Another snow blizzard on the 26^th means that February ends with snow still lying on the lawn.  This is starting to feel like an unwelcome climatic trend.  I wonder if Championship tyre supplier Hankook has a racing compound option for snow tyres?

Where I live, the first serious snow of the winter fell December 19.  Since then, we have endured nine weeks of snow falls and sub-zero temperatures.  I listen to a feature on the radio; in Arizona, a retirement community called Sun City has successfully reached its 40^th anniversary, and they interviewed some of the old-timers who live there.  When asked about the stifling desert summer heat, we heard much about the wonders of air conditioning.  “In any case” said one former resident of the cold US north-east, “you don’t have to shovel heat”.

The weather is more than just a discussion topic.  On February 22, there was a message from Silverstone.  The snow has delayed completion of the track changes they are making to the GP circuit this year.  The track-day I have already booked for March 11 will now be run on the shorter National circuit.

On the one hand, this isn’t a big problem.  After all, the main purpose of the day is to iron out any bugs following the rebuild and to try different chassis set-ups with the (new to me) racing slicks.  But on the other, it is a small disappointment – we will be racing on the GP later in the season, and the opportunity to practice there now would have been welcome.

February 26 also sees a draft copy of a Championship press release arriving for approval.  It describes me and a fellow racing debutant as “disabled”.  It is true that both of us will carry the little blue “D” stickers on our number-boards which will identify us to the track marshals – but I wonder if like me, Simon feels a little uncomfortable with our respective conditions being highlighted in this way?

And one more thing, now I see it in print, I also wonder how long my cheery claim that I’m racing “just for fun” will last.