Team Guru Airfield Antics

Bovingdon Airfield
29th July 2004

  
As we pulled in to see Team Guru laying out the cones on the windswept airstrip, it was clear that this would be no Santa Pod. The concrete was broken and covered in tiny stones and debris from the many banger races that were held there, but our section ran for at least half a mile and was wider than the grandest section of motorway. Plenty of room to have some fun.
As the sun beat down the course was painstakingly marked out and the gathering of cars at the near end grew bigger. There were all types of water-cooled VW in attendance. Jeff and I had turned up in my VR6 to meet Tris and Nicki in the Racer. Team Guru had their mid-engined Derby. Amongst others, there were numerous Polo G40s, all of which were black, several mk1 and mk2 Golfs, a Bora 4motion and SixAppeal’s Highline. After a walk of the track to remove any dangerous objects and a comical, handbrake-heavy test lap in a hired Rover 75, it was time to get going. There was never any question over which car would be going first. The Derby was bought to life, and began the first of the day’s tentative runs.
From the beginning, it had been made clear there were two rules. Firstly, we were all there at our own risk and no-one was to try and sue anyone over anything that might happen and secondly, only one car was allowed on the track at any one time. So a murmur of disapproval ran through the spectating crowd as a mk2 came wildly wheel-spinning through the gates and proceeded to belt up the track toward the end where the derby was busily eating corners. Having got in its way, it turned round and came racing back down the track, this time going past the crowd and skidding to a halt at the gate. Expecting the driver to be berated by Team Guru, everyone was surprised to see him leap out of the driver’s seat into a waiting van, which sped off up the road. It turned out the driver was not the owner at all, but some scoundrel waiting at the gate, pretending to be a security guard. Having ordered the driver out for a ‘safety inspection,’ he’d taken it without consent. The police were called, but I don’t know what happened. It may have seemed little compensation at the time, but at least he stopped at the gate.
After all the excitement, it was time for people to have fun on the track. The atmosphere was great, everyone was having fun and watching the runs turned out to be so entertaining that there was rarely a queue to actually take a turn. It didn’t take long before I rolled the VR up to the start line, and I don’t mind admitting I was pretty nervous as the countdown began. “Three.” It’s in gear, clutch is ready. “Two.” Christ, how many revs should I have? Let’s try 3500. “One.” And what should I do with the clutch, should I let it up gradually or just… “Go.” I let it up quickly and the car got off the line without too much trouble. Into second, carefully through the first S-bend, trying to find exactly how much grip I had, then into the chicane. A touch of power through the chicane, then hard acceleration up to a pair of hairpins - tidy through those, but I lose time. Foot to the floor up to the end, round in a circle whilst on the limit of grip and then back along the same route. Faster this time, and much quicker through the hairpins, but as I come out of the chicane I see the home stretch and dive for it, not realising there’s an S-bend to go. I lean hard on the brakes, come to a stop, stick the car into first and make it through the bend, but it’s too late. My time’s not terrible, but it’s well off the pace.
I had a short-lived second go, which I had to stop as soon as I went crashing into the door halfway through the first corner and realised I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt. My third attempt was more successful. Despite understeering and wheel-spinning the whole way round the course, my time was, at that moment, the second-fastest of the day.
I thought that the car had taken enough punishment for one day (especially after it was so much quicker than the racer’s first few attempts) and decided it was time to try something in a straight line so I removed the seats to lighten the load a little and proceeded to the start of the strip. My first race was against Jeff in the Racer, who was soundly beaten (but with an extra litre you’d expect that). A couple of G40s were slightly faster than I was, but SixAppeal’s highline was the only car of the day that soundly beat me. To add injury to insult his car kicked up a stone about three-quarters of the way through the run and took a huge chunk out of my windscreen. That’ll teach me for losing. Still, Golf+ magazine had come along for the day, and in addition to taking some photos they strapped their timing gear to my car. 0-60 in 7.09 seconds and the ¼ mile in 15.6. Not bad.
Meanwhile, Tris was practising on the handling circuit. Around and around he went in the stripped-out mk2. Eventually his efforts paid off and he crossed the line in 1:16.5, which was impressive for what was one of the least powerful cars there. Fastest of the day was a G40-engined mk2 Golf, and the second fastest was SixAppeal’s Highline, which should shut a lot of people up! I strapped a couple of scruffy 15s to mine and we had fun making smoke for a while whilst Nicki ran around trying to drive as many cars as she possibly could. It was a great day and one I’d love to do it again, but maybe next time in someone else’s car…
Words by Nick, pictures by Tris, Jeff & Jelly.