Good drive down, but quite long, both of us very tired ... one major disaster ... we forgot the music completely ... nothing.
We got here good and early this morning, in fact too early to get into the circuit. Beautiful warm sunny morning, clear blue skies. We got in eventually, found Iain and Mike and started getting set up, ready for our first test session scheduled to run at 1030. Only a few of us running in this session so going to be a practically empty track on a glorious day ... Fantastic. All warmed up, strapped in and we arrive in the pitlane, to be told there would be a delay due to the fact that the circuit Doctor had not yet arrived. Initially we were told an hour, but then they decided to move our session from first to last in the morning, so that other sessions would run on time once the Doc arrived. That meant 1230, I was desperate for a bit of sleep, but with circuit staff a bit shambolic, by the time we knew what we were doing there wasn't enough time. I had warmed up the car again and was just about to strap in for the rescheduled session, when a Porsche 908 in the previous session blew it's engine in quite a big, oily, way on the main straight. So this meant another delay whilst cement dust was put down over the oil. We eventually got out at about 1245, just a few laps and the chequered flag was out ... Why? We'd only run about 15mins not the 30mins ... Turns out it is now the marshals lunchtime ... Pretty fed up to be honest ...
I'd gone out only for a gentle run, to refamiliarise myself with the circuit and to check the car was ok, but despite not 'trying' I in fact ran nearly as quick as my best lap here last year, with 1:44:4. Car was okay, but sliding around a fair amount, and there seemed to be a reoccurrence of the dreaded lateral 'play' from the rear driveshafts/gearbox. Despite feeling 'short-changed' from the testing session, I decided not to run any more, this circuit is quite hard on the drivetrain, so I figured it best to save the car for the competitive elements... And keep my fingers crossed!
We'd expected some rain this afternoon, and when David and I were taking a cycle ride around we noticed the foreboding black clouds ... We scuttled back to camp, as all the motorhome roof vents and many windows were open, as it was such a warm day ... Not for much longer! Within the short time it took us to get back the wind had got up, people were rushing to secure awnings and tents. Some didn't make it ... Several destroyed awnings, included one quite big one that literally lifted 10ft in the air and landed astride a high fence breaking itself. We all rushed around helping whoever, strapping things down. Then the rain came of course, and in all this the temperature had dropped 10degrees or more.... Chaos! Not disimilar to last year.
We'd intended to go back to the excellent little Bistro/restaurant about 3 miles away that David, Iain and I found last year having been caught out on our bicycles in the pouring rain, so we did contemplate repeating the experience in the rain this evening, but eventually decided against getting a soaking this year as it was a lot colder, so we wouldn't be doing it in short trousers that would dry out quickly! Dinner in the motor home, with David, Iain and Mike, and coupled with a sociable hour or so during the storm we have already made a significant dent in the beer supplies that we had bought for tomorrow's FJ barbecue...!
Sorry to hear that the David Methley blew his engine in testing this afternoon, he described it as an electrical failure, as the distributor cap had been knocked off ... by a conrod! Well the distributor sits outside the engine of course, and the conrods are supposed to stay inside, so that's a big blow up then - shame. Good to see Aussie Kim out on track, as he and his mechanic David had been changing the gearbox in the Lotus 18 this morning, I job they've had to do with boring regularity on this trip so far, fingers crossed for better luck.
Bedtime - I'm exhausted!
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