Dowty Slot Car Racing Club

Sunday 16th December saw the final two rounds of the 2007 Cotswold Challenge run as a double header, with Swindon playing host in the morning followed by a great lunch at "Chez Coward" provided by Dave's wife Julia. The final round was then run at Dowty's followed by the prize giving and a 4.30 finish.

With Neil Callahan on marshalling duties at the "Race of Champions" and chairman Lees also at Wembley spectating, Swindon was only represented by Mike Perkins for whom 2007 was his best showing in the championship, having led for the first half of the year. dropped scores meant he was overtaken by Dave Coward, going for his hat-trick of championships, and Rob Harris trying desperately to grab his first Going into Sundays double header Mike Perkins was in a solid 3rd 22 points ahead of Mike Gibbon, also having his best CC season.

With three of Dowty's 2007 newcomers including juniors Noddy Lockey and James Davey making the trip to Swindon, the racing was tight and interesting. Noddy won the battle of the juniors in the C Final, being joined by James in the B Final, leaving Malcolm Davey (Chauffeur for the day) to take 7th. Mike Gibbon won the B Final and with Mike Perkins finishing 2nd that left Noddy to take 5th from James 6th in the championship points. Both the junios were running standard club motors, not full house saloon motors and James morning can best be described as "character forming" with a string of problems from the off!!

The A final was all about the two championship protagonists, with Rob needing a 1st and 2nd to wrest the title from DC. Dave won, Rob was 2nd, Funky 3rd from an out of sorts Mike Perkins.

Following an extended lunch break with Dave and Julia, racing resumed at Dowty's, with Dowty stalwart Graham Fryer joining the fray. Dave Coward lent the juniors full house saloons to play with and they promptly started to fly. The C Final went to Graham, with the big shock being Mike Perkins not qualifying for the B Final, thus ending his hopes of 3rd in the championship. The B Final was therefore James (qualifying 3rd overall, with a car he had never driven, aged 10!!!) Mike Gibbon and James duly qualified for the A Final, leaving Noddy and Graham to take 5th and 6th.

DC and Rob went at it from the start with Rob knowing he HAD to win. His hopes were destroyed by an off (not his fault in all fairness) and as Dave cruised to his 3rd CC Championship, Rob finished 2nd ahead of Funky and James.

This result promoted Funky to 3rd in the championship, whilst James finished on equal points with Rob Lees but lost 5th position on countback, Rob having a 2nd place finish to James 4th Noddy took 7th overall, Neil Callahan 8th, Swindon junior Toby Stevens 9th and Graham Fryer 10th.

In an effort to encourage newcomers, particularly juniors the championship is moving to 1/32 production GT for 2008 with Falcon power to enable those eligible to race at the Nats. Hopefully it will also make for safer overtaking at Swindon causing less ill-feeling and hopefully reversing the decline in numbers competing.

I will be publishing a provisional calendar soon, if anyone has any queries please let me know asap. These dates may change to take account of other meetings both real and slot variety!

All that remains, is to thank all competitors, mums, dads, chauffeurs etc. and wish everyone a merry Christmas.