Spa Summer Classic

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erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Spa Summer Classic

Post by erictharg »

Heading out to my third Spa Summer Classic tomorrow. Practice (Spa Ardennes Challenge) Friday afternoon, Race 1 (60 mins) Sat afternoon then race 2 (60 mins) Sunday afternoon. Both races have a 3 min pit stop so plenty of time to refill my tiny tank. Usually only need less than 10 litres adding as I can do 40 mins on a tank. Have a new pop up shelter to live in / house the car that should hold off whatever weather Spa throws at us. Car is as it was for Snetterton other than the new pressure plate, new pads and new rear wheel cylinders from a Mini (smaller bore) that allow the bias bar to run nearer then centre position. Ideally we want warm sunny weather for all the hanging around that racing involves and then just a shower an hour before the race to allow me to put my wet's on and do some giant slaying! However Spa has a habit of surprising weather wise so I go prepared for anything. Hopefully get some video. Will keep you posted!
alleggerita
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:06 pm
Location: Uden, the Netherlands
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Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by alleggerita »

Weather is looking good for the moment. should be calm over the next couple of days, although in the Ardennes it is difficult to predict 1 hour ahead.

Have a safe trip.
Splat
Posts: 461
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:12 am

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by Splat »

The best of British luck to you! Or maybe not, as that would mean your coming home early; after first practice perhaps............. :?

Have a good weekend! :D
adamwilkinson
Posts: 187
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:17 pm

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by adamwilkinson »

What happened Charles, I've just peeked at the results and noticed you were a DNS in both races?
alleggerita
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Location: Uden, the Netherlands
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Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by alleggerita »

Charles is probably packing and trying to get out a very wet Spa, and not able to see your question because there is no proper wifi overthere.

Yesterday around noon it was discovered that suspect steam came from under the bonnet. After good looking and thinking he decided the head gasket needed replacement and Austin, Charles' support and I helped him with it. After an hour the engine could be restarted but the problem persevered, or even got worse with oil spitting on the exhaust manifold too. Hence the DNSs.

I will let Charles do the entire story, he is much better in that than I am, but I thought I give you all a heads up.
Splat
Posts: 461
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:12 am

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by Splat »

alleggerita wrote:
> but I thought I give you all a heads up.

With terrible puns like that, we ought to make you an honorary Brit! :D

Bad luck, Charles! :(
erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by erictharg »

The England football analogy is a pretty good one. Never got past the first round. Ironically I was thinking how remarkable the little A Series was whilst pulling 6800 in top at the end of Kemmel in practice. How long would it keep doing this?
However, to start at the beginning. Left home Wednesday about 1100. Cruised down to get the 1600 Dover Dunkirk ferry and stopped at the cheap Premier Classe hotel at Loon Plage, just a mile or so from the Dunkirk ferry terminal. Headed out from the Thursday AM and got to Spa by 1400. Pleased to find we were allocated a garage (but had just bought the new £400 pop up shelter...) in the old "endurance" block (on the run down to Eau Rouge). But some confusion over whether or not we had to share it. We knew Cheng Lim (SR&GT competitor / organiser with mutant Cobra) was arriving later Thursday and hoped to rig it so we could share with him and his team. Cheng arrived to find someone was already in the garage he was allocated so decided to move in with us. That meant we had the SR&GT tea urn outside the garage with the essential fig rolls. Also as Cheng and Jane were staying off site in Coos they brought in fresh bread and croissants each day. All looking good so far. Bloody bliss!
Friday was warm and sunny. Spent most of the day hanging around for the scrutineer who was supposed to be coming to us in the garages. Finally arrived mid afternoon (tight given we had a briefing at 1500 and out at 1725). Usual Spa check of clothing and scarcely a glance at the car.
Practice was 30 mins. First couple of laps gentle then picked up the pace for 3 or 4 fastish laps and then took it easy to save the car. It was all going nicely with the tyres being sticky enough when I got back to pick up paint from the pit garage. Best lap was 3:16. Not too bad but I'd done a 3:15 first year out. As ever there were places where I knew I could brake later and hang onto the throttle later, so I hoped to beat the 3:15 in the race.
Once back in the garage I did the usual "once over" the engine bay and the only thing that caught the eye was the level in the header tank had dropped maybe 15mm. Never does that. Took a closer look and saw a few frothy bubbles at the head / block joint. Thinking I may have a head gasket to change. However, also noticed the fanbelt was looser than usual so set about adjusting it. Then I realised it was because the lug on the water pump had cracked. Yikes. Now we have a real problem. Despite my close call at Oulton with the water pump I'd not brought a spare. Moron. Remarkably, 15 mins of cruising the pits found me a replacement pump for €40 (£16 from Mini spares...). Got the semi pro team next door to drill out the alternator mounting hole to 10 mm on their pillar drill and we are good to go. Except that we also notice the thermostat housing has weeped. Maybe that was the water loss? So pulled the housing and re-sealed with RTV. Then ran the engine up. Seemed to be pressurising straight away and steam coming out of the rocker cover so I opted to do the head gasket. An hour later (with Jack and Austen's help) we'd swapped the gasket. Worryingly I could see no problem with the one we removed. Torqued it down and ran the engine up. Still a lot of pressurising and clearly running hot on one cylinder as it ran on after killing the ignition. Tried a couple more times and the same result. Shit. Shit. Shit.
The engine was just not right. After much debate I decided it was not worth venturing on track for the race. I am still wondering if I should have tried it. But doing one lap and dumping my coolant (or worse) on the track didn't make sense. Even ran into a guy from Germany who was there to pass a head to Neil Slark as a core and offered to sell it to me. But it was really high CR with stock valve sizes and small ports and Neil's view was that it was not worth the risk. And he should know.
So, sat and watched Cheng and Phil James drive the mutant Cobra to first place in pouring rain. A brilliant achievement, that they then repeated on Sunday in similar conditions. At least we were associated with a winning team!
After 3 seasons of racing with fantastic reliability (only 2 DNF's in that time - drowned at Brand's and head gasket at Donny) I really can't complain. Would have been great if it could have hung on a couple of days but when I think what that little engine has done I'm only amazed it stayed whole as long as it did. It doesn't owe me anything.
We headed off Mid Sunday AM as it continued to piss it down so opted to get home a day earlier than planned.
So, head off now and going to MED Thursday for checking. My diagnosis is a crack somewhere. If defective I'm done to the season - can't pay another £900 for a new head when I plan to swap to the 4 AGE at the end of the year. If it somehow proves not to be defective I'll shoot myself!
Sorry to miss Rocky this coming weekend as it's only 20 mins down the road. Hope to spectate.
If you are tempted to race expect days like this, but not always, and do it anyway! The good times make up for the bad. At least that's what I tell myself. Worth it just for the dinner we had with Cheng and Phil along with Barry Sidery Smith Friday night. So many stories!
Splat
Posts: 461
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:12 am

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by Splat »

I can't help but admire your phlegmatic approach to what sounds like a frustrating weekend, Charles! And that also explains why Neil wasn't there when I stuck my head into his place late on Friday......
erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Re: Spa Summer Classic

Post by erictharg »

I've enjoyed remarkable reliability over my first few seasons. So having watched friends go through the same many times I can't be too downhearted. I have been lucky to date. Got to put it behind me and decide if I resurrect the A series or focus on the Toyota engine and Class C for next year. Suspect the latter. Can't say it doesn't bother me - of course it does. But you have to put it into context. Disappointment is a big part of motor racing. But so is coming back and trying again!
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