🏁 Way back in Jan, Harley asked if he could go to Hockenheim one more time (He raced there in 2015) before he finished in Junior Dragster 🏁
Why not we thought so decided to take all 3 cars (after Mark
sulked that it would just be the kids 😃)
So the plans began and the saving started. Thank goodness
that Leah and Colin decided to set up the Hockers Baby 2023 WhatsApp page as
that gave us a few pointers to things we may have missed! Plus we had a lot of
help and advice from the lovely Redshaw family.
So 20th August and Race cars are ready, documents are ready, passports are ready – let’s go
racing…………….
So the boys, Mark, Steve, Harley and TCA set off on Tuesday 22nd August for Dover. Anna and I were getting plenty of updates but I’m sure there were a lot of things that the boys left out! They got the 6am ferry on the Wednesday morning then set off for the 6+ hour journey to Hockers. They arrived safely around 6pm and I was shocked to see photos that evening of the pit fully set up with gazebos and all 3 cars so well done boys for getting set up in record time 👍
So the girls, Lynne, Anna, Ada, Rebecca & Meg got to Birmingham airport for 7am ready for the 9am flight. We arrived on time in Frankfurt and after a short wait for Megs case, headed for the car hire. After a rather long wait, we were handed the keys to a rather nice Audi Quatro 😁
We found the car and instantly Anna and myself got in the
wrong side despite being really conscious that it was left hand drive – an easy
mistake lol. I have to admit that I had a tiny panic attack when I sat in the
car having never driven abroad before and was just about to say to Anna, I
can’t do this, when she read my mind and said right lets do this! She got
Google maps up and off we went. I’ve never been so grateful for a full on
‘backseat’/passenger seat driver – thanks Spanna 😊
We arrived at the track which was heating up and then our
first night started with a bit of a storm 😨
Day 1 – Friday 25th August (& Rebeccas
birthday – more cake 🍰)
We woke up on Friday morning again to rain which meant racing started later than planned. First run for SuperPro was around half 1 and we did a respectable 8.34 which would do nicely.
The Juniors weren’t out until half 4. It was so nice that Harley and Ada paired up for the first qualifier. Ada did amazing as Hockers is quite daunting especially when you’ve never driven there before but she drove her car like the pro she is and ran a 10.29. Harley had to try to remember what it was like to race here as it was 8 years ago and managed an respectable 8.04 with a .09 light. A good start overall.Day 2 – Saturday 26th August
Juniors and Super Pro all managed 3 runs today and finished:
Mark P 12 out of 18
Harley P5 out of 22
Ada P6 out of 22
And so to the Night Show – it had come to our attention that there may be a space in the night show so Mark was keen to establish whether we could fill that spot. There was so we did. The boys headed for the startline for the start of the show at 8 with a slot for just before 10. The girls got in the stands ready for fire and lights etc. BallBreaker was supposed to be against Colin Miller in the Flying Fyfer but Colin came round the corner onto the startline but no BB! Meg was getting messages from Tom K that BB was on fire! Great lol! What actually happened was BB being the b**** that she sometimes can be & had decided not to do the night show and to cough a ball of flames over Steve instead! Nice! Back in the pits and fired up good as gold! Oh well, maybe next year 😉
And so onto race day – Sunday 27th August
Super Pro were up first and BB had a German car in the 1st elimination. We dialled 8.34 and ran 8.36 but the other car had red lit so the win light went to us 😍
Juniors next and Harley dialled 7.97 as his car had just been getting quicker and quicker in Qualifying. He took the win so onto round 2 😍
Ada dialled 10.19 but Cherry Bomb decided to go on a go slow
and ran 10.24! Still a fag paper at the stripe but Ada could now chill and
watch Grumpy and Harley. Well done Ada you did a great job on your first visit
to Hockenheim 😍
Elim 2 and BB had a Swiss car. We dialled 8.34 ran 8.35 but once again the win light went to us as the other lane red lit – think our little dragster is scaring the opposition. Not sure they know what to make of it lol 😂
Harley was up against Max Love from the UK! Such a close race but Harley took the win and onto E3 semi finals for both my boys 😍
Elim 3 and Mark was against a beautiful '57 Chevy. We dialled
8.30 and ran 8.40 but fortunately they were more off than us so we took the win
and not to a cherry this time – into the FINAL AT HOCKERS WE GO 😜
The Final
After quite a wait due to a clean up in the left lane after
a Pro Stock car hit the wall, and an extension granted as we were over the curfew, we
got to run our final.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win as BB took a weird turn
for the wall and had a bit more than just one of BB’s usual ‘sashays’ at the
finish line! 😱
I couldn’t really see what was happening tbh, luckily, but
could see by the look on Steve, Anna and TCA’s faces that it wasn’t a straight
run. The marshall on the wall had already given me the universal hand signals
that indicated it was a bit of a wiggly one 😬
Anna asked if I’d heard what the commentator had said but I
hadn’t so she repeated it for me – MARK COULSELL – BIG BALLS 😜😜😜😜
We got to the bottom to fetch Mark and he was so apologetic
that he’d let us all down but we were just relieved that he and the car were
ok. Obviously he was gutted he had to lift and watching it back, I’m so glad he
did!
We rushed back to the pit, taking the apex round the circuit
as we’d done on most return journeys (who said dragsters don’t do corners 😄,
and got ready for the Trophy Party 🏆
Fashionably late (well it was a long way from our pit tbf lol) team LFR rocked up and managed to squeeze in at the back of the marquee with all of the other rowdy Brits 😊 The commentator tried to call order and the noise did quieten down slightly so we could sort of hear what was going on.
First up were the spot prizes for: Best Appearing Car, Best Appearing Bike & Best Appearing Team.
And the winner is MARK COULSELL with THE BALLBREAKER
SLINGSHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The place erupted! I didn’t realise a few chaps and lasses
from the UK could make so much noise!
Over the bloody moon we were! There were some cracking cars
there and we couldn’t believe our little slingshot from the UK had taken 1st
prize 😊 We did receive some beautiful comments from
a lot of other teams and spectators which was really nice, makes all of the hard
work even more worth while.
We still had the runner up for Mark and semi final trophies for
Harley yet, which I think is so nice that they celebrate that there too 😊
The roars, cheers, foot stamping and clapping for all of the
UK winners etc was deafening, not forgetting the bugle obvs. What an amazing
atmosphere – that alone was worth the journey, well almost lol 😁
Well done to all of the racers flying the UK flag – absolutely fabulous turn out and performances, so proud to be able to race with you all 😊
Well done to Damion Redshaw for getting straight back in his
car as if nothing had happened after his little mishap and massive well done to
Leah and team for getting that car ready to rock n roll in time for the last
Qualifier – superb effort.
And now for the sh*te bit!
So it’s Monday morning and the girls are a bit sad to be
leaving but the airport is calling.
So we say our goodbyes to the boys and Hockers and set off
for Frankfurt, Spanna still holding my hand in the hire car with the steering
wheel still on the wrong side lol 😬
Car dropped off, all checked in and waiting to board reflecting on the great time we’ve had. We’re on the plane, engines running, safety talks complete, mint in hand waiting for take off when the pilot comes on (the same pilot who sounded like a dirty perv when he spoke to us earlier 😨) – unfortunately due to an issue with the UK air traffic control you will have to leave the plane until we find out more about the problem. Back on the bendy bus back to the airport – no one to be seen to help us! Find Lufthansa Cust Services who tell us to go to A12 for further instructions. We are then told that we have been booked onto a later flight at 4.45. Bit inconvenient but at least we’re going home. Meal voucher issued so off we go to chill out before our 2nd flight. It gets to 3pm and my phone starts buzzing – flight cancelled!
No announcements or anyone around to help so we head back to
A12 – all UK passengers please follow this random passenger with a piece of
paper above his head which says desk B480!! Off he goes with Anna shouting
‘hang on, wait for us, we’re all supposed to be following you’!
Get to check in area where B480 desk is and there are 2
humungous queues of people all waiting to be told alternative flights back to
the UK. We queue for about 2 ½ hours to be told no flights and no point in
waiting for the desk staff. We were told to come out of the queues and book your own hotels and
flight home.
Anna and Rebecca are straight on their phones trying to book
things. No flights is a fact. So we get into a hotel, grab a taxi and off we
go. No toiletries, no knickers, no anything as it’s all in the RV with the boys
cos we were going home! Meg has a checked bag which she was told she wouldn’t
get until at least Thursday! So Plan B – we didn’t have one! Ring the boys and
find out where they are. Too far to turn back so internal flights, trains &
even another hire car was considered to get to Brussels to meet the RV and the
boys. Prices for all of the above were just rocketing as we were looking!
Sooooooo after a while we had a train booked from Frankfurt station at 9am
Tuesday morn with 2 changes which would get us to Brussels for 1.30pm. Sorted!
Quick shop for toothbrushes & knickers and find a nice Asian restaurant for
food. Night all see you in reception at 7am.
Tuesday
Up early and showered we head for the airport/station with a
very jolly Indian taxi driver who kept singing Tikka Masala at us! We had time
so me and Meg went to see if we could retrieve her checked bag. While we’re
waiting Anna rings me, ‘train has been cancelled & I’m starting to lose my
s*it’ – nope we can’t do that we’re British, stiff upper lip and carry on! So
Rebecca goes off to sort another train which leaves shortly with 1 stop in
Cologne. Lovely. Get on the train and someone is in our booked seats but plenty
available so no problem. 20 mins in and a rather rude German woman tells us we
need to get off our carriage as there is a defect with the air-con, we knew
that as it was sweltering but we just wanted to get to Brussels! So move we
did and did manage to get seats even if Anna and Ada were in the buffet car. We
managed a bit further and then the train stopped. No one said anything so we
waited and then the train started to move backwards! We all looked at each
other not knowing what the hell was happening then Meg springs up, climbs over
me and says she’s going to find out what the hell is going on!! Apparently the
line had been vandalised so we needed to go back and divert. The train stops
again with an announcement that the driver needed a 30 minute break – are you f*king
kidding me! 30 mins pass & another announcement that there is no driver to
continue the journey so could we all get off the train and go to the next
platform & wait for another train. Train arrives and off we go to Cologne,
I think!
We finally get to Brussels (3 ½ hours later than planned),
after getting off at 2 wrong Brussels stops, – oh how we laughed – and get an
Uber to a Shell Station where the boys are hopefully still waiting – the Uber
driver did check that we actually wanted to go to a service station!
So we meet the boys but wouldn’t make the 8pm ferry now so
looked like it would be a midnight sailing for LFR. Customs did ask if we were
a band as there were so many of us lol.
So home was in our sights, oh no, wait a minute, no
headlights on the RV you say Mark 😱
So that was Steves job now until we got on the ferry – and
still after the ferry as still not fixed – will we ever get home 😫
So I had Happy Birthday sung to me in France and again on
the Ferry as it crossed midnight again on our way to England. Nice. Got to
Dover & Steve still had the lights to fix – well at least it’s not raining
– of course it was raining!!
He managed to fix them (cos he’s a flippin’ superstar 🌟) and off we finally went. Mark was seriously nodding off and I could hear Steve talking total b**locks to him to try to keep him awake (been there a few times lol) so I asked where we were and said we needed to stop to get some kip and that’s how I ended up waking up on my birthday in a bed with 4 other people 🎈
We finally reached Marra HQ at half 9 on Wednesday morning, totally exhausted but at least we made it.
Would I change anything – only that chuffin’ journey which
we did have some laughs & fought back a few tears but girl power got us
through!
A few funny things along the way:
Mr’s Bartlett, Marshall & Prentice spotted leaving a
shopping outlet loaded up with bags of goodies and when questioned said ‘what
happens at the track, stays at the track’
The bumhole sticker on the fag machine by the pit toilets
This Ausfahrt place must be massive as you can get to it
from loads of exits
Steve serenading Meg & TCA on Monday morning to get them
out of bed
The bar filling up at the petrol station
Us pretending to put ‘PUMP GAS’ in BB
The many times we all got in the wrong side of the bloody
hire car (good job no one spotted us!)
The 90c p*ss tickets from the service station toilets
Taking the RV dashboard apart to fix the lights to find out
it just lifts up
