TORCH Winter Series Rd1

So beginith my adventure into the world of 2wd.

A couple of weeks back I was at TORCH for the first round of their winter series.

I have written about TORCH before so anyone who visits regularly will know about this great club in the south of England.

For those that don't know TORCH is a club that boasts a national level facility based around a high grip astro track with a lap of around 25-30 secs depending on the layout.

The committee put on some great events and regularly change the track in order to keep things fresh and interesting. Whatever the layout racers are guaranteed a fun but challenging circuit on which to test their mettle.

Being a bit of a slow learner this doesn't particularly suit me and usually just as I am getting the hang of one layout the buggers go and change it!

As previously mentioned I have shelved the 4wd for now in favour of the more popular 2wd class. What this means is that I am appearing further down the results sheets than ever, oh well it's something to work on.

As if  this isn't bad enough the day in question turned out to be damp and greasy.

For anyone thinking about attending any of the winter series rounds it should be noted that the committee have, in their wisdom, decided on 'Ballistic Buggy' control tyres on driven axles.

Despite the less than ideal conditions there was a good turnout and the traditional tented village quickly sprung up populated by some familiar, well known, faces.

A hearty breakfast is required to fuel a good days racing and less health conscious racers were well taken care of by the on site burger van proffering all manner of high cholesterol comestibles.

Hard working committee members took full advantage.

Al could only look on admiringly at Dans scoffing skills, he eats like he drives, hard and fast!

My day was, how should I put it, an interesting one.
I was a victim of my own parsimony.
I gambled on the day being a dry one and spent my cash on some white compound tyres.
The gamble didn't pay off and I was left with the choice of buying yet more tyres or trying to get through on some worn pinks.
Another bad decision saw me slithering around on my worn out pink spikes in the forlorn hope that the sun would appear.

A 'character building' qualifying left me languishing near the bottom of the time sheets.

I would be lining up on the grid for the bottom final.

A smile on my face may have been a rare sight but wasn't hard to spot on the faces of most.

Even Rob Elms managed a grin.

The high point of my day came in the final when the track had just about dried up enough for me to bolt on my white mini pins.

These transformed the car and enabled me to get to the front early in the race and hold off all challengers to take a glorious victory. (Allow me this, I have to take whatever positives I can.)

Chris is yet another 'K' car convert and was rockin' his FS2 to good effect.

It was not difficult to spot Mark Sadler who,  clearly comfortable with his masculinity, could be seen sporting a seriously camp pink titfa and the less said about Masons 'Santas little helper' affair the better.

It must run in the family.

Apart from the hardcore John Clarke hats and gloves were the order of the day as the cold started to seep in.

OK so it was a somewhat ignominious start to my 2wd adventures but I have learnt some valuable lessons, not least the one that says 'don't skimp on tyres'.

I will bite the bullet and reluctantly splash out on some more appropriate tyres for a winter series in the hope that me and the Cougar SVR can creep a little further up the time sheets. 

I wish I could tell you who won the 'A' final but to be honest I was half way home by then, if you want to know head over to the results page on the TORCH website HERE.

Just one thing ... Don't look at my times.