Spa 6 Hours 2014

[john ruston]

So no 2 42 lap!

The aluminium GT 40 on pole and a 3 19 for the glitterati from here ,Mike and Delta show.

Well done boys.

[Cliff Ryan]

Qualifying results are on ris-timing.be

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by john ruston

So no 2 42 lap!

The aluminium GT 40 on pole and a 3 19 for the glitterati from here ,Mike and Delta show.

Well done boys.

it was dry all afternoon and into the night so much better than expected! Couple of cars looking very sorry for themselves at end. Green Healey looks like went off on own oil at 9 and hit barrier on inside, and Shryver Shapecraft went through gravel into barrier at Campus (14), rumoured by a guest driver on their first lap.

Our 'Goodwood gremlin' is still manifesting itself, even after having been completely through the whole fuel system- and replaced the coil! During qualifying we fitted a new pump to main tank and still no different... Last resort today is to bin the roll over valve! There is a way to manage the problem, which although not perfect will give us a fighting chance.

Iain has his hands full, the Volpini is due out early this morning and at 10pm last night the head was off. The Sports 2000 is in need of a new rose joint to rectify the self steering rear end.....

The big question now is weather for the race! We have been very lucky so far, less wet bits than predicted.

[zefarelly]

Go Well Mike. I'll be rooting for you.

SOunds like Iains got another quiet weekend on his hands, he loves it!

[Peter Mallett]

Good luck chaps. Hopefully I'll make it back there next year.

[simon drabble]

I know it has been said a thousand times before but looking at the times the improvement in times is relentless, Mustangs now seem to be nudging 3-00 and I gather GT40's now can run over 2 hours between refuels. It does seem a shame that the rule book has clearly been torn up and it is a straight arms race.
I would love to come back to this race but only when it's a level playing field. Snet 3 Hour seems a more stringently policed race and probably better for it.
Having said that as the race is soon to start I would.d lie if I said I wasn't a little jealous of those lining up! Good luck all ten tenthers!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

........................... as the race is soon to start I would.d lie if I said I wasn't a little jealous of those lining up! Good luck all ten tenthers!

I concur. Maybe we'll get the MGB engine re built now the Rover is just about there.

[john ruston]

The pole position car will win an arms race.Nobody can approach their commitment.

It's the difference between having a proper driver and cream of the best Historic blokes.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by john ruston

The pole position car will win an arms race.Nobody can approach their commitment.

It's the difference between having a proper driver and cream of the best Historic blokes.

Drive-through penalty for the Brack car, 'red light pit-lane'. Don't know who was driving...

[zefarelly]

Just had a quick look, no European saloons at all any more, and this mythical 2:42 can't be more than a year or so away.

[MGDavid]

Another drive-thru for the Brack car... o/take under SC.

[Tim Falce]

Mike and Iain are doing OK, gone from 70th to around 61st in the past half hour or so.

[john ruston]

Mr Roger Wills deserves to win and is in extremely good position to do so.

Not long to go!

[MGDavid]

now 59th and possibly they've done their last stop

[terence]

Originally Posted by john ruston

So no 2 42 lap!

The aluminium GT 40 on pole and a 3 19 for the glitterati from here ,Mike and Delta show.

Well done boys.

Nope, sorry to disappoint but took your advice John-found a better owner , he thought our local event more worthwhile for tomorrow.So thanks for the advice John.2:42? His latest addition is even better.

[zefarelly]

No podium? How many naughty boys are there?
Just reading off the belgique timing thing!

[simon drabble]

Seems the race has been red flagged and as a result Ten tent hers had a good nought it seems with Roger coming third, well done and well deserved!

Terry I have reread your post twice and still don't understand it, I reckon the local beer and frites have been consumed this evening!!

[Mike Bell]

Race red flagged with 5 minutes left. Not restarted. That and lack of podium because of torrential rain, thunder and lightning! Garages flooded, personal belongings soaked, awnings trashed in paddock including Iain's truck one and my two easy ups. Underneath the wreck of one is hopefully an intact SLR...

So we had a dry start, torrential downpour 30 minutes in, it dried out again then in later stages it was constant heavy rain. Several safety car periods. We moved up by doing first driver change under SC, and first refuel during 2nd. Rest of strategy went out of window as our 'Goodwood gremlin' was present from first lap. As it appears that fuel feed from no1 tank is causing problem, we were having to run on small no2 a lot of the time, so range was limited. While Iain was coping with the later rain, drivers wiper parted company so we had to move left one over. Also only had one spotlight all darkness after said driver had a small argument with an MGB early on!

Just to cap it all I came back to the truck to find that had left skylight open and bed was soaked. Stripped it all and attempted to hang stuff to dry. Spent night on floor and for some reason have a headache this morning. Waiting for dawn to break to survey the paddock scene, then try and recover all the soaked parts boxes and equipment from garage!

BUT....... Despite all that we finished! A top 50 was on the cards without the two extra fuel stops, so 54th at end will do. Excellent team work from all helpers and my buddy / co-driver, and other buddy Rick Bourne who took on the mantle of team manager. With a real Le Mans and several Spa 6s on his resume, he more than made up for our lack of experience.

So Gilbert's 2014 Big Adventure, Revival followed by Spa 6, are over. The little car has once again done me proud......

[simon drabble]

Congratulations Mike and Iain

[Peter Mallett]

Yes well done and hopefully everything now dried out.

[Cliff Ryan]

Well done Mike, Iain & Gilbert!

I was a tad worried when I saw that race was red flagged and you were shown as out on final timing, but glad all's well.

Roll on 2016!

[The SpeCTator]

Well done to all. I would have loved to have been there, despite the rain.
Enjoy today.

[gary396]

I can echo what Mike said about the rain during the race it was torrential and then thunder and lightning - after a while I did realize that I was carrying a monopod around with me, not that sensible given the lightning so I took it back to the car by which time the flooding in the car park was up to my shins! So discretion got the better part of valour and I left before the end - couldn't face the prospect of trudging back to the centre.

Good spirits on the pit wall with Iain and his/Mike's crew whilst Mike was on circuit - the Gilburn looked in great form in that setting. Will try and post a few photos later today.

Local weather at the moment - very heavy rain in Spa so not sure what the circuit action will be like today. Forecast is lot cooler and rainy!

[lemansfan]

My Cam stopped working after the first Rain . D'ont know what happened . Hope it will be not to expensive .

[Tim Falce]

Well done Mike, Iain and Gilbert, I was trying to follow it on the live timing in between repairing a software glitch on my PC probably caused by iTunes updating everything.
I take it the Galaxie Iain was supposed to be in now didn't make it through the night which is a shame.