RMU Classic 2009, Spa. - Page 3

compte deGraves · 6 Apr 2009, 09:02 (Ref:2434879)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

You even spelled Comte right! Not like his highness!
I have now entered the Modus (subject to surviving Donington) and the Brabham FJ - be a busy week-end.
Marcus

That was a typographical error when I registered for the site, which I have no idea how to correct.
As you rightly point out the correct spelling of my title is "Comte", however I prefer if the English do not address me in a pre-revolution manner as it always seem to sound like a rude word

Peter Horsman · 9 Apr 2009, 06:57 (Ref:2437147)

At Charade at the back end of the season, the Trophee Lotus was mostly Sevens and similar (though not hot-rodded cars - the 17 had quicker lap times), and there was a huge shunt early in the race. Of course, that may not have been typical.

compte deGraves · 9 Apr 2009, 07:57 (Ref:2437171)

Thanks Peter. A friend of mine in France applied for a licence to race a Lotus 7 but it was a requirement that he had half of his brain removed before they would issue the permit

FISCracer · 11 Apr 2009, 00:00 (Ref:2438372)

Quote:

Originally Posted by compte deGraves

I have just heard from Michael Ashley-Brown that the FISC Euro Tour is not taking place at Spa and that our 1960 S1 Lotus Elite is going to race with Throphee Lotus. Does anybody have any experience of that series?

I raced with them twice in 2008 - in Barry's race at Spa in May and with FISC at Dijon in October. IIRC they were all S1 and S2 7s on road tyres ie its not like racing Caterhams on Yokohamas. A decent lot, good driving standards and no shunts on either occassion.

HTH

compte deGraves · 11 Apr 2009, 08:08 (Ref:2438462)

Thanks FISCracer - I am greatly comforted by your comments. I am afraid I don't have a very high regard for my countrymen's track manners

Eddy V · 27 Apr 2009, 18:24 (Ref:2450922)

Not a bad event this one. Some good and close racing from the Orwell big bangers. The GTC-TC races were good as well, shame about the first race where everything seemed to go wrong. A missed start, safety car intervention and a few other minor problems. Some great cars in here as well.
The F. Junior races were fantastic, the leading trio were battling like Formula Fords. Great!
In general it seemed that race control was a bit of a mess on the Sunday.

Shame I missed a few people, but we were short of marshals so I couldn't get of post like I wanted and sorry to hear about Henrik Pedersen's problems.
Good to meet Marcus Mussa at the Delta Motorsport truck, hopping from one car to another.

Henrik Pedersen · 28 Apr 2009, 08:49 (Ref:2451376)

Hi Eddy
The problem was a blown head gasket, and I had not did not have an extra, next time I will.
But it was great seing Carlo with his lovely Ensign.

Marcus Mussa · 28 Apr 2009, 10:45 (Ref:2451461)

Nice to see you Eddy, I like your orange jacket! It is funny how one picks out colours as one drives around the track – whenever I see people in yellow jackets I lift as I think it’s a yellow flag – at Stavelot there is a bright red patch on the outside wall and every lap I think it’s a red flag. No wonder my lap times were so slow. But orange is fine, so you can keep it!
The FJ races were fun. The only trouble is that FJ has become the Salvation Army of historic racing – we let in everybody who cannot race otherwise, so in come the F3 screamers, the Formula Renault cars who do not want to race with Formula Ford and so on! All well and good, but they do mess up our own races and I just wish they would find their own races to play in!
The nadir was being so kind as to let in a F3 driver who did not even qualify (he was at a funeral – somebody else’s presumably) but as he is a really fast driver he was allowed to start without qualifying, and even allowed to start on the 3rd row, so as to avoid a problem at La Source at the start. Trouble was the 3rd row meant I went back a row – I do not mind if he starts in front of anybody else, but I do mind if he starts in front of me! (Well I have now reached the grumpy old age of 60!).
And then what does he do, this idiot? – he charges off regardless and crashes at La Source, hits another F3 car and one of the two complete twerps goes half way around the track before stopping out of oil, leaving a trail through the Raidillon (just what one needs on a nice dry Saturday in the sunny Ardennes). The other F3 boys leave body fluids all over the track (all except for the nice Swedish driver whom I raced with – Gunnarsson). They should get their act together – otherwise the ACM will have to get a truck load of extra cement dust before next year!
Anyway there it is – I am also grumpy because I spun four times in four races. Twice at bus stop in each of the FJ races, and twice at Les Combes part 2 in the F3 races – at least I am consistent.
All the best
Marcus

delta · 28 Apr 2009, 11:58 (Ref:2451518)

In all the years ive known Marcus last weekend was the first time ive ever seen him get cross.

My race in the Elite was very tame. Not sure how we ended up racing with Batmobile BMW's, Porsche twin turbo things with slick tyres larger than the whole of the Elite and some very fast MK1 Escorts. Anyway i started last and by the time i got to Kemmel straight everyone had gone!. Undetured i knucklled down and low and behold caught up with a Mustang, Porsche 944 and a Lotus7. Dun them one by one under braking then had a good run through Eau Rouge and managed to drop them then realised i still had no one to play with.Enjoyed rest of the race then had the last couple of laps having a ding dong with another Lotus 7 with him beating me to the line.Him and his Dad were chuffed to bits you would of thought he had won a GP.Great fun thanks to the Compte and good to see felow 10/10 .only 4 weeks and im back there again "cant be bad"

terence · 28 Apr 2009, 12:52 (Ref:2451568)

Quote:

Originally Posted by delta

In all the years ive known Marcus last weekend was the first time ive ever seen him get cross.

My race in the Elite was very tame. Not sure how we ended up racing with Batmobile BMW's, Porsche twin turbo things with slick tyres larger than the whole of the Elite and some very fast MK1 Escorts. Anyway i started last and by the time i got to Kemmel straight everyone had gone!. Undetured i knucklled down and low and behold caught up with a Mustang, Porsche 944 and a Lotus7. Dun them one by one under braking then had a good run through Eau Rouge and managed to drop them then realised i still had no one to play with.Enjoyed rest of the race then had the last couple of laps having a ding dong with another Lotus 7 with him beating me to the line.Him and his Dad were chuffed to bits you would of thought he had won a GP.Great fun thanks to the Compte and good to see felow 10/10 .only 4 weeks and im back there again "cant be bad"

Hope that big orrible yank tank didn't baulk you Iain.

James Murray · 28 Apr 2009, 13:26 (Ref:2451584)

Marcus-bad luck with your Spa exploits, are you at Silverstone next weekend? I can't help but thinking there are'nt enough 1000cc f3 cars around to make up a decent grid at Monaco next year. Also they dont look right on those modern tyres which are basically cut slicks. They should go back to the higher profile Dunlop tyres like they had in the day. If anything at least it would slow them down and stop them annoying us....

delta · 28 Apr 2009, 14:03 (Ref:2451612)

Dont feel to sorry for Marcus he did finnish 2nd overall in the FJ's

compte deGraves · 28 Apr 2009, 15:41 (Ref:2451660)

In my humble opinion the new bus stop is horrible. Does anyone know a flowing line through that complex?

Marcus - are you going to post your Spa video on You Tube?

simon drabble · 28 Apr 2009, 15:56 (Ref:2451663)

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Murray

Marcus-bad luck with your Spa exploits, are you at Silverstone next weekend? I can't help but thinking there are'nt enough 1000cc f3 cars around to make up a decent grid at Monaco next year. Also they dont look right on those modern tyres which are basically cut slicks. They should go back to the higher profile Dunlop tyres like they had in the day. If anything at least it would slow them down and stop them annoying us....

Iwas speaking today to someone far more knowledgeable than me on F3 screamers and he said that teh real problem with teh current ones is that they are not revving as high as they did in period... is this right?

James Murray · 28 Apr 2009, 16:05 (Ref:2451665)

Not sure. Don't know much about their intacacies. The junior engine will go to 9.5 although its not really worth going over 9. Screamers reputedly went to 10.5 in the day I think and its basically the same engine as the junior with 100cc less and only single choke carb.

Maybe the current drivers don't use the big rev in order to preserve reliabilty. Keith Norman told me the current French drivers have the best engines but don't know what they're revving them to. Unsilenced they sound glorious though and the cars look the part. The modern profile tyres spoil them I think. They would look much nicer on period Dunlops but would be slower so can't see that happening.

delta · 28 Apr 2009, 17:27 (Ref:2451717)

I had a Holbay screamer in my F4 car back in the 70's. Without doubt this was the best engine i have ever had. I used 10.000 rpm but if you missed a gear then that was that. Answer dont miss gears there is no excuse.!!!!!

Alan Morgan · 28 Apr 2009, 19:26 (Ref:2451769)

I owned the MAE that Iain referred to (and, in fact sold it to him - it was a Lucas, not a Holbay, by the way). It was a particularly good engine. I used to get it rebuilt by Geoff Richardson (who worked at Lucas in period), and it produced 117bhp on his dyno (not bad for a 1 litre Anglia engine with a single choke carb, and an air restrictor. I used to use 10,200 rpm. If I exceeded that, the inner valve springs used to break (but could be replaced without removing the head). Other things to be careful of were the plug inserts (necessary to permit the use of 10mm plugs). They used to come unscrewed, and were heavily profiled. It was very important to screw them in the right way round, because, as every schoolboy knows, sparkplugs have (or had) twin start threads. I used to carry about 40 plugs ( which were regularly taken back to Champion for cleaning and testing). I was eventually able to start the engine on hard plugs after fitting electronic ignition.

The engines had to be warmed up at a minimum of 3000 rpm. There was no power below 7500. Before silencers became compulsory, the experience of 10 or more MAEs warming up in the paddock in close proximity had to be heard (and felt) to be believed.

It's probably why Delta is a deaf as a post now...

Oh - and I seem to recall Keith Messer telling me a couple of years ago that you can rev an MAE to 11,000 now. Anyway - as Iain said, a fantastic engine.

I agree with James regarding the tyres - the cars look silly on the low profile rubber. In their heyday they had 10" wide tyres at the front at 22" diameter (the same as an FF2000 rear), and 11" or 12" wide wheels at the rear with 23" diameter tyres. I still drag out my DVD of the famous 1970 Crystal Palace F3 race every couple of months to enjoy what was arguably the best junior category ever.

Eddy V · 28 Apr 2009, 20:17 (Ref:2451805)

Quote:

Originally Posted by compte deGraves

In my humble opinion the new bus stop is horrible. Does anyone know a flowing line through that complex?

Not only your opinion. It is a c**p corner. I was observing from the post next to the pitlane entry and I've hardly seen anybody take that thing properly. A racing or flowing line there is not.
Every driver who tries to outbrake somebody is the big loser, as speed is scrubbed off at an alarming rate. And since they've put those big extra kerbs in, they have created a launchpad. Will make a few piccies of those added killing kerbs this weekend as I'm on the same post again. Bugger.

Iain, how come you're not in the results as yourself?

E40racer · 28 Apr 2009, 21:03 (Ref:2451832)

Some photos from sunday on my homepage -> http://www.e40racer.be

GORDON STREETER · 28 Apr 2009, 21:06 (Ref:2451834)

Quote:

Originally Posted by compte deGraves

In my humble opinion the new bus stop is horrible. Does anyone know a flowing line through that complex?

No problem as Lewis Hamilton showed, just straight line it

I don't think anyone likes it especially if you have only got 4 gears like me !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JEq7Tf46PE

jerryk · 28 Apr 2009, 21:52 (Ref:2451857)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JEq7Tf46PE

my Jaguar but I think John Arnold driving it.

grantp · 28 Apr 2009, 22:10 (Ref:2451863)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

The nadir was being so kind as to let in a F3 driver who did not even qualify (he was at a funeral – somebody else’s presumably) but as he is a really fast driver he was allowed to start without qualifying, and even allowed to start on the 3rd row, so as to avoid a problem at La Source at the start. Trouble was the 3rd row meant I went back a row – I do not mind if he starts in front of anybody else, but I do mind if he starts in front of me! (Well I have now reached the grumpy old age of 60!).
And then what does he do, this idiot? – he charges off regardless and crashes at La Source, hits another F3 car and one of the two complete twerps goes half way around the track before stopping out of oil, leaving a trail through the Raidillon (just what one needs on a nice dry Saturday in the sunny Ardennes). The other F3 boys leave body fluids all over the track (all except for the nice Swedish driver whom I raced with – Gunnarsson). They should get their act together – otherwise the ACM will have to get a truck load of extra cement dust before next year!
Anyway there it is – I am also grumpy because I spun four times in four races. Twice at bus stop in each of the FJ races, and twice at Les Combes part 2 in the F3 races – at least I am consistent.
All the best
Marcus

Marcus,

I completely sympathise with your view of the F3 chap but think of it this way. Had he not been in front of you on the grid it might have been you he hit at the start rather than someone else. Perhaps it was a lucky result for you?

Glad to hear that you are improving your spin rate.

I have some photos of your practice for the Spa series of pirouettes from the race at Donington earlier in the month.

I would be happy to share them with you - privately if preferred ...

terence · 29 Apr 2009, 05:17 (Ref:2451956)

Grant,I think it would be rude of you not to share them with all on here.

compte deGraves · 29 Apr 2009, 07:47 (Ref:2452006)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

No problem as Lewis Hamilton showed, just straight line it

I don't think anyone likes it especially if you have only got 4 gears like me !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JEq7Tf46PE

Gordon, That was excellent through eau rouge.

Ted Walker · 29 Apr 2009, 07:54 (Ref:2452009)

Good results in F2 race forMatthewWatts. 2 wins out of 2 with 772BMW straight out of the box. Roll on Monza in June.

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