Racing at Hampton Downs

[RENOholic]

Hi Guys and Girls,

This weekend me and Johan were out in full force at the new Hampton Downs Race Track. It was a huge weekend for us and although we didn't win any nor did we break any lap records, it was real busy. We have decided to join the ERC group. (European Racing Cars). It looks like an ideal class and they have a large following, the entries exceeded 38 cars. This series are run on a handicap system.

In anycase, I will tell the story from our point of view and that is completely unbiased !

Saturday morning arrived and I could hardly walk due to a fall at work. (Knee damage). With all the Brufen tablets and what have you to try and heal the knee, I upset my stomach so much could sh!t through the eye of a needle. No further detail on that.

Practice started and we had 4 laps to learn the track and get our lap times. Johan lost a radiator cap on lap 2 and limped back to the pits, luckily without any engine damage but it cost him a right at the back grid position.

Now this series is run in this order....1) Practice and grid position........2) Scratch race........3) Handicap race......4) Handicap race.

Then the first race started. I can assure you that there is nothing that gets off the line like a Gordini. I overtook about 8 cars, 4 on my left and 4 on my right, Johan must have taken about 12 cars because at turn 1 he was right behind me. The race followed its course and about on lap 4 my car lost power and eventually I was running on 3 cylinders. Back to the pits and soon followed by Johan, overheating. Before I lost power I noticed my temperature climbing as well. Then Ross joined us confirming a general complaint of race cars running hotter at this track than others. So we started sorting matters, Johan went home to modify the intake duct on his car and I stayed behind sorting my cripple engine. Found the fault....molten anode on spark plug no.3. I left the car there overnight and went home via spares shop and bought a set colder plugs. I had Bosch plugs in there, equivalent of NGK B8ES. I got some B9ES's for the next day. I took a spare thermostat and removed the valve so that I now have a 20mm hole acting as a slight restriction.

We returned on Sunday with the mods and then started the first race of the day. I had good race on with a MGBGT and Porsche 944 when a MkII Cortina spun in front of us. All 3 of us managed to miss him but apparently he rolled backwards and instead of pulling his handbrake on while trying to start the car, an unlucky guy behind us T-boned him and wrote both the cars off. A huge success for us! All went well, both finished, still no lap records but a big ego.

Onto the 2nd race and adrenalin pumping we set off to another good start. This time we were discussed by others on the pre-race paddock re. our acceleration! On lap 1 Johan thrilled the crowd with a 360 and plenty smoke at the 1st of 2 hairpins losing only about 2 secs. Half way through the race as I approached a horse shoe bend at about 5000rpm in 4th my brakes went AWOL! Some how with my handbrake that pulled up to max and the poor gearbox I managed not to get caught in the kitty litter at the end of that straight. I finished the race dead last with no brakes and still managed to keep the black MGBGT with a number plate "HOTMGB" in sight.

So that was the end of a great weekend and the end of a sore knee because it had so much adrenalin!

Highlights?....I had 2 highlights that got stuck in my mind. The organizer of this series runs a Marcos Volvo (in one of the pictures) with a 3 liter straight 6 Volvo motor in it. As we exit a hairpin on our way down a straight, I easily out dragged him with about 3 car lengths, enough to move over and take my racing line.

Staying behind a Porsche 944 (black one in one of the pictures) down the main straight and sitting behind him all the way although I was running into the rev limiter for about 20% of the straight. He could only beat me because he has better brakes than I have, and he gradually increased his lead. Although it is the bottom range Porsche I don't care, they are still well balanced and actually in a different class.

I will have one video clip on Utube soon and another one on its way. Will keep you updated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNzjEoahb6c














Regards,
RENOholic.