Season Update 2014

So, wont go into details but the Clio rebuild ground to a halt as the guy went awol. Eventually I got the car back and its now in progress elsewhere.

This ment the Peugeot was pressed into service on a more permanent basis and will see out the season. Since the last update the car has not missed a beat and been a class winner at Silverstone and Cadwell. It has had a few improvements and changes. Mostly reliability with a lot of cooling holes added to the front, an oil cooler. Hopefully will be back in the Clio for 2015

Snetterton 2014

After a fun and busy test day, race morning arrived along with my man mountain arrives (Oli/Cub), who then eats my bacon rolls, but I was glad of the support.

Off to scrutineering, and guess what. PASS! So more tea and bacon, some pikey #4 made out of electrical tape, and we are ready to rock and roll.

 

22nd on the grid,5 sec off the Clios pace, but still having fun.

Race 1

In the thick end of things, which is interesting to say the least, made a fairly good start, made up a few places by elbowing my way through, then started to have a good exchange of places with Kevin in the MX5, just looks funny with no roof, and just seeing a head bobbing along next to you.

Then on lap 4 going into the hairpin with Kevin on the outside, I go hard on the brakes car starts to slow, then, BANG, pedal hits the floor and off onto the grass heading for the trees, handbrake and 3 spins later, I park under a tree well out of the way and have a little look, dripping brake fluid, damm.

Drive back to pits using handbrake, and get it jacked up.

Brake pipe had rubbed on the driveshaft as it had come out of the clip (I missed that one). Oli helped me remove pipe, then we search for help.

Dingers boy’s Phil and James came to the rescue, and remade the end of the pipe.

After a little swearing, said pipe was reinstalled, and bled through, top up with oil and ready to go again.

Race 2

Starting from the back is always fun (so they say), lights out and away we go, the little 106 fits into really tiny gaps, so some good progress was made, gained about six places on the 1st lap, then a three way battle started between Neale Hurren (mr2), Tony Collier (Toyota Celica) and myself, Neale seemed to spend more time off track than on, but kept it going, Tony C did a move Plato would be proud of around turn 1 (don’t know what they are all called), all I remember, was seeing him in the mirrors then he disappeared from view as I turned in, now I was on the apex and Tony C was inside me lol, I saw his roof as he 2 wheeled his way pass, this pushed him wide though and I got him back at the hairpin.

That was basically it, apart from watching out for the faster cars coming through to laps us, and a little nipping and tucking, we finished all fair and square.

I got 1st in class and fastest lap in class 1:35.4, so knocked a second off quali time, so pleased with that.

I would like to thank Mr Ian Collins for his generous loan of the car, at least I got to race rather than sit it out, and had great fun doing it.

Oli for his help and support.
Paul and James for doing the brake pipe.
Alec (Prize Motorsport) for putting up with me borrowing things all day.

And Track Attack for another great meeting.

Next Silverstone.

Watch this space

 

 

 

Stop Gap?

After finding out that the Clio wasnt going to be ready late on Wednesday, it left things in a bit of a mess.

Too late to get money back or sell the test day I had booked on the Friday, and too late to get entry fee back, these two amount to quite a bit of money, which I couldn’t afford to throw away.

As said before, thanks for all the offers of help, cars etc, but a quick phone call to Ian Collins, and a deal was done on his 106 Stock Hatch Racer.

So after work thursday, I bomb over to Worcester and I meet the trusty dusty steed. After a little pushing and shoving of cars, out she comes, a quick battery change, and she fires, and then another search for wheels and tyres, job done.

Thanks Ian

I’m now fighting sleep on the way back along M42/M40, and thinking, maybe go to Snett early in the morning. Anyway, once home and showered, I feel half alive again, so say to the besdmonsta, come on, we’re off, so at 22.22 we set sail for Snett (fool).

Windows open and lots of loud music just about get’s me there at 01.30!! I’d been up since 03.30, don’t remember the last bit of the journey, but got there.

With testing starting pm, I thought I’d give the car the once over, only little things like loose seat,oil, securing fire ex cables etc etc

So we start with this……

and a lot of this…..

And it’s nearly ready.

13.20 and its test time, so off I trundle down to noise check, 86db, so that’s a pass then.

Out on track the 106 feels great (Ian said it would, but you never know with him), just getting the feel of it, RED FLAG!!
This a right arse, as there are only 2 sessions, so now we are down to 1.

As I pull up by the van, I smell brakes and the car judders to a halt! Now I’m no mechanic, but that’s not right, on quick inspection, offside brake is smoking and making horrible clicking noises, very very HOT.

After a wee and a cup of tea, I take the wheel off, piston seized on, lots of WD40 and help from Andy with pumping pedals and me with big pliers, we get it moving. Result .

Next session was faultless and fun, in fact it’s been a long time since I had so much fun, buzzy little engine, high temps and intermittent rev counter, 20 mins soon goes by.

Anyway, job done, learnt car and circuit (still don’t like Snett).

I thought I’d upset Ian, by washing the car and putting a big Burpspeed.com sticker I found in the van across the bonnet, (it worked lol). Ready for race day.