Jarama Classic

[Mike Bell]

Peter Auto season opener. All grids incl GpC + invited grid Iberian Historic Endurance.

[Mike Bell]

Nearly there- time flys and need to get ferries booked....

Timetable and entry lists here- https://peterauto.peter.fr/en/evenem...4/article/home

Looks like only taking two cars, so will be running light unless anyone wants anything taking to the Madrid area!

[356sc]

Blimey you are leaving it a bit late....Team Mother had the ferry booked months ago!!!!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by 356sc

Blimey you are leaving it a bit late....Team Mother had the ferry booked months ago!!!!

Yes, but they're probably on some 'super advance special saver caravan Porsche owners club' offer... I'm on 'freight'!

What route & day? (pm if you'd rather it's not public)

[Mike Bell]

You can't win. Having booked a ferry crossing to Spain and had it confirmed, the Ferry company have now cancelled the sailing!

New funnels not fitted in time, apparently. (All to do with emissions. )

So looks like now having to get a night boat to Caen the eve before then drive through France, and of course the day before is a bank holiday. Then there is the question on whether it will be ready for the return voyage!

[356sc]

Nightmare...you just couldn't make this stuff up!!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by 356sc

Nightmare...you just couldn't make this stuff up!!

Your team boat is going to be well heavy, as the agent tried to transfer me onto it, and it's full.

The only positive right now is that I don't have to worry about the BofB weather!

[356sc]

Team Mother will have plenty of people to talk to then......

[Mike Bell]

Well, the weekend at Jarama is all over for many of us, with racing finished last night, followed by a superb evening hosted by Peter Auto at a local golf club! Both our races were on Saturday, which is a first. Busy, but means can load up this morn and have easy run to the ferry port.

So, in (2hr) 60s Endurance it was an excellent day for some UK racers! Jeff Moyes in his lovely blue and self looked after 356 Speedster won the Index of Performance and Pre 63 classes. The Stevens family were flying in their 356SC, finishing an excellent 15th (ahead of several 911s) and also getting a class podium. Our Morgan SLR finished 10th o/a, beat all the Porkers and was first non Ford V8 or Jag engined car home. No class podium, but valid reason- nothing to do with performance!

In CER1, the (ex Mr Ruston ) B8 finished an excellent (Goliath beating) 12th o/a, well ahead of the other similar Chevrons.

Both our cars ran faultlessly in their races, however Friday practice and qualifying did reveal problems that were all sorted in time. The drivers all loved the circuit layout, the organisation was good, and only criticism from me is fact that temps fell to below freezing Friday night! There was still frost in the shade 1000 hrs yesterday morning.....

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

only criticism from me is fact that temps fell to below freezing Friday night! There was still frost in the shade 1000 hrs yesterday morning.....

Glad everything worked out in the end, nothing worse than travelling hundreds of miles for the car to let you down, by the way it's warmer further down south at the moment !

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Glad everything worked out in the end, nothing worse than travelling hundreds of miles for the car to let you down, by the way it's warmer further down south at the moment !

Gordon, I've driven on salted roads, in heavy rain and 4deg temps to get to north coast today, where it is 19deg! I was going to stop at a nice little services in the mountains, but as it was cold and windy, and there was snow all around, decided to leg it north.... Glad I did.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Gordon, I've driven on salted roads, in heavy rain and 4deg temps to get to north coast today, where it is 19deg! I was going to stop at a nice little services in the mountains, but as it was cold and windy, and there was snow all around, decided to leg it north.... Glad I did.

Sounds like the truck could do with a wash and brush up Mike.

Given the quality of the UK's regular car washes these days (my neighbour had his car washed and valeted and the engine bay returned to "as new" (not bad for a 53 plate Volvo S6 series diesel) for a £10) I would suggest you seek out some economic migrants and offer then £15 to do the truck.

If course there may not be any on your route - but it's worth considering just in case some appear.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

Sounds like the truck could do with a wash and brush up Mike.

I would suggest you seek out some economic migrants and offer then £15 to do the truck.

If course there may not be any on your route - but it's worth considering just in case some appear.

I've got my own EM truck wash team hiding in the back.....

Some of the trucks arrived at Jarama covered in salt after getting caught in a snow storm en route. Fortunately I was ahead of it, but as is tradition, truck was washed immediately on arrival.

[Mike Bell]

One of the important reasons I feel privileged to be at the PA race meetings is the cars! Now there is GpC to add to the CER, pre66 GT and Touring cars, and everywhere you look in the paddock there are gems to be seen.

I stood on the pit wall while GpC were practicing, and decided holding a board out for them would be scary in the least! The speed they came down the bumpy straight was gob-smacking.....

I didn't get a chance to take many pics, but hopefully have one of the Peugeot 908 on my phone. This one was taken by another team member, and the scheme is one of my all time favourites -

[henk4]

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event...a-Classic.html

Our full report is here, including the 905. Mike will surely like the shot of Bill almost losing the Morgan...

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by henk4

Our full report is here, including the 905. Mike will surely like the shot of Bill almost losing the Morgan...

Whoops, my typo. Peugeot 905, not 908!

Have to wait until I get decent wifi before looking at the pics- especially the one mentioned. Still on ferry and its unsurprisingly rubbish.......

The 60s Endurance qualifying hadn't gone to plan, as the SLR developed a misfire during the session, so we finished up behind some cars on the grid would rather have been in front of. Normally John, the owner, starts, but it was decided that Bill would take the first stint and try to 'break' one or two of the German opposition! The plan worked, and by changeover the fastest 911 was 25 secs adrift. More importantly, it had destroyed it's left rear tyre trying to keep in touch, and the team suddenly decided to change it half way through their pit stop, losing a bit more time. The Porsche 904 was understandably in front of us, but somehow managed to completely mis-time it's driver change, incurring a 2 lap penalty as a result. No excuses for that!

The safety car period near the end could have undone our race, as John was stuck behind a very slow driver- lapping 30 seconds SLOWER than the SC! The car should have been black flagged.... Luckily the greens came soon enough for John to hold on to a good lead over the fastest 911. Exciting race from the pit wall!

[gary396]

PA have just published a short highlights section on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEiG...ure=youtu.be&a

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by gary396

PA have just published a short highlights section on Youtube:

Yippee! Thanks Gary, fame at last..... (only watched first 20 secs as buffering sooo much!)

[Mike Bell]

Courtesy of henk4's ultimatecarpage gallery, the pic on this link is worthy of discussion!

I've no idea what the Elan hit, but it lapped at unabated speed for several tours with most of the front end jammed under the front of the car, and sparks coming off the metal bits! Then the bonnet flew open as it passed us watching from the pit wall, doing the damage to screen and roof, and restricting the drivers vision somewhat. It then had a slow lap- maybe for driver to stop, get out and remove bonnet, and then continued to circulate! Eventually it stopped in the pit lane near the end of the race, but no idea if black flagged or just gave up.....

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/galle...hapecraft.html

It wasn't a good w/end for Elans, as the very fast Tromans / Meadon car lost it's bonnet in qualifying, again right in front of us on the pit wall. Although very conspicuous, the panel was literally run over by 2 more cars before the session was red flagged briefly for marshals to gather up the bits. Luckily the preparers body man was there and rebuilt the remains over night, the car appearing for the race with panel firmly taped down. Sadly mechanical gremlins saw the car retire from the race after all that work.

[Robert Farrell]

Was thinking about Portsmouth - Caen route for our trip to LMC. Using 18T rigid.
Would welcome your opinion Mike.

[Robert Farrell]

Mike
Thanks for the PM. Did you get my reply?

[Mike Bell]

Yup, got it thanks.

Trying to upload short vid of the Shapecraft bonnet flying open as it passes us on the pit wall, but no success so far! Mmm...

[356sc]

He certainly made a mess of the Elan...I think the initial damage was done when he went into the back of the 904...

I didn't realise that the roof was metal...I thought they were all fibreglass...

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by 356sc

He certainly made a mess of the Elan...I think the initial damage was done when he went into the back of the 904...

I didn't realise that the roof was metal...I thought they were all fibreglass...

Back of the 904? Obviously that was made of sterner stuff!

Shapecraft conversion used aluminium (I think- may have been steel) rather than fibreglass for the fastback top.

Seems the vid recorded on phone is not a compatible format to upload.....