The planning for this event started almost a year ago in Feb 2003. 1 had heard about Ice Karting at the Bristol Ice Rink and Tony Sighe, who had attended with his company previously, confirmed it was great fun.  I approached the organisers, John Nike Leisuresport, and the best package was 30 people at E30 per head including all food and drink, from 7pm to 11:15pm. 
It was only possible to have a group booking, so 1 used £60 of our slush fund as a deposit with plenty of time to get the months in advance so that they can build up the level of ice for when the karts rip it to pieces with their studded tyres.   The response from the two Westfield clubs was disappointing and with six weeks to go we did not have even half the spaces fitted, with me personally responsible for the booking. Out of the blue the local TVR club had seen the details on our club website and approached us to take up any unsold allocation. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and the Westfield v TVR Challenge was born.

THE EVENT
The venue is the Bristol Ice Rink just off the City Centre, which 1 had not been to since my teenage years some 20 years ago. On first impressions the place did not appear to have changed at all, not even a tick of paint. We had been instructed to wear trainers with grip and bring a change of clothes as the ice progressively cuts up and melts throughout the evening leaving a nice mess down one leg. As it turned out, a pair of waterproof leggings was sufficient as your top half stays dry. The age of the participants ranged from the youngest being in their late teens and Adrian Chapman being the elder statesman at 71 years old. In the weeks leading up to the event e-mail systems were kept busy with friendly banter between the two clubs, consisting mainly of the Westfields falling apart having been built in the garden shed, and the TVRs not being able to corner and breaking down every third lap. As we all know: "When the flag drops the bullshit stops".

THE RULES
The 30 competitors were divided into two teams of seven and two teams of eight for this endurance event, each with their own coloured vest. The circuit was basically an oval marked out by tyres in the middle of the ice.  The fastest line around the circuit is essentially the same as speedway keeping tight to the tyres around the corners and drifting out to keep the speed up along the straights.  Two rules were learnt very quickly 1) Don't touch the brakes and 2) Don't turn in too quickly as the back end will come round on you very rapidly.  The event was very well marshalled with the pits at one end of the ice and a sin bin at the other.  Contact with another kart or entering the pits too quickly was rewarded with a trip to the sin bin which lost you a whole lap.  Each team had its own marshal who stood in the centre of the circuit counting the laps and instructing each driver when they had to come in for a change.  There were 2-quarter hour breaks and 1 half hour break for the buffet.  The winning team would be the one to complete the most laps after 3 hours on the ice. 

THE RACING
The first drivers from each team lined up for the start in a line speedway style.  The first 4 were Chris Varey, Rob Marshall (indoor kart champion), Darrel Williams from the TVR club and myself.  I was on the inside and managed to make it into to first corner in the lead.  I did not stay there very long as Chris Varey hit the back of my kart as I turned in for a corner which spun me back to last place.  He was rewarded with a trip to the sin bin as the marshals did not let anything go, and in my neutral unbiased opinion he deserved it anyway.  This team led by Tony Sighe quickly established themselves as the hooligans of the event and became frequent visitors to the sin bin.  I was quickly off the ice as the driver changes came thick and fast with one pit lane for all four teams.  The early sessions were used for finding the best line and how to carry as much speed around the corner without spinning. 

After the first session the TVR 2 team were in the lead closely followed by my team – Westfield 1 then the Mixed Westfield and TVR team with Tony Sighe's Westfield 2 team a distant last which was not surprising when you consider how much time they spent in the sin bin.  The second session started and with some of my team we started observing the different techniques as drivers had come to terms with driving on ice.  Gavin Tarrant demonstrated a very effective technique as he set the kart up for each corner with a quick flick of the steering to get the back end out and held that angle all the way around the corner.  When we were on the ice at the same time caught and overtook me, which he claimed was all to do with driving skill, which apparently I lacked.  Gavin was hampered with being in Tony Sighe's team who were the hooligans of the event and showed all the sportsmanship of a Turkish football defender.  This was amply demonstrated when Tony locked his kart onto the back of the one in front and proceeded to push him all the way round the corner which was about a quarter of a lap.  He was sent to the sin bin and when I asked him about it later he described his actions as "just a little nudge".  What more can you say?

After the second session the team positions were the same but the TVR 2 team had extended their lead over us by a few laps.  Needless to say Tony Sighe's Westfield 2 team had fallen even further behind.  I pointed this out to him and he stated that their kart had a badly twisted chassis which lifted a wheel in the corners which is why they were doing so badly.  Nothing to do with the sin bin trips then!  The rumour was that Tony had caused this damage with his "Stock Car" driving technique which, having witnessed this first hand, I can fully understand.  Due to a breakdown this kart was later used by the mixed Westfield and TVR team which had Adrian Clinton Watkins – WSCC Speed Series Champion 2002 as one of its drivers.  He also accused Tony Sighe of twisting the chassis on the night and with the way he can set up a car he should know.  Later in the evening I followed this Kart and it was definitely lifting a wheel in the corners, still what's the expression "a bad workman" and all that.

After the third session the TVR 2 team had held their lead over my Westfield 1 team but not extended it and guess who was bringing up the rear.  You guessed it Tony "Stock Car" Sighe's team of Westfield 2.  This was now the buffet break for half an hour so the Westfield 1 team agreed to push it as hard as we dare to try to win the event in the last session.  One thing I had noticed is that now that everyone was used to driving on ice the marshalling was bit more lenient and little taps were now going unpunished.  We discussed if we could use this to our advantage to close the gap on TVR 1.

We took to the ice for the 4th and final session.  To take advantage of the marshalling situation I deliberately left the door open down the straight approaching the corner then shut it hard as I turned in.  Inevitably we touched so I raised my hand in the air to attract the marshal's attention.  This worked with at least 3 cars being sent to the sin bin, which lost them a lap – hey all's fair in love in racing, and rules are rules.  The most satisfying moment of the night for me was when I was following a kart closely but could not get past.  Then coming out of a corner he applied the power a fraction to early which made the back end step out, lost a bit of momentum and I overtook around the outside.  A member of my team had witnessed this manoeuvre and commented on it when I got out of the kart which added to the sense of pride. 

THE RESULT
The end came all to quickly and we retired to the bar to get the results.  We had eaten away some of the TVR 2 teams lead which closed the gap but it was not enough to overhaul them so they were crowned Champions.  Tony Sighe's team finally realised that by not sinning all the time they could actually race and they came second instead of last on the final stint.  It was however too late to change the result.  The finishing order was as follows: -

1st       TVR 2 - led by Darrel Williams

2nd      Westfield 1 – led by Ken Robson

3rd       Westfield/TVR mixed – led by Rob Marshall

4th       Westfield 2 – led by Tony "Stock Car" Sighe

It was a fantastic night and you left with a big smile on your face. 

The 2004 Westfield v TVR Challenge
This will now become an annual event but next year there will be 2 teams from each club. 

Westfield 1
Westfield 2
TVR 1
TVR2 

This means that there will only be 15 Westfield spaces to take on the TVR boys so book early to compete in winning the honour back for Westfield.