The Parkinson Line.............at Snetterton

What can be said about the weekend? The weather, though dull at times, was dry and the racing was good.

I was fortunate enough to win the 1600 championship on Saturday so I have to start by thanking various individuals.

1) Thanks to Ewen Sergison of Avit Motor Sport who since I had a wing/under tray made prior to the season has looked after me like a father. The car handles better then its ever done and his infectious love of motorsport and life has propelled me into a much more professional mode of racing. In the past I must confess I didn’t always change ratios in the gearbox. They and other oddments were sometimes “near enough”. Big thanks also to Marco and Pete. Ewen’s boys. If not by making the car handle better the Avit boys have won the championship for me by ensuring reliability. I’ve finished every race I’ve started. Something I’ve never done before. So if you want a first class job at a fair price, along with a joke or two, get on to Ewen and his merry men.
2) Thanks to Peter Bragg who for the last few years has given advice and help to me and many others.
3) Thanks to Jeff Fern for concentrating on the 1000 class.
4) Thanks to Nigel Smith for not starting the season until late on.
5) Thanks to Ewen for not competing this year.
6) Thanks to Tony Daffyd Davis for not going to Ewen and finishing up with an unreliable car.
7) Thanks to Tony Cotton for pushing me all year in such a gentlemanly fashion.
8) Thanks to all of the people who came up and offered their congratulations. I was quite overcome.

I am very proud to win the 1600 championship and whilst I openly confess that I have been very lucky it will not say that on the cup. So my name will be alongside those of Ewen Sergison, Jeff Fern, Jim Timms, Jeremy Timms, Adrian Wright, Simon Davey, to name but a few. An elite company. Not quite so elite now that I’ve joined them.

It’s been a strange year this year for a number of reasons. Since being adopted by Ewen he’s often taken the car over at Parc Fermi and pushed it back whilst I’ve been left to stroll back with my helmet in hand. Before this year the only time I ever did that was when the car was coming in on the back of the breakdown truck.
I’m obviously thinking of next year now. One thing I’ve talked about with Ewen is how I can lose the twenty odd kilos that I’m over the minimum weight. It’s funny because he says he can get some weight off the nose cone and other bits but all the time we’re talking he’s looking at my stomach. Perhaps he has a secret fetish.

It was an interesting race on Saturday. Tony Cotton was my only threat to the championship and my main rival in the race as it turned out. It was the classic wings for corner speed against no wings for straight line speed battle. I think it gave the spectator something to watch as there was quite a lot of overtaking between the two of us. I had a fabulous race right to the flag. An enjoyable race with both of us respecting each other and giving space for overtaking. We got out of the cars at the end of the race with huge grins on our faces and shook hands. This is what Monoposto is all about. We were just two of the diners in the Griffin Hotel on the Saturday night. I bet Jensen didn’t go out for a meal with Barrichello, Webber and Vettel after their race.

Sara Hughes once again supplied the cakes. This time she had some opposition as Kat, Ewens wife, did a superb foreign dish and Tony Cotton surprised everyone by bringing a very nice cheesecake. When you see things like this and hear about Geoff Fern sending photographs to Marco’s kids it makes you realise what a nice bunch of people there are in Mono. Long may it continue. Trying to be fair I ate as much as I could from all three. But life isn’t fair so I put weight on and that little gannet Michael Dale stuffs his face and still weighs less then my helmet.

I was talking to Kat Impey after her start line drama with Bill Janson. Her dad was telling me that as they had planned to sell the car to finance her next step it could be that she will be back in Mono next year. So good news for Mono. Considering how "flimsy" some say the Jedi is supposed to be I was surprised at how much damage there was to Bill’s car. A great pity as Bill was psyched up for a good race and had a fair grid position.

Phil Nicholson in Patricks old car had a fantastic weekend. Particularly considering how many times he’s been out.

Young Henry Fryer in the 1600s, though I didn’t see it being in the same race, had two good races and went substantially better then previously I’m told. Pedro Ferreira on the other hand had a succession of problems that kept him from finishing which is a great pity as he seems such a nice guy.

Eddie Guest was checking wheels in the paddock for spacer dimensions. Next year should see him ditching the FF tyres for slicks. The Mono Kent cam will also be fitted so watch out for Eddie.

Jonathan Baggott had a for sale sign on the ex Ian Addlesee Van Diemen. A good car for someone starting. He’s not packing up but will compete next year in the AW1 which he also owns.

My daughter Kat, what a common name, was at Snetterton. She said I’ve always been her champion. She came to Silverstone for the first time in about six years. It rained. If it had rained at Snetterton I would have had to ban her for life.

My wife thinks that we’re just a bunch of old fools in Mono playing at motor racing. I don’t know how she gets that idea. Perhaps when I’m talking to her I do tend to emphasise the ages of the senior members rather then the younger. At work though or with other friends I perhaps tend to emphasise the younger ones more. Funny how the truth can be amended to suit ones aims.

Getting a bit older has some compensation. Sara Hughes brings evaporated milk especially for my coffee and often gives me a cuddle. As I’m an old git Ian doesn’t mind. If I were younger I’d probably get my teeth knocked out and be looking for a dentist. It would be ironic to find a dentist only to discover that it was the guy who’d knocked your teeth out. Ian is of course of that profession.

So after all this, lucky or not, I’ve won. Not bad for a sixty four year old in a twenty six year old car.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Both the car and I will be a little older next year but we’ll both be back for another try. And I’ll enjoy it just as much whether I’m first or fourth. I think that’s where club racing wins every time over professional motor sport. We race for fun and the weekend is almost a couple of days out with the boys.

A final point for anyone who doesn’t/can’t get on to the forum. Simon Davey has done a very good job for us this year. He rounds people up for qualifying and racing. He rounds people up for the prize giving. He says enough at these events without going on for to long. But what he does say is well worth listening to, particularly from a driver of his stature. The majority of people, I’m sure, feel the same way.

I’m not sure if a guest speaker/prize hander outer is contemplated for the annual dinner in February. Unless anything has already been booked I suggest that Simon, ably assisted by the lovely Sara H. F. do the job that they’ve done so well all year.

I will bring this up at the next Directors meeting in November but would welcome your thoughts.

David Parkinson

David celebrates with Champagne

David's daughter brings some much needed style to the Parkinson equipe.

The popular press were quick to recognise our columnist's achievements:

Lewis Hamilton's friend Nicole Pussycat-Doll was reported as saying "Lewis is such a loser now. I want to be with a champion"*

Some said that David was ill-advised to choose Ewen as a companion for the Buckingham Palace gig. Ewen's dress sense always was a bit dodgy.

(*"So do I, so clear off girly" - Mrs P)

Pix: Andrew Cliffe/Norwich Photo, Patrick Huston, The Sun, The Telegraph, and Photoshop wasn't involved at all