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We arrived at Buxton just before 10 - and it wasn't raining! Bloody cold & windy though!
Wayne was first out in the car, just to check it over....Having not driven one before I wouldn't know if it was bad,good of indifferent! The verdict was that all was Ok & time for me to get in! Which needless to say I did - & thoroughly enjoyed it! I must have done 50 laps or so through the day,with us trying different things, with varying degrees of success. (9lb tyre pressure in the outside rear wasn't the best choice! I'll check it next time! lol)
Lap times weren't so good really - but at least they improved throughout the day,so Im / we are going in the right direction! The general verdict is that a standard Transit engine isn't really powerfull enough! But that's what I've got,so we can only do our best! The last practice saw Lee Fairhurst spin in front of me mid corner (There's a longer tale to this really!!) & me clipping him & spinning him onto the tyres! Sorry Lee. (& Gary!! LOL)
The only 'problem' was a fault with the starter motor,which will be sorted ready for Birmingham this Saturday for my first meeting. Can't wait! :)
BIRMINGHAM 17th March
Well we got to Birmingham nice & early so to get as much practice as possible! First practice,the car had a bit of a push,so I was on the phone to Wayne asking how to sort it! (He was held up & coming to the meeting later on!)
Much better after a few adjustments,and I just kept going out to try & improve the Driver! The car was so much better than in practice at Buxton,and was on the yellow & white tops pace or there abouts.
Heat 3 was my first race,which I started from the back - I just wanted a chance of 15 trouble free laps really,which is what I got! Finished last,but hey,about 10 or so didnt finish at all!
Consolation time & decided I had enough confidence with it to start up front - about 3rd row outside I think it was.
Got away pretty well as they dropped the flag,but didnt get any further than the 1st bend,as Chris Ford rode over the back of me. (I didn't know who it was at the time,as all I could see was wheels & sump guard!)
Next thing I know,I'm stranded on track at the other end of the straight. The race was red flagged & my car removed to the centre! Damage was a bent aerofoil (He got that high! lol),bent back axle,wheel,Half Shaft & a bit of damage to the chassis where the rear arms were attatched.
Anyway,it wasn't repairable due to the bent axle,so it was winched onto the trailer & the day was done.
Not the tart I was hoping for,but what racing I did was enjoyable,and things are generally going in the right direction speed wise.
BUXTON 25th March
Trying to remember what happened during the meeting is really hard!! Though the car was so slow,I could have easily taken a note pad & pen with me to make notes!
A brief summary was Heat 1 - went reasonable until I got giddy with the bumper & then went rapidly backwards down the order! Still enjoyed it though....few stoppages & a scottish red top hit me,bounced off & ended up stranded on the centre!?!
Consolation was a much less eventfull race,with only the prior mentioned red top having a pot at me under the yellows! lol. The car was painfully slow in a straight line though pretty good cornering. I reckon I could have run around the track quicker!!
Nearly didn't bother with the grand national as I felt it was a waste of petrol & tyres!! Still,we were there and after all the work done by Wayne through the week, thought I owed it to him and all the others that went to watch me crawl round the track! I was so bored at half way I just started chucking the car around & trying to ease the pain & amuse myself.
So......a crap meeting then! lol. But at least I managed to finish every race & drive it onto the trailer relatively unscathed.
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