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The club is still busy with preparations... but a date for our return is probably further away now than it was ten days ago when Simon and I visited the Barn. It looks like the final step of the easing of lockdown restrictions will be delayed by at least a month - the government is caught between the need to protect the NHS against another surge of hospital admissions and very strong lobbying by the hospitality and travel industries.

The problem is the transmission rates of the new Indian/Delta strain of the virus. The latest data suggests it is 50-60% more transmissible than the Kent/Alpha variant that fueled the high death rates over the winter. The Indian variant is now the dominant strain within the third wave that is currently gathering pace. Modelling by Warwick University shows the possible impact if that data is correct...

   

That shows more hospital admissions than during either of the two previous waves. Thankfully, the vaccine seems to have broken the link between cases and deaths, but not - it seems - between cases and hospital admissions. This is mostly likely because over half the population (when children are included) don't have the protection of two vaccine doses. It seems very wise to delay the final easing of lockdown while the rest of the population are vaccinated - and see what happens to the hospital admission data.

What does this mean for us at WHO Racing? In the short-term, it means we continue to prepare and continue to be patient while the scientists and government get to grips with this third wave. It does seem more people - including young people - are suffering a more severe illness with the new variant. And - of course - those with 'under-performing' immune systems are at significantly more risk from the increased transmissibility and the more severe symptoms. Our club has plenty of youngsters and a few dodgy immune systems... These changes in the nature of the virus will have an impact on our priority of keeping everyone at the club safe. Sadly, I think it is wise to expect a longer delay than we might have been looking at.

Please take care and stay safe.

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One thing I've promised to do on this thread is to occasionally explain the thinking behind the club's caution. This thread isn't a blueprint for any other club apart from ours. At WHO, we have large attendances, racers (and family members) who are vulnerable, racers who are front line health and care workers, a significant number of young people who won't be vaccinated - and some of us have dodgy immune systems...

There's not much in the news about this latter group, so I thought I'd share this useful article published by National Geographic a couple of days ago, snappily titled "The complex situation for immunocompromised people and COVID-19 vaccines". It does give some useful insight from the USA, where there's a larger population and more research being done.

The blunt conclusion - “get vaccinated, act unvaccinated” - is also the advice being given to people with dodgy immune systems in the UK.

The wider implications for our club are summed up by an American hematologist interviewed in the article... “as a society I think we have an obligation to come up with strategies to prevent those [immunosuppressed] people from getting acutely sick so they can re-enter society like the rest of us are all ready to do. They’re just as ready as anybody else, and it’s terrifying to be in their position.”

That's why we'll be cautious over timing and also why we'll be insisting on measures - such as face coverings, hand hygiene and social distancing - that might not be commonly used elsewhere. That caution means we can all return safely together.

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Our July Newsletter has just gone out...

Back to the Barn? The Government have announced they plan to lift the final layer of Covid restrictions on Monday 19 July. That’s going to be a huge change for all of us – and also one that means we can start looking at dates to return to the Barn.

The first thing to say, is that we won’t rush back. It will be sensible to wait a few weeks and see how things settle down. We’ll certainly step up the behind-the-scenes preparations and make more visits to the Barn to clean and test the WHO equipment – and to decide what precautions we need to keep for that unventilated indoor space. Please don’t throw away your mask or sanitizer – you’ll need them.

Expect lots more details – and possibly a return date – in the August newsletter.

We're getting there

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Ah, what a difference a week makes...

Although we probably weren't looking at a return until late September, the current rise in hospital admissions and deaths due to new Covid infections have put that into question.

Ignoring the numbers for a minute, this modelling of hospitalisation rates show the predicted timing of the third wave in the UK...

   

That suggests the low hospitalisation rates of a few weeks ago won't return until November or December. And then we have the triple cocktail of Covid, seasonal 'flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to deal with over the winter.

For many people who are double-jabbed and in good health, it'll be a case of trying to get back to some sort of normal life and managing these risks. The extent of the risk will depend on how quickly groups like ours return to 'pre-pandemic behaviour'.

The UK government are currently updating advice to those in the clinically extremely vulnerable group - essentially a return to shielding (as in the previous two waves). This will mean mostly staying at home, only meeting people who are double-jabbed and only meeting outside. It's a reminder that a sizeable proportion of the population are still very vulnerable to Covid, despite the vaccines.

Last year we decided as a club that we'd only return when can all do so safely. We re-confirmed that decision a couple of months ago. As things stand, we can't consider returning to the Barn until after this third wave of the pandemic is over. It's also a duty to our wider community - and especially to the NHS and care workers at WHO - not to add fuel to the fire.

Even then, we will need to look at making the Barn as safe as possible. That could mean asking everyone to test themselves for asymptomatic Covid. For those not tested at work, lateral flow self-tests are available for free from the NHS (see here) and there is talk of developing a similar 'triple test' for Covid, 'flu and RSV. We'll also need to strictly observe the 'hands-face-space-fresh air' advice at the Barn. Those last two will be a challenge. We want the racing to be fun - and too many restrictions won't be conducive to the relaxed, enjoyable escape from everyday life that we expect. However, we simply can't make any short cuts that either put members of our WHO family at risk or exclude them from the group.

We always had a vague plan to avoid a 'bumpy winter' and take a break in January / February 2022. This looks very likely. Maybe we'll be able to get back for a month or two before Christmas - but we'll see what happens and what new surprises the lifting of restrictions throws up.

In the meantime... we do have the HO proxy drag races to take part in - and next year's Winter Rally-Sprint to start preparing for. Gareth's 'Limit of Adhesion'  i-Racing group continues - and I suspect there will be some small-group home racing (indoors and outdoors) during the summer and autumn. The most important thing is for us all to stay safe.

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So far, so good it seems... And keeping a close eye on the data and the modelling, this is the August WHO newsletter:


Back to the Barn News... Without tempting fate, things are currently looking better than some predicted. However, I’ll stay cautious and say that the next couple of weeks will be crucial to see if we can get back to the Barn this autumn...

If this third wave subsides quickly, then these are the dates we are looking at…

• Wednesday 6 October – Non-championship WHO Mod race
  
• Wednesday 20 October – WHO/digital Nascar & Trans-Am (2020 championship)
  
• Wednesday 3 November – Non-championship WHO Nascar race
  
• Wednesday 17 November – WHO/digital Nascar & Trans-Am (2020 championship)
  
• Wednesday 1 December – Non-championship WHO F1 race
  
• Wednesday 15 December – WHO/digital fun night – classes to be decided
  

Let’s all keep our fingers crossed. If we need to adjust these dates, we will. The priority remains keeping the extended WHO family and the local community safe.

When we do get back, we will require everyone to wear face masks inside the Barn, regularly wash and/or sanitise your hands – especially after marshalling – and refrain from sharing equipment outside of your family group. Don’t worry, we are tweaking our formats to make this easier. And please be prepared for the Barn to be a bit chilly – the doors will be wide open to create a breeze.

Most importantly – if you have any symptoms or have been asked to quarantine or self-isolate, please don’t come along to the Barn. This is still a dangerous virus for those who are clinically vulnerable – and none of wants to get ill or have to self-isolate because of an evening of slot car racing.

Covid tests: Many of you will have regular Covid tests at work – for those that don’t, we’d really appreciate if you grab a box of free NHS lateral flow tests. This how to get them: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rap...flow-tests. Test yourself at home or work before a race to make sure you’re not carrying the virus without showing any symptoms. These tests are a simple and effective way to avoid passing on the virus and keeping each other safe.

Warm-up sessions: We’ll be holding two Wednesday evening test sessions next month – one HO and one digital. These are to get the set-up teams back in the groove, to test the equipment and to see how an evening will work safely. The sessions will be invite only – if you’d like to come along and help out, please let me know. Numbers will be limited. Masks, hand-hygiene and negative Covid test will be required.

WHO 2022 season: I am currently putting together the WHO calendar for next year and booking dates at the Barn. Of course, we will need to keep a close eye on how the pandemic develops – but the season is scheduled to start on Wednesday 2 February. The racing calendar will be based around one HO and one WHO/digital event per month, including five Digital Saturdays during the year.

The 2022 WHO/digital Guide: This will – as usual – be published at the end of September. Simon, Mike D and me met up at the Ashington Toy Fair last month and enjoyed a productive planning session. The pdf booklet will include the 2022 WHO/digital dates, plus all the class rules and formats. Keep an eye on our Facebook page – they’ll be weekly WHO/digital news about our plans for 2022 and beyond.

In the meantime…

Next Ashington Outdoor Toy Fair: Sunday 15 August (weather permitting) outside the Ashington Community Centre – post code RH20 3PG. The gate opens at 9.30am. Entry is £2 and free after midday.

Weevils Family Swapmeet: Sunday 12 September at the Norfolk Pavilion, South of England Show ground, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TH. Open from 10am to 3pm, this is a day to buy and to play, with lots of traders and tracks. We’re hoping to have our WHO ARC Air track as part of the event. If you can help out, let me know.

   

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I had expected the club to be back at the Barn this month, but nothing is very straightforward these days! Thanks to 25 club members answering a questionnaire, messaging or phoning me, I have a much better idea of the consensus over when we might return...

• More than half of the people who responded are looking at next Spring - with a handful looking beyond that. I realise some want to be racing now, but we made a collective decision in the summer of 2020 - and earlier this year - that we'd only return when everyone feels safe and ready.
  
• Almost everyone would do a lateral flow test before attending the Barn. These aren't pleasant, but many of us are pretty used to them by now.
  
• Everyone who replied said they'd had - or would be having - a Covid vaccine.
  
• Seven of those who responded are either clinically extremely vulnerable or have regular contact with people who are.
  

What that tells me is that WHO members aren't being over-cautious, but many don't see the point of introducing extra risk into their lives  - or returning to a racing environment which is a pale reflection of what we're used to. I think that's sensible for the long-term future of the club. I'm 100% comfortable with a further delay. Financially and logistically, it's not a problem for the club.

What that means is:

• The 2022 season is scheduled to start at the beginning of April
  
• Warm-up events can take place in March
  
• The 2022 calendar will be published asap
  
• The WHO/digital 2022 Guide will be published during October
  
• The HO rules will be updated  on the club website during November
  

There are HO proxy drag races scheduled for November, January and March - and the 2022 WHO Winter Rally-Sprint is pencilled in for January and February.

In the meantime, I’ve noticed that a lot of WHO members are finding ways of having fun. There are some amazing slot cars being created at home, plus some cool home racing, iRacing, trips to motorsport events and even a couple of track day experiences! It's great to see people trying out new things. I recently had a taster session with the Goodwood Marshals Club – one of our original WHO Racing dads is vice chair of the club. You could give it a go in 2022. The website is: https://goodwoodmarshalsclub.org.uk/

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The WHO Winter Rally-Sprint will not take place in January / February 2022.

Sorry for those who were looking forward to some more proxy slot rally fun, but the event doesn't fit with the club's focus of getting back to racing next spring - after what will be a 24-month lay-off. There's a lot of work involved with the proxy and - with all the preparation for the club's return - we felt we wouldn't do it justice.

A condensed Rally-Sprint format is something we'll keep on the back-burner - either as a two-venue weekend proxy event or as a hands-on event at the Barn.

For HO proxy drag racers, the races scheduled for January and March will continue as planned - so no worries there

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This is our provisional calendar for 2022, starting with two warm-up events in March.

The updated regs for both our Scalextric digital and HO racing will be published fairly soon. They will very similar to the 2020 season - the HO season will be a continuation from 2020, with points carried over.

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Fingers remain crossed, but we do seem on course to get back racing in April. Mike D, Simon and I will be checking over the digital equipment at the beginning of March. Then we’ll start back with these three FREE events:

• Wednesday 16 March: HO warm-up event – invite only.
  
• Wednesday 6 April: WHO Mod – Round 4 of the 2020/2 season
  
• Wednesday 20 April: Digital Wednesday – Round 1 of the 2022 season.
  

Of course, the Covid pandemic hasn’t gone away. However, the situation is very much safer now for the vast majority of people – thanks to the vaccines, boosters and anti-viral treatments. The next month or two may still be a little unpredictable, but the expectation is that infection rates will be much reduced by April and through the summer. We may need to be flexible next winter, but I don’t anticipate having to cancel any events.

Some people – including a few WHO racers and family members – are less well protected and remain at high risk if they catch Covid. The church are requesting users of the Barn observe these common-sense precautions for the time being:

• Everyone to wear face masks inside the Barn
  
• Everyone regularly sanitizes their hands during the event
  
• Limit attendance to a maximum of 50 seated or 30 for more active events.
  

I suggest we also do the following for our WHO events – at least to begin with:

• Keep both doors open to ventilate the hall throughout the evening
  
• Keep the kitchen off-limits for the moment
  
• Encourage racers to take a lateral flow test before travelling to the Barn
  
• Insist that if anyone has tested positive, has any symptoms or has recent contact with someone testing positive, they do not attend the event.
  

In terms of our racing formats, observing the common-sense precautions means we can race fairly normally. The only things I think we should be careful with are:

• HO controllers – racers will be given one club controller for the evening
  
• Digital controllers – teams keep one controller for the evening
  
• Race control – restrict computer use to a maximum of two people
  

There are few minor details about running the events that we need to sort out at the warm-up events, but I am satisfied we can make the Barn a safe enough place for us to return. Of course, we’ll review all this every month – but I think we’re at a point when we can all get back racing together without having to stop and start when cases rise. If you have any questions or comments, do get in touch.

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We're now just seven weeks away from our official return to the Barn, a month to the warm-up event and just a fortnight until we get the digital gear unboxed and checked over.

If you'd like to help out at either of the March preparation evenings on Wednesday 2 March (Digital) or Wednesday 16 March (HO), let us know.