I wasn’t even going to enter.

It was 2 minutes into the drivers briefing and I realised that I had got someone to drive the Excel out to Ansell Park, and despite the fact that the driveshafts were making a horrible noise I thought ‘what the heck’.  I had towed the club trailer out to the event as it resides in my front yard, hence the requirement to get someone to drive the Excel out to Ansell.

So I filled in the entry form, handed over my money and grabbed the numbers for the car (30 of 30). I got the car scrutineered and away I went to the first test. I picked up a hitchhiker for the first 3 tests, which calmed me down no end (thanks Leone!) and despite having to decide which garage to finish in I set a good time on the first test., and set fastest on the second.

I then went onto one of my favourite tests of all time – Enterprise, and won it. I nearly won it a few years ago on a skidpan event with the WRX club, and I was driving a 1989 Pulsar Q! That felt good!.But what it did do is alert me to the fact that hey – I may be doing OK in this thing! This was followed up by the news at lunchtime that I was leading (thanks to Brad for timing field 3, which gave the rest of us a chance at the big trophy!).

I knew I had some stiff opposition, but being Niven’s early attempts were making me nervous, I tried to ignore the times and get on with the serious business of having fun! And having fun I was, just going for it and trying not to WD. And I didn’t – well, I tried to but did not manage it. Stopping for 10 seconds when you can see 3 flags with no idea which one to go around is not good. But two attempts with the fastest time standing was my saviour there.

And as the sun started to go down and the early morning moisture disappeared so did some visibility. We all started to get lost in our own dust, and I started to get nervous about possibly being a winner. Not aided by Brad’s assertion that ‘I had to win, we had to keep our average up’. Heck, I have never won an event outright before, is this the day?

And so to the last round of tests, including the quick ‘Diamond Slalom’. Niven cracked, through the garage he went. Hey mate, I tell you, I nearly did the same! I think I nearly broke the brake pedal trying to stop! Another test won, surprising me though I thought my Prelude driving friend still had me done. So I just go for it on the Hopkirk – who reverses in motorsport? We do! Still feels weird though. I have the driveshafts singing around that test, and it is a lot of fun. Nearly flick the front end in to the garage and manage to get it over the line without stopping. Excellent.

Then the nervous wait. Have I? Haven’t I? I did. And I still can’t believe it! But you know, what a fun day. And it makes you realise how right the bigger motorsport people are when they tell you it is much better to win when you have a fight on your hands. Well done Niven, (and to Julie Boesel, who came 3rdin Smurtle without winning a test all day), I had a ball. Lets see what we can do later in the year, I may have to enter during the drivers briefing next time....!

20 years in motorsport and finally a win. How cool. Thanks to all who officiated, you made my year!

Blacky.