Ross Nicol
GT40s Supporter
Well my first race meeting for the year and I completed a few jobs during the lead up. All the 3 piece front wheels with corrected offset were finished,fitted with rubber and ready to go.I fitted a rear wing which you can view in my ongoing build section and I fiddled around with corner weighting the car.I found the corner weights without me in it to be only 2kg/corner from ideal but when I jumped in and put 1/2 tank of fuel in this shot up to 6kg/corner, oh well I had no time left for fiddling so that will have to wait.
I was hoping to attend friday practice but when my licence didn't arrive on thursday and wife Cheryl's refusal to run the business I decided to deliver the car to Sandown, complete the paperwork and store the car in the garage ready for saturday morning.
Saturday dawns and out to the track early scrutineers only want to see my suit/helmet/gloves/shoes etc so easily through this and back to prep the car for 1st qualifying session 15 mins.My tyre pump let more air out of the tyre I was trying to pump up so off to use air from tyre suppliers truck.This delayed me getting to the drivers briefing on time and along with 2 other drivers had to wait for the man to deliver our extra lesson while all the other guys went out on the track.Finally I get out a bit flustered and enter the track with cars flying past on a hot lap. I try to warm up for a lap but can't do much weaving/accelerating and braking with all other cars on hot laps.
So I come round on my first hot lap down the straight into turn one, stand on the brakes and car did not respond,off I go straight ahead with front brakes locked up heading for the kitty litter.Managed to pull up with back wheels still on the grass so able to reverse out and get going again.This was our first qualifying session and things weren't going well for me so far.Managed to finish the session without further drama but bad vibration coming from front wheels.Best lap 1min 23.6 16th place.
Back in the pits front tyres found to be badly flat spotted so off to the Dunlop man for 2 new ones $1000 thank you.Add that to the $2000 for a new set of wet tyres I had just purchased on friday and you can see how expensive this sport is. The Dunlop man was out of my normal 265 slicks so I had to accept a couple of 240 tyres a little narrower.
2nd qualifying went off without a hitch and I was trying not to overheat the new tyres recorded a slightly faster lap time of 1min 23.04 and 18th grid position. Starting to get a real flow in the car now and happy in preparation for the first race.The steering is now wonderful and light, the car a joy to drive. Down on speed with the old motor in though but surprisingly not too far away I'm holding out one 'P..... car (driven by a judge no less) and 2nd last but it's a very quick field of cars.
1st race sat arvo and I come round to my grid position and my view of the starting lights is blocked by the car in front (this is becoming known as the GT40 phenomenon by me) so I arch my head to the left to get a slight glimpse.Lights go out and I've got too much wheel spin,yellow flags waving momentarily warning of a car stalled but go away.Don't make up any spots but off into the first corner and around it no problem.I'm driving well, nice and smooth and manage to stay with some competition but fall away as the cars spread out and they beat my time by 1 or 2 secs per lap.However I hang in and pick up positions through attrition passing Murray Carter's ailing Corvette just before the chequered flag.Finish in 16th place 1min 21.4sec getting better.
2nd race Sunday morning after repairing the front undertray I'd damaged during practice it went pretty much as race 1 and I finished in 15th place 1min 21.4 sec best lap consistent.
3rd race sunday afternoon got very hot in the car waiting on the dummy grid for at least 1/2 an hour while the formula Fords beat themselves up on the track. Finally out we go and I got a brilliant start in front of one of the Ferrari 360s and the Corvette/MG opponents but lost those places later in the race.Finished 13th was lapped by the front running P...... GRRRRR hate them my fastest lap 1min 22.6sec.
So to sum up I am happy with the new handling, the rear end appears firmly planted with new wing (not a hint of oversteer) and now can move on and assemble the new motor, can't wait, got to get into 1min 17sec lap times to be competitive with those P.... Cars.
Till next time
Ross
I was hoping to attend friday practice but when my licence didn't arrive on thursday and wife Cheryl's refusal to run the business I decided to deliver the car to Sandown, complete the paperwork and store the car in the garage ready for saturday morning.
Saturday dawns and out to the track early scrutineers only want to see my suit/helmet/gloves/shoes etc so easily through this and back to prep the car for 1st qualifying session 15 mins.My tyre pump let more air out of the tyre I was trying to pump up so off to use air from tyre suppliers truck.This delayed me getting to the drivers briefing on time and along with 2 other drivers had to wait for the man to deliver our extra lesson while all the other guys went out on the track.Finally I get out a bit flustered and enter the track with cars flying past on a hot lap. I try to warm up for a lap but can't do much weaving/accelerating and braking with all other cars on hot laps.
So I come round on my first hot lap down the straight into turn one, stand on the brakes and car did not respond,off I go straight ahead with front brakes locked up heading for the kitty litter.Managed to pull up with back wheels still on the grass so able to reverse out and get going again.This was our first qualifying session and things weren't going well for me so far.Managed to finish the session without further drama but bad vibration coming from front wheels.Best lap 1min 23.6 16th place.
Back in the pits front tyres found to be badly flat spotted so off to the Dunlop man for 2 new ones $1000 thank you.Add that to the $2000 for a new set of wet tyres I had just purchased on friday and you can see how expensive this sport is. The Dunlop man was out of my normal 265 slicks so I had to accept a couple of 240 tyres a little narrower.
2nd qualifying went off without a hitch and I was trying not to overheat the new tyres recorded a slightly faster lap time of 1min 23.04 and 18th grid position. Starting to get a real flow in the car now and happy in preparation for the first race.The steering is now wonderful and light, the car a joy to drive. Down on speed with the old motor in though but surprisingly not too far away I'm holding out one 'P..... car (driven by a judge no less) and 2nd last but it's a very quick field of cars.
1st race sat arvo and I come round to my grid position and my view of the starting lights is blocked by the car in front (this is becoming known as the GT40 phenomenon by me) so I arch my head to the left to get a slight glimpse.Lights go out and I've got too much wheel spin,yellow flags waving momentarily warning of a car stalled but go away.Don't make up any spots but off into the first corner and around it no problem.I'm driving well, nice and smooth and manage to stay with some competition but fall away as the cars spread out and they beat my time by 1 or 2 secs per lap.However I hang in and pick up positions through attrition passing Murray Carter's ailing Corvette just before the chequered flag.Finish in 16th place 1min 21.4sec getting better.
2nd race Sunday morning after repairing the front undertray I'd damaged during practice it went pretty much as race 1 and I finished in 15th place 1min 21.4 sec best lap consistent.
3rd race sunday afternoon got very hot in the car waiting on the dummy grid for at least 1/2 an hour while the formula Fords beat themselves up on the track. Finally out we go and I got a brilliant start in front of one of the Ferrari 360s and the Corvette/MG opponents but lost those places later in the race.Finished 13th was lapped by the front running P...... GRRRRR hate them my fastest lap 1min 22.6sec.
So to sum up I am happy with the new handling, the rear end appears firmly planted with new wing (not a hint of oversteer) and now can move on and assemble the new motor, can't wait, got to get into 1min 17sec lap times to be competitive with those P.... Cars.
Till next time
Ross