SMRC 1st July

[AK]

Who's out, and in what?
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Impreza Race Car, 1200kg, 480bhp - SLS/SMRC
Mini Race Car x3 - SMRC, SMRC, SLS
911 - 1981 Air Cooled 3.0
500 - 1969 Fiat 500 L
X5 40d M Sport
Mini Cooper Park Lane
MB Sprinter Camper
Track Scotland

[nefarious]

It'll be there, same as usual...
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Strong Broo Racing

[foz01]

nope
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Motorsport Exige Project Thread

[andybell]

im out and spent all my time flying to/from holiday pouring over my footage and others so expecting improvement or else..
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http://www.youtube.com/user/andybalcairn/ to see how bad I drive!!!

[AK]

push push push.... nae lifting
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Impreza Race Car, 1200kg, 480bhp - SLS/SMRC
Mini Race Car x3 - SMRC, SMRC, SLS
911 - 1981 Air Cooled 3.0
500 - 1969 Fiat 500 L
X5 40d M Sport
Mini Cooper Park Lane
MB Sprinter Camper
Track Scotland

[Fee]

Me

Numbers for S&S are low
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2010 Time Attack AWD Club Challenge Champion
2013 Rolly Polly Champion

R32 GTR: TimeAttack - Track Scotland

[caterfield]

8 cars in sports and saloons,is that correct ?

[Team Cowie]

[emicen]

[andybell]

[David Long]

So my short Mini racing career is over (bloody front wheel drive cars are too hard for me) and it was time to hand over to Gordon. We were both a bit nervous about what might happen but it all went well in the end with Gordon putting in some good lap times and showing some good potential. Some gear selection issue didn't really change the result, or spoil the day, but we'll need to get to the bottom of whether it is driver or box. Already looking forward to the next one



Qualification
https://youtu.be/RAqgX5FNLtA

Race 1
https://youtu.be/hbK1eeIPRBI

Race 2
https://youtu.be/3_-htvH7wMw

Race 3
https://youtu.be/JlenoaCidXs
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R600 Dubaru
website
PB @ KH
Duratec in Detail

[AK]

Heres my vids... will do a write up later

In short, a scruffy frustrating weekend that was still fun, and fastest I've been to date. Feel like i had to learn the car again as it was so different with a Getrag box. Getting there though, just need to work on being consistent...

Race 1 - 360 footage, camera cuts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHXIZf4WkyQ

Race 2 - no footage, camera stopped just at start

Race 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMehnyM3hQ
_________________
Impreza Race Car, 1200kg, 480bhp - SLS/SMRC
Mini Race Car x3 - SMRC, SMRC, SLS
911 - 1981 Air Cooled 3.0
500 - 1969 Fiat 500 L
X5 40d M Sport
Mini Cooper Park Lane
MB Sprinter Camper
Track Scotland

[Fee]

Race Report:

Testing:

Spent the afternoon struggling with the heat! Tyres just weren't liking it, and there was no way I could see myself getting back into the 62's in this temperature. Used the last session to scrub tyres and bed in new front pads.
I didn't go as fast as I would have liked, but the car felt good and I knew (data!) I had time to make on all the braking zones.

Sunday:

Another roasting day Unlucky for the tyres!

Qualifying:

VBOX wasnt working, so had no idea on my pace... first half was slow (in the 64s), but pitted, regrouped and went again, getting down to mid 63s laps and putting me in 15th place. With just 1s between me and Dave on pole it was going to be a tight race :O

Race 1:

I had a rubbish start allowing Andy Bell to get ahead. I spent the next few laps trying to regain the position which I eventually managed after he went wide at Duffus. I then spent the next few laps chasing down and catching the pack, with Craig and Ross battling in front of me for the final laps making it difficult to find a way past both of them.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhZSDWE9WeI

Race 2:

Started 14th alongside Adam. I got a much better start this time round, but Adam got back passed at butchers, then I passed again at hairpin. The whole race was like this, with Adam staying behind pushing me on. On the last lap Craig (Blake) and Ashleigh both ran wide at McIntyres and I managed to squeeze through as Ashleigh came back across the track when rejoining. She then got a better run out of Clarks and got down the inside into the hairpin. I out-braked myself and ran wide through the hairpin, losing a place to Adam. Luckily I managed to hold on with about 5 cars all right behind me over the line. Finished 11th, but a more positive race being in amongst the mid pack action for the duration.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7da7xQ2xw2k

Race 3:

Alongside Adam again! He got a better start but decided to spend the first half of the lap in the gravel so fell back to last. Another close race with Ross behind, the two Craigs and Simon in front. Ross managed to get up the inside out of Clarks and passed at the Hairpin..... and then WHAM, Barbie arrived in the side of me. Steering damage but managed to nurse the car to the end of the race.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbq2p7YRpPM

The results werent amazing, and the times were about 0.5s off my best, BUT I had some really enjoyable racing and feel like I'm finally getting used to the close racing in the Mini Cooper Cup. I'd prefer it if Adam stayed a little less close though!

Thanks to the ALM guys for the support over the weekend.

Sponsors:

Big thank you to my sponsors this year...

- Kay Building Contractors Ltd
- Global Design Innovation / GDi - http://www.globaldi.co.uk/
- Bonthrone Security Services Ltd - http://bonthronesecurity.co.uk/
- CD Refrigeration UK LTD - http://www.cdrefrigeration.co.uk
- Perth Tool Repairs - https://www.facebook.com/Perthtoolrepairs







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2010 Time Attack AWD Club Challenge Champion
2013 Rolly Polly Champion

R32 GTR: TimeAttack - Track Scotland

[Fee]

And Adam's video...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMehnyM3hQ

He claims the hand signal is 'Sorry' and not '3 out of 3'
_________________
2010 Time Attack AWD Club Challenge Champion
2013 Rolly Polly Champion

R32 GTR: TimeAttack - Track Scotland

[AK]

My race weekend ....

As some may know I've had ongoing gearbox issues, and was hoping to finally have a race weekend with full engine power and a working getrag box! Sadly it still wasnt quite right.... with the gearbox making some awful noises early in testing on Saturday. The new 'spare' box was actually a One box... so useless really. Craig Dillon put his spare box up for use, but we decided to keep it as an option and see how the gearbox in the car coped.

Testing summary - Not really pushing, but more relearning the track in a Mini! Turn in is very different with the lower geared box, and I'm actually getting wheel spin now on certain corners (Thats my excuses for being slow ... ). I got down into the low 63s straight out of the pits in first session, and knew there was a 62s lap in the car and myself. Spent the sessions playing around with tyre and damper settings, but ultimately ended up back at what Andy Lamont had initially set. Going my way had the car po-going about with too much rear grip. Ended the day knowing I should be quicker on certain corners (Clarks!!) and hopeful of a better than normal qualifying.


Race Day:

Qualifying:

Last minute front pad change (peer pressure made me fit new ones! I still had a race weekend or two in the old ones ).... so bedding in brakes and doing qualy isnt a great plan Still 1st lap was a low 63 (with not much brakes), followed by another.. then a high 62s lap. 1 cool lap, then an in lap to pits for a chat. At this point I was P7 with a few mins to go and stupidly thought folk wouldn't improve with the track temps steadily climbing. I did go out again but didn't really push thinking I was in P7! Doh.... a few good last minute laps had punted me down to 11th. Only 0.5s off pole. Lesson learned, and also some good data backing up/justifying gear choice

Race 1:

Good start and upto 8th or 9th, but rubbish first half of the race... just went backwards from towards end of first lap with a car that just wasnt handling as expected and my driving being a bit scruffy. Missed 3rd gear a few times which didnt help either. Managed to compose things about half way through and made a few places back up again, but only up to 13th. Meh.... not the best and the gearbox was sounding even worse, and crunching into 3rd. Still great fun though

360deg footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1wxVj6t6pM
vid cuts early for some reason, but gets one of the good overtakes right at the end.

Race 2

Started right alongside Fee, but had no view of ANY of the start lights I simply had to wait for the others to go and then go! Result was a crap start, and lost a place or two. Made it back past Fee at butchers, but then got boxed in at edge of track at Hairpin which allowed Fee back past again. Settled in behind Fee (not challenging) but pushing her (sometimes literally ) on. Good fun race and made it back past her on the last lap to take 10th. Not the position I was aiming for, but it'll do 2-0 against Fee.

Camera stopped right at the start of the race...

Race 3:

Great start, up a few places but got nudged wide at Duffus by Dom. Was initially a bit annoyed about it, but realise he too was nudged wide into me, so nothing he could have done. I took the escape road and bounced sideways ... a lot... left/right trying not to come back across the pack as they came into McIntyres. This ended up with me being about half a bloody lap down by the time I sorted it out...
It took me 4 laps to catch the back of the pack. Gordon first, passing into Duffus, then up came Andy Bell a lap or two later. Got the run on him out of Clarks and up the inside. Cocked up braking on the dirty side of track with melted tyres and brakes... wasn't expecting Fee to cut back in under Ross and the result was me twatting the side of Fee wheel to wheel. I think if I'd have just held it straight it would have been fine (id have had the grip to slow down...) but with seeing her and trying to tighten the line to avoid her I just asked too much of the tyres and didnt have enough grip to do everything! Knew I was going to get some stick for it.... doh
Steering damage, and the gearbox was now refusing to go into 3rd. I think I finished 3rd last, with Dom squeezing past on the line. Me in 4th gear at 60mph, and him with a puncture.


Race 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMehnyM3hQ

Thanks to Andy and all of his ALM guys that helped out at the weekend. Also Craig for offering his gearbox







_________________
Impreza Race Car, 1200kg, 480bhp - SLS/SMRC
Mini Race Car x3 - SMRC, SMRC, SLS
911 - 1981 Air Cooled 3.0
500 - 1969 Fiat 500 L
X5 40d M Sport
Mini Cooper Park Lane
MB Sprinter Camper
Track Scotland