Alford, Sunday 5th July

[Mikie711]

Knowing Alford and having competed there, during a sprint that part of the track is barriered off. Having said that the top corner (museum end) isn't

PS for anyone that's interested you can hire Alford track any morning for an hour between 10 and 11 for £43.

[woody]

PS for anyone that's interested you can hire Alford track any morning for an hour between 10 and 11 for £43.

How the hell do they manage that? The key word being manage. Just spent a few hours discussing something similar for Kames.

[Mikie711]

You book it, sign a disclaimer and run on the track for an hour.

[r10crw]

Thats bloody cheap! So thats just you and the track no one else?
At the same time wouldnt take long to get bored but cheap none the less.

[alicrozier]

Best with 2 or 3 cars, gives time to rest the cars, make adjustments etc. (and even cheaper).
No marshals, medical etc. and check the indemnity as you'll pay extra if you hit anything.
They're not happy if you get on the grass and woe betide you drop oil....

[dlogan]

Knowing Alford and having competed there, during a sprint that part of the track is barriered off. Having said that the top corner (museum end) isn't

PS for anyone that's interested you can hire Alford track any morning for an hour between 10 and 11 for £43.

Didnt know that, and sounds like a bit of fun, anyone about during w/c 27th July fancy some cheap fun?

Ref the TVR, real shame to see it in that state, but if it was genuinely a stuck throttle (rather than an excuse to cover up a mistake) then at least he pranged it into a sleeper and didnt do it on the road into a pedestrian, child,cyclist, <insert public person of choice here>

[JohnStewart]

I don't think we'll ever find out for sure if it was a throttle stuck open, or just an inexperienced driver in a powerful car that he had never driven before pressing two pedals at the same time as they are very close together - and then panicing.

The car had actually done the crossover and was heading clock-wise around the track and came off whilst turning right at the bottom of the track still accelerating. The safety barrier did it's job and stopped the car in about 12 - 18 inches. Unfortunately one of the sleepers was lifted and rolled clear over the large supports that it is attached to and ended up on the grass on the other side of the fence. We had our first aid support vehicle there within a minute, and it was then used to tow the TVR out of the fence and around the back of the museum. I believe the car can be repaired quite easily, as it appeared that only the front end bodywork and possibly the radiator/oil cooler have been damaged

Throughout the event, I kept asking people to stay behind the barriers, but every hour or so you would get a group who would decide it was OK to actually sit on them with their legs dangling track side - even after this incident. For next year we'll install the orange fencing right around the outside of the safety barriers to that people can't even get close enough to touch them. It will cut down on viewing options.

Other than this unfortunate incident, it was a great day out with nice weather and we raised over £600 for charity and the Round Table did a great job with the BBQ food raising quite a bit also

John

[Scotty C]

Good to here John.

[Mikie711]

Makes sense John, if only to protect the club from people who should know better .

[DavieK]

One thing for me is I've never understood people who stand on the outside of corners during rally events.

[L111CHT]

One thing for me is I've never understood people who stand on the outside of corners during rally events.

tis called ''natural selection''

[Scotty C]

Not good press.

I was talking to the Curator of the museum (who run the curcuit) and its not good for them HSE are all over them and it might put a stop to further events

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1300606

[Gourlay83]

Not good press.

I was talking to the Curator of the museum (who run the curcuit) and its not good for them HSE are all over them and it might put a stop to further events

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1300606

That's sad to hear.

Although its a small track its good fun and right on my door step would hate for the events to stop.

Scotty-Thanks for posting the Link to the LOT videos. Just sat and watched them, great stuff and well done.

Alan

[Mikie711]

Eventually the HSE will get round to stopping anything that could be classed as remotely enjoyable . How mankind has survived for thousands of years without them is beyond me .

[I-Mac]

£30,000 TVR - Cove Binman?????????? Where the hell are my taxes going!?!?!?!?!

Alford is a great little venue and it will be a shame if the place gets shut down with the HSE getting involved. Its one of the only non-MSA (and therefore very cheap) places left due to the mini sprint being so short in length.