Oulton Park 24th Sept

[davemullender]

Just a quickie to say thanks to all the Marshalls at Oulton Park this weekend from the drivers of the Milltek Sport BMW Challenge. As always you guys n gals were stars despite more red flags than you could shake a stick at (although not in our race - engage smug mode)

Dave

[mazda59]

It was a smashing day with lots to keep us on our toes Dave
Just how we like it !!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by davemullender

Just a quickie to say thanks to all the Marshalls at Oulton Park this weekend from the drivers of the Milltek Sport BMW Challenge.

Thanks to the Milltek Sport BMW Challenge drivers for one of the best races I've seen this year!

[SRPhoto]

A fun day for drivers and marshals, good weather too!

[deadsquirrel]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Thanks to the Milltek Sport BMW Challenge drivers for one of the best races I've seen this year!

Does seem to be a good series - they were cracking at Rockingham earlier in the season too!

[Woolley]

It was a good day. Dave, I have to say the BMW race was superb. Through Knickerbrook only a couple of light contact moments (both unintentional, I'm sure) despite some very close racing. Brilliant stuff. Extra marks to the 635 who dropped his oil immediately after leaving our sector in practice!

[SJC-214]

Thanks to all who took part there was some brilliant racing throughout. I had a very enjoyable day at Lakeside.

[pit bull]

exceptional day, i like to say a BIG thanks to my pit marshals ( Dave and Rod)who made my life easier as thier chief, many thanks too, to Mike, Walter, Rod and Pam who deal with controlling the top end of the pits when the many red flags were called, for those who vanised of to other major events, somewhere south, (bad on you) you missed out on a great day.
Pit Bull (Chief Pit marshal, Oulton park) for one meet at least

[Bob Pearson]

Yep, well done and thanks boys and girls, I'm ashamed to say us BARC Renault boys and girls let the side down a bit being sparse on entries, but it was nice to get a good clap from you all on the slowing down lap.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

Yep, well done and thanks boys and girls, I'm ashamed to say us BARC Renault boys and girls let the side down a bit being sparse on entries, but it was nice to get a good clap from you all on the slowing down lap.

Even one of the Clerks doubted this race would see the Chequered Flag!
Good day all round - Beemers were tops.

I think my name is mud in RC, as I gave them specific instructions on how my team from Old Hall would deal with any startline shunts (There were NO marshals on startline post)

No sooner had I said that - whallop the K&N's had rather a big startline shunt!!! Sorry!

My little team at Old Hall were fantastic - thankyou very much for your invaluable assistance, and congratulations to my trainee IO who received his last sig and has now made the grade!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

but it was nice to get a good clap from you all on the slowing down lap.

You probably noticed you got very enthusiastic applause from the Knickerbrook team....not unconnected with your impressive 'spun & continued'!

[Bob Pearson]

Yes Dave, I did wonder if there was a certain amount of sarcastic irony in that applause. I could have been even more embarrassing, the damn thing nearly got away there on the next lap as well. I could well have found myself having to explain twice on the trot to the clerk.
A serious question, not critiscism, but could Denis's car not have been pushed onto the in-field and so a red flag avoided, or would it then have been in the firing line for the entry corner of Knicker?
On Mark's point of would the race see the chequer? I must admit, when our collective preformance of the whole day was taken into account I can understand his lack of confidence. 3 impacts, 3 gravel trap visits and 5 spins that I new of and there was probably more, It's hard to feign offence at your comment Mark.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

On Mark's point of would the race see the chequer? I must admit, when our collective preformance of the whole day was taken into account I can understand his lack of confidence. 3 impacts, 3 gravel trap visits and 5 spins that I new of and there was probably more, It's hard to feign offence at your comment Mark.

Not my lack of confidence Bob - I was referring to a chat at lunchtime with a Clerk!
My personal thoughts were that the whole day was very entertaining - and that certainly includes the FR's. I was glad to see the number 8 car made the start of the race, as he sustained quite a bit of damage to the rear suspension in qually, after an arguement with the armco at Old Hall.

[Steve and Gruff]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

A serious question, not critiscism, but could Denis's car not have been pushed onto the in-field and so a red flag avoided, or would it then have been in the firing line for the entry corner of Knicker?

The main problem with Oulton, and the movement of very low single seaters is that as soon as they are moved from the black stuff onto the grass they bottom out. When this happens only the tows will get the car off again. It may look nice and smooth from the track but unfortunately this is not the case.

Cheers Steve

p.s. As i was at Old Hall i cannot comment on the actual incident at Knickerbrook.

[Bob Pearson]

Bill's damage was confined to a bottom wishbone, we had a new one with us and so that got him back rolling again. It's ironic Mark, that you said you had no startline marshals, when we were red flagged in the race a army appeared, even if one of them's only reason for being there seemed to be to berate myself and Carolyn for failing to guess that we should stop before the grid rather than on it as per regulations.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

It's ironic Mark, that you said you had no startline marshals, when we were red flagged in the race a army appeared, even if one of them's only reason for being there seemed to be to berate myself and Carolyn for failing to guess that we should stop before the grid rather than on it as per regulations.

Sorry Bob, I mean incident marshals on the Pit straight area of the track!
Those that "Greeted" you after the race stop would have been from Deer Leap and Pit/Startline marshals

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

Yes Dave, I did wonder if there was a certain amount of sarcastic irony in that applause.

I can assure you none was intended, just appreciation of a good recovery. Well, OK, Woolley & I may have 'exaggerated' our applause, but only because we know you!

I could have been even more embarrassing, the damn thing nearly got away there on the next lap as well.

We did notice that - we wondered whether there was a car problem which either been the cause of, or caused by, the spin.

A serious question, not critiscism, but could Denis's car not have been pushed onto the in-field and so a red flag avoided, or would it then have been in the firing line for the entry corner of Knicker?

A question I'm happy to answer! I was really annoyed that we had to call for a red flag. The car came to rest with the rear wheels still on the circuit, but unfortunately the engine had stalled & wouldn't restart. We had both the time & the manpower (or should I say man & woman power?) to push it out of danger. The intention was to push it across the grass clear of the chicane & leave it up against the Armco on the outside of the circuit, safe from any cars going straight on at the chicane. Unfortunately after we'd pushed it no more than a couple of metres, it 'beached' itself (that's 'beached', not 'seized', Gary! ) - a problem with cars whose ground clearance is measured in microns! Ironically, when the car had been dragged back onto the circuit, which had to be done using the winch on the recovery vehicle, it started first time!

[Bob Pearson]

I did seem to be losing grip on the left rear, but only there and at Druids. I decided to take it a bit easier after what was nearly the second Knicker spin. Ian had already blown his race, for me to do the same would have made it awefully quiet over dinner when we got home. His girl friend was still bending his ears at 10 o' clock. Going back to Denis's problem, I understand the twin cam engines are very difficult to restart when hot, and very annoyingly will restart a few minutes later.
Still, as all agree, it was a good event and for us a reasonble end to the year. It's a strange thing with FR, we usually seem to become de-mob happy at the last round and throw cars in all directions.

[davemullender]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

....we usually seem to become de-mob happy at the last round and throw cars in all directions.

Its "Got all winter to fix it" syndrome

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Bob Pearson

Yes Dave, I did wonder if there was a certain amount of sarcastic irony in that applause.

Not at all, it was quite an impressive 'continued' bit. Whether you were in first before it had finished spinning I don't know, but you were bang in the centre of the track, facing the right way and moving before we'd even started to go. The obs took off 1 style point for insufficient tyre smoke, but it was still a good display! And there might not have been many of you, but it was a good race.

We were very disappointed with the red flag as Dave said. If we could have got it in neutral quickly enough and the driver out, we'd probably have regained enough clearance for it to move, but it took just too long and we were too far from the obsever to say 'give us one more go' and he quite rightly took the safe option.

[DSM]

[
On Mark's point of would the race see the chequer? I must admit, when our collective preformance of the whole day was taken into account I can understand his lack of confidence. 3 impacts, 3 gravel trap visits and 5 spins that I new of and there was probably more, It's hard to feign offence at your comment Mark.[/QUOTE]

What happened to Ian, Bob? Who went off, spun etc?

[rumblefish]

You certainly meet some interesting people at these meetings. As FR No 12 joined us in the gravel at Lodge, I was most impressed to find Gary Fletcher of The Blues Band sitting in it. Even more impressed to find it was his first ever single seater race, at the age of 53. And super-impressed to find that he had a gig in Bloomsbury at 7.30, and it was now 3.45!!
It was a great meeting, just a pity we didn't see more of the Mini Se7ens.

[Bob Pearson]

Ian, had started from the back as he didn't set a time in qualifying. He sold his trusty 97 Tatuus just before Oulton so we ( more like him as I was on hols) did a rapid prep job on the ex Cameron Jackson car which we brought as crashed at Croft. It was playing up a bit, hence the no qualifying time.
Unfortunately Ian was making a bit too much progress through the field, I saw him coming and gave him room but he hit the back of James Heffernan's car at the Hairpin and was out. A pity to end such a superb seasons performance that way, but he had the championship won a couple of months ago so that wasn't affected.

[Brian Mac]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Thanks to the Milltek Sport BMW Challenge drivers for one of the best races I've seen this year!

Ill second that, in fact all the races were fairly impressive.

First time for the TIGGER to work Oulton, (knickerbrook) Big thank-you to Dave and all the crew for a warm welcome and Crack especially the big box of SWEETIES
I am already loking @ my calender for next years meeting.
Cheers for now

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Brian Mac

Big thank-you to Dave and all the crew for a warm welcome and Crack

You dealing again Dave?

Or does Brian mean craic?