Thruxton Classic - 27th April

Slowcoach · 16 Apr 2003, 10:30 (Ref:570954)

So as the Rockingham Classic duly slips down the thread board the Thruxton meeting pops into view - Sunday 27th April is the date for your diaries.....pretty much the usual package with the exception of the Classic and Historic touring cars which sit out this round. So there's the Post Historic,Group 1,Thunder,Austin Healy,FF1600,FF2000,Porsches and Thoroughbred Sportscars, the initial regs that came through do list a certain 'G.Marshall' in a DB4 (the Marsh Plant owned car) for the latter, this coupled with the usual strong grid for Group 1 and another 20+ grid for Classic Thunder should make for an excellent afternoons viewing.......so who's gonna be there

josvandeperre · 16 Apr 2003, 11:13 (Ref:570977)

Count me in - wonder if the weather will hold....

**Aysedasi** · 16 Apr 2003, 11:56 (Ref:571014)

Hmmm. That sounds rather good. Perhaps I ought to pay one of my (these days) irregular visits to my local circuit - I am a BARC member, after all!

Stacy · 16 Apr 2003, 12:03 (Ref:571019)

Quote:

Originally posted by Slowcoach
so who's gonna be there

Yep, I'm entered and waiting to go. Planning to get there Saturday evening for an early start - Don't like to be rushed..

Hoping Thruxton suits the RX7 better than Rockingham, but don't want to tempt fate.

Stacy

spnixon · 16 Apr 2003, 12:23 (Ref:571047)

Thruxton doesn't suit the Golf at all but I'll be there because its my favourite track. Gearbox is currently being rebuilt, if its ready before Saturday we'll run with Quaiffe thingy and proper ratios. Otherwise I'm going to have to put 5sp Golf box of rather unknown quantity in and hope for the best.

CWP lost a tooth on the start line at Rockingham. Golf is being entered for CT at Brands - there was more competitive 'racing' during the CT race at Rockingham for 1600cc cars than there was in the Group One race, maybe I should change championships.

Stacy · 16 Apr 2003, 12:41 (Ref:571075)

Quote:

Originally posted by spnixon
Golf is being entered for CT at Brands - there was more competitive 'racing' during the CT race at Rockingham for 1600cc cars than there was in the Group One race, maybe I should change championships.

Chris Bray too fast for you Peter ?

Stacy

Slowcoach · 16 Apr 2003, 12:43 (Ref:571078)

So far so good, I'm with you Stacy - Thruxton suits the Rover far more than Rockingham, really can stretch it's legs, should manage to get into 5th gear on the back straight!
Hey SP I stripped 3 CWP in 2001 season, but put some different oil in the axle and went the whole 2002 season without a hitch, when we took the CWP out a fortnight ago it was in pristine condition if you want the name and number of the supplier send me a pm - I'd rec. this stuff to everyone.

Chris Griffin · 16 Apr 2003, 13:25 (Ref:571144)

Trevor Pickard is back out at Thruxton after a long layoff - Triumph Dolomite Sprint in Post Historics. I shall be there myself but not racing!

**Peter Mallett** · 16 Apr 2003, 13:38 (Ref:571160)

Bugger!

*Told you there'd be a few posts like this this year*

josvandeperre · 16 Apr 2003, 15:56 (Ref:571268)

Peter - class F in CT for you is a bad idea - I want to win it this year ! You could run 6x15 in wheels & slicks.....

Slowcoach · 22 Apr 2003, 08:14 (Ref:576203)

This has slipped a little too low down the list.....anyone know the weather forecast ?

Tony Harman · 22 Apr 2003, 09:00 (Ref:576228)

Oh well - just to bring it back up for you SC. We're not gong to be there (Classic Clubmans for those who done't know), goin' "oop noort" to Oulton for some reason. Last race of the day too which is a bugger if you're a southerner like me.
Weather looks to be getting worse as the week goes on, forecast is rain next weekend at the moment.

Dan Friel · 22 Apr 2003, 18:48 (Ref:576828)

I'll be there.. marshalling. Rumour was that I might be on chicane, but shall have to see. Hope not to see any of you racers there.

Looking forward to it - some excellent races = apart from the missing Clubmans of course..

Stacy · 22 Apr 2003, 19:59 (Ref:576951)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan Friel
I'll be there.. marshalling.

Come and have a cup of tea at the lunchbreak if you feel like it.

Orange people always welcome.

Stacy

Stacy · 22 Apr 2003, 20:00 (Ref:576953)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dan Friel
I'll be there.. marshalling.

Come and have a cup of tea at the lunchbreak if you feel like it.

Orange people always welcome!

Stacy

carrera · 22 Apr 2003, 20:58 (Ref:577110)

Quote:

Originally posted by josvandeperre
Peter - class F in CT for you is a bad idea - I want to win it this year ! You could run 6x15 in wheels & slicks.....

And what size wheel/tyre combination can you run?

mark ch · 22 Apr 2003, 21:41 (Ref:577264)

Marshalling for this one too... Did the Rock the other weekend.. you guys are producing some of the best racing so far this year.. I'm somewhere out the back of the curcuit, so please no vistors..

Teletubby · 23 Apr 2003, 11:59 (Ref:577898)

I'm on the Med Car, definitely no visits!

Might try to look you all up though!

spnixon · 23 Apr 2003, 14:00 (Ref:578052)

Quote:

Originally posted by josvandeperre
Peter - class F in CT for you is a bad idea - I want to win it this year ! You could run 6x15 in wheels & slicks.....

And break the CWP again no doubt...

Just been in contact with the gearbox builder, problem may have been linked to me changing the end of the box for another one after the mounting broke in the accident at Mallory. The replacement 'end' had no bearing and was from some kind of other VW box (god knows how) which might have contributed to the CWP breaking and created alot of drag through the drivetrain. Gearbox should be back in the car tonight if all goes to plan, I use synthetic 75/90 gear oil in there as recommended by Quaiffe. Should do the job?

There'll be for sale signs in the Golf if I get round to printing them this week, I'm looking to do Caterhams next year instead. Less cheque book racing, more racing?

Stacy · 23 Apr 2003, 14:09 (Ref:578055)

Quote:

Originally posted by spnixon
. Less cheque book racing, more racing?

Without wishing to be cruel, I'd imagine that depends on whether you smash it up and fit the wrong bits to that as well..

Appreciate you've had a bad run, and most of us have had the same at one time or another, but I have friends of mine who have experienced the same, if not worse in even the less competitive Caterhams.

A VW Golf is not the most complex or stressed car on the grid - Maybe the grass isn't as greener as it appears.

Stacy

spnixon · 23 Apr 2003, 14:36 (Ref:578091)

Sorry Stacy - thought that comment might wind you up. I assume the Chris Bray comment earlier was to wind me up too so there you go...

Seriously though - I wasn't thinking of changing because of reliability issues with the Golf, I'm sure a Caterham could be equally problematic. I just want to move to a championship where things are tied down a bit more and there's no class structure.

Stacy · 23 Apr 2003, 14:40 (Ref:578098)

Quote:

Originally posted by spnixon
I just want to move to a championship where things are tied down a bit more and there's no class structure.

Fair enough, I don't think you'll be getting your cheque book out any less though, unless the reliability changes anyway.

Know what you mean about not having a class structure, can't argue with that - but what do you mean about "tied down" ?

Stacy

josvandeperre · 23 Apr 2003, 14:46 (Ref:578109)

Perhaps 'tied down' refers to the drivers arms in Caterhams so that (a) its less easy for them to punch each other and (b - more seriously) they hurt each other slightly less often - my feeling is there is something very comforting about being surrounded by metal in a 'normal' car

spnixon · 23 Apr 2003, 14:59 (Ref:578123)

I was chatting to some of the Caterham Graduate racers at Rockingham. Their engines and gearboxes are sealed, they have to run standard bodywork, suspension (other than settings) and rear axle too.

It means you don't have to go out and spend 5K on a decent race engine and another 2K on mapping to be 'competitive', in theory anyone can buy any of the cars out there and go just as quick.

To make my Golf a truly top class Group One car I'd need to spend another 5-8K on it - which obviously wouldn't be worth it, I'd be better off starting from scratch. And even then its not worth it because I'll still be 11th on the grid, even with the perfect lap.

Caterham racing will be more expensive than Group One, I'm sure of that. But the figures the guys at Rockingham were talking about certainly seemed very reasonable and their lap times were the equivalent of a far more expensive class C or B Group One car....

Stacy · 23 Apr 2003, 15:24 (Ref:578150)

Quote:

Originally posted by spnixon
To make my Golf a truly top class Group One car I'd need to spend another 5-8K on it

But the figures the guys at Rockingham were talking about certainly seemed very reasonable and their lap times were the equivalent of a far more expensive class C or B Group One car....

You're reasoning about budget just seems to be flawed - the top class Class D Golf was Will's, and that is not by any stretch of the imagination an 8k car.. Aside the bits he's "permanently borrowed" off me, and most of them aren't on the car, a lot of it is tired and standard.

In fact it's had no development at all since 1998. Since he has the usual race Golf power, the same weight, the same dampers, the same springs et al as the next Golf (and they all seem to be running diffs now), I can't see why you don't think you're car will compete.

As for the lap times it's strange, I just looked and they seem to be a way off class C. But then if it's lap times you're after buy a Radical and do GT times for 20k, all things are relative.

Incidentally I know someone who used to race in Graduates - spent out having the car sorted at Caterham at top money, new engine, new suspension etc, and didn't go any quicker. The sport will swallow precisely the amount of money you're prepared to throw at it, not always with reward - you still need to pedal the thing.

That said at the end of the day it would be a shame to lose you off the grid, although I can see why you're miffed of late. Hopefully a couple of decent results will change you're mind, but I know from experience how irritating it can be do be plugging away mid-field.

Race winning in Group 1's requires either a class A car which is a bit scary I'll admit, or alternatively a lot of leg and development work on a B or C car - which is not easy. (Mine is the 3rd attempt remember..). Reading between the lines, perhaps it's really the development you haven't the time/inclination for - which is the requirement for the latter.

In which case the Caterhams are likely to afford you more of the "arrive and drive" you require.

Stacy

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