The 2007 Season
NEW SHELSLEY WALSH SURFACE IS DOWN
Racing action returned to Shelsley Walsh on the 12th and 13th of March with two one-day meetings, and whilst these were rain affected, competitors made the best of some poor weather that deteriorated on Sunday making this one of the wettest Shelsleys in living memory.
Kington, Herefordshire farmer John Jones took his supercharged Pilbeam to BTD on both days of the Midland Automobile Club's season opening weekend at the world-famous 102 year old Shelsley Walsh speed hill climb, despite weather conditions that were more in keeping with ducks than that of running a racing car. Although Saturdays weather was changeable - one minute dry and sunny, next minute a downpour - Sundays meeting suffered from steady solid rain that showed no signs of letting up from mid morning onwards. Despite this, competitors continued to the end of the days competition and the new track surface showed that it is a match for the elements with very respectable 0-64 feet times even in a torrential downpour.
On Saturday Earls Common Worcestershire, resident and Eurosport Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) commentator Toby Moody took a rewarding class win in the Marengo single-seater racing car he dual drove alongside current owner Jonathan Toulmin of Snitterfield, Warwickshire. Not such a good result for the owner however, as in the damp conditions his bid to match Toby’s time failed as he spun under braking just before Bottom Ess, putting the nose into the right hand bank. A surprising lack of damage bears testimony to the solid and well engineered construction methods of car builder Tony Pashley.
MAC Secretary Roger Thomas commented “despite the wet weather, our competitors had a great weekend and the newly resurfaced track handled the conditions well with the startline very grippy even in the wet. We will be back in action on the weekend of the second and third of June for a British Hill Climb Championship event featuring the fastest accelerating racing cars in the country. I encourage all enthusiasts in Worcestershire and the adjacent counties to make sure that they come to the event”
MAC President John Moody said “I have been going to Shelsley since
about 1960 and have never been there on a wetter day than Sunday. Thank you
to all marshals, competitors and officials for staying cheerful in miserable
circumstances, your resilience is much appreciated”