trackdayweapons

So, arrive full of confidence, ready to thrash through the rally. Car is now handling well, and we’re good to go. Through scrutineering and wait for stage one.

Stage 1, off we go, car feeling good and it’s a racetrack so nothing is difficult. A third of the way through the oil pressure warning flicks up on the Pi, oh great, look at reading and we’re about 20psi too low. Having put in another weeks worth of toil on the car and it still seems to be firing well we carry on regardless.

Out of the stage and the engine’s dumped about half a litre of oil. Pressure readings varying from 0psi to 40psi. Change sensors, decide “fuck it” afterall, it’s only a standardish engine, and head out for stage 2. Stuart (codriver) decides to take coat with him such is his faith in the engine…

Out to Stage 2, going well, catching and passing a few of the cars ahead but engine sounding progressively more tappety. Screw it, flat out anyway.

On the exit of the stage, sounding more and more like a deisel. So, do we grenade the engine properly or salvage it? Stupid question, I pack my coat into the car, Stuart straps on the fogs and we head out onto stage. Good start to the stage, pass the car ahead on the first lap (30s), coming into the hairpin left by the pits and the car squirms a little, it’s pretty obvious it’s on oil, er, it’s own oil… at that point the smoke in the cockpit becomes apparent. Ah. Uh-oh. Off to the side of the circuit when it’s safe, engine off, flashlight and the engine bay is nicely coated with it’s own oil. Great. Coats on, wait to limp back to the pits…

And engine is dead, car was sold in the next week to a nice bloke who’ll be dropping in a 1600 and doing 20 rounds in it in 2007 and so the search begins for a replacement car…

Me again and I was privy to be at a test for the Vauxhall Monaro of Emotion Engineering which will be doing all of the rounds in the British GT series.

Basically the reason that the car was up there on the track was to map the lovely 5.0l engine , but they ran into some probems like the car would not idle and the track being wet and traffic on the track and such like, but i did enjoy the 150MPH ride to and from the track!

The Rockingham Stages was supposed to be a shake down for Rally Barbados 2007 but things took a turn for the worst with Gee’s engine blowing up and me freezing my ass off, but i managed to get some pics .

Seeing that Gee was running down in the order i decided to wander off and capture some pics . Although it being like 2 deg out wid a wind!

Well here is where it ends lol late into the afternoon Gee’s engine Blew up (R.I.P) not that we had minded because it gave us hell earlier in the year and it meant we could start drinking early that night.

Preparation for the Rockingham Stages Rally 2006 is in full flow, with Stuart @ Fauldsport flying through the work with his usual attention to detail. Fitting new Bilsteins all round, a Wilwood pedal box, hydraulic clutch and various other adjustments…

So the new pedal box in, hydraulic clutch complete, allignment done, MOT passed and car handling 10 time better than on Rally Barbados with a day to spare. Spiffing.