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Marcus: motor racing in 2007
 

Campaigning both the Mallock Mk27/28 EBX (Official Clubmans reports at  http://www.clubmans.org.uk) and the Superstox 2 litre
 

Here is the  list of events in 2007 and after each race a short report from my point of view. I have not raced at all of the SuperStox races but I did those that were within reach and which did not clash with Clubmans.


 Clubmans Championship Races numbered Date Circuit
   1 January SuperStox at Wimbledon Stadium: 2-litre Ford Pinto engined Superstox... car No. 717 in the picture above left. 
Race 1 15/16 15.627 on lap 13, 2 laps down, winner Sean Brook best 15.096
Race 2 11/14 15.758 on lap 17, 1 lap down, winner dave Pike 14.958
Race 3 14/15 19.688 on lap 23, 2 laps down. Winner Jason Cooper 18.302
   20 January SuperStox engine No.717 broke while Steve Everson driving. Bottom pulley sheared so there was no drive to the water pump. Engine overheated and bent crankshaft and two con rods. Engine is being rebuilt but caused cancellation of my racing at Wimbo 28 Jan, Ipswich 10 Feb and Wimbo 25 Feb. Accelerated the build of new engine No.2 by Mike Pearsall (camshaft and parts by Brian Randall, machining by Vulcan) which we started running in and testing 3 March. Some overheating problems
  25 February Superstox at Wimbledon. Overheated  to 140 degrees Centigrade and pulled out after 2 or 3 laps in each of 3 races. New radiator, water pump, checked water ways.
  29 March Clubmans Track Day, Snetterton. Tested and trained with Michael Mallock in my yellow Mallock No.10 above right and Adrian Lester in the other Mallock in the picture, now black.
 
  6 April Superstox at Bovingdon. Overheated 3 times and pulled out after 2 or 3 laps of first race. Unable to diagnose problem other than possible head gasket not seating due to head bolts not being shortened after head was skimmed. Rebuilt the engine the same night for Monday's racing.
   9 April Superstox at Ipswich. Before overheating manifested itself, exhaust manifold cracked. Lasted 2 laps of race 1 and classified 43rd. Yes forty-third. There were 44 cars on the grid. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, those that think 16 on a grid is a success.
  12 April Clubmans. Tested Mallock at Brand Hatch with Michael Mallock and Adrian Lester. Broke half shaft and borrowed on from Jim Lindley for rebuild before first race (thanks!)
  17 April Superstox engine tuning at Pete Baldwin's rolling road near Cambridge. He diagnosed overheating problem: Distributor stator in nylon has been rotating in the housing, changing the ignition timing by huge random amounts. Fitted different distributor. Good power, water temperature 60 to 70 degrees centigrade. Calibrated a second carburettor.
1/2
  21-22 April Clubmans Cup, 2 races at Brand Hatch (Indy). Q1 15th/18 53.610 seconds. Engine not pulling; later found timing belt had jumped a tooth. Race 1 13th/18 best 52.136.  Poor handling (understeer) due to front end not working (Adrian Lester's first win; congratulations!). Found rear right wheel bearing had collapsed; mended it in time with spare I was carrying. Q2 15th/19 52.353. Race 2 13th/16 best 52.354. I hit Paul Gibson at Druids on lap 1; he was on the left and turned in when I had another car on the right. He took my apology graciously. I took the race start with my nose gaffered up and had a play with Ian Crombie.
 
  7 May SuperStox British Championships at Eastbourne. Drew start position 7 and got hit hard on the first lap. Finished 28th nonetheless! First aid tent. Rebuilt front of the car and went out for Race 2, lead it for 8 laps, got hit after pace car incident compacted the field. 25th. Got hit in Race 3, 17th. Visited the armco three times in one evening and Steve drove me home. The good news is, the car handled well and the new engine is now terrific. 
3/4
 26-27 May Clubmans Cup, 2 races at Snetterton, Norfolk. New TrakSpax shock absorbers on the front being settled in and tuned up. Race 1: gearbox stuck in third gear. DNF. Ian Megson and put the spare gearbox in, pouring rain. Race 2 in the rain, got from 16th on the grid to 9th at the finish. Both gearboxes out of service. Will get a new one.
 5/6
  9-10 June Clubmans Cup at Pembrey, South Wales: I will miss it because of a family commitment. 
 
 17 June  SuperStox at Bovingdon. Mostly got wiped out, i.e. letting the tail get too far out and being knocked into a spin with result that another car hits me from the side. Lots of damage. Neither car nor driver performing. 29th, 28th and 18th in final. getting used to survival and getting the car to the end.
7/8
 14/15 July Clubmans Cup at Croft, Yorkshire. Missed it: the new gearbox was not ready.
  18 July SuperStox at Eastbourne. 12th in Heat 1, yeah. 15th in Heat 2 and 12th in the final. More consistent and kept out of trouble. Very difficult and stressful running a car and doing repairs without any support! 
  29 July SuperStox at Bovingdon. New bumper (got three now, in various states of perfection). Not on the pace (arsey). Panhard link securing lateral movement of the rear axle had been bent slightly in last meeting and not replaced).  A small knock in race 2 broke the rod and ended the day.
9/10
 4 August Clubmans Cup at Oulton Park, Cheshire. 2 Races in one day. Race 1 Q12 1'06.867 Race DNF (put on anti-droop after quallies, lost the back at Druids, got out of the gravel but a stone caught under the cam belt and threw the timing off by two teeth) best 1'12.238. Race 2 11th out of 17 from back of the grid best 1'06.813. Touched Richard Gilmour on right hander after the pits. Car was horrible in left handers.
  11
 2 September Clubmans Cup at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire. Missed it because of family commitment.
 12
 16 September  Clubmans Cup at Thruxton. New top hats and chamfered spring retainer on front shock absorbers to improve freedom of movement. On 3rd lap of qualifying a stone got under the throttle stop and engine revved to max. Pulled out. Only lap timed 1'30.589. Better race from the back of the grid to 11th out of 19, best 1'25.557 on lap 4. Both engine oil and diff oil on inside of rear right tyre. Work to do before Silverstone. Enjoying the new Tony Thompson/Quaife dog box and getting used to the clunky positive feel.
13/14
 30 September Clubmans Cup at Silverstone. Difficult handling no a favorite track. Q1 20/25 1'20.285 R1 
  27 October Birkett 6 hours relay race at Silverstone. Boss Hoggs are resting on their laurels this year having beaten the Hart Attacks in 2006 for the first time ever.
  28 October SuperStox at Wimbledon. Race 1 was the World Championship; I had not got enough championship points to get a start. Race 2 was the Howard Cole Memorial Trophy. Led for several laps until posted by No.40 Steve Sutch who followed in on Mark Smith all the way round the back corner. Mark could not avoid sliding me into one of Wimbledon's notorious and dangerous posts which hold the steel hawsers at the edge of the track in place. No armco. Front right wiped out, some chassis damage there, and raer right severely damaged by the car behind. Axle cracked. Steve Sutch not reprimanded (take a look at the video). Could not get out for Race 3.
  4 November Clubmans Haggis trophy at Silverstone. Did not enter. Given up on the Mk28. Grr. Or is it me? We shall see...
  25 November SuperStox at Wimbledon. Successful evening thanks to Steve Everson helping with the repairs and set-up. Having the Madgwick brothers and son, fresh from Sid's first race win at Arena Essex the night before in his MiniStox, was also a motivation. Race 1 was the Best of Britain starting in championship order, i.e; I was nearer the back, 25 out of 32 cars, out of trouble! Kept clean to finish 19th. best lap 15.495 seconds (best ben Marjoram 14.722). Race 2: started 3rd and took the lead, only to be hit and mounted by another car on the pit turn, on camera! Finished 20th, best 15.204 seconds (best Steve Jackson 14.829). Getting on the pace by tigtening front right spring. Race 3 finished 15th after leading for 8 laps. I spun on my own after 59 Steve Hamilton had overtaken me for the lead, Best 15.322 seconds (best Steve Jackson 14.845). Finished all three races. Car is knackered after all the year's shunts, but getting on the pace overall.
  New Year's Day Superstox at Wimbledon. Possibly not but I love this meeting so will try.

DNF: did not finish or not classified, i.e. no championship points  Powertrain Clubmans Cup round in bold
Note: (Championship Sporting Regulation 1.5.1) In accordance with MSA regulation B.8.4 the organisers reserve the right to amend the published list of dates and rounds, in which case, all registered competitors will be informed of the amendments by Official Bulletins posted to the address specified on the Official Registration Form.
 
 
 
 

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This page updated 11th December 2007

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