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Post by davefiddes on Jun 4, 2003 12:25:25 GMT
Does anyone know what cars are involved in the Northern GT's which will be joining us on June 22nd? Don't quote me but I think that its the same selection as was up earlier in the year. Realistically no. Its been an expensive project building it and I think I need a bit of time to take stock and let the old finances recover a bit. Will probably have it out on track at somepoint towards the end of the summer to see if I can actually drive a race car...maybe have it race prepared (just needs extinguisher and kill switch to be legal - but these are bad for road SVA) before winter. Till then it's a babe magnet   RE: Mini ABS. I think its a shame that they are allowing the ABS to be turned off. It must change the dynamics quite a bit from a traditional non-ABS saloon. When I've seen it in use in the DTM/ITC years ago it really seemed to spice up the do-or-die out braking manoeuvres... |
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Post by Mike Hogg on Jun 4, 2003 18:55:41 GMT
we were under the illusion that the driver of the celeb car ofered finlay the use of the celeb car and finlay didn't count for championship points. Don't know if many of you noticed but the white mini Robin Drysdale was racing was Ronnie's mini which was wrecked at the first meeting! Aha - that explains it I guess if Waggot gave the car over... also the fact that Crocker didn't get points. Cheers for that. And GR guessed as much about Drysdale's car - it certainly looked a lot better than it used to! |
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Post by historicracer on Jun 4, 2003 20:33:37 GMT
Hiya all
Another up and down weekend for the Turnkey computers legend.
Started badly with a wee shunt at the hairpin in practice when the rear brakes bound on and during a practice do or die braking monouver the car did a handbrake turn and road right up over colin atkinsons front.
all repaired for first heat to start off fourth, tried to take advantage of robert marshall off the start to take second but he didnt see me on his left going down duffus so a spin and a stearing wheel at 45 degrees for the rest of the race recovered from 19th to 12th ,
second heat started 14th and made it swiftly up to 7th but didnt have the puff to join the lead battle shich was only a second or so infront of me.
The final went well from seventh was up to 4th at the end of the first lap including a sweet pass on two cars at the hairpin which raised the pulse a bit , i dont think they knew where i came from, then raced with alex night , who made a mistake and spun at duffus handing me third but i could see jamie clark and colin noble coming and both got me on the straight before the red flag,
good day in the end just need to get success in all three races and a few more pushes up the straight.
roll on june 22nd we will be fighting again , determined to get a heat win this year , it may yet come who knows
cya
lance
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Post by jfin on Jun 5, 2003 12:14:45 GMT
Well my weekend was mixed. Spent Friday afternoon getting used to the new car. I deliberately did not put a lap timer in the car at this point. Very quickly I came to the conclusion that this car is so much easier to drive, it holds the track so much better and will go where you point it. I was sufficiently confident that for the evening sessions the lap timer went in and very quickly got down to the times I was doing in the old car, by the end of the sessions I was consistently half a second a lap quicker. Did more testing on Saturday and was putting in the same kinds of times as the day before.
For qualifiying on Sunday, Nick and I headed out together with the view to me getting a bit of a tow (thanks Nick), managed to put a 66.1 in early on and then spent the rest of the session trying to better it, which I couldn't do. Had hoped to get into the 65's but was pleased when I saw the grid positions as I had qualified 11th which from memory is the best I have managed. Slightly thankful there was no qualification race as I would have been on pole. The previous (and only) time that had happened before I fluffed the start and 4 of us tried to go into Duffus at the same time resulting in me getting punted off into the tyres before even getting to the first corner.
The race started badly with me losing two places in the first lap and then Derek Pierce getting past after a couple of laps. Managed to fight back and get past Callum Hume and Ian Milton. With Andy Allan retiring, was running in 11th and trying to close down Peter Cruickshank and John Swift in 10th and 9th when turning into Clarks on lap 10, I felt something break and realised "the wheels had come aff". Rather than risk rolling, I straightened the car up which meant heading directly for the tyres and waited for the impact. (Ian Milton who was behind me said that the wheel was at a funny angle approaching the corner so I can only assume the damage was done at the chicane) The gravel does a great job and slowed me down sufficiently that the impact was quite small but still hard enough to dent my bank balance. The marshalls told me later that my loose wheel almost took one of them out, but given that thier day had been quiet up till then, they were glad of the excitement !
Watched the rest of the race from the marshalls post at Clarks and thought there was a great fight at the back of the field. Nick looked to be driving for a finish and as a result was not wanting to taked any chances.
When we dragged the car out of the deep gravel we almost got it back home by one of the marshalls sitting on the bonnet at the drivers side to put more weight on that corner and lifted the back of the car. Beached it outside the scrutineering bay and had to call in the heavy artillery to sort the problem. The sight of my car coming back to the garages looking completely level at the back but with Charlie draped round the bonnet at the front is a sight I will long remember !
Reflections on the weekend are I am annoyed about the manner of my exit from the race but it was good to know that I can go quicker in the new car and should now be looking at top ten finishes hopefully. I think there is still more to get out of the car as I drive it more so hopefully I will get a bit quicker yet.
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Post by Charlie on Jun 7, 2003 16:41:03 GMT
Hopefully I've used up all the bad luck and can now progress in the championship. I get 10 points for 6th which puts me 16th in the standings after the two DNF's Hmmm! I've been away all week and I don't see any mention of even more points that Nick got last Sunday................................................  ....Courtessy of Fife Constabulary.... |
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Post by NS-R on Jun 7, 2003 16:45:15 GMT
ah well, that's another story...  |
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Post by Catriona on Jun 7, 2003 21:53:08 GMT
Oh dear... :s Guess that's a warning to the rest of us - you'll probably take much the same route as me and KF to get to the circuit, so I think we may want to be a bit more careful than usual next time  |
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Post by jaffa6 on Jun 8, 2003 12:25:52 GMT
Charlie : Hmmm! I've been away all week and I don't see any mention of even more points that Nick got last Sunday.....................Courtessy of Fife Constabulary... Hey Nick, Was you a naughty boy on the way home...lol. Maybe your bad luck on track has just moved to on the roads instead......  Jaffa6 |
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Post by Blair on Jun 8, 2003 13:18:49 GMT
I assume both Nick and GR/KF take the same route as me too, turn left when you get out of Knockhill? If so I love that road, very nice to drive, but I'll need to watch myself now!
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Post by Catriona on Jun 8, 2003 22:24:13 GMT
Left? Nope, dunno about Nick, but me and KF turn right and head to the motorway, then head north once we get there - you're in completely the opposite direction to us Though turning left is another option... we've done that a couple of times when we've felt like exploring the area a bit  |
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Post by Blair on Jun 8, 2003 23:21:54 GMT
Tis a great wee road and on the way into the circuit last time I passed a Mini heading the other way, yes one of the racing ones! Boy it sounded loud on the road! But yeh, completely different ways, I always go through the village where the park and ride is (was?) and head down over the kincardine bridge only got about 20 miles of motorway at 70mph then it's bloody 50 or 60 limit! And the work they are doing to take the M77 to Kilmarnock will reduce the limit to 40... |
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Post by Blair on Jun 8, 2003 23:24:13 GMT
Oh, BTW in my first two years as a driver on the roads I can only get 6 points...  But I heard someone say it's now 3 years ! |
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Post by NS-R on Jun 9, 2003 8:03:59 GMT
Yep, turn left out of Knockhill, down to Powmill, get three points on your license and then head North... |
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Post by Mike Hogg on Jun 9, 2003 8:52:38 GMT
Oh, BTW in my first two years as a driver on the roads I can only get 6 points... But I heard someone say it's now 3 years ! Quite right too... damn you boy-racers! ;D I've been driving for 6 and a half years and have neer had any points or such (down to luck mostly I'll bet, plus the Forfar branch of the Angus Constabulary are conspicuous by their abscense most of the time so while I was living there it was a safe bet no-one was watching ) |
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Post by Blair on Jun 9, 2003 10:38:19 GMT
Quite right too... damn you boy-racers!   ) Damn, haven't you got a subscription to Max Power???!!! You'd love it  |
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