Saturday morning rolled around, and the first onsite movement is from the arriving BOC staff, including the marshals in orange, who often tell us that thesis their favourite event at Prescott. They love the low-key nature of the event, and tell us a finer bunch of people couldn’t be found than those in the VHRA. Not bad for a bunch of hot rod hoodlums! Signing on takes a different format to the early days of GOW!, when a line snaking around the Paddock waited patiently for the days briefing. Everything is now done online, along with applications for a Motorsport UK RS Clubman licence, so everyone is fully briefed and aware of how things work before arrival. This is backed up with a refresher from the clerk of the course before the hill opens at 10am. All entrants listened intently, eagerly waiting the clock to strike ten, so that they could make their assault on the hill. When the time came, Dougie Brennan found himself at the head of the line, and was waved to the start line by the ever attentive marshals. Joined by VHRA frontman, Neil Fretwell, they were then left with a half hour wait before getting off the line. Some unexpected debris on the track needed to be cleared, then a bonfire self ignited, which led to smoke drifts across the track. Finally, at 10.30, with everything clear on the hill, Dougie was given the green light, and he made a storming run up the hill in his 1934 three window coupe. With the late start, it was decided that fifteen minutes would be added to each session, shortening the marshal’s lunch break, and adding a quarter of an hour onto the end of the day. 

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What followed Dougie’s run is now written into GOW! folklore. More than a hundred of the finest hot rods and customs, blasting up Prescott Hill’s 1127 yards of twists, turns, hairpins and climbs, all filled to the brim with drivers and passengers baying for more. Due to the semi-private nature of the event, the Paddock atmosphere is both relaxed and excitable at the same time. If a spare seat is spotted, it’s quickly filled, and strangers become friends in a short while as the anticipation of running the hill builds. There were a number of

first-timers on the hill, of particular note was Mark Roberts in his fifties built blown A-V8 roadster, who could be seen lapping the paddock and hill as fast as the queue would allow him. Another newcomer to GOW! was the neat little T speedster belonging to Graeme Hardy, which gets it motivation from a Model T engine that has a Scat crank and domed high top pistons, amongst a myriad of other modifications. A veteran of VHRA events, Dave Brock, brought along his recently finished 36 coupe for its VHRA debut. This car picked up Best in Show at the recent Hot Rod Hayride, and as it slinked into the pits, it was obvious what all the fuss is about, the finish is impeccable and it’s arguably the finest custom in the VHRA ranks. The icing on the cake was Dave running the car up the hill, even to the point he broke it! It was flooding carbs, so nothing too serious, but cars are meant for driving, and that’s certainly what Dave was doing. Equally, there were some familiar faces and cars in the Paddock, along with Dougie’s aforementioned 34, there were numerous cars that were a blast from the past, not limited to; John Blackmore’s Chevy powered 32 roadster, John Wicks’ straight six T, Chris Rawlins ever present 32 phaeton, and Kenny Brookes’ 32 coupe, resplendent with its blue and white livery, harking back to the the time he and his fellow Flyers painted their cars in club colours back in 1988.