1st in Class is worth 20 points, 2nd 18 and a none finish 1!
So after the latter in 2001, 2nd in Class in 2002 was a net gain of 17 points over last year on the first round of the 2002 BTRDA Championship.
The Wyedean, as probably everybody knows, is the one chance each year to explore the unique Forest of Dean stages. This year the combination of terrible weather the week before the event, a field of near1y 170 and double running of Speech House meant that things were going to be very muddy and very rough.
The first stage round the racecourse in Chepstow was also the last stage of the event. At 0.9 miles, it was very short, but great fun, the changes from tarmac to gravel were wild to say the least. Nik bettered the fastest he had ever done on this stage by 2 sec in the morning and a further 2 in the afternoon (Must be learning something!).
Next on to Yorkley and Speech House, the Speech stage is usually one that Nik likes, and seeing 4th gear a hell of a lot + a couple of 5th gear straits proved a) The car was going well and b) Nik's self preservation level seems to have dropped this year.
Sallowvallets was next, and here a new experience. Ro at Pine Lodge Maps was trying something new with an Arial photo overlayed onto the stage map, just goes to prove that OS maps are not always correct as in a number of cases the actual road line from the photo differed from the map (Nice move Ro). Runs thru Trelleck Common and Chepstow Park closed the morning session and lead to the 1 hour service at the racecourse.
At service the interim results showed the 306 Maxi leading A7, we were second, with another 306 and an Astra close behind, so the remaining 4 stages were going to be Interesting. Speech House 2 was at nearly 10 miles (where do they keep finding these extra roads!) and a time of 12:50 was pretty good. Mailscot was the last forest stage with the infamous drop to the river Wye included, and then it was back to the racecourse for the final dash and a wait for the results.
We had managed to hold the second in class, so it was a case of pick up the awards from the every insulting Pete Griffiths and go and find some dinner.
Good start to the season Nik!
