Presidents Report
Well hello and welcome to August 2019 with the promise of more rainy weather which is still to come. Not to worry our dams need it and so do some farmers.
It was great to catch up with some of our longstanding members at the annual mid year breakfast at Paul and Wendy Walkers. It was a beautiful crisp morning in the hills and great to talk about the good old days with members we have not seen for a while. Thanks again to Wendy and Paul for their hospitality.
As most people who know me realise I have a few Escorts distributed around Perth and the regions, tucked away for a rainy day (forgive the pun). I don’t know when I will need them or use them but I am sure that if I get rid of one or two I will miss them. I know sad isn’t it.
Anyway keeping the cars dry and stored during the winter months is an ongoing challenge. I tend to scatter the cars around with sympathetic friends and family. Recently one of of the cars (really it is a shell) had to be moved and after some discussion, actually begging, one of my wife’s relatives who has a farm agreed to store it in one of his sheds promising it would be kept safe and dry during the winter months.
A date was set for the transport of the car and we set off to the farm for a nice day out. We arrived safely and put the car in the shed and about to leave when we discovered one of the trailer tyres was flat and needed changing. No problem we had a spare. Problem was the spare was a different type to the ones on the trailer and therefore we were going to need different wheel nuts to replace the existing nuts. After a hunt around the farm we found some nuts that worked and finally got on our way hoping that we did not do another tyre on the way home.
It was an uneventful trip back and the trailer was parked down the driveway, the flat tyre to be sorted another day.
Sometime later the trailer was needed to move another Escort to new venue and the trailer was hitched up and taken to the pickup location. Once backed into position the usual process of pulling out and positioning the ramps commenced. Shock horror a ramp was missing. Initially I thought who would steal a ramp however the more rational response is it just fell off on my way back from the farm. To say I was annoyed was really an understatement. Not only did I have to replace a damaged tyre which apparently could not be repaired (I run low fat small 13 inch tyres to make my trailer look sexy) at $125.00 each, I was now up for finding someone to fabricate a new ramp to match the existing one and fit under my trailer. I am now up for some serious dollars just to have moved a half rusty 70s Escort shell that I may never restore or use. What was I thinking.
On reflection I have calculated that my trailer does more kilometres than any of my rally cars. Perverse logic would suggest that I need my trailer more and in fact should spend more on it than any of these cars I own. It starts to make even more sense when I realise that I have not used any of my cars in over a year. I fear I have become like many of us, a collector of ex rally cars sitting on trailers in sheds, under covers or collecting dust and growing cobwebs.
Well I have plans to change this.
On Sunday the 25th August 2019 we are holding our next Khanacross at our new venue near Toodyay. I intend to get myself motivated and organised to compete. Not much to do with the car however as mentioned the trailer needs to be sorted. I am finding that the longer I am away from competition the harder it is to get back into it.
I would urge particularly if you have not been out for a while and if there is something sitting in your shed or paddock or wherever to grab it and turn up for the event. These are easy fun competitions which you can compete in almost anything. (As long as it is safe). Even if you haven’t something to race come out and spectate or help with the event. There are always jobs to do.
I really do hope to see you there.
Cheers for now.
Geoff L-H
The President
Club Championship
Next event – LCC Khanacross, Toodyay, 25th August
Open Competition
LCC 2019 Darling 200 – 14th September. WARC full state round.
The club requires stage crews, control officials, road closures. If you can be of any assistance please can you contact the event officals co-ordinator Geoff Leatt-Hayter on Darling200@rallywa.com or 0401 219 064.
Event Calendar
CAMS Training Courses
24 August 2019 – Event Assessor
Event Assessors are officials who conduct observed assessments on CAMS officials. An official must hold a minimum bronze licence to obtain an Event Assessor licence. Event Assessors must hold an officials licence that is at least equal to the level for which they are assessing.
22 September 2019 – Communications Upskilling
Open to all officials in all disciplines. Workshop is designed to unlock and expand knowledge of verbal and written communication techniques, develop a better understanding of all communication types, for a consistent national protocol and give officials confidence to impart this knowledge to others.
3 November 2019 – Course Presenter
Course Presenters must hold a Club Chief, Bronze, Silver or Gold officials licence in the relevant category.
To book: click here
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