2007 Calendar Gets Started
2007 started with plenty of pace for the Moordown Baptist Church Mens Group as they started this year’s calendar of events with a visit to the Go-Karting centre on Matchams Lane.
As usual a great time was had by all. With a good mix of church men and their guests (there were in fact more Not Yet Believers than church men at this event) there was a good atmosphere with more than a hint of competitiveness!
Getting There
The place itself is difficult to find. The entrance is easy enough, but once inside the grounds, the route to the Go-Karting track seems unnecessarily tricky. Maybe it is designed as preparation for what lies ahead.
Starting late, everyone was soon ready. Complete with jump suits, helmets and gloves. This made individuals indistinguishable, which at least meant some of the on-track antics were not personal.
The Race
Teams were chosen and everyone was raring to go. The smell of oil and the rev of the engines clearly bringing out the masculine side in most competitors.
The lead marshal took everyone through the required safety talk - although I am not sure everyone was paying attention going by what actually took place on the track. There were many red-flag incidents whilst karts were turned the right way round, dragged out of the gravel and disentangled. The most spectacular incident of the night belongs to Stephen Coombes: driving through a wall of tyres after missing the turn.
We also saw a different side to the normally mild mannered Mike Trotman. He had an interesting tussle with one of our guests that carried on over a number of laps with neither giving way. Maybe it was his rush to get the race finished in case he needed to make an equally quick trip to the hospital for the latest arrival to the Trotman family?
The event was one hour of continuous racing in teams with regular driver changes and lots of checking the leader board. The ability range was broad, but everyone gave their best and it was clear most teams were out to win. Although the team of ‘seniors’ kept a low profile.
Result
Wayne Harris and Mike Trotman (are you surprised?) managed to secure a place on the podium for Moordown Baptist Church with a highly respectable 2nd place. 1st place went to a team of Mike’s colleagues from P H Warr and 3rd to a team of guests (Jez, Richard and Kelvin).
Despite the 2nd place finish, Wayne managed to take control of the champagne (using the term very loosely) and in traditional fashioned showered the other competitors and spectators. There was little choice after being told by the marshal, ’There’s no point keeping it. Nobody would ever drink the stuff.’
Post-RaceThe evening was rounded off with about half the group going to the nearby Ski Centre for a drink and to carry on discussions about who had the fastest lap time and who caused the crash going through the hair-pin bend!!!
Let's hope the next event goes as well.
