SR&GT Brands Hatch 28 & 29 April 2012

[erictharg]

Double header at Brands - practice and one race Saturday, second race Sunday. Naturally watching weather forecast all week and frankly not looking forward to it. Had to leave home at 0630 Sat to get to scrutineering on time. Fortunately only light rain on the way down. No queues at the Dartford crossing either - could be worse.
Rain persists so put tyres up from 18 to 20 psi (kept the A021's on - supposed to be an intermediate). Practice pretty horrible. Track very slippery everywhere. A lot of oil that has just spread with the rain. Car lets go in a big way a couple of time but I get it back. Even managed wheelspin in third on the start finish straight. Relieved when it ends. At least two other SR&GT cars take some damage due to other cars loosing it and hitting them. I talk to Polley about tyres and he advise I need to have the cold pressures up to what I normally get when hot, which I'd guess to be 24 - 25 psi. Bump them up to 23 as a compromise and back the damping right off at the rear. The Sat afternoon race is still in heavy rain. Amazingly not at the back of the grid with two cars behind me. Get a good start for once only to be squeezed out as the big block Cobra in front of me finally gets some traction. Red flag lap two when a car spins and stalls on the start finish straight. Retstart is more chaos but I hang on to a group in front that would normally leave me for dead in the dry. Not worth even trying to pass them though - just asking for trouble. The Cobra does a very artistic pirouette at the top of Paddock and the three cars behind slow whilst he stops spinning and gets underway again. I finish in the same position as I started and just pleased to still be in one piece. Felt better with the higher tyre pressures. Stayed overnight at the Thistle hotel so warm and dry and a good nights sleep.
Sunday dawns and its still bloody raining. Heavier if anything and now cold and windy too. Gazebo has collapsed overnight in the wind. Depressed and decide I'm going home if it's not stopped raining by noon. Then start to get a string of people saying the forecast says it will stop by 1400 (race scheduled for 1520). Sure enough at about 1330 the rain stops, and the sun even comes out. Everyone's mood lifts. Track dries nicely and the second race is much more fun. I hang onto the Cobra again for a while but eventually he gets away. Car felt to be going OK but as with Silverstone I'm almost 2 secs off my best time last year...
Have a pleasant drive home in warm & dry conditions. But engine sounding somewhat tappety. I need to check the valve clearances - I've a sneaking suspicion that the engine has eaten another camshaft. If the cleances have opened it's pretty certain. The last cam was badly worn when I rebuilt the engine last winter, and this one is also reprofiled instead of from a new blank. Would explain the fall off in performance. In fact I'm hoping that is the problem, as at least its a straightforward fix. I don't want to be going to Spa with any unexplained maladies.
Need to think seriously about a trailer too, but that really needs me to change my road car for something a little beefier. My 116 is a lovely little car but filled up with kit and 1000kg of car and trailer on the back might be too much. At least if I have another car with towbar for Spa I can rent the trailer.

[adamwilkinson]

Sounds like you had fun, i wouldve gone slightly higher on pressures but then thats down to driver preference.
Ive just got a company car so now need to sell my SEAT, ideal tow car (as used by me for towing the eleven) if your interested...

Our quick engine refresh has turned into a major rebuild, found a minute particle of metal on the oil relief ballbearing, closer inspection shows scoring to cam bearings as well as the wear to the big ends (which we knew about). Hey ho, it'll be ready for spa.

[erictharg]

Checked my valve clearances and all OK, so just imagining a problem. No. 1 was maybe 002" wide but that could be my setting in the first place! Plus the MED 1.5 rockers use spacers instead of springs so will be noisier. So assume engine to be fine and it's the driver causing the poor performance!
Have you got your Spa entry in yet? It was not posted on the website (Cheng is going to do it) but I've got a copy emailed directly if you need one.
Tow car strategy under review - may need to double up as Sally's drive to work car...

[adamwilkinson]

I've got the entry form, from the roadbook.be website, just need to send it to barry.

SEAT is ideal every day car too...
I'll be using it for Spa if i've not sold it by then. Do you know what day you're heading over?

[erictharg]

I've emailed my form direct to the address shown on it. Maybe I need to let Barry know too?
Current plan would be to leave Wed evening post rush hour and get a late night ferry. Doze on the ferry and if needed on the other side, have breakfast somehwere and aim to hit Brussels late morning and be at Spa early Thursday afternoon. Fancy going in convoy? Will hopefully be my first trailer trip! In fact it might even be possible to get to Brussels before morning rush hour and be at Spa for Lunch.

[adamwilkinson]

I cant make the Thursday, think we're getting a 6am ferry on the Friday so should be there for lunch on Friday. Can you save me a spot in the paddock? Everyone spreads out taking up loads of space.