If you have a scratch you should itch it. Well my itch has to do with not being out in the car all week and having significant "I need to drive to clear my head" syndrome. What better way then a 300 miler on a Saturday morning. When I say Saturday morning it's debateable as to technically whether it could be described as Friday night. Anyway back on topic, the destination was west
Early start left home at 4.45am, heads up on the weather by the way, blustery but suprisingly warm. Met Mark at Clacket Lane Services on the M25 and headed down the A3 to the rally point. Like a scene from a Guy Hamilton film, 12 pilots appear out of the darkness and mingle awaiting the call to arms. At the alloted time we scamble and head off in our grouped formations with the team leaders faces illuminated in the dark by the all important Sat Nav scenes lighting the journey ahead.
The roads were good but slippery in places and the groups criss-crossed each other throughtout the drive as seems to be the way in these events as each Sat Nav picked slightly different roads occasionally to get to the same weypoint around a detour or road closed. Keeps it interesting though and not a little comical.
First stop, Newbury Racecourse for some photos just as the morning broke into daylight. The banter was also free flowing which is not only essential but also the law.
Photos in the bag (for some but more of that later) off to the zoo and some group photos but only of parked up "beasts" Not sure anyone will have any competition winning photos to submit from that stop today.
The run between the Zoo and Camberley was a mixture of A and B roads and I think its fair to say if they were dry and had a little less traffic they would be stonking roads. These roads are definately on my "to do again" list.
We stopped at Blackbushe Aerodrome for breakfast where one of the crew, Andy, had to peel off and return to reality while the rest of us braced for impact of a cooked meal. The menu sported a Large, Small and "Polish" cooked breakfast but no-one was brave enough to try it. The "catch up" time at the end of these runs is a highlight of the day only surpassed by the driving itself as its a time to wax lyrical about the adventures just had, the particular road, turn, twist, twitch, dip, rise and how the cars performed against all of them are important recollections and validations of the day. The time spent is also good to discuss club matters if needbe as we are always looking for ways to improve participation and the quality of events in what is fast becoming recognised as a very active club. Not to much of that official stuff (I use the word in its lightest sense) as we don't want to get to serious on what is for me anyway downtime from my very different real world.
The car performed very well today and now with getting on towards 1800 miles on the new engine package installation I am very pleased with the car itself. Although I'm not looking forward to cleaning it after this trip as the odd farm track detour around closed roads did resemble a ploughed field that my 4x4 would have been better suited to. Thanks Trevor ;-) .
So to the fuel saga. I filled up at Clacket and I didn't fill up again until Farnbough on the way home. I did 166.47 miles on a tank of fuel today with 25 litres used that works out at 30.27 mpg on the varied conditions of today. ..... quite chuffed with that.
All in all a great day out that would have been a great contender for my top 5 blats for the year if the roads had been dry. Some memorable roads and to get 12 cars out this early in the season bodes very well for the yeard ahead.
