One of the cars that grasped the attention of the crowd was the BMW M3 of Jonathan Still. With its sleek design and aggressive sounding exhaust, it was a treat for both the eyes and the ears. Equipped with a 6-speed dog box and a 3000cc engine, this machine will be a force to be reckoned with. Even more so, as a result of "Stillo" (as he is familiarly known) being a very competent driver.

One car with a noticeable difference was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI of Barry Gale. With its tarmac trim, brakes and suspension absent, and having been replaced with their loose equivalents, it is obvious that Barry has his car prepared for the Corona Rally Mexico. This was later confirmed by Barry, who said his car would probably be leaving sometime this week. Barry said that he would be using the rally to see how he compares with international Group N drivers. When asked what he hoped to achieve in Mexico, he said that for the first day to two, he'd concentrate on keeping it tidy and clean, driving within himself. After this, he would then assess his position and decide what to do from there.

Apart from the official rally cars, there were also some street cars being taken through their paces. One was a canary yellow Porsche, driven by Bizzy Williams. There were 3 other Mini Cooper S models, one of which was "chipped up" to turn out about 190hp. The Minis performed quite admirably, showing good acceleration and speed on the straights and impressive cornering ability. Their cornering ability was demonstrated by none other than Geoffrey Ullyett. Taking the chipped up silver grey Mini around the track he showed the Mini's potential to slide, when given the right attitude upon approaching a corner. Seeing the Mini being tossed about was quite a sight.

Out of nowhere, it seemed, a speeding silver bullet rocketed around the track. It glided around the track, cornering ease and precise positioning. The driver was Mr. Peter Ullyett (uncle of sliding ace Geoffrey Ullyett), and the machine was a silver Mitsubishi Galant VR4. Mr. Ullyett popped the hood to reveal the power plant of his play toy. What greeted was a 2500cc, twin turbo, 24 valve V6 engine. A stabilizer/strut bar and Momo steering wheel are just some of the extra goodies. You would think that with this much power that you would be able to hear it coming from a mile away. Actually, this car's as quiet as the whisper of an early morning breeze.

No practice session would ever be complete without some sort of entertainment. This entertainment was provided in the form of the sideways antics of 3 of the best in the business; Geoffrey Ullyett, Trevor "Electric Micey" Manning and Graham Manning. After giving the Cooper S a baptism of fire, one couldn't even fathom what was to come when he got behind the wheel of T10 AKA Yellow Fever. When he did, he left the crowd jumping, screaming and begging for more. Geoff was his usual self: his Datsun sideways in every corner. After taking Bizzy for 2 laps, Bizzy demanded that Geoff return to the pits, commenting upon disembarking that Geoff needed to be committed to a mental institution. One might even suggest that Geoff is just a bit too happy. One thing is for sure, he has natural talent, and lots of it. I was even fortunate enough to witness it first- hand.

As I sat there, getting strapped in, I knew that I was going to be in for the ride of a lifetime…and Geoff didn't disappoint me one bit. As soon as we exited pit road and hit the tarmac, we were sideways. His exit speed was phenomenal as we hit the front straight. Upon approaching the right-hander at the end of the straight we were doing in excess of 90km/h. Nothing could have prepared me for what was about to happen. With blatant nonchalance, Geoff pointed the car to the left (note…the upcoming bend is a right-hander, this is what is known as offsetting the car) and let it slide for about 20 feet. And as quickly as he had pointed it to the left, he had it facing in the right direction, sliding through the corner. After doing this, Geoff looked across at me and flashed a smile… all I could do was laugh. His cheerful demeanour caused me to relax even further. I never thought a car could go sideways at that speed and hold its line. Did I mention while the car facing the opposite direction, he was downshifting? Talk about skill, it was quite incredible. The powerslide through the following turn was pretty scintillating as well. The two laps I took with him I will never forget, he is definitely a sliding ace. His deft car control was nothing short of breath taking. There aren't many feelings that can compare with sitting in a car and feeling it go sideways as it slides through a corner.

Trevor "Electric Micey" Manning and Graham Manning were present as well. They too provided plenty of sideways action for the crowd. Although they were without their Evo V and Escort respectively, they still thrilled those on hand. They were, perhaps, re-living their old Bushy Park days. Having Micey and Graeme on the track at the same time is a sight to see, but imagine Micey and Geoff in the same car, and Graeme in another machine matching each other slide for slide. Those Manning boys and that Ullyett boy never could resist the urge to slide. They really put on a tremendous display of driving skill for the crowd. Even though they got a bit too happy and had a minor "accident", the three of them still were able to escape unhurt and even share a laugh about it.

As we all know, it just wouldn't be a typical day at Bushy Park without donuts. The fans were in for quite a treat. The donuts were awesome, no-handed, no-handed one foot outside and your standard donuts were the order of the evening to cap off what can only be called a success. It was good to see all of the clubs being able to come together and work as a cohesive unit. We can only look forward to bigger and better things in the future. Even though there were some noticeable absentees, it was still a good day for the fans, drivers and motorsport on a whole.