American Car - November 2015

ACM

show

report

36

Hay, Ho,

Let’s Go



Andy Davis headed to Bisley at the end of July for the

fifties-fest that is the Hot Rod Hayride.

Words & photography: Andy Davis

This year’s Hotrod Hayride consisted

of a decent Saturday sandwiched

between two relentlessly wet

days, but as one of the most hotly

anticipated events of the year, there

was no way the weather was going to

stop participants enjoying it.

Drivers of leaky jalopies with

inadequate wipers arrived on

Friday thanking the Lord for Rain-X.

Unpacking their camping gear, they

looked enviously at those who had

paid extra for Hi-De-Hi chalets and

cabins, but once the tents were up,

people got out the beers, found some

shelter and caught up with old friends.

At least the evening entertainment

was unaffected, with the usual live

bands, a hillbilly and bluegrass bar and

burlesque show, and there was some

respite from the rain, allowing people

to spill out of the function room and

hang out around the cars already

power-parked in front of the pavilion.

Saturday’s weather was far better,

so with a borrowed sat-nav I took a

ride out to Tongham Motor Club’s

dirt oval some 45 minutes away. The

place is usually a dust bowl, but this

time cars were throwing up clods of

earth as they slid around the muddy

racing line. Vintage stock cars put on

a couple of great races, and run-what-

ya-brung punters were paired up for

three-lap sprints, starting opposite

each other like in cycle pursuit races,

hayride.indd 36 21/09/2015 14:07:23