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Since July 10th 2002 |
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2008
6th June With Paul having another heart attack at the last meeting (I wish him all the best and hope he's back on track soon.) I knew it was going to be a busy weekend, so I phoned Dave and asked him to take his gear as he would have to do the driving. How did he do, find out later.
We managed to get in next to Steve & Lesley (Black Pig) as he agreed to help with the car with Dave & Linda.
Sat Dave managed to get in 4 runs during to day between 11.66 to 11.77 with a top speed of only 109 mph, I don't understand why it was so low compared to the normal 112/115mph, but I will have to look after the next event to see how that compares. also during one of his trips down the track, I looked behind me and when I looked back, he just missed the last timing block. when I saw him after, he said it had just dived side to side just before the finish line, he did another two trips after this and it was fine again.
Sun we woke up to a damp track and it kept on spitting for quite a while. I left Dave and Linda to sort out the dial in time for the day and they came up with 11.72. for the first run, Dave ran a good 11.69 at again 109 mph, due to the rain, it was decided that we would only get only one more run in, so Dave had to make it a good one.
This was another close 11.77 @ 109 mph. we knew this was good, but the Bunch are getting better all the time so we had to wait and see.
During the weekend, Nobby Hills had brought his Hound Dog funny car up with him and done a few warm ups, he asked if there was a chance on him running the car up the track without the body, (Did not fit due to the new parts fitted at the track.) Simon Haywood (Son of Owen) taking the ride. He had only sat in the car before and done the fire ups and never driven anything at all down the strip, but it was agreed as long as he took his time it would be OK.
Nobby towed him down the staging lanes and the crew got him ready, I was asked to explain how the start system worked and where the turn offs were, this I done and I pulled his straps down as hard as I could and he was then towed just behind the left hand lane, Nobby started it up, Simon followed my instructions and I got him into stage. When the lights went green, he just done what he was asked and ran on idle to do a 34.31 @ 36.31 mph. Well done Nobby, Simon and crew.
Anyway back to the Wild Bunch, We had just finished packing the car away and we were called for the prize giving. First on the list was the Iris Page Trophy, I had been waiting a long time to get my hands on this, so thanks to Sarah for looking after it for me.
Dave then managed to get the Best Burnout trophy and we waited to see who had won what in the series. We were very glad to hear that Dave had come second behind Darren Law and I think Claire said it was the closest so far with only about .001 sec between the two. Well done Dave and the rest of the winners.
Our next event is the Nos Nats and again Dave will be in the driving seat, this is his normal event for driving anyway, but we are still going to be very busy track wise for that meeting. See you all there
21st May Well, at last I managed to get some runs in, not many but enough to give the car a good check out and see how it performed.
Had a uneventful trip up Friday and set up camp in the middle of the pits, not many cars and bikes there but a lot more than last time.
When I got there, I met Leigh & Meg with their very nice looking 1260 Bandit, I am not going to put on a link, but I met then (In a way) through posting a clip on youtube. He managed to get 15 runs in over the weekend and for the first time got into the 10s with a 10.87 @ 122mph. Well done, they said they are coming back for more.
Sat Got up and signed on before 8 as normal and waited for our first customers to arrive for scrutineering, quite a few turned up but after the main rush I asked if I could have a play.
Dave had already warmed the engine and said it sounded good, but was popping on the headers, so we tightened the flanges and it was a lot better.
I got booted and suited and thanks to Claire for lending her car for towing, we went down for the first run.
Due to the weather not being to good, the track was not glued, this I found out on the run. I done a good burnout to get heat into the tyres, engine and gearbox and staged. The launch was really good but the car started to skate around just after half track, so I backed off to a 12.1 @ 97 mph.
We decided to go straight back around for another pass, but just as we got to the end of the lanes, it started to rain and that was it for the rest of the day.
Sun We was told that we could start at 9.30, so it was up early, sign on and get ready again for the rush, and what a rush, it was ages before it started to get quite so I could get some more runs in.
Steve & Lesley had turned up in the Black Pig and set up across from us, so we done what we normally do and tow down and run together.
For the first run, the car did not seam to be going too well, the engine sounded OK but in the end it netted me with a 11.7 @ 112 mph run. we changed the plugs for hotter running ones before the next run and this got us back (Only just) into the 11.5s with a 11.58 (cant remember the speed) the engine was sounding a lot better this time.
We got back to the pits and let the motor cool down, I decided to remove the body and see what it would do and for the next run Steve was shut down on the line with a oil leak. The car went to do a very straight 11.2 @ 117 mph, this was good as there was a head wind for the weekend, so I think there is a little bit more in the old girl yet.
After we got back, we packed up and got every thing ready for our trip home. (Which while I remember, one the way home from the Springspeed, we stopped in the garage just after Evesham to get some food and drink, only to find the water pump was leaking on the van. I took the cap off and filled it up and luckily only had to do it once again on the way home. Its all fixed now with even a couple of new hoses which was looking a bit dodgy.)
Anyway, our next event is the next Wild Bunch round on the 31st/1st June, so hope to see you all there
21st April Before I start on what will be a very short weekend review, I will tell you a little of what has happened over the last couple of years, most of you will already know this, but here goes.
After the end of the 2005 season, my car was now destined to RWYB status, this was mainly due to the box section chassis, other that that it would have need a extra couple of tubes welded in.
So when Glen asked over the off season if anyone would like to train as a scrutineer, I volunteered, being a MOT tester I did not think this would be so hard. With the MSA, they give you a log book which you have to complete and you also have to cover more that one type of racing. For this I contacted Keith Morgan who does the local rallies and sprints down at Llandow. With his and Glen's help I was able to cover all the log book and more over the 2006 season and I was given "Car Scrutineer" status for 2007. Also at the end of 2006, I was asked if I would like to train as Clerk of the Course, I agreed and am still in the middle of that log book and hope to have that finished by the end of this year.
At the beginning of 2007, I attended a couple of seminars for the ACU, the first was again for getting my Clerk of the Course license, (I now only have a couple of meeting to finish this.) and the other was a bike scrutineering course, This was the only easy one for me, I had been MOT testing bike for 15 years, so I think I know my way around a bike, but at last years National Finals at Santa Pod, I asked Dave May & Les Harries to show me around some fuel bikes, They took their time and explained each part of the bike and they way it should be. So thank you Dave & Les for your help. For this, I am now also a qualified Bike scrutineer.
Now to the event.
Fri as the car was already up the track and its a lot quicker to get there without it, At 7, I phoned Dave & Linda to say I was on my way and meet then at Raglan services, I stopped for fuel on my way instead of filling up during the week. and noticed that the air gauge was free (I mean not being used like normal) and decided to check my rear tyres, (I can check my fronts at work, but I have twin wheels on the back and cannot use our gauge on them.) I done the outer O/S one and put the gauge on the inner one, when it was up to the pressure I had set, when I took it off the air came out of the valve, I fiddled around with it and tried to blow it up again, it still would not have it. I drove into the main car park (Tescos) and called the RAC. (There is no way I could do it on my own) A hour and a half later (I had phoned Dave and Linda just as they were leaving the house, so they waited for me to contact them when I was ready.)
I was on my way again arriving at the track after 11, time we set up and had a quick chap with a few of the bunch it was gone one time I went to bed.
Sat as it was also a ACU meeting for the Super Twins & Junior Drag bikes, I was assistant C o C for the day and also hoped to at least get one run in to try the car. It was not long before the track was up and running and after the bikes had done two of their qualifying runs, I asked if I could go and play, so Dave went and got the car ready and I signed on, but coming out of the office I was asked to attend a meeting, this took about 3/4 hour and by the time it ended it was raining and did not stop for the rest of the day.
Steve & Lesley had brought the Black Pig up early Sat morning and had booked a B & B, so I stopped and had a chat for the first time this year, when they went for their food I went and started to do mine, I shoved a pizza in the oven and cooked the rest. when the rest was ready I ate it, I went of a walk around the pits and went to the clubhouse. After well over two hours later I went back to the van to watch a DVD, when I opened the door, the van was full of smoke, guess who had forgot the pizza?? I turned off the gas, opened to roof vent and as many doors as I could. I chucked out what was left of the pizza and cleaned up the van as best I could, I spayed it loads but even now it really smells in there and it looks like I am going to wash all the bedding and curtains again.
Sun after what seamed like a very sleepless night due to the smell, I got up and made my way to the track. It was raining (Up Race control we learnt a new word from Julie, this is "Mizzle" its a good description of in between Drizzle and Mist) and we could not start on the track until it had stopped.
When it did stop we done our best to get track as good as we could, we even had the help of a few car running up and down, this done it and it was street tyres only until it warmed up, but we had this new mizzle on and off and there was just no heat in the track. It was announced that there would be "No slicks" so that put paid to the first round of the Wild Bunch series and my chance of my first run of the season.
I had a uneventful trip home, I have fixed the tyre and have just got to sort out the van now.
The next event is the Springspeed Festival. This is a MSA and ACU event and as well as scrutineering I am also assistant Clerk for both over the weekend so again there will not be much of a write up after.
Since I have started to update my site again, I have also been asked if I would run the Guess Who over the winter,
I have not decided at the moment, but have already asked Peter Donaldson if I could use his site if I do, this was a yes, all I have to do is see if I can come up with a couple of good prizes at the end of it.
15th April I know its been over two years since this was last updated, but I have decided to get of my a**s and start again. a lot of thing have happened since 2005 with the main thing winning the WB series 2 times in a row.
Anyway, when I have time I will add a few things what has happened over the last two years as I go along.
I would like to thank my sponsors for this year for staying with me, they are Newgate (Newark) Ltd, Tuneup Discount. Tonypandy Motor Co. Tonypandy Autos (MAPS)
The first event at SCR on the 5/6 th April, The car is still painted in the Halloween colours, this is as I have to paint the car outside and I am waiting for the weather to improve before I start prepping and painting it, it will be the two normal colours (Magenta/peppermint green) but as to the design, I have a couple in mind and will decide nearer the day its painted.
We arrive at a near empty pits on Friday night, with Mark Hartnell all ready camped up. we set up in the middle of the pits and took the car of the trailer and set up ready for the next morning.
Sat It was damp when I got up and the track crew were already on the track getting it ready for the first event of the year, I checked a few cars over and went to help with the track. Bruno done a couple of passes with the glue and it started to rain, but luckily this was not for long, so he completed the gluing and the track was open to road tyres only.
The track improved during the day so I went to the pits and with Dave's help, got the car ready for a run, it started on the second turn, (Not been started since last November) and we warmed the engine. I got booted and suited and was going to take the car down to Paul for scrutineering, Mark was down the pairing lanes waiting for me so they could tow me back.
The car started first time but cut out when I put it into gear, then the starter was making a noise and was not engaging , we had a problem with this at the last even and thought we had cured it, but it seams like the bottom bracket has stretched, (Steve Field has already made a new bracket with just one hole in it at the moment, this will be fixed to the starter, marked and drilled to make sure its a good fit. Thanks Steve) I tried all ways to fix it, one minuet it would start and the next it wouldn't. In the end we took the side cover off and wedged a piece of wood between the starter and the chassis and it worked, just as we were finishing off it started to rain and that was the end of the day for us. we covered it up and hoped it would be better tomorrow.
Sun I woke up at 7 and it was very cold and quite, I pulled the curtain and tried to look out the window and could not see anything, then I noticed there was snow on the outside so I looked out another and saw there was about 3 inch's of snow covering the site. I got up and turned on the cooker to get some heat and cooked and ate my breakfast.
I got out the van and went around and took some photos (I will post some soon) and went and signed on. I went from there to the track to find that the crew had been working from before 6 and the track was now nearly clear of snow and slush.
We worked hard for the next few hours and just after 12 the track was open.
As the track surface was cold, I had decided I would not even try and run the car, Mark went out for a couple of 12 sec runs and there was another couple of cars running slicks but could not get much grip.
After the meeting, we loaded up and was just about to leave when I phoned Linda to see what the weather was like at home, she said it was snowing really bad at the time, I went over and saw Janet & John and asked if I could leave the car there, (I don't mind leaving to van anywhere if I got stuck, but but did not want to leave the race car somewhere in the wilds by the side of the road) they said I could and I parked it up over by the old clubhouse and made my way home. It snowed a couple of time on the way home, but it was clear up the Valleys, it was not worth taking a chance.
See you at the first WB round.