Ross Nicol
GT40s Supporter
Well for the start of this report I have decided to take you back to friday when as usual last minute jobs are completed just in time. 2 weeks ago I removed the front brake rotors and had Will Croll machine them to remove the runout.They were machined to Will's exacting standards of .001" runout.Now these AP rotors/discs have an aluminium bell with bobbins mounted in it which allow the rotors to float by about .004". It took me 2 weeks to get them together and back on the car, a long story which may bore you.Earlier in the week I said to Will how about you make me a smaller diameter anti roll bar for the front.The new bar was only completed on Friday afternoon so it had to be installed on friday night. My friend and I completed this task during the consumption of our friday night beers (only 2 light beers) after which we reassembled the car and I drove around the block (test track) a couple of times to bed in the brakes.After this I went home with the intention of returning after the evening meal, but my reclining chair beckoned and I decided I could do the rest in the morning before setting off to the track.
I'm up at 6am and off to the factory, warmed up the GT40 and did some more brake bedding before packing all the gear into the ute and preparing the trailer to load the car.This is where things went a bit pear shaped as the car bottomed out on the trailer and refused to budge half way up the ramps, after 15 mins of struggling with it I managed to acheive the desired result but by now I was running way past my time schedule.(Mental note) you must always load up the night before.I had a brainwave that I should take the new Eastlink freeway which should speed up the trip and yes I was right, got to Sandown in only 15 minutes.The sun was shining and I was not bothered that I didn't have a garage.I was hoping to be able to use my adopted college boys & girls garage but when I looked there was a car already in it, a P........928 no less,damn, oh well I did ask if it was possible to get my car in overnight and that appeared to be ok.
One of the college boys (Michael) was allocated to my car and after showing him how to use the tyre pyrometer he checked tyre pressures while I did my paperwork and took my gear to the scrutineers.Cheeky scruit reckoned my suit needed to go to be dry cleaned but I shall defy him.I have to wear it and the smell surely doesn't inhibit it's fire proofing capabilities.
At the drivers briefing I signed the sheet (100 bucks if you don't) and ran into a few drivers I know of course, followed by the same old rules they insist on repeating at every race meeting as if we may have forgotten.
Qualifying was broken into 2- 15minute sessions and I took advantage of the first one to check the brakes were ok and up at full stopping power with a couple of careful laps.The car was feeling good and I was able to turn in and apex accurately then apply power early to come out of the corners.
2nd qualifying and I was going harder as the tyre temps proved.I just couldn't help staying out and building my smooth driving style up, the car was a dream to drive. I got onto the track behind a Cobra driven by a real character 'George' I knew he has a lot more horsepower than me but I was interested to measure myself against him.To be expected he pulled away on the straights but I was back up behind him in the corners.I don't know how they worked it out but I was 10th in the 1stQ and 7th in the second and I started the first race out of ninth and finished ninth.I didn't claim any scalps off the line because I was baulked by the slow starting Lambo. As it turned out this was the only fine weather race we got.The only thing worth noting was a bit of patter under heavy braking which is most likely a bit too much rear brake.
Sunday morning and as expected the weather took a turn for the worse.It was raining and very wet under foot.I muscled the P....928 owner out of the way and fitted the wet tyred wheels in what became the communal garage.I softened the ARB blade and off we went for race 2.
Got a good start and shot up from ninth to 4th place.4 laps in and a 944 beached itself in the sand so we had a safety car for a few laps and one final lap under green. I held 4th for quite a while but the TR8 and Lambo got past me so I finished in 6th.
Race 3 a nine lapper in the arvo and conditions were still wet but some parts of the track beginning to dry.The worst wet patch being the braking area into turn 1 and I was locked up coming in there at least once.The front guys never got away from me that far as probably borne out by the lap times.I managed a respectable 1min 28sec and the leaders Lambo did a 1min 25sec lap, I had them in sight.
I'm going to have to fit a proper rear wing to compete with these front running cars, they were able to brake later and got incredible traction/grip under acceleration, much more than i had in the wet.
Well till next time
Ross
All up a very good meeting for me where the dramas were not with the car.I lapped a few tail enders
I'm up at 6am and off to the factory, warmed up the GT40 and did some more brake bedding before packing all the gear into the ute and preparing the trailer to load the car.This is where things went a bit pear shaped as the car bottomed out on the trailer and refused to budge half way up the ramps, after 15 mins of struggling with it I managed to acheive the desired result but by now I was running way past my time schedule.(Mental note) you must always load up the night before.I had a brainwave that I should take the new Eastlink freeway which should speed up the trip and yes I was right, got to Sandown in only 15 minutes.The sun was shining and I was not bothered that I didn't have a garage.I was hoping to be able to use my adopted college boys & girls garage but when I looked there was a car already in it, a P........928 no less,damn, oh well I did ask if it was possible to get my car in overnight and that appeared to be ok.
One of the college boys (Michael) was allocated to my car and after showing him how to use the tyre pyrometer he checked tyre pressures while I did my paperwork and took my gear to the scrutineers.Cheeky scruit reckoned my suit needed to go to be dry cleaned but I shall defy him.I have to wear it and the smell surely doesn't inhibit it's fire proofing capabilities.
At the drivers briefing I signed the sheet (100 bucks if you don't) and ran into a few drivers I know of course, followed by the same old rules they insist on repeating at every race meeting as if we may have forgotten.
Qualifying was broken into 2- 15minute sessions and I took advantage of the first one to check the brakes were ok and up at full stopping power with a couple of careful laps.The car was feeling good and I was able to turn in and apex accurately then apply power early to come out of the corners.
2nd qualifying and I was going harder as the tyre temps proved.I just couldn't help staying out and building my smooth driving style up, the car was a dream to drive. I got onto the track behind a Cobra driven by a real character 'George' I knew he has a lot more horsepower than me but I was interested to measure myself against him.To be expected he pulled away on the straights but I was back up behind him in the corners.I don't know how they worked it out but I was 10th in the 1stQ and 7th in the second and I started the first race out of ninth and finished ninth.I didn't claim any scalps off the line because I was baulked by the slow starting Lambo. As it turned out this was the only fine weather race we got.The only thing worth noting was a bit of patter under heavy braking which is most likely a bit too much rear brake.
Sunday morning and as expected the weather took a turn for the worse.It was raining and very wet under foot.I muscled the P....928 owner out of the way and fitted the wet tyred wheels in what became the communal garage.I softened the ARB blade and off we went for race 2.
Got a good start and shot up from ninth to 4th place.4 laps in and a 944 beached itself in the sand so we had a safety car for a few laps and one final lap under green. I held 4th for quite a while but the TR8 and Lambo got past me so I finished in 6th.
Race 3 a nine lapper in the arvo and conditions were still wet but some parts of the track beginning to dry.The worst wet patch being the braking area into turn 1 and I was locked up coming in there at least once.The front guys never got away from me that far as probably borne out by the lap times.I managed a respectable 1min 28sec and the leaders Lambo did a 1min 25sec lap, I had them in sight.
I'm going to have to fit a proper rear wing to compete with these front running cars, they were able to brake later and got incredible traction/grip under acceleration, much more than i had in the wet.
Well till next time
Ross
All up a very good meeting for me where the dramas were not with the car.I lapped a few tail enders
