MIKEY GODFREY

“It was strange watching ‘my’ car go around”

The second half of the 2017 season has been a total disaster for us and to be honest I’m very glad the winter has arrived so we can have a bit of a break.

The qualifying campaign started badly. We were busy prepping our usual car for British Touring Car Championship racer Rob Austin to use at the National Championship at Hednesford so we put the spare car back together for me to use for a few meetings.

It didn’t go to plan at all and the car had a incurable misfire. No matter what we changed we just couldn’t get it to clear.

Rob did well and qualified for the big race although he was struggling with some handling issues. My misfire was ever present and pretty much put an end to my weekend.

With me failing to qualify I watched Rob from the sidelines. It is very strange watching your own car go round but it was great seeing him qualify and finish the 75-lap race on his first attempt.

I don’t think people realise how close Hot Rods run together until you watch your own car in the middle of 30 cars! I felt privileged to have a racer like Rob in our car and learned so much from him.

Since then my own season has been plagued by injury, illness and some general bad luck. I have finished less than half the races and after being disqualified at the last meeting of the year, I have given up on qualifying for the World Final in July next year, which is always the highlight of the season –so long as you make it in.

I am looking forward to the winter break, which runs from now until March, as it will give us chance to regroup and clear our heads.

We will rebuild the car and hopefully get it back to where it was at the start of the season. Next year will be my 10th season in National Hot Rod racing and I intend on making it my best yet.

There are plenty of races other than the world final and if things all go to plan I intend on doing a bit of travelling and visiting some other tracks.

It seems a long way off but I already have some plans in my head for 2018 that will see us trying something totally different.

Watch this space!