Talk To The Paw: Off to Belgium for a bitta ERC

So the boy Tohill asked me to come one of the ERC rounds & sure I said I might as well. I have not been to one since 1999, when I had a chat with me oul buddies Kenny Hansen and Martin Schanche.

As ever the place was packed and the poor Irish lads were trying to take on the world. Well, maybe not the entire world but most of Sweden at any rate. The good news was that the beer was only €1.50 a bottle and you even got 10c back if you brought your bottle back. Reminds me of the bottles of TK red lemonade back when I was a cub! There was no Irish luck for the Rallycross Rebels unfortunately, I think Derek or Gordy must have run over a nun or something during the week, anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. (Bit like a CKMC run rallycross meeting, wha?!)

I had to step in myself when the yoke started popping and banging (like me after a night on the sauce) and throw on a new coil and a set of plugs.  She ran clean as a whistle after that obviously but sure the damage was done. The officials handed out an 8 place grid penalty cos they felt like it and the team took it on the chin. (Lucky some of the rowdy stock hatch rallycross rebels were not in attendance, we would have sorted that out like a flash.It’s not often you’d miss the Mad Dog but he would have come in handy there..) After DT just missed out on qualifying for the A final, I decided to take advantage of the cheap beer and warm weather. I may have had a little nap too during the Superfinal but sure there were no Irish lads in it!

Down to the prizegiving then and we had a bit of craic. Loada young wans kept asking to have their picture taken with me, bit annoying if I am honest but sure ya can’t be turning them away after they plucked up the courage to come over and all….. I negotiated a free engine rebuild with Julian Godfrey for the Fiesta. Well, when I say negotiated, he didn’t say no (or yes. He doesn’t say too much that lad….)

 

I came back to the awning later and the lads were in top form even though they had to take the engine out and give it to the Godfrey fella for the engine build.  I said I’d give them a hand. (Unlike the Nulty lad, I don’t mind getting the paws dirty!) Ronan and Rosco were not too bad but myself and Gordy were wrecked by the time we finished.

I had to head back soon after but there was a bit of banter in the awning and Gordy was proposed to by some mad oul one, or vice-versa, it was lost in translation….. The less said about all that the better.

All recovered now and I have the Tshirt washed and ironed for the BTCC at Snetterton this weekend…

Until the next adventure,

Tadgh.