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2007 Predictions - how did you do?

Started by rod stead, May 29, 2007, 22:56:27

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Geoff Archer

rod i hope you and nick sort out and stay, bob i fully understand your point, i hope kieth and steve stay,
see my gardening leave (if i take) it is for only one year of the 24 hr, this was decided before the race to regardless of result,
the reason simple, time and preperation, the 24 hr race as paul/pete/wayne/phil etc will tell you is not just over the 24hr weekend, but its about turning up with a prepared car ready to run, which means solid work over the months with my buisness head on and as that puts food on my table, i need a year out to re charge, but i am willing to prepare a car for the 24hr on a buisness footing we will.
i am as most folk are on the end of a phone, we give no bullshit answers,
but please remember like all racing the 24 has to have luck involved, but i belive you make your own luck!!!!
NES 2cv Speed Shop
+44 (0)1609 771313

Francis Rottenburg

Jon Davis is determined to make a good finish this year. Specialist Citroen knowledge and bags of experience of the event could well see the dark car coming out of the night in a influential position. Enthusiasm from Francis can only add to the potential result. Predict top 10 with anything up to 5th possible.

Hmmmm!  Well Jon (car 77) decided that the cursed Fine Print car from the last two years should be purchased and turned into a winner.  Sadly the curse went with the car!    Jon decided that the front wheels weren't sloping in enough so more negative camber went on with the result that the car looked like an elephant had sat on it.  The race engine seized after about 15 laps of practice and a new engine hurriedly constructed til 02:30 on Sunday morning.  Ran okay but only 5100 at the end of the straight...  We had moved up from late 20's to about 20th and going okay when I decided that there was a fly in the car during a safety car thing.  While I was chasing it out and not looking where I was going, the SC did one of its "slow the cars down now" and I mounted poor old car 30 from behind (sorry again guys) which resulted in a heavily modified front and 20 laps fixing the only motor we had.  Jon was very understanding after he had broken all his knuckles against my solid bone head.....

My only claim to fame is three times holding full power - no more steering lock - slides at Richies (scared the ECAS car witless once!) and a warning from the CoC about using the grass at Coram.  I told him I thought that was where the circuit went...  it gives you a great line into Russells though.  Sundry oil leaks, holed inlet valves, parking in the mud hole at the end of the Esses and various other misdemeanors left us about 29th at the end.  

I know it was a tad excessive but it is bloody good fun in the wet!  Jon avers that he is going to build another new car for next year which mean four different cars in four years.  Any suggestions anyone?????

Nick Roads

I think Steve got us pretty spot on - he predicted

Car 40 - Crisis Racing

By name and by nature here. On effort alone from the driver lineup here the car should expect a top half finish. But, a crisis will probably have the inevitable effect of sending the car towards the rear. This is a long race and almost anything can happen. Predict - 2nd half finish.

What he knows is that we ask a lot of stupid questions and try to listen to the answers. What he did not realise was that lady luck can shine even with all that rain.

The car was setup for endurance over the last couple of months. If the parts worked we left them in but had a spare for the expected crisis for most of the car.

We qualified with the first engine on Saturday afternoon 29th but had no Friday testing so did not expect a high place. Our times however were a lot slower than last year so swapped to the Brands engine which we had warmed up for half an hour during that race without a fan. At night even with a full fuel tank it ran much better (Q 27th) so we used that for the race.

We decided on the tortoise approach so resisted the urge to take some Sunday test time. Put our feet up and stared at the weather forecast.

The race started well and we moved up pretty much every hour. We had very few problems. 10 or so off's (particularly through rusell) to check on the ploughing abilities of the car (excellent) combined with 2 or 3 spins to shake off the water gathering in the car were down to driver errors. We found we had lost the top part of the right front wing after 4 hours at a pit stop (helped cool the car and keep the electrics exposed for inspection from pit wall). A couple of knocks with other cars ensured we could beat the panels to release tension.  A broken fan base was spotted by Rick Meyers (our secret weapon in the pits) at a pit stop which necessitated a new fan but probably saved the engine and at the end of the race the right light bar had snapped off but the 2x15 amp wiring was holding it all together.

The drivers were lowering their lap times as we realised the rain was not going away and racing like this was fun. Our position was helped by others problems but by the last session's 3 of the 4 drivers were lapping in top 15 times so we held our position quite easily. One driver (Simon) complained of headaches only to find he was using the wrong helmet (it was 2 sizes smaller than his) and we somehow lost 2 sets of balaclavas. The Lucky Jon catering division kept us fed and warm.

13th was above what we expected but deserved on the day we feel. Next year in the dry may be a different proposition but if its wet we are ready and aiming for top half again. Preparation clearly helped but was inexpensive if you draw on experience over fashion (archer for engines, pembro for gears/ steering, lady luck for electrics and sparrow / whitwell for pretty much everything else). Best of all the car is ready for the  2008 24 hr (we will keep racing it as is this year) without need for a rebuild but we will need to remove the rookie sticker..

Andy Craig-Smith

Panas perdicts:-
Car 48 - Whitwell Motorsport
This car is a complete freshbuild. Mark Turner of Whitwell Motorsport is close to finishing the project which was started soon after the race last year. Little expense has been spared in time, over 1000 hours so far. Driver lineup is the same as last year with Rocket Dog. An unclassified finish at Brands from Steve Panas does not bode well for the event with Andy Smith and Mad Pete due to race at Silverstone shortly. No doubt the car will look very good but with no tracktime, new components and untested engines any success here would be suprising. Predict - 10th - 20th.

Well what can I say?
The crystal ball was spot on, but if any money was bet on this prediction a stewards enquiry would be started. Too much inside information I think!!!
Rocket Dog Racing