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An excellent 2015...
2015 has been a really positive year for Mixed Bag Photography and with a large number of motorsport, sporting and non-sports events already in the diary, as well as a couple of exciting prospects in the pipeline, 2016 is starting to look even better.
I am well into the process of planning the next year so if you have an event or series of events you wish to be covered, please do not hesitate to get in touch sooner rather than later so we can discuss your requirements. This will allow me to maximise my time and availability so as to accomodate as many events as possible and not have to disappoint those that would like my services.
If you like to dicusss your event or you would like any further information, please feel free to call or email and I'll be happy to help.

If you have an event you would like me to attend, why not get in touch? From sports meetings to corporate, private or fundraising events, I'm more than happy to hear from you and to discuss your requirements. Click for details

Autograss & Olivers Mount...
Two big Autograss meetings in the North this month saw the Ladies & Juniors Nationals held at Yorkshire Dales Autograss followed swiftly by Round 5 of the British Autograss Series (final round) at York Autograss Club.
I'll be honest, having never done a Ladies & Juniors National meeting before, I wasn't sure what to expect but boy, it certainly didn't disappoint. The Juniors drove like their lives depended on it and the Ladies, well, I'd have put any of them in with the men on those days - superb meeting and a great show to watch.
Being in the thick of the action is absolutely amazing and you get to see racing from a whole different perspective. You also get to see decisions being made by the marshalls and I have to say, the vast majority are spot on. On saying that though when you have to made your mind up in a split second, mistakes can be made and I think they have a pretty tough job without the added hassle they get!
There were a few racing incidents as is always the case but these were few and far between and thankfully, as is pretty much most of the time, nothing more than dented wallets and feeling a little sore. The track was very well prepared and the Yorkshire Dales Autograss team did a fantastic job throughout the whole weekend.

British Autograss Series at York Autograss
Back at York Autograss for another big meeting and this time it's the final round of the British Autograss Series. With a number of Class titles still to decide it set the scene for a weekend of explosive, fast paced and close racing, something everyone who comes to watch wants to see.
Now, we can't shirk away from the glue like track conditions of the UK round a few weeks earlier and of course the social media talk was all about it, however without the torrential rain before hand and a lot of hard preparation work in the lead up, the track proved itself to be a worthly BAS round track. Of course there were incidents but even with the flattest of tracks, driver error, over exuberance or just not really concentrating can cause incidents.
The racing, as expected and hoped for, was superb across the weekend and with the exception of the Class 8's final, re-runs were kept to a minimum showing how clean Autograss racing can be. The talk of the weekend though was all about the Class 7's and with a superb line up, the final was a spectacular race. There is a video around on You Tube although you can't beat watching it live (or better still stood in the middle).

Gold Cup at Olivers Mount
Well there's a suprise. Oliver's Mount put an event on and guess what? Yes, rain. Torrential rain, lightning, hail and gusty wind. However, as always, it only stopped the racing for a little while on the Saturday and the Sunday was thankfully dry and perfect racing conditions. Unlike the Cock O'the North, all races were completed in good time with Dean Harrison coming out on top as Gold Cup winner!
There were a large number of entrants including those names a few more people have heard of, such as Ivan Lintin, Dean Harrison, Michael and William Dunlop, John McGuinness and the flying Kiwi Bruce Ansty (who was still sporting his rather large beard) and I think everyone upped their game because of it - the big names not the beard!
Don't get me wrong, the riders that come to OM don't normally pootle around on a Sunday day out but it seemed as if there was a bigger atmosphere and an extra gear at this meeting.

Round 4 of the UK Autograss Championships & Cock O' The North...
York Autograss Club was the host for round 4 of the UK Autograss Championships and what a superb meeting it was too.
As always before a big meeting, it rained. Heavily. Despite this though the track appeared to hold up well and Saturday morning saw the sun return and everything start to dry out. The first few races were a little sticky to say the least but the mud soon disappeared (mostly into the cars) and the track turned into an oval of superglue. There was so much grip it felt that everytime the cars went off from the line, the world turned a little quicker! Whilst I know they aren't the best for the drivers, you've got to admit, wheelies are always good to watch as a spectator and there were plenty both off the line and on the track out of the corners.
As well as plenty of wheelie's there was plenty of effort on track and everyone seemed to be giving it their all. The combination of everyone trying so hard to get points and the sticky track did produce some fairly spectacular viewing over the weekend including a number of fairly big, heavy rolls (and not the bread type).
Amongst the first to go was the Class 5 Radford car who appeared to barrel roll it round the corner, which whilst not particularly nice from the inside, did look quite impressive from the outside! I think at this point it might be worth pointing out that these cars are built incredibly well and the combination of the tough roll cage and how well the drivers are strapped in makes them pretty safe to drive. Obviously they are shaken about and pretty sore after an accident but most walk away with no more than a dent in their wallets which I think is pretty amazing. The Radford car was also back out the next day having been fully checked for damage.
Normally turn one causes the most problems at any autograss track (or circuit) as everyone tries to head for the same bit of ground, however it appeared to be turns three and four causing issues during the meeting and Yorkshire Dales driver Collin French showed everyone how to recover from a little two wheel action without tipping it over. York driver Dan Chapman's Class 8 was involved in an incident towards the end of the first day as he exited turn four. Dan was unharmed but Cambridge driver Shawn Winters was whisked to hospital with a broken shoulder blade (I believe it was as painful as it sounds).
The usually on form wiley old fox Graham Blackburn in his Class 7 mini pickup managed to avoid the out of control Invicta Kent mini saloon early on day two but had a coming together with Scarborough driver Ryan Pallass which put him (and Ryan) out of the final.
I am finally pleased to report that long suffering Class 10 driver Joe 'Speedy' Reiblein finally managed to get a decent set of runs out of his car, something he has been plagued with from the start of the season. This in turn meant I was able to get something resembling a high speed motion shot. Well done Joe, really pleased that it's finally coming together.
It wasn't just the high powered cars taking a tumble either, Yorkshire Dales driver Jason Alderson and York driver Jody Lovatt - both Class 1 drivers - went for spectacular rolls on day two putting them both out of any further races. It also meant that both are now up against the clock to get the cars back together and running for the upcoming Ladies & Juniors Nationals at Yorkshire Dales. Good luck to both.
At this point I'd like to give a special mention to Scarborough driver James Armstrong in his Jamaican coloured Class 6 - everytime I see it on the line it reminds me of Cool Runnings and have to chant 'Feel the Rhythm! Feel the Rhyme! Get on up, it's bobsled time!'. Love it and as long as he keeps kissing the egg, all will be fine!
Finally, I'd like to say well done to all the marshalls, organisers and members of York Autograss Club who put on a great meeting as always. I would also like to say a massive thank you to the paramedics who were a little busier than nornmal and did a fantastic job throughout the weekend - including avoiding driving over me when I was still trying to take photos.

Cock of the North at Olivers Mount
Apparently this is Summer. You know the bit in between the cool of Spring and the wet & windyness of Autumn. Well, no one appears to have told the person who looks after the weather because the practice for the Cock O' the North at Olivers Mount was so wet, I actually expected to see an ark float past. As we do in Britain though, everyone put on a brave face and got on with it! Riders, Marshalls, Spectators and photographers alike, soaked. To the bone.
Once the bulk of the heavy rain storm had passed, the marshalls did a great job in getting the standing water cleared to allow the remainder of practice and qualifying to take place and then the racing to begin. With a good field it was all set to be a great afternoon of racing however sadly it wasn't to be. I had made my way round the circuit during qualifying taking photos at various points and had just settled at the start line for some action shots when one of the sidecar engines let go and put oil down from Jeffreys Jump through to the start. Not good and despite the best efforts of the marshalls, it wasn't safe enough to continue.
It's never something people want to hear but safety has to come first and with only four out of 15 races complete, the meeting was cancelled. The Cock o' the North finals is due to take place at the Gold Cup meeting in September though which is great news. It's also down to be a spectactular line up so fingers crossed!

Cock of the North - Olivers Mount photography

BTCC & the Barry Sheene Festival...
Well that's June done and dusted and what a superb month it was, so much so it's even difficult to pick a stand out moment with so much going on. As well as a number of autograss meetings, the Modified Car show at Pickering and the Thirsk Truck Gathering, the British Touring Car Series made its way up North to Croft Circuit to flex its muscles on Yorkshire soil, well tarmac for most of them.
Boy, do you get a bang for your buck when the entire entourage turns up with its huge array of formulae. Not only do you get the ear splitting, anti-lag mad British Touring Cars tearing round but you get the MSA Formula cars, the Porsche Carrera Cup cars, the Ginetta championship cars, UK Clio cups cars and the Ginetta junior championship cars, which, believe you me when all put together make for a proper special weekend.
I've seen the BTCC before but they never fail to impress and it's almost as if someone has deliberately turned up the volume dial as well as adding flames into the mix; safe to say they are every bit as they should be and want them to be.
Now, that might sound like everything else didn't matter but believe you me, it does. Every one of the different formulae brought something different to the weekend. The MSA Formula cars brought open wheel unpredictability, the Ginetta brought class with racing spirit thrown in, the juniors brought a different level of excitement and the Clio Cup cars, well, these guys were on it from the start and I have no idea how they made them stick at that speed round the corners, phenomenal. I'm not even sure some of them knew they were allowed to use all four wheels!
All in all, it makes for a superb weekend and I urge you to go and see them wherever you can - if you like motorsport, noise, excitement and a huge buzz, you'll love this!

British Touring Car Championship photography

The Barry Sheene Festival at Olivers Mount...
After all the excitement of the BTCC we move on to some proper 'heart in mouth' action and turn our attention to the Barry Sheene Festival at Olivers Mount and I, for one, couldn't wait.
After the action of the Spring Cup earlier in the year, I was eager to see what the riders had to offer after some of them had just finished competing in the TT and others were fresh from a short break. The weather didn't look particularly good for the Saturday and true to form, it rained, heavily. Saying that, it didn't stop the riders, the spectators or me taking photos so it was definitely one in the eye for the rain gods.
One rider it certainly didn't stop was Daley Mathison who, back from injury and nursing his shoulder, was keen to show he was ready for it. Getting both wheels off the ground at Jeffreys jump takes some skill at the best of times I would imagine but doing it in the wet, at that speed, is impressive. It wasn't just him though, all the riders were out to show that when you race the road circuits you have to commit, there is no backing down as the circuit will bite back.
Again some of the bigger names were there as well as some up and coming riders and of course those that make the festival; the huge turnout from the riders and supporters of one of the greatest riders of all time, Barry Sheene.
Sunday was a better day all round, for the riders, the spectators and most importantly, me and my cameras. Never mind riding your bike at 100mph+ in the pouring rain on your back wheel it's hard work trying to keep your cameras dry and take the shots that people want!
With the Cock o'the North fast approaching, I suggest if you have never been to Olivers Mount and watched the racing, do it. It's something else you will not be sorry you have seen.

750 Motor Club & the North of England Championships...
750 Motor Club held a round at Croft Circuit this month and what a superb round of the championship it was to watch. With varying formulae from the Stock Hatch to Formula Vee to Sports Specials, they each brought something different to a blue sky, bank holiday weekend.
From a photographers point of view, I like Croft and its layout and I think it suited these cars well, I just had to be in the right place for the right class so as to try to get the best photos. Looking forward to seeing these again when they return.

The same bank holiday weekend saw the North of England Autograss championships held at York Autograss Club. With some initial uncertainty as to what the weather was going to do, that soon disappeared as the sun came out and produced two days of great racing.
The YD7 Class 8 of Sue Nicholls was borrowed by her son, Liam, who in the first heat saw a lot of blue sky after pulling this wheelie. I don't think anyone could contest the amount grip there was available on the start line.

It wasn't all plain sailing for the Class 9's though as the SC62 machine got a little caught up off the line and ended up tumbling end to end down the track after gaining substantial height on the intial tangle. Thank fully all ok although the car was a little worse for wear.

The T5 machine of Stuart Whitehouse not only looks good but seemed to go well all weekend too although didn't come away with a win.

After Michelle Arnetts slow motion tumble in the Chevy powered Class 7 at Yorkshire Dales the weekend before, the Y12 machine had been re-shelled and looked great on track - even swinging wide enough to let me get a shot of it doffing it's cap to the Stars & Stripes in the background.

Wez tinker leading the way with Jack Rawlinson appearing out of the dust. Both Class 10's appeared to be running well although Wez did have a few problems which saw him changing parts just off the track.

One of the races of the day was the three car Class 7 heat with a very excited Ryan Pallass leading both the Chevy powered Y12 of Michael Barratt and the SC61 Mini pickup of Andy Holtby. Needless to say it didn't stay like that but it's now on record that S1Y briefly led the race.

Finally, not content with his earlier wheelie, Liam Nicholls pulled a bigger one out on track coming out of the last corner. I think it was a case of hitting a rut and the front popped up but still, two in one meeting is good going.

UK Autograss Championships Round 1...
May saw the first round of both the British Autograss Series and the UK Autograss Championships, both of which are over five rounds to produce a national champion (round 4 of UKAC and round 5 of the BAS are held at York Autograss Club this year).
I decided to cover the UKAC which for this round was held at Sturton Autograss Club at Caenby Corner in Lincolnshire and I have to say, what a superbly well run meeting it was - even starting 15 minutes early!
With rain forecast for that night and into the next day, the decision was taken to get through as many of the heats as possible on the Saturday, just in case the worst happened with the weather. They really did get through them too with 3 heats of all classes completed by the end of the day! It was definitely the right decision too as the heavens opened that night and didn't stop which inevitably meant Sunday was cancelled.
Points stood up to and including the 3rd heat and the Yorkshire drivers faired quite well...
Jason Alderson is currently lying 2nd in the Mens Class 1 in his YD63 machine which has been going well all season and is shared with his sister Rachel.

Brad Ellison raced well in his Y217 Corsa and is currently topping the Mens Class 2 table. Another car that is going well, Brad has decided to leave the Class 4 this year to concentrate on the incredibly competitive Class 2.

Probably not much of a suprise to people is the YD71 Mini pickup of Graham Blackburn lying top of the table in the Mens Class 7. Last years YD71 model has been brought out again as the teething problems with the new mini continue, however, last years or not this is a man and machine combination that does take some beating (as shown at Yorkshire Dales Stu Nicholls memorial meeting with Graham retaining the title).

Lying 3rd in the Mens Class 8 is the Y204 special of Kev Chapman. A good showing so far this season and managing to keep young Chapman at bay most of the time, although I suspsect this won't always be the case!

Ladies time and lying first in Class 2 is the Nissan Micra of Leigh Daniels (this year being shared with Phil Peek who has made a move across from Stock Hatch). The YD148 machine is flying so far this season so fingers crossed it continues unhindered into the next round.

Class 5 and Kim Green in the YD916 car is currently lying in 3rd. This car always seems to go well and we hope this year it can go all the way!

Ladies Class 7 is going to be a good one for the Yorkshire contingent. Pam Blackburn in the YD71 pickup is currently lying in top spot but I am sure that Michelle Arnett, currently lying in 3rd, will give Pam some good battles in the Y12, chevy powered machine. The v8 lump has been suffering from a few problems early this season (including this round) but is hopefully sorted now and firing on all eight cylinders giving it a great chance to fight it out for the top spot.

Last (but by no means least) of the Yorkshire lot is Christine Raffel in the YD171 Class 9 special. Currently lying 3rd I am sure the new build is capable of giving current leader Hannah Marshall a run for her money.

York Autograss...
The last round of the National qualifiers at York Autograss saw another busy meeting and a number of debut cars too which is always great to see. As is always the case in April, the weather was a bit threatening all day and it was cold in the wind but the rain stayed off and it was another well run meeting by everyone at the club.
First of the new cars was Russ Tinkers Class 7 Mini Pickup which looked really well in the blue and yellow colouring. The first qualifying round saw Russ come to the start line with a flat rear tyre which, as you can see by the picture, really was flat! Still, the car performed well and even better later in the day when he had some air in the tyres.

Class 6's were in full action again this weekend and James Smiths newly built Corsa went for a tumble into the first corner. As always, I had just moved to the opposite corner from my startline position so missed the action but did catch the tail end.
Fortunately James was ok and the good news is the car is fixable. Good luck getting it sorted and hope to see you back out again soon.

The problematic Class 10 of Joe Reiblein seemed to be a lot better this weekend and had appeared to have stopped having the issues under full power at last. Diagnosing the problem had been driving Joe mad and when you have two engines, it's doouble the trouble. Fortunatley a man in the know managed to sort it and hopefully this means we can see the Special performing a lot better over the rest of the season.

The black and pink mini of Louise Lovatt seemed to be running really well throughout the day despite the blue haze of oil being left in her wake. She managed a first and a second in the heats and went on to win the finals so well done Louise.

One of the other cars to debut this weekend was the Class 7, V8 (yes you read that correctly) Imp of James Almack. The stunning paintwork and livery looked absolutely amazing and with the V8 in the back, it sounded well too.
James put in a few good laps during the heats but sadly the rear wheel bearing went which ended the day early. Hopefully this will be sorted and we'll see the orange wonder back out at Yorkshire Dales Autograss on the 26th April.

Two and four wheels...
Two wheels kicked off the weekend in the form of the Spring Cup at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough and what a great start to the weekend it was too. Although it was a little cold, wet and windy it appeared to do little to affect the riders, marshalls, organisers or the spectators who were there in large numbers to support the first road race of the season.
A number of recognisable names were competing including Ryan Farquhar, Guy Martin, William Dunlop and Dean Harrison, all eager to get some time on their bikes before the upcoming Irish road races and of course the IOM TT. The day started well although there were a couple of incidents in the damp/wet which caused quite a delay but thankfully everyone involved was either ok or is recovering well in hospital. Everyone worked hard to get back on track and the day ended with all the finals managing to be run albeit not quite at the times expected.
Having never seen road racing live (obviously I have watched it on TV) and never been to Oliver's Mount, it was certainly an experience and one that I am looking forward to repeating soon as the Barry Sheene Festival is next on the list.
A few photos from the day that I particularly liked...

The four wheel action came in the form of the first meeting at Yorkshire Dales Autograss club and quite a day it was too.
The day started off ok, a bit overcast with some light drizzle but nothing that would spoil the day or the track however, as forecast, it didn't stay like that. From the time the bungee went up for the first race in Heat 1, it started to rain and didn't stop until, sadly but inevitably, time was called on the meeting.
That said, the races that did take place were really entertaining if not incredibly muddy for the drivers who battled through what could only be descibed by the end of it as a quagmire! It was awful but credit to everyone who stood out in the cold and wet to make the meeting possible.
Simon Rucroft had his brand new mini there for it's first outing and it probably wasn't the weather he was hoping for but with 2 heat wins, he was more than happy after not performing too well last year.
Brother/sister team Martyn and Beth Wood had their new nova out for it's first run after the roll last year which put them out for the rest of the season with a written off car. Martyn was pleased with the fact that it was keeping up with Phil Peek who has recently moved from Stock Hatch to Class 2 - "all we need to do now he said it get in front of Phil and I'll be happy!" Could be a battle worth watching this season.
Simon Alldritt's Class 2 Corsa on it's second time out was having a little tussle with Liam Hilton's Nova and a combination of mud and pure determination had them swapping paint for a couple of laps.
Moving to Stock Hatch and it was Mark Hodgsons newly built Saxo's debut and it faired well and thankfully didn't go bang, something Mark had said could well happen. Mark didn't push his luck though and only did one heat as the radiator had become clogged and he didn't want to take the chance it was going to overheat.
All in all, it was a good day for the most part until the weather spoilt it and it was a great effort by everyone involved (including the crivers) to put on a show for the spectators despite the poor weather conditions.
Next meeting is Sunday 26th April.

Busy start to the month...
Well, that was a great start to the month, three meetings at three clubs in three days! Don't you love a long bank holiday Easter weekend, especially when the weather is good too.
First up was the first day of a two day meeting at Scunthorpe Autograss and I have to say, it was a great turn out especially as it wasn't the best of weather in the lead up to it. A well prepped track helped though and saw some good action through the day.
There were some great new cars to see and some familiar ones too which is always nice. There were a couple of incidents but thankfully all ok apart from the inevitable damage to the wallet. There was a very expensive game of hide and seek too which I believe put three holes in one side of the block and one hole in the other side. Not good at all.
There was also a flame spitting Austin which looked really tidy at the begining of the day, still the bright orange flames as he came off the throttle looked superb and something you probably never thought you'd see from an Austin.

Next up was Scarborough Autograss which, although a little thin on the ground, put on a good show as always. The weather was superb but with a two day meeting on at Scunny, I think a lot of people made their way there for the day instead.
As with most meetings early in the season, there were a few brand new cars on show and out for the first time. Always a nervous first few runs as a lot of hard work and money goes into them so everyone has fingers crossed it will all go smoothly.
The Class 8 of Nicky Wilson was flying and found some new competition in Ben Jackson's new special, should be a good battle this season. Josh Simpsons Class 5 was still going strong after the first time out at Scunthorpe the day before. Sadly, Duncan Sharpes Class 6 blew the head gaskett but hopefully it will be out again soon. The interval saw an Easter Egg hunt too which was nearly as fast and frantic as the racing, needless to say some of the 'big kids' joined in too.

Finally it was York Autograss for Bank Holiday Monday and what a meeting it was. The sun was shining (so much so I got a touch of redness on my ever balding head) and I think virtually everyone from Scunny made their way up to York to finish off the long weekend.
First time out for a number of new cars including Jack Broughton in his Junior Special as well as Sarah Tateson and her dad in the newly built Class 7. Both cars seemed to fair really well although I believe the 7 was missing an anti rollbar so not up to full handling just yet. Ayrton Ellison was finding grip on the outside of the track in his Class 8 and Graham and Pam Blackburn were back in last years Class 7 Mini Pickup after the new build needed a little more work to stop it ploughing the track under braking.
A few people thought there was a bigger spectator crowd and wondered if this could be to do with the video of the crash a couple of weeks ago. Obviously without asking, no one would know however the more the merrier and if it was the video, then it shows what a little advertising can do!

'That' crash and some two wheel action...
Well, what a superb season opener at York Autograss. Great weather, great racing and a few spectactular accidents made for quite an eventful day at the first of the National qualifiers and York's first meeting of the season.
With a large number of cars there was no end of top class action and these guys were out to blow away the cobwebs after the winter break. Brand new cars as well as those that had been tinkered with and patched up gave all the spectators their £7's worth.
There were a couple of notable accidents, firstly Joe Jopling in his White Rose Club pug took a tumble from the inside of the track. Secondly, Tom Barnes and Joe Vaudin had an enormous crash in their brand new minis. One of the other photographers caught it on video and it went viral, so much so BBC local news had the guys on and it even made the national papers (websites obviously). All three drivers were battered, bruised and a little sore but thankfully ok.

March also saw a swap to some two wheel action at Croft Circuit for Round 1 of North East Motor Cycle Club Championship. It was a superb day although the weather could have been a little better. Wet, windy and cold for most of the day however it certainly didn't stop the riders doing what they do. How they throw these bikes around with such control and accuracy is amazing to watch and so much better in person than on TV although admittedly you can see more of the action on TV.
Sidecars were always a favourite of mine with Webster and Hewitt being ones I always remember so it was great to get out on track and take photos of the weekends action. All in all it was a great day and look forward to hopefully covering a bit more two wheeled stuff.

Newspaper coverage...
Newspaper coverage is always welcome and recently there have been some great write ups including the Riponian Rally from a couple of weeks ago in the North Yorkshire News (back page no less) and The Gazette. Images from the Minster FM Local Hero Awards have also been used by a couple of Companies for press releases and also the Selby Times who ran a piece on the night itself. Always nice to open up the paper and see my images being used and of course it also adds up to quite a good couple of weeks for publicity.

February all done and dusted...
Well that seems to have flown by. It doesn't seem that long ago since it was the new year and now we are staring March in the face and the start of spring, technically anyway.

A couple of events recently, the first of which was the Minster FM Local Hero Awards which is held every year and is a truly fantastic event for the Local Heroes of North Yorkshire, full images here.
The Awards evening is to recognise those who have done something special, most of the time without evening thinking about it, it's just part of what they do. It is an evening full of glitz, glamour, tears and laughter. Well done to all those who were deserved winners and of course, well done to the Minster FM team for another successful event.

The second event was the Riponian Stages Rally held up in the Thirsk/Helmsley area of North Yorkshire and boy was it cold. As always, the drivers did an excellent job in what were incredibly tricky weather conditions and very slippery stages. The weather wasn't kind on any of us and with snow, ice, sleet, rain, wind and sun, I think we had pretty much every season in the space of a day!
After what was nearly a full day racing, Charlie Payne (driving his WRC Ford Fiesta) along with Andrew Roughead, co-driver, were crowned the 2015 Riponian Stages champions.
After the win Charlie said "I am over the moon at winning the Rally again in tricky conditions. It took a little time to settle in on the first couple of stages but after that I felt comfortable with the car. The last 2 stages (Roppa and Boltby) were white over when we got there so fresh snow was a bit of a surprise on worn tyres! The car ran faultlessly and a special thanks to Andy Cator, Ben Ashton and Andrew Jefferson."
Congratulations to Charlie and the team and well done to everyone that entered and took part. Obviously thank you to all the Marshalls who stood out in the weather all day to make sure everyone was safe and enjoyed the day. Without them or the medical teams, these days wouldn't go ahead so spare a thought for them the next time you're not happy with one of them telling you what to do. It's for your safety and that of the drivers - full images here.

Motorsport season is nearly upon us...
February heralds the start of the motorsport season and what a busy one it's going to be, hopefully.
So far the plans are to attend the autograss at Yorkshire Dales, York, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Nottingham and Sturton & Stow which is going to keep me busy in itself. I'm also covering the Rally and Rallycross events in the region and especially those at Croft and Blyton Park Circuits - as well as the other events taking place at Croft.
I am working on a few ideas with a couple of newspapers which hopefully I can announce shortly but for the moment I'm keeping them to myself, just in case.
The first meeting I have is either the Riponian Stages Rally or the non-MSA test day/shakedown for autograss, rally and rallycross at Blyton Park; both of which are on the 22nd February. The rest is planned but is subject to change with weather etc.
If there is an event you would like me to attend, feel free to email, phone or message on Facebook and I'll see what I can do.
Looking forward to the 2015 season and hope everyone has a safe one!

Yorkshire Dales Autograss Awards evening...
What a great evening at the Yorkshire Dales Autograss Awards Dinner Dance at Allerton Park Hotel in Northallerton. Everyone that attended made for a friendly, cheerful and banter filled evening which was certainly worth going for.
I'd like to say a huge congratulations to all the winners on the evening as well as everyone else who took part both on and off the track throughout the 2014 season!

Once again, congratulations to everyone who won on the evening and congratulations to Michelle Arnett for becoming 2014 Club Champion.

Roll on the 2015 season!

A brand new year...
So 2015 has arrived and I have a lot planned for the year. With a number of Rally, Rallycross and Autograss meetings/events already scheduled, I'm certainly going to be a lot busier than last year, something which I am really looking forward to.
So far the year has started quite well. I've obtained my 2015 season media pass for Croft, Pembrey and Thruxton Circuits; having on going discussions about a 'grassroots motorsport' weekly section in a local paper and have established an excellent opportunity to work alongside Larry Carter at Cartersport (the long established motorsport media and PR professionals). There are a few other things in the pipeline too but I'm not giving everything away just yet.

First up is the Jack Frost Rally at Croft and by the looks of the forecast temperature of -3c with snow, it's going to live upto it's name. The thermals as well as the cameras are definitely being packed. Images from this are being submitted to a number of local papers as well as a national motorsport magazine.

So, onwards into the new year and I am really looking forward to doing it all again but bigger!