[woodcote]

Twenty-two people came along to the Barn for our first digital event of 2026. Among them were WHO first-timers Andrew, Tom, Jaxson and Mike A.

   

Simon had tweaked his Barnabas circuit, which is proving a perfect Wednesday night digital layout. And after half an hour of practice and digital driving school, racers were allocated to six teams, Nascar club cars lined-up and we were off racing...

   

The first twenty-minute segment eased the new racers in gently with just a fuel simulation. Everyone raced for 5 minute stints, the two three-member team getting a bonus stint each through the three segments.

   

It was the three of Jaxson, Mike D and Duncan who set the pace, ending up with a big score of 98 laps, four ahead of both Team 2 (Ollie, Jeremy, Mike Mc & Tom) and Team 3 (Ash, Rob B & Mike A). Another four laps back were Stephen, Dean, Rob A & Andrew on 90 laps - just ahead of Oliver, Simon C, Steve C & Kevin and James on 89, with Andy, Matthew & Simon M scoring 88 laps. That was the whole field covered by ten laps...

   

Cars were swapped around for the second twenty minutes - first place swapping with last, second with fifth and third with fourth. We stuck with just the fuel simulation and most of the teams (but not all) improved on their scores.

   

Ash, Rob B & Mike A gave everyone else a thrashing with the white Herbie Ford Taurus - a huge 100 laps hauling them up to second overall, just a lap behind Jaxson, Mike D & Duncan, who'd finished runners-up in the segment with 97 laps. It was equally close for third place overall. Ollie, Jeremy, Mike Mc & Tom finished fourth in the segment with 90 laps, which left them ten laps behind second and one lap ahead of Stephen, Dean, Rob A & Andrew. And there was a one-lap gap between fifth and sixth - James, Andy, Matthew & Simon M having 174 laps after forty minutes, Oliver, Simon C, Steve C & Kevin having 173.

   

Cars were exchanged yet again for the final twenty minutes. The tyre simulation was added, making pit stops rather more complicated! This is the standard format for most of our digital races through the season, only a few having the extra dimension of weather. Not surprisingly, most team's scores dipped a little - although last-placed Team One had a sensational race and finished runners-up with 94 laps - five laps better than their previous best. It was enough to not finish last!

   

Meanwhile, the race leaders had a disappointing run with the blue Valvoline Taurus. Their rivals - Team Three - managed to overturn the slender lead and add 7 laps, Ash, Rob B & Mike A romping to the segment and overall race win. In the battle for third, Stephen, Dean, Rob & Andrew did just enough to draw level on laps completed and in doing so finished ahead on the road - they'd claim the final place on the podium...

   

Huge congrats to our winners - Mike taking home a WHO winner's medal on debut...

         

         

         

All four new drivers finished in the top four places, which is an impressive achievement!

Next up was the Trans-Am pairs race - all 22 drivers getting a drive...