Tel's Tales 047– 2015 Season- Hethel Sunday 3^rd May 2015

For me and Steve travelling south for 4 hrs was fairly easy despite the slow roads around Kings Lynn and East Anglia. We had a good meal and a few pints talking with Duncan Cowper ( Dax Rush Turbo fame) and his mate before getting to sleep I the trailer. Woke about 0400hrs with the rain lashing it down bang on forecast. As it turned out WET WET WET (not the pop group that formed in 1982) turned out to be the theme for the event. The 5 Westfields competing at the great venue were myself, Steve Everall, Pete Goulding, Gerry Houghton and Graham Frankland. Scrutineering was quick and easy and so P1 started in heavy rain with a very wet track. Indeed I do not think I have driven in wetter circumstances and the issues were an almost total lack of visibility and standing water causing aquaplaning which on the main straight was interesting at about 120mph! Visibility was so bad that you coudn't even see the standing water never mind some of the blue cones which defined the chicanes. It was all about smoothness and surviving.

Pete Goulding was quickest on 155.95secs and graham was slowest on 200.88 secs. Timed runs started after lunch and although it was suggested that 3 runs may be possible in the end we only got 2. The rain had eased but it was still very wet and my slicks stayed in the trailer. There was now a bit less standing water so at least you could just about see where you were going but grip was non existent. Pete Goulding was trying hard and recorded 143.22 secs but I went quicker with 137.31 secs, Steve was 153.71secs, Graham 171.86 secs and Gerry 166.92 secs. (At this stage I was 3^rd fastest overall.)

The second Timed runs started and the track began to dry a little but it was not consistent in grip levels as I was to find out. First casualty was Steve who hit a wet patch on the main straight as he was braking for the chicane and he went on the grass and into the Armco barrier very gently but it broke his lower nearside wishbone and bent the steering arm. The others had improved their times and the track was now much better. So out came my slicks and away I went like a scalded cat. Grip wasn't too bad with minimal wheelspin and I was on a good lap until I came round the blind left hander near the start line only to see a very wet track but it was too late to react and off I went onto the grass and gently hit the Armco barrier........I did not utter any expletives, honest. So that was both nearside wishbones broken and the steering arm and the wishbone mount on the chassis rail had been pushed back 10mm. Even the paramedic laughed when I told him my name as he said “but that's two Everalls I have see in the last 30 mins.”. So Team Everall and part of the Yorkshire Mafia have some serious repairs to do but at least I was quickest Westfield and took the 100 points at this WET event (1.6e rule)

So best times were:

Class C

Graham Frankland 157.87 secs

Class D

Steve Everall 153.71

Class F

Pete Goulding 138.76 secs

Gerry Houghton 152.34 secs

Class G

Terry Everall 137.31 secs

Terry Everall

Speed Series Correspondent

Class G competitor