Silverstone 24 Hours 2006

[Paolo-LoveGT40 Modelworks]

Go Malcom Go!!

Hope I can see the 24 hours from tv also in Italy (maybe some internet tv).

My Italian race spirit will be with u too

Paolo

 

[Malcolm]

For those that like pictures, if you can follow this link it will take you to the Albert Motorsport web site who had the car in Germany for two months getting it ready for our race.

http://www.albertweb.de/Porsche/Projekte/2006/Clonis/Clonis.htm

Sorry, it is in German but I think the gist of it is that the top group of pictures are before they started and the rest is of work they have done.

We have had two engines built, two gearboxes built, both test fitted for compatibility and to find out how long it should take if required (45 minutes to swap over) plus all new suspension arms/components and joints. I think the brakes are new but can't be sure on that, certainly pads and discs are new! In addition they have checked over the rest of the car and ensured it all works with a test session, both on and off the dyno. I even got a phone call so I could hear the engine running on test! Sweet!

The car is now to be tested in the UK to get some miles on it. There is no running in period for the engines, go straight to full revs!

Paul and I have been thinking about putting "live" race reports up to the forum during the race so you can see how I do (hero or zero!). He is running in the Brighton Speed Trials during the day in Roy Smarts car (another trophy Paul?) and then hot footing it to Silverstone with a few of the other guys to come and support me. So if in time he will use a remote internet link to give you pictures, comments and lap times (good ones only) plus news on any drama as it unfolds. Just in case Paolo can't find us on the TV! Being a 24 hour race (starts 5 pm UK time) this should be fun for people the world over! With Keith's great photography the atmosphere may just transfer down the wire. No pressure Keith!

I would also like to say a thank you to some others not yet mentioned here who have encouraged and helped practically in getting me ready for the race. Rob Broomfield and Roy Snook, your support and help is much appreciated. There were a couple of guys who came up to me at the GTD club track day and just wished me well as they had been following my antics on the internet and through the GTD club magazine from afar. I didn't recognise you (sorry), but again thanks for the encouragement.

And as a last comment, we have just had a team discussion on how to fund the tyres if we get to beyond 18 sets (£1,000 per set)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jools, can I borrow your tread cutter?

 

[Malcolm]

A bad day today!

All our testing at Silverstone has been cancelled by Silverstone! Thanks guys! No other circuit has any day our team can make bar Rockingham but they want £300 per hour! Silverstone is £90 per hour, but if you want exclusivity it is apparently £25,000 per day.

I have a photo shoot on Thursday with one of my sponsors for their in house magazine, just as well I got my race suit back from the dry cleaners today. The aim is to take the pictures in front of my cars as the race car is in Lincoln (other end of the earth). We will get formal team pictures at Silverstone in due course.

So with no testing the car will be a concern. It did do a shake down in Germany, and looking at the tyres on its return it was quite thorough. I hope it is enough. As a driver we should each get up to 1 hour prior to the race in formal prctice and qualifying on the Thursday and Friday. But in my view you can never have too much seat time if you want to learn a car.

 

[Ron Earp]

Good luck this week Malcolm, I hope you get a lot of time in the car before the race! Any forum members attending the race other than mentioned crew? Paul, use that camera a lot!!!!

Good luck!!!

Best,
Ron

 

[Malcolm]

Today I start my race program with a test. Tomorrow official practice, Friday Qualifying and then the race on Saturday/Sunday.

The aim is to post regular updates as the race progresses via Paul Thompson technology! But only after he has arrived from Brighton Speed Trials. He is a good egg!

Come visit us in pit garage 10A, we are car 34 under the banner of BLS Automotive. All visits welcome.

Will try and post again tonight after testing.

 

[HILLY]

Good luck Malcolm.
Cant help but get excited just reading it so far.
Keep the updates comming.

 

[Malcolm]

Well today didn't go as planned as there were issues in getting the car to Silverstone that delayed the cars arrival and then officialdom at the gate meant we couldn't get the car into the circuit until after the circuit shut! Great.

However I have sat in the car (ooooh!) and run up the engine (double oooh!). It sounds....purposeful! It is a lot noisier inside than from the outside. But it has about 10 times the rear vision of a 40, ie nearly quite good rear vision. I feel comfortable in it.

There is still plenty of prep work to be done and we have planned visits from Stack and from Autotel to set their gear up. I really hope my adapter works for my headset as Autotel headsets are dear.

The paddock is filling up nicely now with some great transporters. The Dutch Supercup challenge is a support race and so they came over in convoy.

The works BMW team are making the world debut race for the new Z4 and are two pits up from us.

I have been running around tonight getting everything together to take up in the morning, including now a three peice suite to chill out on in the back of the garage, 8 garden chairs and a fridge! Tumble dryer is not being released by Wendy until Froday! And we are taking some bicylces so we can whizz round the perimeter roads to watch.

Steve Miller is here helping me and he is a great second pair of hands. Somehow I doubt he thought he would be doing all this grunt work on his vacation!

My physio contact has dropped out. Shame. He thought the race was a tad shorter so is not happy to stay up all night. So anyone out there good at keeping drivers supple?

Tomorrow is a 5 am start. I need to be at Silverstone by 7:30am and will be on track at 9 am for up to 40 minutes practice.

I will send some pictures to someone who can post them. I am struggling here at present but did take a few that are worth having here.

 

[Mark Worthington]

Awesome!!!

Best of luck to you, Malcolm.

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Right - some pictures.....

Steve Miller from Boston, posing in front of the race car...

A cockpit and car shot + sponsor listing

View of the motor

Malc going 'vroom vrooom!'

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

One last picture from Malc -

I had a call from club members Bjorn and Nadine, Also at Silverstone today, as Nadine was showing (teaching) Bjorn the art of 'drifting' in his recently aquired Viper GTS (not easy he tells me).... When I said that Malc was also at Silvertone today, they ventured over to see him and hopefully the racecar. I mention this as Malc also sent me a picture of a set of tyres from Nadine's Supersharged Viper - Ouch!! - lets hope Malc and the rest of the team don't get that much tyre-wear!!!

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Steve will be visiting Brighton Speed Trials on Saturday - to see numerous club members battle it out on the quarter - After which I'll be taking him straight back up to Silverstone to help Malc and post regular updates... hopefully with some video too..

Will keep you posted..

:zzz: :zzz:

 

[Malcolm]

Today I actually drove the car! Yippee!

After waking at 4:30 (why is it when you need sleep you don't get it?) drove to Silvestone and had a great greasy breakfast to tee me up for the day!

Today was a test day only. Not all teams were there. But it doesn't mean there is any less drama!

John (the owner) went out first for a shake down lap. It is everyone's first drive of this car. It is that fresh out the workshop in Germany. Came in and all is well. Then another 4 laps and in again to change over to me.

John and I talk as we switch over. He gives me some pointers and double checks I remember what switch does what. Also he makes sure I am properly comfortable in the seat and that the straps are correctly set for me. The seat is tight on me (a skinny runt!) so I am well fixed in the car.

Press the start button and she fires up immediately. I am given thumbs up to go so pull out. No, I don't stall! But it is an on off clutch. The clutch on this car is so noisy. A bag of nails springs to mind. It is a full Porsche race gearbox but it does have synchros.

I have never been on a race test day before. There are no overtaking rules today! It is not too crowded so no problems there although I get a bit close to a Morgan Aero Eight at one of the chicanes as he goes out of my sight as we both turn in.

Car handles really well, very neutral. John had cold tyres so the back was a bit loose for him but is ok for me now. The power delivery is in a very short band something like 4750 rpm to 6750 rpm our limit for today. The engine is good for 7500 but for endurance racing we have shortened it a bit. A safety margin.

The engineer from Stack has not yet been so the setting up of our dash and timing is not yet done. I only have a rev counter to work by plus warning lights for oil and brake fluid. Also there are no radios installed yet.

When in the power band the car is a rocket, much quicker than my 40 and Prosport. Corners only better than the 40 though but that is to be expected if you know Prosports. Easier to drive than a 40 too with quite light controls. Gear shift is an issue as I have never driven a 6 speed box.

During our two hous in the morning I do 15 laps.

After lunch Alistair and David arrive for tehir turns. 1.5 laps into David's go and back into the pits. We have broken a rocker bolt! It took a bit longer for the team to find this out than to type it but apparently no 5 cylinder is prone to giving this sort of problem. We have 24 bolts such as this in the engine. I am dispatched to Trident Racing and buy 100 new bolts for £9.50. Clearly they are not that special. However we have knackered a hollow dowel that locates the rocker. The mechanics disappear and return 1 hour later with one just machined up "round the corner". All fixed up but we have missed our afternoon slots but Alistair talks the race organisers to let us run with a later session. David and Alistair get proper runs in.

We go to scrutineering for our noise test. The limit is 102 DB. We fail at 107. Ooops. Try again a bit later and just with the clutch in to stop it rattling we drop to 104. Just 2 DB to go now but that is now for tomorrow.

With the engine concerns we have the engine builder coming in from Germany tomorrow and he is bringing a different silencer. He may also have to change all the other rocker bolts to be sure.

Times today do not really mean anything. Only Alistair and I got any decent lenght time in the car. But for those interested even so, John was running roughly around 2.17.xx. David was at 2.13.xx, I ran 2.11.8x and Alistair was running 2.11.6x. The x's mean I can't remember the exact times. These really don't mean much but they do tomorrow as we have day and night qualifying.

David has been nominated tostart the race as a safe pair of hands! He is thrilled (!) by this but he wasn't present when we took a vote so he is doing the start.

There is still lots to do like I can't see the shift light, will my radio headset work, replace the padding on the roll cage as our crash helmets are sticking to it plus all the regular race car maintenace required. There is more to do than I know about!

It was great to see two of my sponsors make the trip up today (Cobb Contruction) and it was even better that they left before the car broke!

I also had a planned meeting with Brian Davies from Avon Tyres who happened to there supporting a support race series, about the 295 50 15 they are now supplying. He had asked for feedback. I beleive that the American dealers are soon to be getting them? Check with the racing Avon suppliers in the States and pester them to get you some if they are what you want. I began pressure for a 235 50 15. We shall see. Better not take three years again though.

Anyway, another early start tomorrow. Paul has some pictures from today which he will post later on (thanks Paul).

 

[Malcolm]

live timing for the race plus commentary is at

http://www.sportsync.net/sportsyncaccesspages/LiveTimingEERC.html

http://www.0157.org/

 

[Ron Earp]

Hey Malcolm,

This is some good news! Glad to hear things are going somewhat okay and it looks like you fellows will be racing. I'm glad we're not the only team that has to fix things in the pits before an enduro.

So the race starts on Sat. afternoon, right? I hope that those live feeds will work, I'll check them out. I'm sure that car is a blast!

There is still lots to do like I can't see the shift light, will my radio headset work, replace the padding on the roll cage as our crash helmets are sticking to it plus all the regular race car maintenace required. There is more to do than I know about!

Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcom - don't sweat all this stuff, drive the car! Remember the mantra "I don't need no stinkin' radios! I'll come in when I'm done and they'll damn well be ready!"

Paul, if you can get some pictures out that'd be great. I can re-size if needed and post in case you guys can't.

Have lots of fun and keep the reports up!

Ron

 

[Malcolm]

No pictures from today as I am tired! It is late already. What drama for us!

We fail noise scrutineering again. Third time and we get through.

John goes out for day qualifying and doesn't make it back on lap 2! Rocker on cylinder 5 has gone again. This is now serious concern. Qualifying is 1 hour. We miss the rest of it. I can't begin to describe how the mechanic guys deal with this. They are amazing. No fuss just fix it. To this end it meant getting thinsgs ready for the engine builder who was coming in from Germany. His engine, he deals with this. All normal race prep stuff continues like working on helmet headsets, checking other items on the car, sorting the night lights, these are so cool! The mechanics are like no-one I have ever seen before working on a car. This is their job, they are good at it!

The engine builder arrives from Germany with our spare engine. After some time fiddling with the origianl engine, says "no good", it is out in less than 30 minutes. New engine is running in under 35 minutes! And the mechanics weren't rushing it.

We are now set for night qualifying. If we don't do 4 laps each we do not race. John goes first. Trundles round. 6th gear jumping out. David goes next. Trundles round, 6th gear jumping out. My go, 6th gear, then 5th gear jumping out then no 3rd gear at all. I crap my pants, will I make this round? I am also trying to give a radio talk to the crew as to my position. Radios not working, Autotel in for ticking off! IT is rented gear. Fast cars all around. I pit 1 lap early. Safety car for an incident, I tag along and do my laps. Alisatir goes out. No new problems and we can now start the race but last on the grid!

New box tomorrow plus other last things and we can go racing!

New engine seems good, bigger power band, easier to drive. Tired but happy.

Paul will take over from here when he gets to Silverstone late tomorrow evening maybe 9pm earliest? May start new thread?

 

[Malcolm]

Race starts 5pm GMT!

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi all - Malc's pics from Thursday - Sorry for delay but I did not get home till 00:40 this morning and was knackered!....

Anyway -


1617 Malcolm with sponsors Cobb Construction , Andrew Worsley and Steve Juniper.

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

1624 going out for first run, last minute briefing

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

1633a at speed

 

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

1635 mid session pit stop and check over