C-100 End of Season Review 2007 - HW

Introduction

It’s that time of year again and once again through popular demand I’ve decided to compile the now legendary SD Sprint championship top 10. As I say every year, the opinions expressed within this article are solely mine and not that of the rest of the C100 team so it’s me you can thank or me you can argue with about the content of this article!

One thing to emphasise is the basis of my rating which retain to how well a driver does compared to how well I believed they would have done at the start of the season and also I put a lot of emphasis on results (wins and podiums) and less emphasis on consistency although I except this is also important over the course of a season.

I’ve continued the ‘best race’ and ‘worse race’ category for those in the top 10 and this relates to what I consider was that driver’s strongest/weakest race performance of the year. I’ve cut out some of the other categories I used to have on the grounds that we now have three championships so I have more to write than in past seasons but I have added a section within each category that does highlight some key performances from drivers outside the top 10 for those that didn’t make it in this year. I’ve also made some of my now famous predictions about the season ahead based on what I know at the time of writing….

Enjoy….

Heavyweights

Final championship position in brackets.

1 (1) Marc Laukam
2 (2) John Thompson
3 (3) James Childe
4 (19) James Attfield
5 (5) Jamie Bird
6 (4) Barney Langley
7 (6) Peter Harris
8 (8) Andy Todd
9 (7) Nick Bilsborrow
10 (23) Billy Taylor

Just missing out on my top 10:

• Spencer Fortag
• Rudolf Tison
• Steve Jennings

1. Marc Laukam

This was easy, really easy. Whilst accepting that the championship went down to the wire it is my opinion that Marc really dominated the HW class this year and really was a class act who really deserved the title. I wish I’d put a bit more faith in him when I did my predictions because I should have seen it coming given his performances in 2006 and his desire to both win races and better himself within the C100 fraternity. Despite being openly critical of his own wet weather ability he started the season in fine style with what was pretty much a lights to flag victory in the wet at Buckmore Park back in Feb but then threw it off the road in the wet at Whilton a few weeks later whilst in a good points scoring position. He bounced back with a hard fought 4th at Shennington, fighting his way into contention at the finish whilst another hard charging drive to third at Rye put him in a strong position after just four rounds.

He missed Clay to go to Monaco (the wisest decision of the year….) and whilst he saved himself from a good soaking that day he knew he had to score well at Llandow. However, disaster struck on the final lap when he collided with James Attfield, grinding to a halt with just half a lap to go whilst challenging for a podium finish. Like all good drivers he picked himself up and dominated proceedings at Rye in mid July, leaving the rest for dead to get his championship challenge right back on track once more. He so nearly won again at Buckmore 6 weeks later with another storming drive up the order, snatching the lead away from JT with a few laps remaining before the old boy snatched it back again! Second was however good enough (and Marc knew it) and armed with a 6th in the wet at Clay he was now moving clear in the championship title race. He cemented this position by catching and passing the impressive Darren Price at Bayford and then defended superbly to take win number three of the season before wrapping up the title with an intelligent and patient drive to third at the final round, the celebrations starting on the exit of the final corner and quite rightly so!

I think what Marc had was a lot of self belief (but no arrogance) and a strong desire to win. He knew where his weaknesses were but he maximised his strengths and took his opportunities when they came his way. He fought back from mishaps and focused on the end goal, the championship. He reads other drivers really well and makes good, clean, decisive moves on drivers and has the ability to tackle the traffic far better than his competitors. He is good enough in the wet but accepts it’s is still his Achilles heal to some extent and an area that does require further attention. Over and above all this he has another strength and that is that he is genuine nice bloke who is totally respected by fellow drivers and staff in the paddock and this was obvious when he both won races throughout the season and secured the title and became one of the most popular winners in the history of the club. He is clean, fair, unaggressive and always willing to help and advise others. I really couldn’t find any chinks in his armour or any negatives and even more than that I have utmost respect for him taking the plunge and moving into the Premier class in 2008. Yes he will find it hard but I know he will work at it and he will become a more complete driver as a result of making the move. Top man, great champion, thougherly respected and a role model for others.

Best race Bayford Meadows
Worst Race Whilton Mill

2. John Thompson

Tough call on who I really think is second best. On the one hand James Childe won three races in 2007 but how could I deny the old boy himself who not only raced at over 90KG’s for most of the season but also won a race and was a title contender right up until the end of the season. OK, so JT is a seasoned campaigner and knows the tracks and the karts inside out but I really admire how he just kept plugging away, picking up points, scoring well in the wet and above all else I would say his win at Buckmore Park warrants the outstanding achievement of the year award for me. More of that later…..

It all started well with as he charged after Marc Laukam in the wet at Buckmore Park, closing the race leader down mid distance although he was unable to make a serious challenge as the race drew to a conclusion. He backed this up with a fine 4th in the wet again at Whilton Mill, maximising points when the weight difference didn’t matter knowing he had some tougher races ahead when it was going to be dry! Those races quickly came around as he struggled to a couple of average top 12 results at both Shenny and Rye House before splashing his way to another great 4th place in the wet at Clay Pigeon in May. He battled hard for 6th at Llandow (another great performance) before struggling to a 10th back at Rye in the middle of summer. Then somehow, against all odds (meaning how can a SHW driver actually win a HW A final!!) he pulled the rabbit out of the bag with the drive of his life from the front at Buckmore Park. He fended off a number of challenges but then seemed powerless to stop Marc Laukam moving into the lead with a few laps to go but JT was not to be denied. Before the new leader had the chance to savour his hard fought lead, JT nipped back past and kept his championship rival at bay for the remainder of the race to take a very popular and maiden Sprint victory, one that will not be forgotten for a long time.

He backed it up with another cracking drive in the wet at Clay a month later to clinch the SHW crown (after just 9 races!) before suddenly deciding to get serious about the HW title as he started some serious dieting to get down to 85KG’s. The new slim line JT looked lean and mean when it mattered at Bayford but 7th was the best he could do after an average race and when things went wrong in the heats at Rye it all seemed over for JT. However, he put in a spirited charge in the final but it was no where near enough and he could only watch as Marc walked off with the title (although John still had the SHW crown to his name). This was a remarkable performance when I think about it and I accept it was helped by a number of wet races but doesn’t real talent always shine through in the wet anyway? On top of that, no one could deny him that victory at Buckmore Park back in August, what a drive and what a popular win. He will stay in the HW class in 2008 and who knows if he has kept the weight off or put it all back on but either way I suspect he will up the front again in 2008 and looking for more victories.

Best Race Buckmore Park (round 8)
Worst Race Shennington

3. James Childe

Third overall and third in my ratings but what a great mid season James had, romping away for three quite dominant wins (two in really bad conditions) but it was the start and finish of his season that just let him down a bit when it really mattered. James was always going to be a front runner this year but he probably did better than I expected and he certainly turned opportunities into results when it mattered. The first two races were a little average and I was starting to wonder if he was in for a lean season. A top 10 at Shenny was a step in the right direction but then he suddenly came to life at Rye House, putting it on pole and then easing away from Peter Harris for win number one of the season. He stared in one of the best races of the season as he battled with Jamie Bird and Matt Liston at Clay although I think he knew how this one was going to end and when the unfortunate Bird spun (and Liston was unable to miss him) James was there to pick up the pieces and put win number two in the bag!

The man on form arrived in determined style at Llandow but never really got going all day, finishing mid field. A 5th at Rye was a bit better but where had the pace that saw him win at the same track back on April gone to? Third in the dry at Buckmore was more like it and when he romped home for another easy wet weather victory at Clay in September his championship challenge seemed right back on track. He struggled to 6th at Bayford a month later whilst Marc Laukam scored a maximum 130 leaving James a lot of work to do at the final round and when the time arrived at Rye in November James looked all over the place, as the pressure possible got to him. He ended up qualifying mid field, making little progress and eventually coming off towards the end of the race and this left him 3 points behind JT in the final point’s tally which was still a solid third overall.

So, on the one hand he can be simply brilliant and in a class of his own - especially in the wet at Clay - but I struggle to work out the dips in performance at times. At rounds 1,2,3, 6,10 and 11 he was just very average. At the other events he was outstanding and this will need to be rectified in 2008 if he wants to be champion. Yes every driver has an off day but there were just too many for my liking in 2007. Anyway, it was great to see James win in 2007 and he remains a true sportsman who drives cleanly and fairly and is another well respected driver both on and off the track.

Best race Clay Pigeon Round 9
Worst race Rye House (Round 11)

4. James Attfield

James missed 4 races in 2007 hence he finished way down in 19th place overall but his two wins and a third tell a slightly different story when it comes to results and outright pace and performance. OK, so James has a lot of karting experience and everyone expected him to do well when he raced but like JT he was giving away a lot in terms of weight (racing at well over 90KG’s at times) which also made his achievements rather more impressive than those around him. An off on the opening lap at Buckmore left him out of contention but he put it all behind him to take a hard fought win at Whilton Mill in the wet a month later before battling hard for third place at Shennington in the dry in April. He then missed the next two races (commitment???) before retuning and battling over third with Marc Laukam at Llandow before having to be content with 4th after a last lap skirmish with Marc.

He was no where at Rye in July, missed Buckmore and was then nowhere at Clay in the wet in September. He then missed Bayford but he saved the best till last and reminded us all that on his day he is as good as anyone in the HW class by storming through into the lead on the opening lap and then fending off a determined Nick Bilsborrow to secure his second win of the season in fine style. A bit of an up and down season really, brilliant on his day but average at other times. I think he over drives when up against it and probably then gets involved in unnecessary incidents as he tries to compensate for his weight disadvantage but still a top driver overall. I don’t ever feel like he takes his racing that seriously and therefore I can’t see him being a championship contender in years to come but he will always be in with a shout of winning races ad when he is really fired up and starting at the sharp end of the grid.

Best race Rye House (Round 11)
Worse Race Clay Pigeon Round 9

5. Jamie Bird

Jamie will look back at 2007 and probably realise that he missed a golden opportunity to win the title. He faded away as the year progressed but was at his brilliant best at round 1 when he stuck it on pole before being punted off at turn one before restarting and putting in one of the drives of the year as he recovered for an incredible 6th place! He put it all behind him to take a hard earnt second at Whilton Mill in the wet once more, his wet weather skills really shining through at this early part of the season. Two consecutive 7ths started to raise doubts in my mind about how good he was in the dry but when it rained once more at Clay in May he was right down the front and about to embark on a classic duel with Matt Liston. This battle continued for 8 of the 10 laps and it was the highlight of a miserable day as Jamie and Matt swapped places every lap, sometimes three times a lap! Unfortunately poor Jamie threw it all away with a spin with just a few laps left, taking he luckless Liston with him but it was one of the highlights of the year and an epic battle.

Undeterred he arrived at Llandow determined to score his maiden win and after a hard fought but well judged battle with Barney Langley he squeezed past into a lead he would never surrender. He edged clear for a well earnt maiden victory and it was a pleasure to interview him that day and his delight was obvious to everyone. I really thought this would have been the turning point for Jamie but it just seemed to all go downhill after this although 6th at Rye was an OK result on reflection. That was to be his last top 10 of the year and when he ignored a mechanical default flag at the final round he was disqualified, bringing his rather fraught (second half) season to a close. Jamie is another really great competitor who is also clean, fair and well respected and it was great to see him do so well mid season (and at the opening two rounds) but I really can’t explain why his season fell apart so dramatically after mid season. He needs to work on this for 2008 but all the other ingredients are there and I’m really hoping he will bounce back hard in 2008 and win a load more races.

Best race Buckmore Park Round 1
Worst Race Bayford Meadows

6. Barney Langley

All my top 5 above won races in 2007 and the last remaining competitor who falls into that same category is Barney Langley. Barney took a lights to flag win at Shennington as early as round 3 and dominated the race, keeping a cool head as Pete Bowers kept the pressure on over the last few laps of the race. He was overjoyed that day and it was again great to see a new HW face on the top step of the podium and it was one of three podiums he secured over the course of the season. He led at Llandow for the first half of the race and after a close tussle with Jamie Bird he eventually finished a creditable second although he looked pretty hacked off at what he believed was a race he should have won. He then splashed around to a solid third place in the wet at Clay in September and this was a significant result because the one thing that had let him down at the three earlier wet rounds was his wet weather driving. Clay was a turning point (in Sept) but it remains to be seen if this was a repeatable occurrence.

So, it’s quite obvious that Barney has the pace and the ability to win but its his extreme inconsistency that lets him down. With Barney it’s not his pace that is inconsistent (unlike Jamie and James above) but it’s his race craft and ability to stay out of trouble. Now, admittedly, I thought he was much better during the latter part of 2007 but he still seemed to get involved in accidents and have off track excursions too often for me and that’s the difference between winning races or finishing well up and subsequently winning championships. He has a number of talents that include an aggressive (but fair) driving style that allows him to charge up the order when required, none more so than at the final round when he shot through from he back of the grid up to 6th in the A final (his best effort of the year) and its that sort of controlled aggression and commitment that is required on a regular basis in 2008. He also will have to accept set backs like at Bayford where he had pole and spent the whole race seemingly struggling with an average kart. This is when he needs to knuckle down, make the most of it and drag a result out of the kart. If he can cure the inconsistent performances and stay out of trouble then Barney is the dark house of the HW class for 2008.

Best race Rye House Round 11
Worst Race Buckmore Park round 1

7. Peter Harris

My tip for glory in 2007 and he let me down badly! However, maybe I was naive in thinking Pete could be champion, not because he is not capable but I failed to take two things into consideration and its these two things that (in my opinion) cost him dearly in 2007. Firstly, no matter how good you are you are not going to win races (although JT would argue with me on this one!!!) if you are 90KG+. I admire Pete for not playing the SHW card and that’s because he knows he is a true HW driver at heart and he wanted to compete with his peers within this class. However, he will need to lose some weight (not easy for a tall guy I know) in order to mount a more serious and sustainable attack on the championship in 2008. The other problem Peter has is that he doesn’t race in the Endurance championship and I think this hurts a little (and I accept some of the above fall into this same category) but I sense Pete just takes a little longer to dial in at some events compared to his peers.

So, all things considered it wasn’t a bad season but he struggled with his weight for sure at certain tracks and seemed (like many above) to fade as the season progressed. He missed round 2 and got a penalty at round one which dropped him a couple of places after the final but second at Rye in April was a lot more like it and another second at Clay in the wet underlined that he had the pace in the wet to be a contender as well. Seventh at Llandow and fourth at Rye were solid performances but then it all seemed to fall apart as he struggled for pace, finishing outside the top 10 at all the final 4 races. No race wins, sixth overall and well short of my expectations but as noted above my expectations were based on his natural ability and he and I both know he is a lot better then this. I really hope he can get his weight down for 2008 as I really want to see him win a race or two but probably not as much as he does!

Best race Rye House Round 4
Worst race Rye House Round 11

8. Andy Todd

A newcomer in 2008 and the one person that really stood out for me from early in the season in terms of a new face with masses of potential. A quick look at the round 1 entry list for 2008 suggests he isn’t competing in 2008 (or maybe he just missed the cut for round 1) and this would be a great loss to me especially as he has the benefit of now knowing the tracks and his fellow competitors. He immediately made the regulars sit up and take notice with a sterling drive to 4th in the wet at round 1 but the next few races were fruitless although in fairness he missed round 3 at Shenny for some reason. A Top ten at Clay in the wet back in May underlined his wet weather driving skills and a top 6 at Llandow proved he was quick in the dry as well. An off at Rye in July left him pretty much last in the A final but the results started to come after that with a hard fought drive to 4th at Buckmore Park that was followed by another 4th in the wet at Clay in September. He rounded out the year with two more top tens in the final two races to take 8th overall, a pretty impressive performance for a newcomer.

As noted above, he now has the benefit of knowing the tracks and his fellow competitors although like a lot of drivers he will have to learn Ellough and also learn to adapt to the new karts that may or may not be an issue for him. I really hope he does continue with C100 because we need new drivers and up and coming talents like Andy in the club and like so many others above, I was impressed at how he just got on with the job and earn’t the respect of others through being fair and clean on the track. Fingers crossed then that he joins us for round 2 onwards and I expect to see him score his first podium this year and I suspect it might not take that long to happen.

Best Race Clay Pigeon Round 9
Worst Race Rye House Round 7

9. Nick Bilsborrow

Another driver that didn’t really deliver was Nick Bilsborrow but he did show us what he is actually capable of by securing pole at the final race and leading for a lap before having to follow James Attfield home for a season best second at the final round. Quite why he didn’t turn in similar performances throughout the year is a bit of a mystery to me although he was a regular top 10 finisher and in fairness he did miss two races which dented his overall points tally although he still finished 7th overall which says something about his consistency and ability to score well. Round one was a disaster, round two a little more like it with 7th whilst Shenny was again pretty damn average. The real Nick turned up at Rye for round 4 and took a commendable 4th whilst he was fortunate to miss Clay in May unlike the rest of us who endured the day from hell in the rain! Another top 10 at Llandow proved his consistency which he repeated at Buckmore later in August.

I think he then gave himself a kick up the backside because he took a hard fought 5th in the wet at Clay in September, missed Bayford and then came within a whisker of winning the final round only ruined by being a little too lenient on the opening few laps that allowed James Attfield through into the lead. Nick was undoubtedly quicker than James in that final race and he knows he should have won it but pole and second was a real confidence booster at the end of a long season and must put him a good state of mind for when the season kicks off at Buckmore in early March. I don’t think Nick has a problem with his pace but maybe his ability to start on the first three rows is the biggest threat to his own success. He has to get the job done in the heats (as he did at Rye) and that’s his Achilles heal at present. He is OK in the wet but probably needs to find another ½ a lap but that’s about it. He has a cool head on his shoulder and is capable of delivering although I sometimes think he lacks a little self belief.

Best Race Rye House Round 11
Worst Race Buckmore Park round 1

10. Billy Taylor

Perhaps a big upset for those believing they deserved a place in my top ten or those on the cusps of the championship top ten, but Billy deserves his place in my top ten because unlike so many drivers he did what they didn’t do in 2007 - and delivered two excellent podium performances one of which really was against the odds given the fact that Billy is no where near 85KG’s!!! I remember Billy being the forgotten hero of an epic three fight battle in the HW heats in 2006 when he mixed it with Craddock and Winslow and then actually won the heat when they touched at the final corner on the last lap. Everyone tends to remember the incident and the subsequent repercussions but what struck me that day was how under rated Billy is and despite a lack of track time and his weight disadvanatge he is actually a very good driver.

A lot of drivers in his same predicimate moan about their results and their weight etc but not Billy. He gets on with his racing and as I said above he turned in two outstanding performances in 2007 by taking second in the wet at Whilton Mill back in March and then followed it up with the drive of his life (other than that heat noted above!) when he took third at Rye House in July which was pretty remarkable in dry conditions (given his weight!). On top of this he was also a fighting 5th at Shennington and in the top 10 at Rye in April. However, after mid season he only contested a couple of races and looked out of sorts at Buckmore and then didn’t return until the final round at Rye where he at least made the A final. Two great results, promising early season form but I think a combination of lack of funds and the reality of being overweight finally put paid to his season. Let’s hope he is back for more in 2008 and lets hope he picked up a book on dieting techniques!

Best Race Rye House Round 7
Worst Race Buckmore Park round 8

Just outside my Top Ten.

• Spencer Fortag
• Rudolf Tison
• Steve Jennings

I really struggled to come up with names for this category although Rudolf was easy and Spencer and Steve just scraped in given the two great podiums they scored during the course of the season. Of the three, it was Rudolf that was perhaps the most impressive although it took him a while to get to himself up the leaning curve although he had plenty of opportunity to learn from his mistakes as soon as he fitted that brilliant helmet cam that has provided us all with such great footage! The drive that really proved he could deliver didn’t come to the very end of the season but a 4th at Rye was just the tonic needed at the end of season that promised so much. The pace is there and now he knows the ropes I think he will be a regular in the top 10 in 2008.

Spencer knows he should have done better in 2007 although 9th overall wasn’t bad but let’s not forget he has bags of experience and really should have delivered more top 6 results. The highlight was that great second at Rye back in July and although he had no answer for Marc that day, he was best of the rest as he took an easy second place. Plenty to celebrate and great to watch that day but the rest of the season was very inconsistent. Some solid performances at Buckmore and Clay late season and a promising drive to 5th at Rye in April but it was all too inconsistent for my liking. Needs to sort out his qualifying and give himself a fighting chance of doing well in the finals. No shortage of confidence here and I like the fact he wants to compete against the top drivers but I think he needs to up his game in 2008 before being unleashed into a Premier clubman class.

Steve Jennings got his season off to a great start with a career best 3rd in the wet at Buckmore Park but his season quickly turned into lots of missed opportunities although he gathered himself together well towards the end of the season to score a string of top 10 finishes (8th, 10th, 8th and 8th) at the last four races. So, he has the consistency but now he needs a little more pace to push himself into the top 6. Not an easy task for Steve and not helped by the fact that he doesn’t compete in the Enduros so it takes him a little time to get going on sprint days. I think 2008 will be equally hard but expect the odd good result from Steve here and then.

And what about the rest?

There were so many drivers that should have done so much better in 2007 and this includes the likes of Mark Burrell, Peter Kay, Nick Portlock and Martin Gurnett. The trouble for these four drivers is they are way better than their results suggest and I feel I was more impressed with there performances in previous years in the original HW class than I was in the newly restructured HW class in 2007! None of them delivered against their true potential and whilst Nick my be a tad on the porky side (I think I might just get away with that statement…) he still didn’t deliver when it rained, and if memory serves me right he used to be pretty damn good in the wet! He had three top tens and a season best 9th at Clay in the wet which were all ok-ish type results but nothing more than that. We are promised a new streamline NP in 2008 but can he keep the weight off and can he then deliver some results? Time will tell. Peter Kay knows he let himself down although one of two performances were more aligned to his true potential. He was a superb 5th at round one in the wet and the only time he got anywhere near this was two 7ths (one being a great drive at the final round). So, if you can do it a couple of times, what happened in-between! Peter has to sort out his qualifying and start delivering, 2008 is a make or break year.

The biggest disappointment for me in 2007 was Mark Burrell. He had a great debut at Whilton in 2006 and I really expected to see him right down the front as a regular top 6 driver in 2007 but it never materialised. Flashes of brilliance aside (both Clays in the wet) he just didn’t cut it and maybe he needs to be a little more forceful and a little more focused at times. I want to see him do really well and he is a great bloke but he needs to deliver results. Martin Gurnett had some great races in 2006 in the old HW class and I was expecting him to be a front runner in 2007 but it just didn’t happen. He is more than capable of winning heats and being a front runner but somehow he just didn’t seem to get his act together all season. He started to wake up a little later in the year with a season best 5th at Bayford (more like it Martin!!) and 11th at Rye but all a little too late. Must do better (sounds like a school report..) in 2008.

It was really sad to see Steve Waghorn drop out for the last three races but it was great to see him score a podium in the wet at Clay back in May, another highlight from a miserable day! He was looking good for second at Shennignton back in April, even closing down Barney Langley around mid distance until he clipped the kerb and spun and there is little doubt he would have been a very popular winner that day. The good news is that he is back racing in 2008 and I really hope he finds consistent form and is a regular front runner because everyone wants Steve to do well. Paul Higham was another new driver that really started to string some good results together mid season, his third at Llandow proving that the potential is there. It took him three races before he made his first A final and then he steadily improved up to mid season. He was perhaps a little too inconsistent over the latter part of the season but it was a solid first year in the club.

Richard Masterton took a little while to find his feet but he is a driver who was nominated for most improved driver over the course of the season. He was undoubtedly way to aggressive and forceful early on and he ruined some of his own races and those of others, but ill give him his due and say that he listened and then adapted his approach and it helped turn his season around to the point where he became a regular A finalist over the second half of the season. Robert Childe really seemed to enjoy his racing and whilst he didn’t spring any surprises I have bags of respect for him taking a place in the top 20 overall which is a great result given he really isn’t as young as 99% of the HW grid! Robin Bartholomew and Stuart Robbins both had very inconsistent seasons, some good results and some bad results and both have plenty of work to do to improve their performances if they want to move up the order in 2008.

Finally a few others worth of mention. Great to see some of the regulars that never made A finals doing well in 2007 and in particular I was pleased to see Cameron Saunders enjoying himself and making the A final at Llandow back in July. Steve Harris and Steve Adams made it into a handful of A finals each but it was sad to see the latter drop out for the final three races and I hope to see him back in 2008. Colin Grover and Wayne Scott were always around, the former making the A final at Bayford and the latter still really enjoying his racing and ever helpful and joyous around the paddock. Lincoln Redding made the A final at Llandow - the highlight of his year - whilst Vince Cogzell only contested 6 races with a season best 8th at Shenny back in April.

It was such a shame that Pete Bowers broke his ankle (leg?) back at Rye after a solid start to the season, I know it was a bad break but I hope to see him back some time in 2008. Phil Kendall needs to compete in more races as he is a very promising driver who cold easily be a regular top ten. Ray Morgan should return to HW’s instead of wasting his time in the LW class, sod your friends Ray its results that count – surely!! Not sure what happened to Spencer Walker but he really needs to compete in a full season and would surely win races so I’m hoping he is reading this and looking to return full time in 2008, the same with Tony Barson who needs to forget about car racing and comeback and compete in a proper series! Geoff Symonds was a pre season favourite but never delivered and soon dropped out, but lets hope he is back for 2008 because he could be a star of the future whilst Darren Plumber needs to do a full season and re-discover his form from 10 years ago which I know he could do if he persevered a little more.

Finally, watch out for two real future stars of the HW class in 2008. One of these is Darren Price who made his debut at Bayford back in October and led for more than ½ the race before having to give best to Marc Laukam later in the race. This man is a contender if he competes in all 10 races in 2008. Another driver I’m hoping to see in the HW class is HW Winter series champion Andy Baker. Andy beat off some pretty impressive Premier drivers (maybe he should be a Prem driver) to win the winter series and really now needs to do a full sprint season and show us that this was no fluke.

2008 Predictions.

Well it doesn’t come much easier than this in terms of making a prediction. Although I don’t personally agree with it, Dave Pethers will race in the HW class in 2008 and I really can’t see anyone beating him although I expect Gavin Knight and Mike Bodnar (also stepping back to Prems) to give him a run for his money on occasions. I don’t expect Dave to romp away with every final but his experience, pace and ability to deal with the traffic will put him one step ahead of the others and ultimately (no pun intended!) make him HW champion in November 2008.

I think some of the 2007 front runners will probably win races in 2008 but it won’t equate to nearly as many as in 2007 as the three noted above will effectively steal those victories and podiums away but you can expect to see Barney Langley, James Attfield, James Child and Jamie Bird up there along with the ever improving Andy Todd (if he races) and the slim line John Thompson (assuming he has kept the weight off). Also in with a shout will be the resurgent Nick Bilsborrow and the super quick Darren Price who looked so damn impressive at Bayford on his sprint debut last year. You can also expect to see Peter Kay, Tony Barson and Spencer Fortag vying for a top three at times and possibly Nick Portlock if he really has lost the 10 KG’s he promised!

So, as noted above its Dave Pethers for me with Gavin Knight a close (ish) second). Race winners will be DP, Gavin, Barney Langley, James Childe and Darren Price. And what of the winter series champion Andy Baker? Well looks like he has lost his bottle and opted not to race in the sprint series. Come on Andy, surely that success tasted sweet and we need someone to take the fight to DP and GK…………