottish Lion on a field of gold. Following the opening of the reservoir the railway fell out of use. A plea to the Caledonian to continue the operation of the line for passenger trains to serve the village of Tweedsmuir was declined. The population was only 196 and declining. Between 1910-12 the track was lifted by a contractor from Glasgow for the sum of £6,431. Only the ballast and track outline can still be traced. The lodge is now a private residence. The viaduct however is still used to support the pipeline which carries millions of gallons of water daily to Edinburgh. Have a look out for the Crook Inn on your left. It has been closed now for some years. Broughton is the next place we come to. It is home to Broughton Ales, Scotland’s original independent brewery. The village contains six listed buildings including a private house built in the style of a 17th-century Scottish tower house. A couple of strangely named villages are passed through after this. Firstly, Mountain Cross, and then Romannobridge. There is now a long level stretch for several miles until arriving at Leadburn. It’s a left turn at the Give Way and on to the last three mile stretch to Penicuik. The main industry here used to be paper manufacture, the first mill opening in 1709, but this has now long gone. The paper for banknotes used to be manufactured here. The town was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for French soldiers during the Peninsular War. 309 prisoners died at the camp between 1811-14. Penicuik is now mainly a dormitory town for Edinburgh nine miles away. Well that’s a trip along the A701. It is well worth the extra time and is actually a shorter distance. It’s always very quiet, and if you do happen to come up behind a slow vehicle there are loads of overtaking opportunities. On the homeward journey you’ve got Killington Lake services on the M6. There’s even a bit of history there. The lake is actually a reservoir formed in 1819 when Killington Beck was dammed. It was built as the main source of water for the Lancaster Canal, and supplied 22.7 million litres of water a day to the canal. Next week: The opening F2 & Saloon meetings from King’s Lynn and Skegness. Extra: I've just watched this super interview with the "Captain". Some great black and white pics of the early days, and Roger's views on the state of play within motorsport's today.

Aah yes! Richard Baldwin Motorhomes. I missed that one. Nice one Graham. There was a good boozer on the canal side called the Commercial Inn. It was closed when i was there last, but worth checking out if you go. It's not far down from the Top Lock.