I've been asked why there's no picture of me grinning with my trophy and car, as there has been after the two other rounds so far ... Iain did a "Great Sorprendo" act with it and hid it in the truck within seconds of me getting it out of Parc Ferme! I was still trying to get camera and transponder off it as the taillift was rising! He was driving out of the paddock in the truck with both cars about 10 minutes later. He deserved the early get away - I'll 'mug up' an appropriate photo later!
I'm seem to have been largely invisible to the pro-photographers so far this season, but at least HSCC snapper Charlie Wooding has got some nice shots, you can find his gallery here http://charliewooding.co.uk/v/photos/92206nxd/C127738202 I am car No. 37 of course.
Elva
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
Brands - other stuff
It was good to see a few people from the Insurance market, some come to see me (thanks for coming!) and some racing themselves. Amongst the latter group, Paul Latimer, racing his MGB in Gentlemen Drivers, and finishing I note, hope you had a good race Paul. Also Jeremy Cooke, racing several cars, hope you also enjoyed your weekend, I haven't had time to trawl through all the results yet to see if you how you went, but if you will race that many cars ...!
Always good to see my ever-supportive brother David, and his two young daughters, hope you tired them out "just enough".
I was hugely disappointed not to see my hero Brian Johnson, of AC/DC, I saw his car a lot, and I saw him in it in the assembly area getting ready to go out, but that's hardly the point at which I was going to approach him! I never saw him in the outer paddock at all.
As I pulled into Parc Ferme after today's race, one of my 'supporters' was waiting there, with another fellow; I assumed they were together, but no, the other chap was an artist, he'd been at the meeting yesterday, taken some pictures of me at Druids, and gone home to paint the picture! He brought it round to show me (well, "sell to me" to be honest). And I really liked it, all the proportions are accurate, and the car is clearly 'in motion', plus it's clearly a particular race, as the car is shown without the rear bodywork, as it ran yesterday, and only yesterday. I bought it! My daughter Emily liked it too, so he said if we send him a photo of her he'll do a painting of her too, for free. He was a nice chap!
I shall leave you with a comment from my Mum, who be 84 this week, and came with us this weekend. She's been around racing cars since the 50's, and has a very good idea what's going on ... So to be told by her, after qualifying: "I couldn't help noticing Dear, but you seemed a bit slower than the others, you know, round that left hander onto the bottom straight". Gee, thanks Mum, you know how to boost my confidence! Glad you enjoyed your weekend.
Always good to see my ever-supportive brother David, and his two young daughters, hope you tired them out "just enough".
I was hugely disappointed not to see my hero Brian Johnson, of AC/DC, I saw his car a lot, and I saw him in it in the assembly area getting ready to go out, but that's hardly the point at which I was going to approach him! I never saw him in the outer paddock at all.
As I pulled into Parc Ferme after today's race, one of my 'supporters' was waiting there, with another fellow; I assumed they were together, but no, the other chap was an artist, he'd been at the meeting yesterday, taken some pictures of me at Druids, and gone home to paint the picture! He brought it round to show me (well, "sell to me" to be honest). And I really liked it, all the proportions are accurate, and the car is clearly 'in motion', plus it's clearly a particular race, as the car is shown without the rear bodywork, as it ran yesterday, and only yesterday. I bought it! My daughter Emily liked it too, so he said if we send him a photo of her he'll do a painting of her too, for free. He was a nice chap!
I shall leave you with a comment from my Mum, who be 84 this week, and came with us this weekend. She's been around racing cars since the 50's, and has a very good idea what's going on ... So to be told by her, after qualifying: "I couldn't help noticing Dear, but you seemed a bit slower than the others, you know, round that left hander onto the bottom straight". Gee, thanks Mum, you know how to boost my confidence! Glad you enjoyed your weekend.
Brands - Race Two
Another bright sunny day ... Quite breezy, but has summer finally arrived??
Race 2, scheduled for 10:45 this morning, but we actually went off a bit early. Quite a stressfree morning, relatively speaking, had time to chat with a couple of mates from the insurance market who'd come down to spectate, and also to go off with Nic and the kids so that Freddie, who'll be 3 on Wednesday this week, could show me a new trick ... He has a small trike called a Scuttlebug, and when they were wandering around yesterday he found one of the grassy banks to launch himself down, quite steep it was too. He loved it, rushing down to be collected, hopefully pre-crash, by Mummy. Emily, 6, loved it too!
I made it to the assembly area in good time today, and lined up in 16th spot. To be honest, my race was a little lonely, initially I held off Serge Brison for a couple of laps, but he came by eventually and gradually pulled away. My only aim was to finish the race, a finish today would mean second overall for the weekend, and a solid points haul to add to my total. I backed off 500revs at the top, and drove well within my limits. Today's best was 0.3secs off yesterday's qualifying, but more than 2secs off last year's best - I need to look and see whether most people were slower this weekend, due to track conditions or something, or whether it was just me! Nevertheless a finish was what I wanted, and I got there ... After failures on each of the last three times i've taken this car to Brands Hatch, the Hoodoo has been shaken off! Although it was a close run thing of course...
A double win for David Methley at the front, he's very very quick .... He also seems very relaxed, rumour has it that having not done much recent car preparation it might be that when he opened the engine cover for the scrutineers they found a power extension lead that he'd been looking for!
Double win for John Delane in my class, completely untroubled by anyone in the class, but enjoying a good race with some other competitors, especially yesterday. Class A for Italian engined front engine cars was won by Daniele Salodini, Class B by Andrew Tart in the front wheel drive Bond, Class D was won by John Chisholm, racing his rear-engined Gemini this week, rather than it's front-engined older sibling which he had at Pau.
Great to see Kim Shearn get out on track, he was granted 3 'sighting' laps running with someone else's qualifying session this morning, and was then allowed to start from the back of the grid, I know that both he and the car are quite quick, but nevertheless I was a bit disappointed to see him hove into view quite so quickly, breeze past and head off into the distance! He completed the race to finish second in class, but having not run yesterday he's not eligible for an 'overall' result. He's now driving down to Monza for next weekend, then we reconvene at Dijon in 3 weeks, I can see he's going to be trouble!
So, another Trophy, and more points to add to the total; despite my expectations, and a near-game-ending issue yesterday, we move on to Round 4 with me still heading the Championship. I wonder how much longer this can last ...
Race 2, scheduled for 10:45 this morning, but we actually went off a bit early. Quite a stressfree morning, relatively speaking, had time to chat with a couple of mates from the insurance market who'd come down to spectate, and also to go off with Nic and the kids so that Freddie, who'll be 3 on Wednesday this week, could show me a new trick ... He has a small trike called a Scuttlebug, and when they were wandering around yesterday he found one of the grassy banks to launch himself down, quite steep it was too. He loved it, rushing down to be collected, hopefully pre-crash, by Mummy. Emily, 6, loved it too!
I made it to the assembly area in good time today, and lined up in 16th spot. To be honest, my race was a little lonely, initially I held off Serge Brison for a couple of laps, but he came by eventually and gradually pulled away. My only aim was to finish the race, a finish today would mean second overall for the weekend, and a solid points haul to add to my total. I backed off 500revs at the top, and drove well within my limits. Today's best was 0.3secs off yesterday's qualifying, but more than 2secs off last year's best - I need to look and see whether most people were slower this weekend, due to track conditions or something, or whether it was just me! Nevertheless a finish was what I wanted, and I got there ... After failures on each of the last three times i've taken this car to Brands Hatch, the Hoodoo has been shaken off! Although it was a close run thing of course...
A double win for David Methley at the front, he's very very quick .... He also seems very relaxed, rumour has it that having not done much recent car preparation it might be that when he opened the engine cover for the scrutineers they found a power extension lead that he'd been looking for!
Double win for John Delane in my class, completely untroubled by anyone in the class, but enjoying a good race with some other competitors, especially yesterday. Class A for Italian engined front engine cars was won by Daniele Salodini, Class B by Andrew Tart in the front wheel drive Bond, Class D was won by John Chisholm, racing his rear-engined Gemini this week, rather than it's front-engined older sibling which he had at Pau.
Great to see Kim Shearn get out on track, he was granted 3 'sighting' laps running with someone else's qualifying session this morning, and was then allowed to start from the back of the grid, I know that both he and the car are quite quick, but nevertheless I was a bit disappointed to see him hove into view quite so quickly, breeze past and head off into the distance! He completed the race to finish second in class, but having not run yesterday he's not eligible for an 'overall' result. He's now driving down to Monza for next weekend, then we reconvene at Dijon in 3 weeks, I can see he's going to be trouble!
So, another Trophy, and more points to add to the total; despite my expectations, and a near-game-ending issue yesterday, we move on to Round 4 with me still heading the Championship. I wonder how much longer this can last ...
Sunday, 26 May 2013
Brands - Race One ....
Sorry I had to leave you all hanging there, but I had to get the BBQ and kit out to feed the kids, something else I don't think Lewis Hamilton has to think about!
So when we left it, we had a much depleted Class, and Iain had the gearbox in pieces. My gearbox has a hard life and for that reason it comes to pieces after most weekends; we therefore know that it goes back together like a Lego kit ... Doesn't it ... So we were still not concerned even when we were told that the race could be called early... But this time it didn't want to go back together. Iain swore at it, and dug some bigger hammers out of his toolbox, I stressed, but kept away! The clock ticked down, the race was called ... We heard them go round on the Formation lap to the grid... I had got changed (as much as anything to show confidence that Iain was going to get it back together; although I thought the confidence could be misplaced!)
Anyway, leaving reverse and first gear out of it meant that the rest of the bit fitted again (!), with I was told to strap in just as I heard the cars go round again on their Green Flag lap. I'm then told to fire it up and be gone ... No matter that some of the gears are in the tray, and there's no rear bodywork, and no heat etc. With a busy paddock you cannot rush through for fear of taking out a toddler! Ironically I'm following the Faccioli which has only just got going too. As I exit the tunnel the cars are going down the back straight on lap one... And I really don't know what the rules say about me starting the race now ... I enter the deserted Assembly area to find the big gate shut and no marshals, but there's a small gate open, I reckon it's about the width of an Elva 200, and those marshals are looking the other way 'cos there's a race on! So I nip through... now I'm tootling down the pitlane, at the end there's an official on a radio, waving at the control tower and pointing at me ... Please don't stop me, not even briefly, there's a hill and I haven't got first gear even in the car ... As I get there he waves me through ... I'm racing! Still no heat in anything, and a lap or so down, but I'm racing! Considering the situation I decide it's pointless to 'push on', the gearbox was thrown together in a hurry, and my mental state and heart rate are probably not perfect, I might as well take it a bit easy, use less engine life, keep out the way of the fast guys, and hope we get to the chequered flag!
I never got to see the chequered flag ... But I did finish the race. It was red flagged close to the end because of a shunt round the back of the circuit, Dietrich Merkel coming off at Westfield, and having the huge misfortune to hit another car stranded there after an earlier 'off', neither car will play any further part this weekend. A race of high attrition, quite a few cars failing to finish. For my efforts I end up second in class C2 - just for the record that is also last! But with these races scored over an aggregate of the two races at each event, it means that if I finish tomorrow then I can qualify for a result and points. Funny old game.
Kim's car did get released by customs and is now here, ready for tomorrow.
Super sunny afternoon at Brands, Iain takes the gearbox to pieces again, whilst I go off with the kids. Nice evening BBQ with a couple of beers (more excellent beer from Brother-in-law, Phil's, highly recommended Longdog Brewery.) Ready for bed, I'm exhausted!
More tomorrow!
So when we left it, we had a much depleted Class, and Iain had the gearbox in pieces. My gearbox has a hard life and for that reason it comes to pieces after most weekends; we therefore know that it goes back together like a Lego kit ... Doesn't it ... So we were still not concerned even when we were told that the race could be called early... But this time it didn't want to go back together. Iain swore at it, and dug some bigger hammers out of his toolbox, I stressed, but kept away! The clock ticked down, the race was called ... We heard them go round on the Formation lap to the grid... I had got changed (as much as anything to show confidence that Iain was going to get it back together; although I thought the confidence could be misplaced!)
Anyway, leaving reverse and first gear out of it meant that the rest of the bit fitted again (!), with I was told to strap in just as I heard the cars go round again on their Green Flag lap. I'm then told to fire it up and be gone ... No matter that some of the gears are in the tray, and there's no rear bodywork, and no heat etc. With a busy paddock you cannot rush through for fear of taking out a toddler! Ironically I'm following the Faccioli which has only just got going too. As I exit the tunnel the cars are going down the back straight on lap one... And I really don't know what the rules say about me starting the race now ... I enter the deserted Assembly area to find the big gate shut and no marshals, but there's a small gate open, I reckon it's about the width of an Elva 200, and those marshals are looking the other way 'cos there's a race on! So I nip through... now I'm tootling down the pitlane, at the end there's an official on a radio, waving at the control tower and pointing at me ... Please don't stop me, not even briefly, there's a hill and I haven't got first gear even in the car ... As I get there he waves me through ... I'm racing! Still no heat in anything, and a lap or so down, but I'm racing! Considering the situation I decide it's pointless to 'push on', the gearbox was thrown together in a hurry, and my mental state and heart rate are probably not perfect, I might as well take it a bit easy, use less engine life, keep out the way of the fast guys, and hope we get to the chequered flag!
I never got to see the chequered flag ... But I did finish the race. It was red flagged close to the end because of a shunt round the back of the circuit, Dietrich Merkel coming off at Westfield, and having the huge misfortune to hit another car stranded there after an earlier 'off', neither car will play any further part this weekend. A race of high attrition, quite a few cars failing to finish. For my efforts I end up second in class C2 - just for the record that is also last! But with these races scored over an aggregate of the two races at each event, it means that if I finish tomorrow then I can qualify for a result and points. Funny old game.
Kim's car did get released by customs and is now here, ready for tomorrow.
Super sunny afternoon at Brands, Iain takes the gearbox to pieces again, whilst I go off with the kids. Nice evening BBQ with a couple of beers (more excellent beer from Brother-in-law, Phil's, highly recommended Longdog Brewery.) Ready for bed, I'm exhausted!
More tomorrow!
Brands - Sunday
Qualifying this morning went ok. The gearing was a bit high, so I was running out of revs at times. The new brake shoes were an improvement, but occasionally snatched to one side of the other which was disconcerting, new clutch slave cylinder is also a big improvement. 17th out of 32 runners, second in Class C2, but the attrition in my class continues... Peter Knoefel was unfortunate to break his gearbox, Pierre Guichard's Faccioli was refusing to run.
Kim's Lotus had landed overnight so headed off to get it cleared from customs ... Sunday on a bank holiday weekend ... Good luck!
After Parc Ferme Iain set about changing the gear ratios ...
Look for the next thrilling instalment ... Motorracing can be stressful....!
Kim's Lotus had landed overnight so headed off to get it cleared from customs ... Sunday on a bank holiday weekend ... Good luck!
After Parc Ferme Iain set about changing the gear ratios ...
Look for the next thrilling instalment ... Motorracing can be stressful....!
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Good news ... Bad news
Good news is that Iain did get the car back together, it's fully scrutineered and sitting beside us in the paddock.
More good news, the kids seem to be sleeping despite some noisy mopeds zooming round the paddock!
Bad news ... Aussie Kim is here, but his car isn't. Having let him down badly the shippers agreed to airfreight it, but it is only due to land tonight at Hesthrow. He's been promised that it'll be cleared by customs by midday, but that's too late in any case. If very lucky he may get to race on Monday, let's hope so, it's a long way from Melbourne!
Time for some sleep, after Freddie's 3rd birthday party today we are all ready for sleep! Qualifying tomorrow morning and race 1 early afternoon. Here's hoping for another good weekend!
More good news, the kids seem to be sleeping despite some noisy mopeds zooming round the paddock!
Bad news ... Aussie Kim is here, but his car isn't. Having let him down badly the shippers agreed to airfreight it, but it is only due to land tonight at Hesthrow. He's been promised that it'll be cleared by customs by midday, but that's too late in any case. If very lucky he may get to race on Monday, let's hope so, it's a long way from Melbourne!
Time for some sleep, after Freddie's 3rd birthday party today we are all ready for sleep! Qualifying tomorrow morning and race 1 early afternoon. Here's hoping for another good weekend!
Friday, 24 May 2013
OMG!
I think that's the expression younger people might use ... I've just been onto the Brands Hatch website to find the link I just posted and I've seen that we have a MASSIVE celeb racing this weekend ... no less than Brian Johnson, front man of AC/DC, is racing a Mini.
Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a huge AC/DC fan!!
How do you think my sponsors and supporters will take it if I miss my racing altogether because I'm camped out at the back of his pit garage like some teenage groupie?! Maybe best if Iain hasn't got my car back together after all!
Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a huge AC/DC fan!!
How do you think my sponsors and supporters will take it if I miss my racing altogether because I'm camped out at the back of his pit garage like some teenage groupie?! Maybe best if Iain hasn't got my car back together after all!
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