Winton race report 12th,13th April

Ross Nicol · 04-13-08, 10:16 PM

Talk about highs and lows, very thankful the highs followed the lows as the race meeting progressed.Winton, as I've reported before is about a 3hr drive for me so I arose at 4am,loaded up (including fitting the wheels with slick tyres,soon to become part of the story) at the factory and drove off in the dark. Arrived at a little after 8:30am unloaded at my carport, parked the trailer, completed the paper work and drove the car to the end of the scrutineering line. Got the car to the end of the line and as I tried to move it into the scrutineering bay I could feel some resistance to the cars forward movement.I overcame this resistance with power(stupid thing as it turned out) and moved down to the bay.After the test one of the female testers said "Are you aware your rear right tyre is flat" and sure enough it was very flat.I decide to move the car as I could almost roll it to the Dunlop tyre truck and when I checked the tyre I could hear air rushing out from the inside of the tyre.At this point I should have checked further but due to Ross' sillyness I just got the wheel fitted with a new tyre ($500). So I am ready for the first practise and go out to complete only one lap before the same rear tyre blew,luckily in front of the track exit so I was able to get it off the track with some help.Got the car back to my pit and found what I should have realized before.The newly fitted Rear anti roll bar was rubbing on the inside wall of the tyres.Luckily the left tyre was ok but the newly fitted RH tyre was trashed. After giving myself a severe talking to I sent the wheel off to the Dunlop man for another new tyre ( another $500, $1000 total ) and removed the offending roll bar. So with my pocket feeling much lighter and all rear end restored I confidently set off for qualifying with only the new front brake pads to bed in.Car felt ok, understeering the way I expected at this vey tight circuit and as I remembered from last visit.
Qualified 10th time 1min 37.9
Race 1 on Sat afternoon was an 8 lapper and we roll round on the warm up lap to form on the grid.I was confident of my usual good start and sure enough rocketed up to third place.I was having a good dice with a supercharged Lotus Exige, he was all over me in the corners but my superior power kept him behind me until he took advantage of a slight off I had at the 2nd last corner. I recovered ok but he hit my rear wheel when he had a lunge under brakes.I spun on my own axis but got going again only to lose 5th position to him.Finished 6th Best lap 1min 35.6
Race 2 Sun Morning, 8 lap race I had decided over night to disconnect the front roll bar as a test.Got away to my usual ripper start and wow the car was now turning in and handling much better.So pleased with the improved handling I was shouting to myself under the helmet.
Held out the Lotus easily and finished in 3rd.
Best lap 1min:35.6
Race 3 Sunday arvo 10 laps, not good start as felt light headed as we ran to the first corner. The Lotus blew up during the race so I finished in a lonely 4th place
Best lap 1min:37.4
Race 4 and last race 6 laps got a great start and into 2nd place but lost that position at the 2nd corner to a fast charging Ford Falcon v8 supercar, but held onto his rear quite well for the whole race.No threat from behind and held on to finish 3rd.Tightening the left front wheel bearing had cured the steering shimmy under brakes and the car felt good.I was having to hold the gear lever to stop it jumping out of third gear at one corner.A little adjustment to be made.
Best lap 1min:36.6
Picked up a trophy for 2nd place over all in Sports Cars and Loaded up for the 3hr trip home.
I believe I have found a large improvement in the handling of the car which I now need to use as a base to carry on.Really good to finish the weekend on a high when it started so badly.
Ross

Bill Hara · 04-13-08, 11:48 PM

That's great news Ross, pity about the tyres though. So did you run without any rear anti-roll bar?

Where/when is the next race?

Bill

Straight 8 Racing · 04-14-08, 12:04 AM

Onya Ross, I think that white lotus was at Bathurst 3 weeks ago, they spent an awful lot of time working on it in the pits

Iain

Ross Nicol · 04-14-08, 12:34 AM

Yep ran with no bars at all Bill.One of the things my test proved is how these blades on my adjustable bars do not effectively remove the bar when at minimum setting. It was also the first time the car has felt driveable at Winton.So I'm on the right track with the handling.The bar would have been adding to an already too stiff front end.I intend to check roll centres etc but I'd take it to Phillip Island as is if I had to.The next meeting is at Phillip Island on the 17th and 18th of May.
Ian I do know the Exige used to be normally aspirated and ran with the support category for the V8s I think.He has limited his options on where he can race by fitting the Supercharger. I gave him a hand to push it on the trailer and he wasn't too happy so maybe it's going to be expensive for him. Incidentally the guy in the Falcon got a shock when I blitzed him off the line he referred to me as that red thing.He was firmly told that red thing was a GT40. By the way Mort Fitzgerald won all the races which wouldn't surprise you I wouldn't think.Hope you got to talk with him at Bathurst he's a really nice guy.
Ross

Tim Kay · 04-14-08, 12:38 AM

Way to go mate

thanks for bringing the action home to us........almost like being there with ya.

Russ Noble · 04-14-08, 02:35 AM

Good one Ross!

Just waiting for the video link now....

A grand on tyres.... you're starting to sound like a P****** racer

Cheers

Jac Mac · 04-14-08, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ Noble

Good one Ross!

Just waiting for the video link now....

A grand on tyres.... you're starting to sound like a P****** racer

Cheers

Yep, he could have bought a 4bbl for that!

Ross Nicol · 04-14-08, 03:16 AM

Yep there are a helluva lot of things I could have spent that grand on.But Russ aren't you the guy that was going to use a dunger motor but wasn't able to resist the bling of what money can buy? The video will go back in for Phillip Island Russ.The trouble with me is I get distracted too easily and as you can see my distractions are costing me money by the bucket load.The video recorder will be able to show you my new ability to steer one handed around corners. Jac I have more discussion material to discuss with you after the weekend but I thought I'd let you read my sob story first. By the way the new kitchen I'm using to bribe the Missus is not working and I haven't even told her about the money I spent at the week end yet.If you read about a bomb going off in the South East of Melbourne I'm probably dead and she has found out.It's ok though I've heard there are virgins waiting for me.
Ross

Jac Mac · 04-14-08, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ross nicol

By the way the new kitchen I'm using to bribe the Missus is not working and I haven't even told her about the money I spent at the week end yet.If you read about a bomb going off in the South East of Melbourne I'm probably dead and she has found out.It's ok though I've heard there are virgins waiting for me.
Ross

Think the bomb might have already gone off & affected your hearing Ross--- you sure your wife has not already heard about the virgins & is waiting for you!!

Jac Mac

Malcolm · 04-14-08, 04:22 AM

Some good placings Ross, way to go! Shame about the tyres but think of it as an investment that made you 2 seconds a lap quicker as you took off the ARBs which, from the way you wrote, may not have happened had you not had the rubbing issue leading to the blow outs. Get some video back on board, be fun to see you in action.....