Thruxton Easter Monday 1995, what was I thinking?
I set off from Great Missenden in my 1967 Morgan +4 Super Sports. The weather was overcast, chilly but dry…..me nervous?… you bet I was.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49458404282_12d21380c0_c.jpg)
Check out that white tonneau
I had left Sarah at home in the warmth nursing her bump. Our first baby was due in August and I am off risking my life and limb for what?
Nearing the circuit after a near 2 hour drive, the traffic was building up as the public had come to see F3 and Rover 200 Turbos. All the signs proclaim “Motor Racing is Dangerous”….
Skip to qualifying. Time 11.25am. 15 Morgans take to the track. I am joined by two other first timers, Chris Acklam and Simon Orebi Gann, both in their +8s. Do they know what they are doing?…cos I certainly don’t.
Qualifying is over in a blur and the times are out….I’m 14th out of 15…at least I’m not last. Simon has qualified just ahead of me and Chris just behind.
And then it rained….and boy, did it rain. At 6.00pm we are ushered out onto the track, a very wet track and it’s still raining. We are given two green flag laps and pass numerous Formula 3 cars squished against the barriers. Serena Aston reported “the weather was appalling…..This must have tested the nerves of the new drivers who were really being thrown in at the deep end”
We all arrived on the grid but what’s that…Klaus Nesbach is lined up behind me in his Class A Morgan having been penalised for an underweight car. This is the guy who went around corners so fast until he spun taking a reading off his g meter so he knew where his limit was!
I sat on the grid and gesticulated wildly to Klaus…go left, go left. And then we were off in a ball of spray and I was very relieved to see Klaus disappear up the road. After that…I have very little recollection of the race. It was all extremely wet and very frightening. All I could do was try and keep the car on the track as other Morgans spun all around me. The chequered flag came out and not a moment too soon…I had survived!
The results are shown below…I hadn’t come last which was nice, but was it worth it? I vowed never to race again…..
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50941100268_361b228469_c.jpg)
Post Script; Jonathan was born at the end of August and I went on to compete in about 100 races!
Cheers
John
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)