The Parkinson Line.............at Thruxton

Like many other Mono drivers I have never raced at, or visited, Thruxton previously. So the walk round the circuit on the Friday night was particularly important.

I think I learned something. But walking at three miles an hour and driving at a hundred gives a slightly different perspective. Corners I’d contemptuously dismissed as just flat out were flat out but only when using the correct line and most of the road.

I enjoyed the race more than the qualifying, mainly because I’d got a better idea of where I was going. I did mistake the faster of the two right hander corners for the slower one on two occasions. Better than the other way round.

My Conclusions

I loved the circuit and would be happy to return.
Organisation was good with no problems signing on, scrutineering etc.
The noise test was a problem but the guy let me go out. Ewen Sergison advised that the probe was being held in the wrong place.
The bar/café was not too good and the food was awful. Off circuit catering next time.
The weather was good although that’s got nothing to do with the organisers.

General

Tony Cotton has already written an article on Thruxton and his biggest complaint seems to be that he never got one of Sara’s pieces of cake. Well, I have to tell you that I got plenty. After the bacon sandwiches at Silverstone, the cakes, and the always plentiful supply of curry, I always make a point of parking as close as I can to the curry wagon, I mean the horse box. I have advised Sara that she needs to get a much bigger cake tin for Croft as it’s a double header. The trouble is she keeps handing the stuff out to anyone passing and not just the close neighbours.

They, Ian and Sara, are now the proud owners of a brand new race box. Ian advises that the manufacturers are going to fit a top deck in so that he can carry his 2 litre car in there as well. They’ve measured it and it can evidently be done. I can’t see it myself so will watch with interest. The roll bars are the biggest obstacle.

The trailer won the contest between itself and a new bathroom (this is the sort of prioritisation that I approve of! Ed.). As Ian said, he can always dig another hole when the present one gets full.

Geoff Fern had a day of mixed fortunes. Qualifying saw him break the front of his JKS at the entry to the complex. The race saw him unload the trusty 1600 to have an inspired trouble free run through the field. Come back to the 1600s Geoff. You know it makes sense. As an extra incentive this will also allow you to partake of some Sara cake.

It’s always nice to see Simon Davey don his race suit at these non championship meetings. It’s allowed Simon. You don’t have to enter as Fred, Keith or Jim Davey or whatever the alias was.

I don’t know how we got the Thruxton invite in the first place. Whether it was through Simon’s contacts or what but they must have been quite pleased. A full grid of racing cars come along and race causing no problems, and no red flags. It must do our reputation a power of good for the future with both Thruxton and the Aston Martin club.

I work at Basingstoke during the week and to save driving 500 miles home and back to almost the same place brought my car up on Monday and left it at the Fern residence. This had an extra bonus as on Friday Sarah H-F came with me to Thruxton to show me the short cut. No, this is not the bonus. My mobile has been playing up recently and I had difficulty hearing it when it rang. I’ve piddled about with it, changing ring tones and trying to switch the volume up to no avail. I think it took Sarah about three seconds to get the thing working as well as changing the volume and ring tone. I felt very old when she explained this expertise away by saying she’d had a phone since she was eight. I didn’t like to tell her that I got my first mobile in about 1992 so I’m not exactly new to them.

Roll on Croft.

David Parkinson

The Hughes family luxury bathroom, yesterday

Sara's horsebox after a rebuild by Ian(That's the end of my chances of cake.)

Joanie gives strategic planning advice to Geoff.

Apparently this is somebody called Brittany Spears using a "mobile phone". Are they really this compact?