A nice long run up to the first left hander (Bryn saw 70mph on my speedo at one point before initiation). The turn was a little deceptive as it looked tight but opened up nicely linking into a fairly long straight (I would give you the length in approximate yeards but I haven't a clue). This was to be transitioned to set the car up for a slower 2nd gear right hander which fed immediatley into a tighter left hander before a brief run to the finish marker. The first turn had a clip towards the beginning of the apex and iirc the second and third clips where the rumble strips of the next right-left combo.
So hopefully, despite my shocking descriptive skills, you now have a very, very rough idea of how the track was set out. this is how it went for me.
The car was dropped off at Stealth Performance on the wednesday night before hand for the new, non leaking sump to be fitted and a few other tweeks to be carried out, such as reapiring the exhaust that I have tried my best to rip off on a Brecon run the monday before and to move the hydro as I kept bending the leaver and not being able to use it.
Buffy had been flat out on other customers cars all week to allow an s14 was to be mapped at Norris Designs on the Friday morning. This wasn't going to be an issue time wise as it was booked in for 9am sharp and it meant it would be out of there fairly early in the day and that Buffy would be back at the unit with plenty of time to spare... However there was an issue with insurance and tax and that could not be sorted until late on friday morning to allow for road mapping. This meant things were already behind shcedule and that coupled with a section of the m4 being closed to due an RTA on the way home meant that Buffy didnt get back to the unit until 8pm. The Bulk's also needed some work done to it before round 1 so this was done first to get him there with no issues. Buffy then started the task of measuring up and making a new sump for the car that did not leak. After a few water tests, adjustments, and a shed load of welding the sump was finished. Buffy, the legend had pulled yet another all nighter on this car!! The time now was 08:30.... Not bad considering plans where to be at the track for 07:00! So we loaded the car up and I was on my way to silverstone. I made good time and got there at about 10:30 and proceded to sign on and get scruitineered. With scruitineering passed with a few minor *get sorted before round 2* points i was almost ready to go. Here i need to thank Rhys for changing my rear wheels while myself adn Woody searched high and low for the bogs. We eventually found them but have you ever seen toilets where the queue was for the gents and not the ladies?! Anyway, I had already missed the first practice session so used the second session to try and learn the track and line. With some pointers from the Bulk and some advice from Bryn in the passenger seat I had a good idea of how to link the straight after corner 1. The trick turned out to be to get on the power fairly early before the clip to hit it, and then shallow off the angle coming out of the turn allowing the car to drift wide to the white line, giving the car more space to come back across the track and to transition.
I had to cut my practice short by 30 mins in an attempt to ensure fuel for the qualifying runs due to not hanging about on the drive up and not having a chance to stop for fuel. This meant that I was down to under a 1/4 of a tank and in an mx5 that wasnt much, let alone one as thirsty as this on full throttle :p
So qualifying came. I was the last car out being number 79 so had a while to relax. My practice run was ok.. nothing special. Just got me around the track.
Judged run 1: I got the entry bang on! Infact i was incredibally happy with it. It enabled me to link the straight very well and pretty fast.... So fast infact that I came in to the S's way to fast and due to the hydro bending so much on the entry (we ran out of time to move it and make a new handle and bleed it) I couldnt use it to slow the car down. So i resorted to the angle of the car and the footbrake. This wasn't enoug to slow it though and with the footbrake being used too much momentum was on the rear end and around she came... a spin.. zero points for that run.
I was really annoyed at this point and instead of cooling down I went into run two with a hot head...:rolleyes:
Judged run 2: The entry felt even better than the first to start with. A little backwards which pleased me alot, but I went too deep, missing the point at which I needed to be on the accelerator, and put the rear right into the gravel which killed all momentum and ruined the run. So I just nailed it in 2nd for the rest of the lap and came back to the pits knowing I hadn't progressed to the top 8.
I noticed upon returning to the pits a massive drop in my oil pressure. It was down to 1bar so I shut the engine off and sorted bits out and watched the rest of the drifting which was quality!
5pm came and I started it up to go to the camp site.... it was rattling its tits off like there was no oil in the head so off it went. We took the cam cover off and cranked it over with the fuel pump off but had no oil reaching the head. Alan from team green came over and we had a brief chat about possibilities. I then spoke to Buffy and we suspected the pick up had cracked.
So sunday I watched, and watched, and watched and got very depressed! Bullers old man then towed me to the services where I called the rac hoping to be towed home. I can't thank him enough for that! Now the saga witht he RAC begins! Im told a 3 hour wait is what I can expect, however the guy turns up after roughly 45mins. I learnt a valuable lesson at this point though.. it turns out if you arent displaying a tax disk (id lost it) they will NOT tow you even if the car is taxed! Now there is a ball ache for you! So a few desperate phone calls later Buffy was on his way to me in my old mans Mondeo and a borrowed trailor (a big shout out to Automotion Body Repairs, without who's willingness to dig a trailor out of the yard at 8pm on a Sunday night I'd have been stranded). Meanwhile, im camped out in a BP station in a sleeping back in an mx5 trying not to die of hypothermia!! it was freezing!! The car was still getting appreciative looks though and a couple of blokes asking about which was cool.
By midnight the car was loaded onto the trailor and we were on our way home. However, 80 miles form the unit on the m5, we had a double blow out on the trailor! As if things werent bad enough!! So I eventualy made it to my bed at 04:45 am!
It was far from the best weekend but I had some seat time so that kept me happy, just about!
Turns out the issue with the lacking oil pressure was a jammed open oil pressure relief valve. so that was sorted and a set of shells etc fitted for the bottom end for piece of mind.
some pics from round 1:
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