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Post by boggissimo on Jun 30, 2023 10:01:38 GMT
Last weekend was the Nottingham SCC sprint at Curborough. Unfortunately, I was having some issues with my MX5 so was unable to drive mine. Luckily, a fellow CM competitor very generously let me drive his. It’s a similar spec to mine as I helped him put it together, there are a couple of differences being Rainsport tyres & a 6 speed box. I didn’t place as highly as previously & as it was a really hot day, the Rainsports weren’t giving their best- if I had a brain I would’ve remembered the spare set of A052s in my garage 🤨 I did wonder why you were so far down the results Howard. Looks like it has plenty of grunt! (And how did they work out the handicap?) |
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Post by howardb66 on Jun 30, 2023 19:12:33 GMT
It’s easy to work out the HC as the car is already in Classic Marques👍🏻
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Post by boggissimo on Jul 3, 2023 12:49:38 GMT
It’s easy to work out the HC as the car is already in Classic Marques👍🏻 Ah that makes sense. Were you rude enough to beat the owner's time?  |
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Post by howardb66 on Jul 5, 2023 13:34:03 GMT
It’s easy to work out the HC as the car is already in Classic Marques👍🏻 Ah that makes sense. Were you rude enough to beat the owner's time? 🤐 |
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Post by boggissimo on Jul 17, 2023 9:22:54 GMT
I was out at two sprints this weekend - Lydden Hill on Saturday, and North Weald on Sunday. Quite a contrast between them - Lydden is a proper circuit and had over 100 competitors, North Weald is an old airfield with the route marked out by cones, and there were only ~40 competitors.
I was unsure about which tyres to use at Lydden since the forecast was mixed, but in the end went with the R888Rs and it turned out pretty much dry all day. The first run was a bit greasy in the light drizzle but the track never really got properly wet, and all the other runs were dry, so times were improving through the day. I've done this event a few times now - won the class in 2021 with a best of 96.43s, did 97.92s in practice last year but the engine seized on the first timed run, so I was looking to make some proper improvements this year. My first timed run was in the 96s, and I found another couple of seconds to finish with a best of 94.02 for second in class, behind a sorted classic Mini who just crept into the 92s. Had a fun battle with my clubmate in his Fiesta and pipped him by a just over a tenth.
As for North Weald, the surface is rubbish and the organising club weren't great, and there were issues with the timing equipment so it was quite a frustrating day and I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon. The main reason I did it at all was because I won't have any other opportunities until September now. When I arrived and was being scrutineered, it was pretty obvious that something wasn't right - I had no oil filler cap! No idea where it came off and there wasn't too much oil sprayed around, so we had to fashion a bodge from the lid of a brake fluid bottle and some instant gasket, got it cleaned up and the scrutes were happy for me to run. No further technicals, thankfully. There were three in our class, and I ended up third - about a tenth behind my friend in the Fiesta. We had a long delay over and after lunch, and when it finally resumed there was a bit of rain and I was trying too hard so didn't improve in the third and final run. Will still get some points for the speed league and it was cheap, so there are still a couple of upsides. Videos coming soon...
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Post by howardb66 on Jul 20, 2023 16:22:16 GMT
Off to Castle Combe this Saturday. The forecast is rubbish, but it’s the same for everyone so it should prove to be interesting.
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gbuk
Chats A Bit
Posts: 130 
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Post by gbuk on Jul 20, 2023 17:16:19 GMT
Off to Castle Combe this Saturday. The forecast is rubbish, but it’s the same for everyone so it should prove to be interesting. Can't marshall this one though I'll be at the Kart track in the morning while the grandson takes part in the championship they run. I might get to see you whizz past on the opposite side of the track to my usual spot!
We were karting there last Sunday in a public session and it was wet all afternoon and nearly as slippery as the skid pan next door.
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Post by howardb66 on Jul 23, 2023 9:11:38 GMT
Hmmm, was raining when I left home at 05:45, fortunately, by the time I got to Combe it had stopped. Practice was dry & was leading the Classic Marques runners (19).
Then before T1 it absolutely pi$$ed down & didn’t let up all day. On my run I was doing my usual grip testing through the corners but on the high speed left after old paddock, I aquaplaned at about 90. Luckily didn’t go 4WO & the car ended pointing the right way on track, so I just put it into 3rd & carried on. Going through Bobbies chicane, I notice a severe misfire….
I was 4th quickest in class even with the spin…
The rest of the day was spent trying to diagnose the cause of the misfire as I wasn’t sure I’d make it home, I took the ECU out & checked every plug connection I could find under the bonnet. Alex at Digitune suggested the MAP vacuum line might have popped off- I traced the line & found that where it goes through the bulkhead ( behind my catch can) a coupling had come adrift. So, with a bit of silicon hose joiner, the car was back to 100%.
Having said that, my mojo had got up & gone, so I packed up my soggy kit up & went home.
Here’s the run
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Post by boggissimo on Jul 24, 2023 8:42:48 GMT
Hairy stuff! Glad it ended facing the right way without visiting the barriers...
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Post by howardb66 on Aug 10, 2023 10:48:28 GMT
So, on with the Classic Marques campaign.
This time it was a double header at Blyton. I decided to drive up the day before & stay a couple of nights in a local pub. The journey up as a bit tricky as when I’d done the logs for Alex at Digitune, I hadn’t got the car really hot in standing traffic- no prizes for guessing what happened- got stuck in stop start traffic & the car just would not idle at all. On the restart it would often pop a bit which was a bit embarrassing 😳
Saturday absolutely pi$$ed down, leading to lots of spins. I 1/2 spun on the 1st practice on the 1st corner 😳
Frustratingly, I slid off on the penultimate corner of what was going to be a damp run & my quickest.
Here’s a run where I stayed on track-
Sunday was completely different, the track was bone dry all day & as able to really push. Unfortunately, on my last quickest run, I had a massive high speed moment & slid off. In the process took a chunk out of the tyre.
Here’s the slower run before-
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Post by howardb66 on Aug 10, 2023 10:49:09 GMT
Oh & we had 1 practice & 5 timed runs which was great!
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Post by boggissimo on Aug 11, 2023 13:39:20 GMT
5 timed runs? Awesome! Did you have to do anything with your tuning for the sprint? I suppose idle quality doesn't matter much for that...
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Post by boggissimo on Sept 6, 2023 9:30:51 GMT
Had a great day at Hethel on Sunday, didn't do particularly well but it's such a great track to drive, that didn't really matter. It's the fourth time I've been there in the Mazda; in 2021 my best times were 106.47 and 106.54 (two events), in 2022 my best was 102.13 but this year all I could manage was 105.05. I had the same R888Rs on when I did that 102 last April, but I'm on the replacement engine now and I think it has less puff. My times were consistent to within <1s so I'm not sure there was much more I could do! I was 9th in Classic Marques, and 4th in class A3.
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le sigh
Jul 15, 2023 20:03:52 GMT
le sigh
Jul 15, 2023 20:03:52 GMT