Monaco Historic GP 2012

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

I am told both Barilla and Marzotto did thousands of miles of practice for Monaco. I don't know about Ben Barker. All I know is I sat in my car for the first time on Thursday, and that was to do the seat fitting! My definite highlight was being congratulated by Neil Trundle when on the grid for the final on Sunday - he ran the same car for Tom Pryce in 1974.
Eje Elgh said he was amazed at the level of competition - he incidentally did very well - first race for 18 years! Nice guy to boot.

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

I am told both Barilla and Marzotto did thousands of miles of practice for Monaco. I don't know about Ben Barker. All I know is I sat in my car for the first time on Thursday, and that was to do the seat fitting! My definite highlight was being congratulated by Neil Trundle when on the grid for the final on Sunday - he ran the same car for Tom Pryce in 1974.
Eje Elgh said he was amazed at the level of competition - he incidentally did very well - first race for 18 years! Nice guy to boot.

Marcus, you did a really nice move on my uncle Rob Moores in to the Casino in heat 1. Took him a few laps to get back past. It was an amazing event and some really good driving. 49 cars all lined up in the pits looked awesome. Eje has defiantly not lost it. He did some brave overtaking in the final including a great move to over take 2 into the final corner! Why didn't they put a tyre limit in place? A lot of the drivers used 4 sets all weekend - no really needed.

Will post some links to robs incar videos from the weekend later this weekend

[john ruston]

Red racer,see post 244
Covered Donington test.

[Marcus Mussa]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Marcus, you did a really nice move on my uncle Rob Moores in to the Casino in heat 1.

Your uncle? Is he that old? My casino move in the race was not so successful.. I thumped somebody and the nose got all loose, but in the end it all held together. Race was a bit of an anticlimax after the sweat of qualifying. Two false starts, SC etc. Barker's onboard shots were quite a revelation - his gearchanges amazing (for 1977...).

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

Your uncle? Is he that old? My casino move in the race was not so successful.. I thumped somebody and the nose got all loose, but in the end it all held together. Race was a bit of an anticlimax after the sweat of qualifying. Two false starts, SC etc. Barker's onboard shots were quite a revelation - his gearchanges amazing (for 1977...).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF9Wo...e_gdata_player

I have already asked if I can drive the Chevron next time. My kind of circuit

[Marcus Mussa]

Contrast Barker to Leone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3D-lJ4g5Uo

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

Contrast Barker to Leone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3D-lJ4g5Uo

Leone had a lot of gearbox and handling issues all weekend

[boesel]

Monaco is each time a great event.
Here a report about with more than 200 photos:
http://www.connectingrod.it/Historic...onaco_eng.html

[Marcus Mussa]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

Leone had a lot of gearbox and handling issues all weekend

Chicken and egg... bouncing the rear wheels off the Armco cannot have helped either issue! See his opening lap after Loews - I was just behind!
Marcus

[Alan Morgan]

Originally Posted by Marcus Mussa

Chicken and egg... bouncing the rear wheels off the Armco cannot have helped either issue! See his opening lap after Loews - I was just behind!
Marcus

I found myself involuntarily gritting my teeth through that sequence!

[Marcus Mussa]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

I found myself involuntarily gritting my teeth through that sequence!

In French the expression is "se serrer les fesses"!

[delta]

Bank hoilday Monday May the 7th,I had just run my best time in a 10K this year in the morning,back home for a cup of tea and set of too Monaco. Collected race engineer Steve"he has had a bit of Monaco experience with Lauda,Prost and Senna" so I thought I would bring him along .. We had very enjoyable two days driving down with Steve telling me lots of great F1 stories of his time at McClaren.
Rolled into Monaco Wednesday morning as requested by the ACM and then we just sat around for hours untill we could get the truck somwhere close to unload.Delta crew turned up and we unloaded the F3 cars.While I was still sorting out the spares the French Scrutineers were already ramming in the 24mm restrictor checking tool into the air boxes and declaring all of my cars and most of the other"non French" cars illegal.
Time too turn round and go home as what with all the hanging around and now this hassel and all before I had finnished unloading the Truck.Mr H came to the rescue and although he does not take any credit but I think he should!!! Thursday morning the same scrutineers came back and were then checking the air boxes correctly and all declared legal and I must say the scrutineering there after was much more relaxed.Well done Simon.
Our first qualifing was late afternoon this was split into two groups,odd numbers and even.The Oliroy was number 35 and we were the second group to go which helped us as the track was in better condition after our odd friends had been out.I had a big lecture from engineer telling me too just forget about everything and just concentrate on the racing.Off I go and the car feels great and I am passing loads of people just trying to get a clear lap in,then after 3 laps our session got red flagged so back to the pits where I am greeted by team Oliroy "Colin and Richard" jumping up and down with excitment as we are P3!!!!!!.Now I knew this was not going to last and sure enough back down to earth and at the end of the first seesion we are P12.
I was fine with this as I had a good feeling about the little Oilroy and its veteran driver so looking forward to second session.By now I had realised things have mover on since our last trip too Monaco. I invested in a new set of tyres but looking around most of the teams around me had FOUR!!!!!! sets of slicks. WTFIATA.We had three hours between sessions and there was work to do on the set up and change the gears. I went back to the truck to sort out the gears and on the way back Steve came running up to meet me saying I had to go to C of the C office.
Well if you have read any of my race reports lately then you will not be suprised at all by this. I knew what I had done as I had followed a couple of cars going out of the pits for the restart and crossed the white line coming out of the pits.The officials were very nice and we had a bit of a laugh with my failed French and after much apologizing I was let of with a warning.
Second qualifing and another talking too from Steve just telling me to "nail it just F---ing nail it"!!!!. I put in some good laps with my life long friend Alan Morgan holding out pit board but knew we had a good lap left in me and the car .So just like F1 I waited for a clear track and came round to start what I knew would be my last lap in qualifing.
Here we go ,out of Antony Noghes through the gears up to 5th foot hard down then brake as late as I dare down to second for Ste-Devote up through the gears flat in 5th by which time my eyes are popping out and I am waiting as late as I dare to brake for Massenet just before the pedestrian crossing down to 4th hanging on for dear life then turn in early for the Casino letting her run out on exit and then down too Mirabeau. Brake hard lots of locking up into second trying to clip the kirb then straight line down to the hair pin.Stay in second all the way to the tunnel then its flat through the tunnel up to 5th out into day light and brake somewhere just after the 150 board for the Chicane.So far so good no mistakes and I have a good feeling about this lap.Out of Chicane up to 3rd but here I am a bit of a woose lifting too much for Tabac never mind, stay in 3rd and try to go through the second chicane flat but lift a little"more woosie moments"out of the chicane then up to 3rd briefly before braking hard and down to second for Rascasse and just get ready to come out as fast and as clean as I can to cross finnishing line. Aggghhhhhhhhhh.!!!!!! Red Flag!!!!!!.Bother better lift and of corse typical Rowley moment it was the end of the session and I should of kept my foot in and without doubt gained 4 places further up the grid.
I think in the back of my mind I had visions of another trip to the officials and a big fine or worse.So it was P14 for the first race where I needed to finnish 17th or higher to get into Sundays main race.
I suppose I was a bit nervios as I really wanted to get into the main race and finnish more for Colin the owner of the Oliroy as we had both put a lot of time and money into this adventure.We had to wait all day as we were the last race, so once again for the second time here I was at Monaco waiting for the red lights to go out and start the race.This is where it all went wrong and will probally haunt me for the rest of my life.
Sure enough the five red lights went on and then two cars in front jumped the start,I waited,then the three orange lights went on"aborted start",I stopped ,then all the lights went out and we all went but this was a complete cock up and then the Oliroy went on to three cylinders and I had that awfull sinking feeling in my stomach that it was all over.But then
No! No! No! you numpty, probaly just fouled up a plug with all the start comotion so I carried on up the hill with a steady throttle trying to clear the engine but no use.Looking at the gauges the fuel pressure was showing very low so I pulled into the pits knowing that after 40 years of racing this moment was going to be the lowest misserable feeling I ever have had.Problem, split injector pipe
I did go too the officials office asking for a re run as the start was a mess and they were very very apologetic but with lots of shoulder shrugging I was told to come back in two years time.
We have some in car footage which I will post on you tube sometime.I just hope I can go back as without doubt Monaco is a special place and I do have unfinnished buisness there.

[midgetman]

Wow Iain what an adventure. Just shows why we love and hate this sport in equal measure. Well done and better luck next time.

[Racesport]

Great report Delta!

I'm sorry that you had such kind problem! The Oilroy was very nice and you were driving it very well in practices!

I'm very sorry but, in any case, I hope you enjoined the weekend!

Next WE I will race at Monza: are you coming there?

See you.

Kind regards.

[Alan Cox]

A little late in joining the party, but here is my contribution...
1. Marcus Mussa - March 742 2. David Shaw - Ralt RT1 3. Eje Elgh - Chevron B38
4. Willi Balz - Maserati 250F 5. David Coplowe - Lotus 24 6. Martin Melling

[Alan Cox]

1. Duncan Dayton - Lotus 16 2. Gary Pearson - BRM P25 3. Andy Middlehurst - Lotus 25 4. Fabien Giroix - Brabham BT26 5. Julian Bronson - ERA R4D 6. John McKenna - Parnelli

[Alan Cox]

1. Christian Vanhee - Token 2. Marco Zrihen - Argo JM1 3. Julian Bronson joined by paddins Dowling (L) and Michael Gans (R) 4. Tom Dark - Bugatti 50/59 5. Frank Stippler - Maserati 8CM 6. Klaus Lehr - Talbot Lago T26C

[delta]

We are at stoke row in the pooring rain at midnight watching my feeble efororts arond Monaco after atewr a couple of JD qand ckes yOUR PHOTODS AREC BRILLIOANT aLAM. tHANK YOPU nIGHTB NIGHT

[paulSenna]

Originally Posted by delta

We are at stoke row in the pooring rain at midnight watching my feeble efororts arond Monaco after atewr a couple of JD qand ckes yOUR PHOTODS AREC BRILLIOANT aLAM. tHANK YOPU nIGHTB NIGHT

No doubt typed on a small mobile device!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by paulSenna

No doubt typed on a small mobile device!

There is a clue- "after a couple of JD and cokes" (translated). Iain has been know to underestimate.....