MGs on Track

A TRACK DAY FIRST FOR OLLY!

Our track day season continues with successful days at both Castle Combe and Mallory Park. We are always delighted to see newcomers and at Castle Combe we were able to welcome 19-year-old Olly Bradshaw who joined us for his first ever track day. Olly’s dad, Richard, regularly attends track day events using his lovely 1971 Midget ‘Monty’, which benefits from some sensible upgrades to suspension, tyres, brakes and engine to deliver 90bhp. This was, however, Olly’s first opportunity to drive the Midget ever! What an introduction. I am sure Olly’s previous karting experience served him well and once the colour had returned to Richard’s face, they told me they had both thoroughly enjoyed the day. We very much hope to see both Olly and Richard at MGoT events in the future.

For those who haven’t yet registered, I would really encourage you to try the North Weald activity event on August 13 while there are still places available. This is not a track day but an opportunity for you to try some of the limits of your car and improve your driving skills. Supported by race qualified instructors, you will gain confidence in both your own and your car’s abilities. While the event is primarily aimed at novices or those with limited track day experience, there is something to learn for everybody and you get to spend time with like-minded MG drivers. There is a maximum of 20 spaces available so you will get plenty of driving time in a safe, friendly and supportive environment. More detailed information on the North Weald event is available on our website and in the last edition of Safety Fast!

We visit Anglesey on August 9 which, as I write, is fully booked although places remain available at Blyton Park near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire on August 16. Like many circuits, Blyton is a former World War Two airfield and is flat, making for great visibility through the corners and chicanes. It is fast and being relatively short you can get to grips with the layout fairly quickly.

Bookings for our second visit this year to Castle Combe on September 8 are now open. Having just come from our event there in June, I can say it is well worth a visit. Castle Combe is one of the longest established circuits in the UK and has hosted famous names including Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Colin Chapman, Les Leston, Roy Salvadori and John Surtees.

MGs on Track will be at the Triumph and MG weekend in Malvern on August 13-15. We hope that will give us the opportunity to catch up with regular track day attendees as well as chat to anyone interested in trying a track day in the future. If you’re there, do come and find us.

I was hoping I might get through this article without mentioning Covid-19! However, I did want to say we are enormously grateful to all our venues who have made efforts to work with us to deliver some excellent events while keeping safe and respecting the rules. We also appreciate all the efforts our members have made to help make events over the last 18 months a success. As we begin to get back to normal we hope to be able to continue to offer instruction, second drivers, helmet hire and a generally restriction-free experience at future events.

As ever, we look forward to seeing old friends and newcomers at future events and we are always keen to hear about your track day experiences so, if you have a story to tell, do tell us about it. Keep an eye on our regular newsletters and the website for bookings opening.