Silverstone August 2010 - It's August, of course it's raining!

So Silverstone again.
My car beat me up there this time, care of Tim Gray who has worked hard on my behalf to source a new engine and fit it and deliver it, fully garaged and cleaned. I could get used to that!

Pride of place in the Tim Gray camp.

I got up there Friday evening (I'll get my money's worth out of the Bongo if it kills me!). Loads of the guys had been testing so were well settled in. If course there was plenty of opportunity for piss taking as a result of my hooky motor. All in good spirits though. I don't think anyone really believes that I was trying to cheat. Still, I reckon whatever anyone thinks, the test will be in whether I can go just as quick with the new engine as with the old.

So, fortunately for me the qualifying was dry. I thought the car was running really well. I couldn't really tell any difference. I was having a bit of a dice with Phil's car driven by Marcus Pye. I was obviously only marginally quicker over a lap, but much slower through Luffield complex. I put that down to Marcus being a much better driver. Nevertheless, I am sure the Westy is right on the limit through there as I have to hang on as it understeers into the Luffield hairpin and then get lots of oversteer on the way out. I reckon I could brake a bit later though at the end of the straight.
Anyway, I did a 1:6:97 which is quicker than I've ever done here before even in a race. So I would put some of that down to me being a tad more experienced than last year, but I'm very pleased that I am clearly not disadvantaged by the new engine. Thank goodness for that!

Our race was late in the day and at started to shower about an hour before we were out so it looked like it would be wet. And boy, was it! Reminded me of the Birkett last year.
My start, on a soaking track was spectacularly terrible. Despite a green flag lap which in theiry should put some heat in the tyres, as soon as the lights went out for the start my wheels were spinning and I reckon I was in third before I actually started moving forward, by which time of course everyone had gone past me!
Copse was a bit chaotic as Gary span and we all filed passed. I made it to Luffied without spinning but then got three abreast through there and the lightest of touches caused a spin. So back to the back again. I did manage to gain some gound over the next few laps. I was even catching Gary for a while. I thought I might even get past him at one point as my confidence in the wet was building. I then blew it away when I had a rapidly gaining Paul Rickers in my mirrors and pushed a little too hard through Copse. I span, stalled, and struggled to get going again as the field all came passed. I did at least manage to get back a couple of places before the finish, but basically it was a very dissapointing race.
My nephew, Olly, had turned up to watch. It was a shame that he had to see me on one of my worst days, but actually he was very complimentary. Still, he's family. It's compulsory to be nice!
Looking at the times, I did a 1:22 best lap which wasn't too disgraceful. My last wet lap time here was 1:32. All I've got to do now is keep it pointing in the right direction and I might get a decent result.
So on we go. I hope to be at Snetterton.
My old engine is with AB who is taking it apart to see what's salvageable. We'll have to see, Next season's budget rather depends on it!

Pembrey and a tale of woe.

I know it hasn't gone entirely unnoticed that I have been a bit tardy updating the blog this time. Apart from having been on my hols for 2 weeks, I'm suffering a distinct lack of motivation to write this as it's all bad news.
Pembrey turned out to be rather unfortunate for me. A 400 mile round trip for 20 mins of untimed test to end up with a blown engine.

I should count myself relatively lucky that I detected some sort of problem after the early test session. I slight change of tone to the engine and a rattle alerted me to a problem. AB quickly analysed a dropped valve which was terminal for the weekend, but thankfully saved from being completely detroyed.

It also turns out that the engine is modified which is contrary to the regs, so i've been racing an illegal car for 4 years! Good job I haven't actually won anything I suppose!

Anyway, given that I was going on holiday on the Tuesday for 2 weeks, I was also likely to miss Silverstone as well as I would only have one weekend to sort out the engine which was never going to be possible for me. But Tim Gray offered to take it away and sort it out for me and deliver it to Silverstone so I took him up on that.

So we've sorted out a replacement busa engine on the basis that I can rebuild my modified engine and sell it. I'm not sure that I'm going to come away without a big net bill though. I am facing a serious dent in next season's budget.

So I'm going to do Silverstone, and the Birkett, but we'll have to see how things go for next season.

Anyway, on a lighter note, I've been to Barcelona for me hols with my family. We saw Motors TV on in a seaside bar. Fame at last! Not that is was RBG on, but it's a start! (not that that was the highlight of the holiday you understand!)

Oh yes, and we went to the zoo and saw a Bongo. Not the car, but the real thing. Yes, there is an animal called a Bongo. An antilope.

I should get some stripes for my Bongo!

 

Helpfully translated into 3 languages!

Anyway, enough waffle. See you all at Silverstone.