BEATNIK NICKS TITLE IN HAIR-RAISING FINALE!

Yes the headline says it all, our own resident beatnik Long Haired Dave, managed to wash and go - assisted by the wet weather, beating the Carrot Cruncher James Walpole to the PBIC Season Victory by just one point.

The double header at Snetterton looked set to see the race for the title go to the wire but in the end rain stopped play and it was all over on day one.

It was good to see all the regulars  there including  James Darby making a last bid for freedom and Peter Andrews who is gearing up for a return to racing next year.

An exciting practice session left seasoned racer Lew Bergonzi out with a blown engine and the rest of the points up for grabs between several drivers scrabbling for class or overall position honours.

The nonchalant favourite for the driver’s driver award Michael Piggott,  finding practice a little stressful pulled over to light  up a woodbine rather than jostle for grid position.

Miss Daisy was showing an oil light and had developed a water leak and thanks must go once again to Pat Fenn in car 22 for basically fixing the car and sourcing spare parts. This is what club racing is all about in my view. (That’s right Pat Fenn fixing everyone’s car!)

For my part despite my best efforts I was unable to get by Pete ‘Fatboy’ Burchill who managed to occupy  all of the track in his superwide ZS.

There were a few new (to me) cars out including car 6 and fellow Bongo owner Mark Burnside in his red MGC with a very familiar looking mechanic, none other than Andy Young of  Jet propelled MGC fame.

Also of note was Simon Cripps in his MGB V8  (car 50) with the novel rear suspension set up consisting of two baked bean tins held together with string, but more of that later.

Twenty-nine cars lined up for race one and all made a clean start. As predicted Miss Daisy car 45 driver Alan Jones was unable to harness the new found power and went straight off at turn one.

By turn two Alan Brooke  car 44 had given his metro a black eye having made contact with “Primrose” car 18 driven by Simon Tinkler. Fortunately only a flesh wound to both cars and they continued merrily on.

I decided to wait until Russell bend before taking to the grass in a blatant attempt to win over the crowd.

By this time  Mr Burchill car 13 and I had settled into what was to become a mammoth (that’s Burchill) battle to last the entire race.  With Burchill tip-toeing round the corners and then flooring it down the straights we swapped places over and over.

My little B just wasn’t able to keep up until we reached the twisty bits, where I took to the inside as Burchill ran wide.

In a blatant attempt to get a mention Rob (Weasley) Beasley car 80 decided to conduct a full spin right in front of me as he exited  Russell bends, allowing Burchill and me past. Well it worked as there was your mention Rob!

I think car 6 Mark Burnside spun at some point but soon made up ground using the traditional tactic of sticking his headlamps on full beam to make the car go faster.

Burchill and I battled on and I decided to make a last ditch attempt to get past him funnily enough on the last lap.

As we exited Russell bend I was ready with my foot on the gas, only to find Burchill was ready with his foot on the brake, resulting in me scuffing his rear bumper and putting myself into a very fetching slide sideways on full opposite lock. Suffice to say he beat me, which was greeted with unbridled joy by the rest of the Loonies including the Loony Photographer who kindly pointed out he had predicted this in a comment on this very website.

The preliminary results were swiftly published by Maggie and everyone set about preparing for the grand finale on day two.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the joyous sounds of raindrops. I immediately rushed to the track in order to eagerly put on my wet tyres having yet to use them, only to discover as the day went on it was the wrong type of rain and in the end it was too wet for my wets.

In fairness it was monsoon conditions and the MGCC left it as late as they reasonably could before abandoning the meeting. I realised it was all over well before the announcement as I spotted James Walpole had abandoned his Weetabix & Immac diet and was tucking into a “full English” in Tyrrells Café earlier in the day.

Like the tyres on Miss Daisy everyone felt a bit deflated as what had promised to be a cracking final  was now water under the bridge…(or in the bomb-hole to be precise).

So the end results are as follows:

Overall Champ is Dave Brooke car 11
Runner up James Walpole car 1 (or 15)
Third Paul Rigg car 76

Class A (which is what counts!)
Winner James Walpole
Second Alan Brooke car 44
Third…..hang on a minute..it’s me in car 40!!!

(NB. all results subject to official ratification by MGCC)

So there we have it, it’s all over bar the shouting. A really cracking year of racing has been had by all and I do feel that the series has gone from strength to strength with great grids and really exciting, entertaining racing throughout the field.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this year and hope to come back in 2009 and give Burchill the whupping he richly deserves.

All eyes now turn to the Christmas Dinner which takes place on the 6th of December. We are promised a much improved set up compared to last year,  which includes a shortened driver’s meeting (HURRAH!) and longer bar hours (HURRAH again).

I very much look forward to seeing you all  there to bring an excellent year’s racing to a close.

Do not dismay however, just because there is no racing do not think that your favourite web site will be shutting up shop for the winter.

Far from it, as I am still able to churn out more of this rubbish racing or not!

To this end I am planning a Christmas Special to be published just before the Christmas Party, this is to allow you the chance to bribe me in advance with offers of drinks to prevent publication of those embarrassing moments you would rather forget.

And of course I am always happy to receive footage or editorial maligning any driver so get them in to me now!

Before I close there is just time to send our best wishes to the condemned man James Darby who many of you will know has had a years’ break from racing as he is due to get married next weekend.

I am told there is no truth in the rumour that the wedding invitations said “The marriage of Darby & Joan” as in fact his bride to be is called Tina!

Good luck to you both and especially to Tina for taking up the challenge of embarking on married life with James.

And finally….. in what has turned out to be a bumper edition again, I felt I had to put this marvellous sequence of photos in, all taken by the Loony Photographer Alan Featherstone. He really has turned out some great snaps and informs me he has abandoned his lifelong following of the BTCC to support the Loony Team, clearly he is as mad as they are.

Seriously though he has said how impressed he is with the camaraderie and sporting atmosphere that exists in the Peter Best Series and he certainly should know as he marshals’ at Oulton too!

So here we are then….this is what happens if you use string for your rear suspension….enjoy!!

Jonesey