The Midget/FWD Register year in review . . .It has been another full year on the MG calendar and the Midget/FWD owners have again shown the pride of the Register to the rest of the club. A warm welcome goes out to all those new Midget/FWD Register members who have participated in the clubs activities this year, and a continued thank you to the usual suspects for upholding the breed. In Club Competition, we saw
the following new members participate this year: It has been very pleasing for me to see more Midget/FWD owners get involved in the clubs 'grass roots' competition; the camaraderie displayed between register members at this year's events has been fantastic. For those of you yet to have a go at club competition, there is a wealth of knowledge, expertise and assistance available; so make yourself known. Being a Midget/FWD owner means you have exceptional taste in MG's and that you are often at an advantage when in comes to the clubs competition calendar. Midgets in particular are very well suited to a wide range of events, from Motorkhana's, to Observed Section Trials (OST's), Navigation Trials (Winter 100), right the way through to Sprints and Regularity. This year we enjoyed good numbers at the Attwood Autokhana, Sandown Sprints along with the Mirth of Midget's at the Winton Motorkhana, Regularity and Sprints; a definite for next years calendar. The more participants, the more enjoyable it is for everybody, so be sure to pencil in a few dates for 2008 and get involved. At this year's Macedon OST we saw Ruth Norris and Edward Bunting place equal 3rd Outright and David Norris place 4th Outright. It just goes to show, you don't need a stove hot Midget to get a gong! When you look at this year's MG Club Competition Outright Results, you'll see just how effective Midgets are in Club Competition; with five Midgets in the top third competitors outright. Congratulations must go to Gavin McHugh on winning this year's Club Competition Outright and to Fred Brock for winning the Midget/FWD Register Competition and placing 8th Outright. A fantastic effort by both. Congratulations are also in order for David Norris, who finished 2nd in this years Midget/FWD Register Competition and placed equal 17th Outright along with yours truly (Nathan Medhurst) on finishing 3rd in the Midget/FWD Register Competition and 26th Outright. With ladies competing in Midgets we saw Rebecca Oostermeyer win the ladies class and finish equal 17th Outright along with Ruth Norris who placed 3rd in the ladies class and equal 35th Outright. There were of course many social and touring events on the calendar to enjoy as well. In September the T Register in conjunction with the Midget/FWD Register and Austin Healey Sprite Driver Club set off on a Mid Morning Run to the Yarra Valley. The weather was magnificent, and despite it being Father's Day, the attendance was great, with many Midgets and Sprites turning out to join the T Types. Some fantastic MG roads (which many of us had not used before) took us to the Giant Steps winery in Healesville for a wine tasting, coffee and a bite to eat. Many participants seized the opportunity to further explore the Yarra Valley wineries, whilst others had enough time to head back to Father's Day lunches. Unfortunately, throughout the year we did suffer a few broken Midgets. I managed to break a front shock absorber at the Attwood Autokhana, Chris Mahney developed a nasty knock in his engine at Sandown, Rob Forster avoided hitting a dog however severely damaged the front suspension, and Fred Brock broke first gear taking off from the start line at Rob Roy. However, I'm led to believe all Midgets are fit and looking forward to 2008. Looking forward to the New Year, the Midget/FWD Register (along with other Registers) will be embracing some new Club Competition Regulations for the 2008 season. I'd like to thank all members for their input and feedback into the development of these new club competition regulations. It is hoped that these changes will encourage more members to participate in Club Competition. So there will be no excuses for everyone else! The first Club Competition event for 2008 looks like being a Sprint and Regularity at Calder Park. The new format the Competition Director's now use to group like vehicles together (based on the forecast pace of the car/driver combination), makes for a very enjoyable meeting as you can concentrate on driving and not worry about faster cars. This format worked extremely well at Winton, as I'm sure many would attest to. If you have any questions about preparing your Midget/FWD for competition, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would like to thank you all for your participation and support during the year and look forward to seeing you all in 2008. Have a happy and safe holiday season. Safety Fast!Nathan Medhurst |