http://www.rgb-racing.org.uk/rgbbb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=270#p1865
What a roller coaster ride this motor racing lark is. After the disaster with the diff last time I was pretty despondent about the whole thing, but this weekend has restored my faith!
I got a 10th place in the RGB race (equalling my best ever so far) and had a great race with the bikesports before that where I managed by best ever lap time (53.36s) knocking nearly 0.6s off my previous best time here.
I know that doesn't sound much, but if I could keep that pace up for a whole race I would be in the running for a top 5 finish. I know I've still got a lot to learn but I really feel that I'm getting better.
A quick update on the diff problem. It turned out to be entirely down to my own poor preparation. A prop shaft mounting worked loose, causing the diff casing to break. The prop shaft then damaged the chassis around it. So one new diff casing, a lot of re-welding of the chassis and a big cheque later the car is ready to go. I have strict instructions from Steve at Spirit Automotive to keep everything tight from now on!
So, despite feeling financially bruised, I see no point in spending the money to fix the car and then not using it, so I signed up for the additional 2 races in the bikesports series that were on offer. So that's going to be 2 qualifying sessions and 3 races in one day. There won't be much time for fixing anything if it goes wrong this time! Mind you, we have the luxury of using the garages and the scutineers come to us rather than us having to queue for hours to see them. I could get used to that! Like being a proper racing driver!
First up is the bikesports qualifying. Fairly luke warm performance. End up 11th on the grid. Not my best lap time by a long way. I had my excuses lined up. Tyres too cold, not been out for 6 weeks, new brake pads, blah, blah...
Quick check of the nuts and bolts aroung the diff. Mmm. Bit of a worry. All the mounting bolts are loose already! I only have about an hour at most, so a very quick spanner check all round and off to the RGB qualifying.
Slight improvement in the lap time this session, but only 14th on the grid. As I mentioned earlier, the 7 cars in front of me are all seperated by less than 3/4 of a second! This is going to be a tight race!
Spanner check again. This is a worry as the diff bolts are working loose after very session.
I'll have to find a way to fix that.
So, on to the first bikesports race.
Bikesports, by the way, are cars with similar engines to RGB, but are allowed modifications, wings and slicks. The quickest of them are doing under 47s laps. We have about 7 RGB cars doing this race though so I won't be on my own at the back.
Well the result sheet doesn't really tell the story this time. I only managed 11th but what an exciting race. I manage my usual trick of messing up the start and letting a slower car through which, somewhat ironically in this case was one of the bikesports cars. Anyway, after a heroic overtaking manouvre up the inside into Druids (ooh- sounds like a proper racing driver thing to say doesn't it!) I get past and then the race is on to catch Bob and Austen who have gained about the length of the straight ahead of me. To my surprise I can tell that I am indeed closing the gap and being out on my own I can take some clean lines rather than worrying about defending every corner. By the last lap I reckon I have a good chance of getting past Bob. Going into the last corner before the straight I am getting a bit over excited and lose some time with some rather wasteful oversteer (which Bob had captured rather well on his in car video here-http://www.rgb-racing.org.uk/rgbbb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=270#p1850 -you have to go all the way to the end though!).
I gain a bit on the straight and we cross the line together. I honestly could not tell whether I had got past or not. As it happens, I was 0.04s behind him. I didn't mind too much - it was a superb feeling having such a close race.
Bob has since told me that he had a fuel problem on the last lap which is why I caught him so quickly at the end. And here's me thinking it was my skill. Doh! Nevertheless, my best lap was 53.36s which is a fantastic improvement for me. Dead chuffed with that.
My RBG race next. I was pleased with my start this time. I think I gained at least 2 places into the first corner. I knew this was going to be close racing but it has been a while since I've been in the thick of it like this. Great stuff!
I got an extra boost when Al Boulton and Colin Chapman span in front of me. So I'm thinking that's 4 places gained! Fantastic! Trouble is, Al went and spoiled my fun by catching me up rather too quickly for my liking. So two steps forward and one step back! Then Steve Robinson has a problem. Colin Chapman was looming in my mirrors so the last lap was a defensive game but I did indeed hold him off.
So, 10th on the track. Best ever result. Ok, only 5th in class but there are a lot of class A cars these days! Pleased with that.
I only have about half an hour before the last bikesports race. I am worried about the diff mountings so another quick spanner check. Sadly one of the bolts appears to have threaded and I can't tighten it. There is no way I'm going to risk running like that, and there is no time to fix it so that's that for the day.
I was thinking, whilst trying to stay awake watching the Grand Prix. Who's the better driver, Button or Hamilton? Obviously the car makes up 80% of the result so we will probably never know. The best driver is probably the one squeezing half a second a lap more out of a bad car than the car really ought to be capable of at the back of the field.
So, and humour me here, where does that put me in the RGB league? Obviously we all know Derek is the best driver, no question, but below that? I reckon the usual suspects in the top 5 are genuinely in the top league and are not there just because they have the quickest cars. But could it be that I am actually not a bad driver, I am just struggling with a badly set up car?
Well probably not, but I can dream can't I? Being a good racing driver is about knowing what the car is doing wrong and being able to at least communicate that to someone who can fix it if not doing it oneself. Sadly that aspect of racing is like a whole chapter I haven't got to yet. But I reckon I am at least getting to the point where I think those last 2 seconds a lap could be gained as much by setting up the car properly rather than just my driving.
Anyway, I will get the car ready for Mallory with renewed vigour and see if I can at least finish some more races. Can't wait!
