Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

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

Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by erictharg »

I'll try to keep this concise. It's easy to let almost 6 days of one event ramble on a bit.
I was entered in on of the support races at the Spa 6 Hours historic weekend. We were pretty much bottom of the pile in pecking order, given all the exotic genuine classics there, but our race went down well with the organisers.
Practice was Friday at 0900, the race Sunday at 0900. Those times turned out to be important! The cheap seats!
Left Blighty Wednesday to get the 1600 ferry to Dunkirk. Had a super cheap hotel at Loon Plage just off the ferry - was all you need and expect for 50 Euro including breakfast. Got to Spa about 1300 Thursday. Our race was located in the "shopping area" just outside the circuit at Eau Rouge. Meant we had plenty of space and plenty of other Brits to socialise with. Also meant we all had to share the ladies toilets near the Eau Rouge gate.
Got signed on and scrutineered by 1430. Had a near miss at scrutineering as my extinguisher was 3 months out of date. Can't believe it's been over two years since I had it serviced. Credit to the scrutineers - they let it go as all my clothing was FIA approved. That's what they mainly look at. Didn't even want to see under the bonnet! We had a wander then drove into Stavelot to stock up on food and drink. Checked the car over ready for practice the next morning. I had my new Dunlop crossplies fitted hoping to scrub them in during practice ready for the race. I also had my used A021 intermediates which are good in the wet.
It poured down Thursday night but had stopped by wake up time so I still hoped the track will be dry enough for the Dunlops. Wrong! Went out to practice on the Dunlops and it was hairy. Slippery as hell and I couldn't get any heat in to start the new tyres working. Pitted to check pressures and they'd hardly risen 1 psi from cold. Didn't even rub all the moulding marks off them! Best time was over 4 minutes. Pretty grim given my previous best of 3:15.
Went to the briefing and looked at the lap time over someone's shoulder and thought I was three places from the back - felt about right!
Spent the rest of Friday and Saturday watching the most amazing collection of fine racing cars doing their thing. 70's and early 80's F1's, CanAm (including a McLaren M8D) and more Elevens than you can shake a stick at. Wonderful. Also had a good time with Dave Greenbank's team next to us. He was the only other SR&GT man there with his Mustang Coupe.
Met up with Allegeritta (Jack) Saturday, who provided us with some quality beer. Grolsch Canon at 11.5% alcohol content. Hmmm. Just the one then before racing Sunday.
Dave's Mustang was a two driver entry , shared with Cheng Lim, who usually drives the 702hp Cobra mutant in SR&GT. Cheng was also sharing a drive in the 6 hour race with Barry Siddery Smith (FIA MGB) who arranges the British race.
We watched them Saturday evening only to lose a halfshaft just after halfway. The 6 hour was won by one of the may GT40's (again) but they were pressed hard by a Corvette Stingray, with Jan Lammers amongst the drivers.
Saturday was nice warm weather with more of the same promised for Sunday. So, of course I kept the Dunlops on, expecting a dry race.
Awoke Sunday at 0700 to find it misty but not raining. Promising! Got Austen all packed up with refuelling kit to the pit lane and lined up for the parade around to the dummy grid. Just as it starts drizzling. Just enough to wet the track, which had all the deposits from the 6 hour race the night before. Oh dear...
So, pretty much everyone got caught out on their dry tyres. First half of the race was no different to practice. I had a spin coming out of Les Coombes on lap two but luckily ended up on track facing the right way. It was once again a battle for survival. About 25 mins into the race the drizzle stopped and the track started to dry. And finally my tyres started to give some grip. I came in for my fuel splash at around 33 mins and from then on it was fun building up speed in drying conditions. The end came too soon and I still had not got to full speed round Pouhon or Blanchimont, and my last lap was my best at 3:20. Still 5 seconds shy of what I did in 2011 in the dry.
The car ran fine but I couldn't realise its full potential. I guess every time you drive in the wet it is good experience. And had I gone out on the A021's things would have been better. One car drove off the grid at the start, went back to the paddock, changed tyres, rejoined and ended up 4th overall.
But we finished, and better than we started. Quite pleased to beat Dave and Cheng in the Mustang - very different cars, I know, but you have to take every positive you can!
So a great weekend, even without racing, and now looking forward to the Classic Birkett at Snetterton first weekend in November.
Did notice some driveline vibration from 6000 in top heading up Kemmel. Suspect propshaft is either not as well aligned from when I refitted the gearbox (ie not close enough to hitting the chassis!) or maybe the UJ's are starting to wear.
I did manage to video some of the race but my first time with a camera leaves room for improvement. Rain drops can sit on the lens and give a horrible blurred image and the battery life has not yet matured to cover a whole hour. But I've posted two clips on You Tube under Eric Tharg. They give some idea of the conditions! Unfortunately the battery ran out before things got dry, so you don't see any of the good stuff!
erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by erictharg »

You Tube links:

http://youtu.be/vr4kkGzik54

http://youtu.be/C8HJWK_8yEs

I'll have a go at editing out the blurry bits!
adamwilkinson
Posts: 187
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:17 pm

Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by adamwilkinson »

Charles, the first link is set to 'private'. the second one looked interesting, looked pretty greasy out there!

What camera are you using?

Try repositioning it so you see the steering wheel, makes you realise how much the car moves about.
erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by erictharg »

Thanks Adam. I'm a You Tube virgin, as you can tell.

First one should now be public too, including a big moment coming out of Les Coombes on lap two.

I'm aiming to relocate the camera to give as close as a driver view as possible. It is a Dog Cam HD bullet camera, which aside from rubbish positioning and water drops filling the lens, has quite impressed me thus far.

Can you make the Birkett Historic? It's the one last event I'll do this year.
alleggerita
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:06 pm
Location: Uden, the Netherlands
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Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by alleggerita »

the Grolsch must have been your "potion magique"!

The spin at 19:15 was a bit of a lucky escape I guess: you manage to stay on the track and avoid the slippery grass, otherwise it could have been worse.
adamwilkinson
Posts: 187
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:17 pm

Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by adamwilkinson »

such a graceful spin, buttock-clenching moment hoping it wouldn't suddenly grip and fire you into the Armco I bet!

I was hoping to make the historic birkett but our preparations have been delayed by almost a month due to my nan breaking her leg so I doubt very much that i'll be there. we have some fine tuning of the drysump system to carry out including lowering the oil pressure - Silverstone it was running around 80psi the whole race which, I expect, is why most of the oil ended up on the outside... still, at least the chassis wont rust!

I might try and come along and lend a hand at the birkett though.
erictharg
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:50 pm

Re: Spa Briitsh GT & Sports Race, 22 Sept.

Post by erictharg »

The spin was a worrying moment - I was amazed to end up pointing the right way and not having hit anything. Maybe it was the Grolsch? Could be worse talisman than a certain type of beer...

Adam - If you can make it to the Birkett that would be great. See how things go.

Jack - let me know when you are next over and we can maybe catch up again.
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