Saturday launch and sighting laps https://vimeo.com/164490302 [video=vimeo;164490302]https://vimeo.com/164490302[/video] https://vimeo.com/164489235 [video=vimeo;164489235]https://vimeo.com/164489235[/video]
Hi Mike - good to see you out in your new car - I was watching the timing as it was going on LOL. You had some stiff competition but I wont spill the beans just yet
Sunday was a early start with first practice run at 9. On the hills you don't get much time to prepare for runs. A shout from the marshals and your off in 5-10 minutes. No set schedule apart from a running order. First run was a real wake up but went well. Shaved another 1.5 secs off Saturday's time and stated to build a 3D layout of the track in my head. One thing I was surprised with was how much love the mk1 was getting. Had loads of people coming over for a chat throughout the weekend. Old, young, club members, dubbers and even some jap guys. No one is ever interested in the MK3 race car so made a change. Next up was the 2 competition runs, before and after Lunch, by this time I was feeling more confident, but with only 164 seconds of seat time under my belt, still on the careful side. We hooked up 2 runs, both dropping another second off my time, but still off the pace. My times were dropping rapidly throughout the the weekend and approaching respectable but was hoping to drop down to sub 50 which with another run I'm sure would have happened. In my head im still as quick as I was back in 2009 lol finishing on the podium and setting some blistering qualifying times. When I was a lad lol A track side clip https://vimeo.com/164015775 [video=vimeo;164015775]https://vimeo.com/164015775[/video] In the end we were only 1.7 seconds off the next man on the second run and if one other driver hadn't dropped out we wouldn't have been last lol. I was on par with everyone in my class on the 0-64ft times but embarrassing slow through the speed trap entering the blind 70mph orchard bend. But just couldn't force myself to hang it out round there with such little experience of the line through the corner or the car so played it safe. Also there are 2 turn in points so get it slightly wrong and it's grass swiftly flowed by Armco and as a chap I competed with said 'I've been on my roof round there and broke my neck' not good! Generally I was hoping to do better but need to be realistic considering everything. Especially as it's a Pro Modified class and most of the cars are close to kit car spec. Some with 40% more power than the mk1 and 120kilos lighter. I did some clacs and the mk1 is 260bhp per ton still not shabby and by no means is it kit car spec. But the class leaders are in the region of 400-450bhp per ton with mid class around 360bhp per ton at a guess. So all in all a reasonable start for a car that was way out classed and a driver who couldn't zip up his race suit due to middle aged spread! The car did performed faultlessly apart from one moment when the water washer bottle, yes I was running in full road spec. Decided to move and arc out the motor causing water to squirt on the screen mid corner lol. Was a WTF moment. The new set up seems to work fine but I'm used to fwd race cars that have a very lively back end and will steer from the back. So with this hill set up the back end felt quite dull as the rear wheels are engineered to follow the fronts and not break away, so much more under steering than overseeing. I spoke with the guys at BMTR and will run much higher rear pressures next time but ran their advised base settings over the weekend just as a starting point. So lots more in the tank for me and the car. Will see how far we can go before changing too much. And just enjoy being back out there. Great bunch of lads in my class and cant wait for the next meeting and the club curby day now. I have some photos from a Prescott photographer on the way and when I get a chance I will upload a in car lap to Vimeo. Cheers
Thanks Mike, A positive start and can certainly relate to several of your quotes ... "a driver who couldn't zip up his race suit" lol "have been last" lol "so much more understeering than oversteering" "run much higher rear pressures" What springs rates and front caster are you running please ?
Good stuff. You had some good cars to fight against - Colin Satchell is the class of the country right now so was always going to lead the pack. Darren Balster's 'new' 205 is a very interesting car and I understand this was his first outing in it - so to get within 2 seconds of Colin on 10 year old slicks was a very very good result. That car is ex-Willem Toet / David Marshall - Willem was head of aerodynamics at Sauber F1 so as you can imagine that cars pretty trick. It had loads of datalogging gear 10 years ago, and air operated variable length rampipes! Steve Bailey and Martyn Pike are very experienced and have well sorted v.high spec Escorts - been up against them before at Loton some years ago and got thrashed! Same with Ralph Pinder - hugely experienced operator and very quick 205. So you had some very stiff competition there - coming at the back against all this at your first run in a new car is no bad thing whatsoever - totally expected actually. Onwards and upwards!
Thanks for that report Mike. A very good read, you being rusty and all. You can only get faster! Look forward to seeing the car at Curby!
Enjoyed the thread. Your seat time vs seconds dropped must be very good at the moment! How do costs compare to circuit racing?/ All 2.0 NA/1.4 turbo cars in your class?
Cheers Rob, yep a really enjoyable weekend. And was impressed at the other machinery in class. Some of the chaps were saying it was the biggest turn out in class at ores it they have had for many years. Think we started with 7 cars and 8 drivers. I've joined Shenstone car club and hope to get in a test day at Curborough next week. So a bit more seat time. But generally very pleased just to be back out tbh.
Cost are massively less. 110 entry fee and maybe 10 in fuel. But seat time is limited to about 4/5 mins max over the weekend. But it's hard to compare the 2. Racing is much more intense and adrenaline packed. But 2 very different disciplines and skill sets. Hillclimbing requires much more precision and be able to get on it with no warm up. So you need to be in the zone instantly. Very different events but both petrol head heaven Most cars were 2.0 some 1.8s and my mk1 is still 1781cc
Pike's Escort is a 1800 BDG I think. Steve is using a N/A cossie so 2L. Ralph/Colin/Darren are different takes on pug 2L 16V. Less adrenaline than circuit racing....dunno.....you want to try turning into a corner at well over 100mph and not knowing if you have any grip in the rear tyres......Lots of circuit racing you see seems very processional to me. Different discipline though.
That sounds about right engine wise. Darren was saying Ralph rebuilt the engine after it blew up last year and they are now using a diesel block. Also runs a oil pre heater now. But all the 205s have very different approaches to the engines. Colin is north of 285 so I hear. But I guess could be more, he was setting off the noise meters at 108db Also they all are running mega wide tracks and mega wide slicks. Couldnt believe Pike was running 10 inch A15s on the rear and he was sliding it out the corners he was on the power so early. I agree with you going into a corner not knowing what grip is there, you do need faith and it does take balls lol For circuits I used to know exactly what grip there was at each corner on the warm up lap. But then driving flat out on cold slicks is a art as well. Like driving on ice. So literally very different. There is still plenty of adrenaline in Sprinting and I love it, but the difference with racing is you have 10 minutes in holding area then 5 mins of warm up lap and sitting on the grid, then 20mins flat out. It last a lot longer so is more intense and builds up. Also being 2 inches from a competitor for lap after lap is intense as well. As you are literally fighting for the same bit of Tarmac in front of you while on the absolute limit. But you alsoknow you can make some mistakes and get away with it but if you do on the hills it's game over. So more finesse and precision. Both superb pastimes tho.
Hey Martin, how's it going. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I read the thread on the American MK1 in the Motorsport section yesterday and it was a great read so inspired me to write this. Reminded me of the old MK3 Race car reports I used to write back in the day.
Hi James, a few classic quotes in there lol The car has 350lbs on the front and progressive rears with bigger roll bars. Gordon was planning to up them to 450-500 so he said, but for the moment I will run it as it is. I will get them rebuilt over winter and may play with rates then. Only thing that needs modifying is myself at the moment lol.
A few photos from a local track side photographer. I can't decided which to upload so I'm putting all of them on as they cost me enough lol. Coming out of Orchard Corner Hard on the brakes for Ettores On 3 wheels heading into the late apex for Ettore's Full throttle out of the apex Flat out on the run up to Pardon Hairpin
And you Alex. Was hoping to catch you again during the day but it went so quickly. I did see you plugged into a impressive looking single seater at one point but you looked busy. Give me a shout when your on the hills next and I will try and get a entry in with the mk1. Cheers
