race report from rocketracer

[RocketRacer]

hi all
this is my race weekend of 27/4/03 since everybody seems to have posted on the forrest post.

anyway my weekend started on saturday morning in GRANTS Motorcycles garage setting up carbs on the car ( small misfire which turned out to be unbalanced cards DOH)thanks Bob. after that it was load up the bus and go to the hill for practice ?. (what is practice again as i don't do practice normally) anyway getting there after it all start meant that it was a rush to set up and go. as you all know i had my problems last meeting but after checking every nut (including the driver) bolt and washer and fixing a few things out the car was ready to go and go it did . it was flying and i was able to turn corners as well. so all looked good for sunday.

sunday was really a good days racing for me as i was the first time i could say the car and driver was on the pace with the front runners,(long time coming) but to be honest it was.
the first race went well even if i was 10th at the flag.the car seemed to do as i told it and there was no real fighting through the corners (even if it looked it) all you racers out there will no the feeling when the car just wants to power slide out of corners as you press the right foot. anyway had a great dice with vallintino sorry colin no 46 most of the race. i lost the place at the hairpin on the last lap as the inside was very slideyyyyyyyyy to say the least.

race 2 for me was short and sweet, took a gamble in the pits and put the wets on it didn't pay of .fullstop.
live and learn is the saying i think, i had a good chance of a good finnish but tried to run with ray and colin out of clarks and went wide and the "piant-y bit /plastic bit" was every every slidey and it was the graval for me.
end of race 2.

final i ended up at the front as usaul but i went for it of the line and ended up first over duffus but had Ali hunter on my tale he sliped by after mcintyres and i shut the door on john at the dip. i seemed to be as fast up to clarks as Ali and John and went through clarks in second ( which is not normal for me ,nick knows the feeling i think) anyway John decided to push me up the striaght to the hairpin (bumper to bumper) he called it draughting ! anyway he pulled up along side me for the hairpin and then it went pear shape from their on.
it felt like i was in a banger race at the wall i think ? as i turned in ross or jim/jamie tapped the rear end and i went sideways then as i was holding it someone else decided to do the the same and i was facing the rest of the pack(scary stuff just waiting to be hit. i feel for 46 as he had to stop in front of me as he had no where to go. after that it was catch up from there on (as per the norm)
After thought was the car felt good it was going great but had an unlucky grid draw (13th)which end up most of the fast guys where around me from the start. (oh and if your racing at the sharp end its not rac'in if your not rubb'in i think)
anyway great fun with no hard feelings and the bonus of on damage to the car and will be back for more next time round.
rocketracer

[Catriona]

Looked like you had a great race in race 1 there :up: Bad luck with race 2 and then getting turned round in race 3, but even there you seemed well on the pace, catching and passing a couple of cars before the end

Hopefully you'll have the luck as well as the speed next time

[Mike Hogg]

As you say, both you and the car seemed to be on it much more than before - especially in race 1... the final probably would have been an interesting one for you too if not for the bump/spin. Onwards and upwards it seems!

[NS-R]

RR - sounds like you had an up-and-down weekend also! Good to see you up at the front - it's just difficult to stay there isn't it!

[RocketRacer]

your right nick, some times you need a wee bit luck as well i think.( my luck ran out after the first race )

[historicracer]

Hiya folks

Same as Gary very up and down day for me in legend 23. I definately cant cope with signing on at 8am ( leave the house at 7 , takes till midday to wake up .

first heat started 7th, hit the rev limiter going to first corner, promptly lost 2 places , but then gained 4 through the corner ! from then on didnt like the slippy conditions and dropped to 9th.

2nd heat starting to wake up started 9th and was well intouch throughout the race to finish 8th.

final started 8th and made a cracking start to 5th at 2nd corner but got hung out to dry taking 4th on 2nd lap at esses and ended going throught he bollard on the right which lost about 4 places,

I was gifted 2 places by gary at end of 2nd lap, he just overcooked it. saw him going accross my bows on full lock as i had come down his outside though and from then on i was fighting hard with big bruises on both elbows as the car was rattled a couple of times with ross mickel, very enjoyable battle and we were pretty close to the leaders at the end in 7th place. I think from 6th to 12th was only about 2 seconds

A good day out though took too long to warm up, i do enjoy the first couple of corners, getting in the thick of it, it must be very nerve racking for some, knowing that the baying pack is going to try everything to get by within 2 corners.

On to the F3 support does anyone know the timetable yet , are we begining and end fillers or do we get to play to the main crowd

cheers

lance

[Racemania]

Hi
Just told about this website by Gerard on Raceday 27th. As a complete novice to both Knockhill and Legends it is extremely useful. The above race reports now mean I know who Historicracer and Rocketracer are. And Thanks Rocketracer... My first 2 heats were very uninspiring but the Final.. Oh your spin.. I cut inside and made up 4 places which put me in a 3 car battle with Richard and Roger some exciting lines through Duffus and Macintyre it was close right to the line. My race number 71 is definitely not my age, I may be the oldest Legend driver but after that final I felt more like 17 again!
Looking forward to the next race when I get to start in the pack hopefully I will get pulled or pushed faster from Macintyre to Clark than I would normally go. Try anything, I've just got to get faster through that section.
And Lance if you checked out Knockhills web site you would get programme for F3/GT's
Ali

[RocketRacer]

hi Racemania
good to see another active legends racer on the site. hope you enjoy the Banter( word stolen for charlie's post's) and remember to add your own penny's worth when you feel like it:evilgrin:. i try to keep my mouth like this but it doesn't work

At least someone benefited from my little spin at the hairpin "cause" i didn't benefit . looks like you enjoyed the rac'in racemania, i enjoy it no matter what happens in the race it's just fun all the time.

[Mike Hogg]

Racemania said:

Hi
Just told about this website by Gerard on Raceday 27th. As a complete novice to both Knockhill and Legends it is extremely useful. The above race reports now mean I know who Historicracer and Rocketracer are. And Thanks Rocketracer... My first 2 heats were very uninspiring but the Final.. Oh your spin.. I cut inside and made up 4 places which put me in a 3 car battle with Richard and Roger some exciting lines through Duffus and Macintyre it was close right to the line. My race number 71 is definitely not my age, I may be the oldest Legend driver but after that final I felt more like 17 again!
Looking forward to the next race when I get to start in the pack hopefully I will get pulled or pushed faster from Macintyre to Clark than I would normally go. Try anything, I've just got to get faster through that section.
And Lance if you checked out Knockhills web site you would get programme for F3/GT's
Ali

Nice to have you here, Ali - all drivers are very welcome to come here and let us know how they got on Is that Gerard McCosh you are talking about, btw? If so it's great to hear he likes the website, cos we've been fans of his (and his pig!) for ages - he's always waving enthusiastically to the crowd after the races so we make a point of clapping him in no matter where he finishes.

[Catriona]

Yeah, welcome aboard Ali - myself and KF have been away visiting my parents for the last few days, or we'd have said hi earlier. Great to see you here :wave:

[Racemania]

Thanks for the welcome and yes it was Gerard McCosh He was updating myself and Jim Clarke on the best web sites. Delighted to see a picture of my car on 30th March test day, glad to see I was on the tarmac and not spinning off as I did rather a lot of excursions that day!!!! Come to think of it I do that all test days. Looking forward to seeing pics of 27th April race. Is it true you were taking pictures at the hairpin for the Legends Final and that was why Rocketracer spun and stopped so you could get an in-focus shot of him with the blur of everyone else flying past?

[Charlie]

Racemania said:

....and that was why Rocketracer spun and stopped so you could get an in-focus shot of him with the blur of everyone else flying past?

Looks like Racemania's settling in nicely folks. Welcome!

[RocketRacer]

:laugh::laugh: well you have to look after the fans sometimes you know, even if it means you have to do 360* burnouts at the hairpin and sacrifice a win in the final:laugh::laugh::laugh: