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By all accounts a superbly presented occasion at this the Exeter club's 60th Birthday Weekend celebrations. Once again travel restrictions kept me away so I apologise (again) for the lack of on-the-day content. Perhaps young Mr Dave Murphy may treat me to a paragraph or nine to include later? ?
As always I welcome any corrections you may think necessary. After all, I'm hardly human.
I'll compile the Women's ongoing results sheet after the next round.
Finally made it to my first round of 2023, and a really enjoyable day amongst my heroes in the pits, although my track return was infinitely forgettable. However my personal highlight was meeting up with great friend and rival, the very unfotunate Phil Hemming, today's Guest of Honour who presented the trophies. Illness forced Phil's retirement from racing a while back and I miss him a lot, on and off the track.
Our hosts Albert Bentley and my old mate Bob Prince and their compact team of helpers had the place looking fit for a coronation. Recent wet weather had made the inside metre-or-so of the track soft and subject to lifting, which did cause a few tensed buttocks, but the brilliant sunshine, slight breeze and a bit of brush work made it much drier, and grippier, come Final time.
Unfortunately I forgot to bring my 1936 toytown wind-up videotape recorder and as usual my recollections of most races are now rapidly fading, nothing new there. However there were some standout encounters across all FIVE classes, one in particular, potentially having a massive influence on the final results. Principally though I think today's highlight was provided by our Women racers Final which had the whole place lit, such were the frantic pursuits going on up front and especially behind the lead pair with passing and re-passing. Great to watch (that's from someone who does NOT like watching CS!).
Once again two riders claimed overall success at the end of proceedings, with the amazing Lukasz Nowacki and Phil Gard capturing all four Men's "A" Finals between them.
Not for the first time I must heap praise on our long-distance and now very regular travellers, from the amazing Exeter CSC, our friends from Norfolk and Newport and as ever, though a bit closer to today's action, the Leicester Monarchs crew.
Well done East Park, a great job today boys and girls. Still to come - some embellishment with the odd photie from the ever watchful lens of Andy Whitehouse.
Caught him!
***as always I appreciate any corrections you might offer if you spot any false news ?
Round Two was staged in glorious weather at East London's Canning Town track. A slightly disappointing attendance in view of all the preceding hype, but it was a Bank Holiday weekend which may have kept folk away. My own absence was down to needing to be at Fife with my home club Northumbria the day after, too much travel for an old stager so my apologies.
Let me say a warm welcome to E-V newcomers Mark Franklin of the home club and Somersham's Leon Mower, the second genuine Under 40 to appear this year and also a bit of a rarity with any club south of Norfolk in the East never showing much interest in supporting Veteran's racing (exception being Ray Pike last year).
The amazing Phil Gard continued his apparent domination of both the Over 50s and Over 60s fields, some debut that is!
Our first presentation of the Euro-Vets Open Womens Grand Prix was a little down on anticipated numbers too but well received all the same. Well done ladies.
Another superbly handled meeting by the Birmingham club on Saturday 8th April saw a couple of new faces join the Euro-Vets ranks, and continuing on from 2022 the south east was extremely well represented. I've had trouble deciphering the programmes I was sent (must get Fred a new camera phone!) so it's taken me a while to get this far, but here's the Over 50/60 programme to be going on with. More later when my eyes recover :)
I NEED HELP TO FINISH DETAILS ON OVER 35/40s PROGRAMME! (and whatever other errors you find!)