bar
has a torsional index of 200 foot-lb, about 4 times as stiff as cars normally
run. On one set of tyres the car was quicker with the roll bar on, and
on the other set it was quicker with the roll bar disconnected (despite
struggling for grip at the exit of Russell's). Next move is get a normal
roll bar made by Mallocks and see if it cures my high speed corner problems.
I had the video camera mounted on the rear of the car pointing backwards,
so some of the images here are a bit different!
Not a bad start. I got past Steven Dickens (first time out, and fast) but then so did half a dozen. Peter Clark's Leopard had not survived its qualifying crash and did not start, so my 17th was 15th at the end of lap 1. Nick Bailey and Paul Freeman got past us on lap 2 and Tony Pouyanne was tucked in behind me looking menacing, as Phantoms do. Nick spun at Riches on lap 3. Paul went left on to the grass, I got through by a whisker on the tarmac (picture above left), but Tony Pouyanne's car suffered a lot of damage when he was forced off to the left (picture right... his car is a foot in the air). I can see from the video today that Tony had been a long way behind me on the pit straight... he therefore did not see the beginning of Nick's spin and came across Paul and me on the brakes. You can see him turning to avoid me as much as to avoid Nick, and I am very grateful for that. Alex Osborne got between me and Nick's stranded car. By a miracle no-one actually hit Nick and the racing continued. I was then 8 seconds behind the middle pack, whose rearguard was Bjarne Mumm, Stefan's brother and co-owner of their Mallock 28/30, also having his first race. It would have been lonely but for the black and white car in my mirrors...
Ian
Crombie hunting me down. He was unhappy to have Alex Osborne on his back
and pushing up the inside of this and that corner. It's all recorded on
my video camera, mounted rearwards for the first time. They slowed each
other up at times, but they were still catching me. By lap 9 of 11 Ian
was 2 seconds behind... then he got taken by Alex at the beginning of the
last lap, and try as I may I could not prevent Alex getting a better drag
out of Russell's to pip me to the line my the diameter of a front wheel,
6 hundredths of a second.
Barry Webb had his own little adventure. I have not heard the circumstances but can only look in wonderment at the five still pictures of his spin out of the Bomb Hole (right). You can look at all five, a great sequence, in Dave Milsom's page of photos, images 38 through 42. Note in image 37 that Barry is looking back at Mike to see (successfully as it turned out) if he can help avoid a massive T-bone.
14th finisher was pretty bad but I could not have hoped to finish higher. My best lap time in Race 1 was 1'18.620, fifth slowest out of 24.
In an act of desperation I put the front roll bar back on for Race 2. The
car was more stable but a bit slidey. This time it was me that got past
Nick Bailey on the first lap, heaven knows where. As I begun to challenge
Paul Freeman, Nick hit me from behind under braking for Russell's and spun
me round... I started off again last. Being angry must do some good because
I did my best lap of the weekend three laps later, at 1'17.761. That's
10th fastest of the finishers in Race 2, including faster than young Alex
Osborne this time, so I could have hoped to finish higher than my eventual
lonely 14th. But did have fun with Chris Burnham for 2 laps!
Henk van der Spoel, Westfield and Mallock driver, and Onno came over from
the Netherlands for the weekend. Ray Mallock is grateful: they helped rebuild
his clutch. They race in a sports car series there. The 
Sports
2000 folks are off to race with his club next weekend. On the cards is
an invitation to Clubmans to go and race at Zandvoort or Assen next year.
Any takers? Nice pic by Henk of Onno and me.