2011 Saw an introduction of a weight restriction so held open weight and light weight categories. The open weight category only had two teams enter AVW and ourselves, so our team went straight to the final after lunch. We win the coin toss the good end is ours, as soon as the command pull was uttered by the line judge the team is into full swing shooting backwards. The second end was the same but even faster, if you had of blinked you would have missed it, the open weight team decimated the opposition.
2011 JAE MR2OC Tug of War Open weight Tug of War team;
Another new event for 2008 was the feel the pain endurance, one man, one pole and two tyres either end. The aim to hold the weight of the tyres out in front of you with your arms parallel to the ground, the best time wins. When strength and endurance is required there’s only one man to call, Justin Smitty. Justin held the tyres parallel for what seemed like an hours, muscles began to shack due to lactic acid and then it was all over. Justin had won by a huge margin smashing his opponents easily. Another outstanding performance.
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2011 Saw an introduction of a weight restriction so held open weight and light weight categories. The team weighted in at 618Kg out of a 620Kg limit. Known as the MR2 all blacks to the event organisers because of our new black team shirts and from last year’s win. The light weight completion had many entries, the first pull was a surprise as the pull limit was set short and we lost the first end because of the stretch in the rope. After that hick up, the first four teams facing us were fresh meat, no completion to the MR2OC all blacks, every end was ours, and the lightweight team was through to the final after lunch. The lightweight team were against the FTO club in the final, a team with six men and a woman facing our six man team. The first end was tough, very static, the OC supporters screaming support helped us inch the rope backwards. The second end we found it hard to dig in and where pulled forward, Jay injured his knee badly and was replaced with Steve. This was a bone of contention to the other team so an agreement found, the FTO club can have an extra girl. Do they pick the skinniest girl in there club….no, she’s well equipped, so six of us against eight. The support is gathered en mass at the side lines the club is in support the team lines up at the rope, for the third and final end. After what seemed like an eternity of no movement, our forearms are on fire, the crowed is screaming, the rope tightens in the grip of six pain stricken men of men cracking between our fingers, the camaraderie of the loyal OC spurred the team on the whistle blew. The OC supporters go mad, the team take a knee to regain oxygen, and we’ve done it, a double.
2011 JAE MR2OC Tug of War team;
The It’s a Knock Out competition works by all the events entered by clubs awarded points for their results then calculated giving an overall winning club. Due to the performances of all the contenders, Tug of War, food eating, football, endurance, go karting and a crazy relay race the club easily beat off any other competition. The prize giving in the marquee was a great feeling, when it was announced that the club had won It’s a Knockout all club members stood up to take centre stage, which was half of the marquee. MR2OC took the silverware home.
There are eating contests and there is the JAE Japanese eating contest. Every year the organisers go all out to find the most putrid food the Japanese produce, in order to feed it to a marquee of crazy car enthusiasts, simple rules, whoever eats all their food first wins. Protock (Red) and Steve (Steve-M-UK) entered representing the club, and on entering the marquee were greeted with the most foul smell of rotting fish. Sat at the table happily grinning to each other wearing the JAE head band, they began to eat the plate of squid, compressed fish and ginger, a load of unrecognisable sticking fish parts all coated in hot wasabi source. Now Red isn’t the biggest of people but he can sure eat, carefully eating in order to have best effect. Red stands up shouts MR2OC and wins beating much larger blokes. Top work, very impressive, please go and brush your teeth.
The endurance event now a highly contested event of JAE was going to be a tough challenge as this year the competitors had two 18 inch alloy wheels to hold out to the side at arm’s length. Justin Smitty and Jez entered, unfortunetly for Justin already carrying a bicep injury had to pull out. That left our Jez, the 7 foot personal trainer. The man to beat in this competition is NPOC’s bear, a goliath of a man who set a stunning time that no one could get close to, until Jez stepped up. Jez was very close, only short from the bear by 3 seconds. A strong man and a strong contender.
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The world record attempt is for the longest parade of MR2’s in convoy. The main organisation was taken on by Topgun (Mick) who put the day together with organisation on the day from HowlingMad (Kireon) and Chris. Convoys from all over the country converged onto Silverstone to drive around the circuit in a huge convoy. It was an early start to meet up with other members at meeting points then into Silverstone with a car park all to ourselves, after signing on and having a briefing from the officials the cars were organised into colour order by Kireon and Gaz. Three laps of the circuit later and we had completed what we had set out to do. The world record attempt can’t just be attributed to MR2OC, all the MR2 clubs were involved to make this record breaking day happen.
The best club stand at JAE is what every car club aspires to, 2008 at Mersea Island was the perfect JAE. The club stand was next to the beach, the sun was beaming all weekend and we had a lovely marquee with every luxury. But what really made it was the people, we have the friendliest club with warm welcoming people. The JAE officials send people around to all the club stands to judge them, however they aren’t wearing the JAE organisers shirts so nobody knows who they are. Our club easily came top.
The It’s a Knock Out competition was new to 2008, it works by all the events entered by clubs awarded points for their results then calculated giving an overall winning club. Due to mainly Justin Smitty’s faultless performance, as well as the football team, DannyH taking part in the food eating competition and not the greatest year for the Tug of War team, MR2OC took the silverware home.
A new event for 2008 was the car pull, simply pull the Nissan cube over a set distance, whoever completes it in the fastest time wins. Simple, no most of the pull was up hill and the car weighing in over a tonne. There’s only one man for the job, the man mountain that is Justin Smitty. Justin watched the other competitors giving it their all and the times tumbling, then had his turn to take the rope in his hands with all the club backing him cheering, Justin was relentless, steady strong steps powering him along like a train, his final time was well clear of anything anyone else could get close to. An outstanding performance.
A year had past with the defeat of 06 still aching in the legs. MR2OC were back at the East of England show ground, Friday night the usual beers and laughs, Saturday the team got together in the club marquee for a training session with a brand new team from last year. A night on the beer again then Sunday the team made our way to the main arena for a warm up followed by the rest of the club in full support. The first pull against some very young people and we were through to the next round. The second pull, the team dug in, worked as a team and in unison pulled our way into the final. Remembering what had happened the previous year and with fresh legs we entered the arena again against last year’s champions the Celica OC. With a team talk and the support and cheers of the club the guys were ready, the first pull was static, neither team giving an inch, stamina won through and the team slowly inched the rope back to the whistle. The second pull the Celica OC were tired and the team dragged them across the arena. At last winners, the hard graft and cheers had got us through.
2007 JAE MR2OC Tug of War team;
This was the first physical competition to be entered by the club, hearing that JAE run a tug of war completion between car clubs, the club wasn’t short of volunteers. After a quick training session with a rope tied to the back of an MR2, we headed over to the main marquee where the humidity would match that of a jungle. The first pull was easy, and unknown club wearing socks. Next up was the Mk IV Supra OC, a hard fought battle that went on for what seemed like hours. The first end came our way eventually, the second went to them, everything went left went into the third and MR2OC was through to the final against Celica OC. Only a couple of minutes rest and back to the rope, a very tired team against a large well rested team. This wasn’t our year being runners up to the Celica OC.
2006 JAE MR2OC Tug of War team;
Aside from the main JAE show and shine competition, the club ran its own. All cars on the stand were entered. The beaming purple TRD replica belonging to Topgun (Mick) won by a mile. Although Mick won due to the cleanliness of the car, those who where there will remember he roped in as many of us to help as possible. A well deserved win.
One of the oldest (serving) members of the club Topgun (Mick) entered the splendid purple TRD replica into the JAE show and shine competition, a very strongly contended competition. After hours in a boiling marquee polishing and careful scrutinising from the officials, Mick received 2nd place.
Another year, another JAE, yes it was September, time to make the annual pilgrimage to the place responsible for many children’s park ride on’s, Wicksteed park lets go. The organisers had worked hard the OC stand looked great, many shinny cars parked up and tents erected. Friday night was no different to any year, a complete blowout beer, music, beer, laughs….er and a hell of a lot more beer.
Saturday dawned on the campers, the sun rose and bleary eyed fold rose to the smell of frying bacon with heaps of tommy K. Wiping the still sizzling fat off of my shirt, ok good to go this day is about one thing, it’s a knock out, a competition entered by many of the car clubs at JAE all eager to win and lift the coveted JAE IKO trophy.
