Wiscombe Park 27th/28th July

It seems to be all go in our club at present with events every weekend! As Comp Sec I can confirm I have kept the Christmas week free so that all the competitors can have family re-unions!

This coming weekend we all troop off to Devon, to Wiscombe Park Hill Climb where there is a round of the UK National Hill Climb Championship going on. The really serious boys!

This is a two day event with practice on Saturday and timed runs (after one more practice) on Sunday.

The hill is a real challenge to 40's as it is tight and twisty. I had hoped to do well against Paul and Dave here but .... I must stop crying over spilt milk!

Off the start line and over the bridge. Immediate 90 degree left hander (1st or 2nd gear depending on driver) which you don't want to get wrong or you may end up in the river like the Porshce 911 last year! At least they now know you need 3 tow cars to pull you out!

Next, if raining there will be a water splash caused by run off from the fields, then over Bunnies Leap where seriously fast single seaters get airbourne, everyone else gets cautious, smoothly slam on the brakes and down to 2nd gear for Gate, for that is just about how wide the gap is and then into the woods and the Esses. Right left right left right left (dare to snatch 3rd?) up to the right hander Saw Bench (first hairpin from hell) onto the straight where, if wet you can (will?) get wheel spin in all gears, and up to Martini (left hand second hairpin from hell, saw a mini go on its roof here a few years back) and then sideways over the finish line.

Simple really!

Die hardy fools entering this event are (subject to final confirmation);

Paul Thompson
Dave Parker
Andrew Fordyce
Roger Burston
Ray Christopher
Roy Wing
Martin Hacon
Mo McNicholl
Malcolm MacAdam (Lotus 51 if change accepted)

I have heard that there will be possibly the whole Devon Chapter of GTD40's coming to spectate on the Saturday ie three cars, depending on weather.

If dry this is a great venue to spectate and drive. If wet it gets a bit miserable.

Hope to see you all there.

Malcolm

I have had confirmation that I can run the Lotus, but also I have been given hope on being able to repair my car in time so my 40 may make it if everything works without any hitch at all! It is going to be close but we are going to give it a try.
Malcolm

Am going to take the 40 but a little nervous over whether history will repeat itself. Everyone is saying to keep off the kerbs! Main concern now is brake imbalance on the front. A bit critical in my books but we can play with that in the paddock if need be.

And Paul and Dave are so on form, its unreal.

MAlcolm

Another eventful weekend, which seems to be becoming typical with me having more work to do after it than before! However nothing failed except the brain of the driver....

When the results get posted at www.gtd40club.co.uk you will see the gap to Paul and Dave is not so large as it was. Putting their large power down here was always going to be more difficult than the open venues so I had to go for it. I did but still didn't quite get there. Hey ho!

It may or may not have ended differently had I actually completed my final run but I did set a new stopping record as I did 23 mph to 0 in 1 metre. Not only did this shake the paint off the nose of the car (like in the Khumo tyre advert) but also some of the bodywork underneath it! Braking is clearly more efficient if you use outside sources of stopping power such as a big hard bank! So a little glassfibre work to do. And there was only 20 metres to go to the finish line!

Paul was quicker off the line to the first beacon at 64ft (1/10th) but I was then quicker to the Gate halfway up the hill(3/10ths) so how the hell did he claw that much time back through the Esses and hairpins (9/10ths)? Phenomenal driving I say.

It will be interesting to see if the telemetry will give a clue to what time could have been acheived. 43.xx?

Anyway full write up and pics in the next mag.

Malcolm

PS Maybe I should do as Andrew says and take up team management and get myself a decent f****ng driver! Bless him. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

PPS Thanks to Andrew, Martin, Paul and Dave for helping me untangle the car and get it on the trailer and home. Hope you were not too delayed.

[ July 29, 2002: Message edited by: Malcolm M ]