WEEK EIGHT

Monday, 6th January

Pav's started working for us, and has his own ideas on the way forward, so we are in his hands, and Ben looks relieved!

My fat wallet is getting thinner again, but we may be winning a Race again in 2003! I hope my faith is not displaced, and will keep my fingers crossed for the second week in April, get on with finding a sponsor, and running my business. Oh, and writing this stuff up for you all!, while Pav, Ben and his new assistant mechanic and welder, build my new Truck.

I take my transporter trailer to the bodybuilders to get the roof fixed over winter, as it has been leaking like a sieve during heavy rains, in the back end of last Season, with an odd bucket strategically placed by my bed to catch the water drips! This got delayed by a day though as the Kenworth wouldn't start, then froze up, as the temperatures here fell to -8 degrees. So we lost a day's new Truck building, while the boys sorted her out for me.

Ben then takes Pav out for a trip round to see our local suppliers, and what they can do for us on the new Truck, and to familiarize him with our supply chain. Oh, and Pav unloads his massive black, gold embossed toolbox from his pick-up truck into the workshop, next to the Race Truck, which towers above anything we have got similar!

By the end of the week, a few small cab modifications had been completed inside to take the roll bar. Ben, with Pav's, input had sorted the major problems we had been stuck on, and had come up with a new build plan - Things are looking back up!

But, we've now only got a bare chassis, with the cab lying on the floor, in a sorry, stripped out state by the side of it! But, a very clean workshop area.

The other mechanic, Jim, (will fix it) is busy helping Gary get the road motors servicing, MOT's and repairs up to date. So maybe, in a week or two, we could have three mechanics or maybe four, putting her all together in kit form, in a hurry. In only 12 weeks! It doesn't seem humanly possible to be ready in time. I'll keep praying!!