2:09 pm, January 12, 2010
NERVES have started to kick in already. Like all ideas in the Car Dealer office, it sounded good to begin with, but when I realised I’d actually have to do it, it didn’t seem so great…
What’s got me so worked up? Well, as you may know it’s the end of the scrappage scheme next month. To mark this we wanted to do something different – but didn’t know what.
However, we knew a man that would – Tom Barnard, Hyundai’s PR supremo.
The emails between us went something like this:
Me – ‘Tom, we want to do something to mark the end of scrappage, any ideas?’
Tom -‘I’ve got an i10 you can have… it’s been rolled though. Why don’t you take it banger racing?’
Me – ‘OK.’
So that’s the plan. The official sales king of scrappage takes on the crusher dodgers in a do or die battle.
Our i10 is currently winging its way to spanner wielding genius Cecil at Cecilsrentarookie.co.uk who will prepare the car for our banger race which takes place in Wimbledon on January 24.
Cecil’s an expert when it comes to banger racing. He works full time preparing cars for stag dos to race around the UK and has agreed to prep our i10 for us.
To be honest, I’m not quite sure what that involves – something like removing all windows and lights – but the plan is for team CD to give him a hand.
Or maybe just make the tea while he does it for us…
NOT GOOD
We’ve organised entry in the banger race too – my name’s down for this event. The fact the organiser laughed when I told him my plan was not a good sign.
He also mentioned blood types, and that I’d need a neck brace until my ‘neck gets used to whiplash’. Oh-kay.
Tom hasn’t filled me with confidence either. It’s not the car he’s worried about, but my bottle…
‘One guy pulled into the pits when I did it for my stag do and there was nothing wrong with his car – he was just too scared to carry on,’ Tom said.
Ok, I’d be lying if I wasn’t more than a little concerned. Especially when someone told me a fellow journo broke both his feet doing a banger race in something quite a lot larger than an i10.
Anyway, my plan is simple – stay at the back, avoid the pros, stay alive…
Stay tuned to the website, my Twitter feed and make sure you subscribe to get next month’s magazine to find out how we get on.
Right I’m off. My stomach’s just done another one of those about-to-take-an-exam backflips and it’s made me feel sick. For the third time today.
James
