Micro National Round 1 Thanks

[Jonesy]

This may take a while but here goes!!

When entries closed for this years National Series we were all aware that the calendar was short. As a BRCA Micro Committee member I felt I had a duty to try and rectify this situation so I approached Ellesmere Port (which is not my main club) and asked for their help - and so it began!

Ellesmere Port were fantasic in the help and support they have provided the section in hosting todays event. I'd like to thanks Stuart, Gavin, Steve for setting up as well as Mike (Oswestry), Dan and Darren for packing up. Most of all a MASSIVE thanks to Si Stickland (your D Final Winner today) for providing the Van and Trailer which has allowed us to transport the carpets, piping, jumps, ramps, PA and so on to the venue today. Si helped me every step of the way in the planning of this as well as execution of the event and all the hard work paid. The work put in from the club was excellent.

Many thanks to the BRCA Committee, Cris for not putting his nose in every 5 minutes (which is a testiment to the way todays meeting was run), Stu for Health and Safety Advice, Steve D and Chris B for making us change any of the track this morning, Mat North for his help in recent weeks ensuring you guys at all paid!!

Dave Blakely who works at the venue was also very instrumental in securing the venue for a very very very decent price and the guys from Mold Model Car Club were amazingly supportive in allowing us to use their venue and pipes. Oswestry Model Car Club also showed fantastic support in allowing us to borrow their 1/10th Off Road designed Table Top

We never had many issues today, in fact the greatest moan we had from drivers was the feature on the left hand side of the track which was 'random' at times but fun at others - and these moans were minimal! We had an issue first thing this morning when we turned up and the ceiling was leaking, that issue was soon 'mopped' up with a slight track change.

Big thanks go to my dad for sitting on Scruteneering all day, Mike Elliot for running the computer all day and Tom Yardy for some fantastic commentary - "Craig Harris is half way back to Wales" was a funny comment!

In relation to the turn out I really wish there were more drivers there to see it but the distance travelling for this meeting meant people stayed away then so be it. There is a time and a place for this discussion and now is not it!

I'm sure there are many more people I need to thank and if I've missed you off then I really am sorry, everyone deserves a pat on the back for today, I'm really really glad we did it!

Despite all the highs there has to be a low though, and that low was my driving in the Final, I am gutted that I never turned my Qualfying Performances into a win, and not even a podium. I felt my car was dialed all day but still we live and learn!

Overall, today was about you guys, the racers, and Ellesmere Port and I putting on a National Meeting, this was achieved in my opinion. I can measure this on the number of you that came over to me and shook my hand and asked me to thanks the guys that had put in the graft, appriciation from fellow drivers is always welcoming and you never know we may be persuaded to do another one in the future (especially if I can go that quick around there again )

Thanks and Good Night (i.e Time for a Beer)

[sldmodels]

Sorry you didn't get a good final, but glad the day went well otherwise. I won't be at round 2, but I might be at round 3 which is Dudley.

[Body Paint]

Was a top job today mate, big big thanks to all those involved club and BRCA. Really enjoyed the track and watching some of you lot fall apart in the final was ace! Almost wish I was stood at the trackside instead of winning the race.... ok, maybe not

[c0sie]

Gotta agree with Andy. The meeting was nigh on faultless! Over the last few seasons nearly every National has had moans and groans from drivers aimed at track and committee, we've had issues with the race timing and laptop and scrutineering has been a nightmare.

At Broughton, as far as I am concerned, we had nothing! Scrutineering was faultlessly undertaken thanks to Daddy Tango, Mike on Race Control was brilliant and really put my mind at rest as he obviously knows that race software inside out. The race refs I chose did really really well, and having Tom Yardy take over mid way through the meeting was brilliant....I can think of a good few handfulls of people who asked whether we could secure Tom as our commentator for every round!

Bad points?
1) Everyone attended the race brief, and I even used the loud PA system this time so how come so many people forgot that "there are no installation laps"??
2) What the #### is wrong with the M6? LOL. Satnav went mental after the M6 ground to a halt and took me from Broughton to Stafford, Wolverhampton, Stourbridge and then back onto the M5. Didnt get in till gone 8:30pm

Thanks to EVERYONE involved. Im so tired that I may forget to name people if I try so ill leave it at "everyone".

I hope the rest of the host clubs are watching, Broughton set that bar damn high

[Matisse]

absolutley cracking day,

hooge thanks to all of the epor, southport and oswestry guys who helped to make it happen, but especially jonsey. and also to everyone who helped on the day

great A final to watch, good win for craggis, i have no idea what happened to nobby, but he somehow managed to finish 2nd after falilng to 9th!, and a massive shame that tango had his first error in the final and couldn't keep up his blistering form, man was his car dialled.

comedy award goes to jimmy for turning up direct from a nights clubbing (dedication or what) having a kip and then looking a little lost whilst marshalling, top skills!

[c0sie]

Lol, during that "Jimmy looked lost whilst marshalling" episode I thought he was gonna throw up all over the shop.

Poor Joffrey, oOple dancer extraordinaire!

[old jonesy]

Cris,
Thanks for the thanks. Scrutineering is really easy with the new checking fixtures - although I tried to fail a couple of 1/16th cars which I put in the 1/18th box by mistake! Only disappointment was not being able to fail cars with no orange on them.
Pete Jones aka Daddy Tango.

[Mark Stiles]

Originally Posted by Matisse

i have no idea what happened to nobby, but he somehow managed to finish 2nd after falilng to 9th!

Yeah I was a bit baffled by how that happened, especially given that I was about 6th with 3 laps to go! I think I went from 4th to 2nd at the far hairpin before the last straight!

The race was full of silly errors for me and Tango - by the time I had got into any kind of rhythm, Harris was over half a lap up.

It's a shame the points dont work the same as last year, otherwise I'd have been leading the championship I think! Which idiot proposed the new system? Oh yeah.... me! D'oh!

[ScottyDogWoof]

Guy/gals

It was great to see our venue being put to proper use. Its a shame really we dont run a club meeting anymore, We had to stop as there was pretty much only me and winston barnet that ever show'd up, and setting up and putting away is a tall ask in aero space due to it being rather large, and them carpets we have are a bi@ch to lift back up onto that stage. You are all very welcome to try use the venue you agian.

I'm a little disapointed there are not more local micro heats as i love racing them, Like 1/8th rally cross on smaller scale. Jonesy you got to try get the first and last meeting up this way lol, Coz i'd love to race again. while mold is down the shoot i have nearly a two hour round trip just to get to the next club .

Over all considering that i'd never raced the exotek 18t, I was using cells not lipo, the losi brushless combo that never made it off the car stand ( i bought just the day before, Failed to work propely the evening i bought it, have to send it back) losi software that wont run on vista!!!, had to get the nosram dominator and std team ae brushed motor out (which was stupidly pants!), 2st practise the streer servo stopped working! (fitted a tower pro lol, work'd faultlessly rest of the day), 1st heat the motor stopped working (Managed to find another one tho, My thanks to that person ) in A final Motor end bell came off the can whilst not to far away from Mr Dodd car felt its best all day too, the day wasnt too bad, not raced indoors for for like months and months!!

Incase, Mines the EXOTEK lol