It’s mid-April and I’m about to start the 2011 Autoglym Lotus Seven Club Speed Championship. I’m Andrew Willoughby and I’ve competed for the past four years in Class 1 of the Championship, winning the class for the last two years. Class 1 has been brilliant – great people, excellent banter and wonderful competition. However, I felt that i needed a new challenge and this winter I bought a 2001 Roadsport A car to enter Class 3 – the class in which my son, Matthew, competes. /Portals/14/Blog/F
Class 1 Dad is now Class 1 Grandad. Our grandson, Thomas Alexander Jeffery, the son of our younger daughter Rachel and her husband, Viv Jeffery, was born at 6.45 pm on Friday 27 November. He was 7lb 10oz at birth and he and his Mum are doing fine. /Portals/14/Blog/Files/14/90/WLW-Theyeariscomplete_11E81-P1000247_thumb.jpg Needless to say, Janice and I are absolutely besotted with our new arrival, and have been very touched by the many congratulations we’ve received from my fellow sprin
I’d never intended going to Anglesey, but as my slender lead in Class 1 was so under threat from Nick Chan and Alistair Gibbins I just had to go! Class 1 was the only one still to be decided, so it was arranged that we should run last so that our colleagues in the other classes could watch the unfolding battle. To make me even more nervous Alistair, Nick and I were to be the very last to go out as the class leaders. I didn’t go with high expectations, particularly as I was the only one of the
Where has all the time gone? It’s now mid-September and I’ve not posted since Loton. Curborough 2 went well and I just managed to get the win with Nick and Alistair close behind. I was lucky with the weather this time and wasn’t too sorry to see rain approaching after a really good time in my first timed run – 65.77 – another PB. Aintree didn’t go quite so well – I never matched my 2008 time, though I redeemed myself with a third place which bagged a reasonable score. Neil (Flymo) Fras
Another lovely venue – this time Loton Park in Alberbury, Shropshire, and this was my third time competing there. Janice and I arrived on Friday afternoon night. The organisers, Hagley and District Light Car Club, were doing signing on between 5.00 and 7.00 pm for those who arrived early. After unloading the Seven we walked the course. It was sunny and warm and the deer park which the course wends its way through looked beautiful. At the top we saw six of Sir Michael Leighton’s deer enjoyi
Those who say ‘it’s grim up north’ should visit Harewood Hillclimb. Looking over the course from the paddock with the Wharfe valley as a backdrop is one of the most stunning views in motorsport. I’d competed here last year, but never really came to terms with the course. To help, I came to the Harewood Hillclimb School in July, and instructor Tim Wilson gave me the confidence to push much harder. So that I was fully prepared for the qualifying round of the Seven Club Speed Championship on
One of the great things about sprinting has been the opportunity to visit wonderful places, and the Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb is one of them. Starting in 1905 it is the oldest motorsport venue in the world still in continuous use. Matthew and I competed here last year, and were lucky to get places again in 2009. I’d done reasonably well last year, getting second place to Malcolm Hickey with a time of 37.55. I’d loved the place then, and hoped for a time this year in the 36s. We were some
After last weekend’s drenching at Curborough I’d been hoping all week for fine weather at MIRA. I wasn’t disappointed - it was a lovely day. I walked the course with Matthew and my elder daughter Lisa, who’d come along as spectator (and supervisor: her Mum had given her instructions on how to keep me sorted). It’s strange how your memory plays tricks on you – my recollection of the course was quite different from reality, despite having driven it for the past two years. In addition to the
Not the most pleasant weekend to spend at Curborough weatherwise, but great motorsport. I’d entered the British Motorsport Marshals Club Sprint on Saturday to get some sneaky practice for the Club event on Sunday. It was quite a small entry, with only three cars in my class. Alan Johnson was still glowing from getting his first win at Llys y Fran hillclimb last weekend and Alistair Gibbins was keen to show his mettle. The showers were very kind to us – our timed runs were done on a track w
A big weekend coming up at Curborough – I’ve entered the British Motorsport Marshals Club Midland Region Sprint on Saturday, then it’s the Club Sprint on Sunday. It’s only a small entry in my class – four cars – in the Marshals Sprint, but I’m really looking forward to the competition. It’ll also, hopefully, give me some useful practice for the Club Sprint. The entry for Class 1 in the Club Sprint is great – eighteen cars – so the competition is looking really strong. Matthew see
At last the season’s underway! Driving 200+ miles with trailer after a day’s teaching looked very daunting as Janice and I set off on Friday. Thankfully, the journey was good and we arrived at the hotel at 9.30. We met Matthew, who was sharing my car, and his wife Mel at the circuit on Saturday morning. Seeing many familiar faces, and some new ones, was great, and pit banter was soon in full flow. It had rained earlier in the morning so Matthew and I waited as long as possible for the
Matthew and I have appeared in a feature on this year’s sprinters in the April edition of Low Flying. It’s good to read the features on the other competitors – you tend to forget that everyone has another life not involving Sevens.
As Matthew has taken it upon himself to describe his season I thought I'd do the same - particularly as he seems to think he's going to give me a good hiding. We shall see. Like Matthew, I'm entering my third season in Class 1 of the Lotus Seven Club Speed Championship. Last year I came fifth, just one position below Matthew, and I'm quite keen to show him that there's life in the old dog yet. My car is a 2003 ex-Academy Rover K series. It's been prepped by McMillan Motorsport over the winter an
