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The Race TrackRacing and Race Car Discussions Of All Types.
Just got back from Goodwood, very very wet on Sunday evening after a fascinating few days. Wealden Engineering were asked by Chuck Haines to act as crew for his Howmett TX car, the 1968 jet turbine engined car built for long distance racing, competing against the GT40s et al. Geoff Taylor who works with me took over as crew chief for the event. and we had to learn a whole new technology and starting procedures for this car. Throughout the event we were garaged between the Chapparal of Jim Hall, who with driver Vic Elford became great friends with long stories to tell to our little team, and Derek Bells Porsche 917. The Howmett caused quite a sensation each time we started it up, this being accomplished by lifting the rear wheels off the ground ( no clutch, direct drive to the axle ) and winding up the turbine to 58000rpm to get it alight ) Chuck then locking the brakes solid on the pedal, allowng the car to be dropped on the ground, release the brakes and its gone ! The drive rotor in the engine is basically driven by a hot gas torque converter, so no direct mechanical connection inside the engine, but if held on the brakes and with the drive rotor not spinning we have no more than a minute or so before the whole engine goes into melt down if the driver cannot move off under power, so team work essential. Today we ran it twice in pouring rain ! Much more fun being involved with real cars and real people, especially heros of mine like Jim and Vic. Visitors to garage to see this fascinating car included Lord March ( owner of Goodwood and a driver himself ) , Gill de Ferran ( now Honda Team manager ) and so many other famous faces that you know but cant put a name to. Frank
Well, final day of 3 and guess what, it rained all day....
Anyway, I still managed to snap a few hundred pics , so here are a few selections from the day. I would have captioned them, but it takes too long en-masse (sorry) and I have cropped a few to show just how wet it was....
Highlights, too difficult to choose really but to name a few, the Can-am cars always do it for me and the Pikes Peak cars (awesome) + Veyron (sorry, but its a BEAST!)...
Enjoy!
__________________ regards
Paul Thompson
-----------------------------------------
Too Many Hobbies - Too Little Time
Did'nt make it this year so thanks for sharing some pictures with us. Some of the red arrows passes look mighty close to each other! Never heard a C Type auto union fired up (supercharged 6litre V16), I guess even in such exalted company it must have sounded pretty impressive.
Nice picture of the CanAm cars! I see just the nose of a car I worked on in the sixties, the Caldwell D7 diven by Sam Poseywith #1 painted on the nose. That car sat around for years until Sam donated it to a museum. It seems the museum got it running again. Sam drove it at Lime Rock a few years ago. As usual, it didn't run well, but great to see it out on the track again. One day at work, Autodynamics Inc., Ray Caldwell told me to take all the Caldwell D7 part, moulds, chassis and anything D7 I could find around the shop through it all in the company truck and take it to the dump! When I asked if I could have all the D7 "stuff", he changed his mind. I shouldn't have asked and just take eveything home. Oh well, one of life's many mistakes! That was as close to owning a CanAm car as I will ever get I guess. Got any more pic's of the Caldwell D7?
__________________ may no resin cure before it's time
what make is that bike that looks like it has 2 monoshock rear ends bolted together?
Looks wierd!
Ian
__________________ Purchased a pile of bits said to be a DAX40,
Got it on the Road June 2006 (Thanks Paul)
Still tweaking EFi and getting used to driving with a grin on my face!
I think you'll find it's a VYRUS 985 C3 4V - a strange ride that uses a hub centre steering method that has been tried by a number of manufacturer's. MCN tested a Tesi 3D bike using a similiar system but in reality the testers were no quicker..
, so here are a few selections from the day. I would have captioned them, but it takes too long en-masse (sorry) and I have cropped a few to show just how wet it was....
- Too Little Time 
