The Thrashed Bash (24/03/07) - by Manix

Friends and members join up for the 1st official thrashed race of 2007.

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The Perfect Start

We'd been planning this since early february, checking everyone could make it and the weather was going to be good... that was our first lesson, don't bother planning it. Mudflap, Deast, Enduro and Manix all intended to get there early and relax into the event. But it was not to be, the sliproad onto the M25 being closed meant we had to take some major detours and it was almost a race to get to the track on time. And the closer we got the more ominous the sky looked, as we parked spits of rain started falling and the windchill factor was very off putting.

Wetting Ourselves

Not wanting to look like nancy boys we listened to the briefing from Grahame, climbed into our suits and took to the grid for practice. The track looked cold but not wet and practice proved that we could take our usual lines but not push quite as hard as usual. Just as the race started things started getting slippery, all of a sudden you'd take the same line into a corner and veer off at a completely different angle. Still, we all kept it on the black stuff and survived until the first round of pitstops.

Looking good after the first stint, Jules and I led by a narrow margin from Andy and Dan whilst Rob and Mark held station in a credible 5th place, out of a full grid of 25 teams that thrashed posse were holding there own. Conditions were tricky as the track alternated between wet and dry over different areas and different times so it really was an endurance and visibility became a real issue for me. My visor kept steaming up on the inside and mist kept forming on the outside so I was having to leave the visor mostly open and wipe it every 20 seconds.

My life flashed before my eyes

I don't think there were any real 'classic' overtaking moments during the race but there was plenty of action and some close calls as spinners blocked your path left, right and centre but we were all able to stay out of trouble... just. I had a very near miss with a major accident during my second stint, coming through the back of the circuit I was at full throttle with no karts immediately infront. I crested the rise as usual and just as I left tarmac and spotted my landing point my life flashed before my eyes (didn't take long). Right where I was about to land was a spinner facing in my direction! I'm not entirely sure how I didn't land square on top and decapitate him but somehow I got to tarmac just before him and took a sweeping arc around, over the grass and back on to the track. The marshalls must have had a heart attack!

The Final Furlong

Coming into the final stages Andy and Dan took the lead and much to my disgust, the fastest lap by quite some considerable margin. Jules and I kept them honest but they were too good on the day and Rob and Mark were 'robbed' of a well earned third place by a blown engine, though they still managed to come in 5th. Overall, a great success for the inaugurral thrashed bash and already there's talk of another event in the near future. I've been put on the 'specials' list at Lakeside so I'll know when they have special deals on and we'd quite like to visit Red Lodge, Ellough Park or Sandown next time, plus we want even more members of thrashed to come along. Keep 'em peeled for the next event.