Second item first... I've been invited onto the MSA Off Road committee.
The MSA is
"recognised as the sole motor sport governing body for the United Kingdom by the world governing body, the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA).
As the governing body, the MSA is responsible for the governance and administration of all major forms of motor sports in the UK."
In practice, this means I will need to go down to the MSA's offices three times a year (the offices are five miles from Heathrow airport, so there's no difficulty in getting down.) We'll reserve judgement on the interaction between my informal style and the MSAs panchant for shirts and ties, however the role does place me at the centre of Cross Country motorsports here in the UK.
Refering to Galashiels: I was down there on Sunday with Tom, Tony & Martyn, and we have put in the third crossing.
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Galashiels.
The last round of the SCCC is upon us, and the event promises to be a cracker.
A small team of hard-working enthusiasts has been down and put in the final crossing, opening up the first field for use again - giving us a course in excess of 5 miles! (and the whole route has been driven - in a ladened Discovery, on road tyres)
Starting close to the service area, the first half mile is old-school: diving through a bomb-hole almost immediately after the start line, the course weaves through the whins, before curling up and around to plunge through a gate and into the Rig'n'Furrow field. A large loop to the left then nip round the back of the watertank to the top-right corner of the field, a loop back to cross a culvert and then into the Valley Field. Slip anti-clockwise round the pond and swoop around the Wall Of Death. A grapple handfull of steering wheel as you slide round and hurtle up to take on the Dips: ram it into overdrive and power down into the dip, feel the suspension bottom out as you ride up the far side. Throw the car into the nick at the back of the field, then haul it round to head back to the dips for a fast exit towards the quarry.
Choose your line: high or low... the center is so *not* an option.
Stand on the brakes before swinging around the quarry, then arrow out the far track. Hairpin around the Lonesome Pine and charge back up the field into an open right hander through the trees. Swing round the power poles and open up to the long run beside the old golf course...
be beware of the furrows: keep to the racing line or face a very rough ride!
The route disappears into the trees, hairpins, and then ejects you into the openness of Blaikie's Hill. Out through the gate opposite, and nip through the bracken to pick up the old track. Pull right at the next gate and down a step to the hairpin at post 12 where you pick
up the track again. A powerblast round (but watch for the hole, you *will* go air-born of you hit it at speed), then full-on towards the old forest.
Loop out to the right and head back, driving around the rocks, not over them!
Drop back into the Valley Field and hard right then sweep left to take the gate back into the Rig'n'Furrow field. Right again to a wide and lazy corner down to the far end of the field before looping back up to cross above the spring. A rolling drive down to the first wooden
bridge, through the next gate, and left to the second bridge. Now it's just a series of shallow climbs back towards the finish.
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It should be a great end to the year!
