After a long delay due to an fried ECU, we’ve finally got her on the road, registered and purring. We’re about to upgrade the suspension with a KONI STR.T KIT and I’ve got to send out a ^5 to the guys at http://www.clubgti.co.uk for all their support. It’s been a major test of patience and as the MOD PLATE mech said.. “You gotta love this car…”
The event was well into it’s practice sessions by the time we arrived late Wednesday afternoon, in hindsight we didnt expect such a great turnout and the event was moved forward so we had only one afternoon to test and the day was done. RadicalRC and their Capricorn camp were to be a dominant force and it was the first opportunity for the Velox V10 Shepherd driver Jeff Hamon to compete against his good friends and two big names, Peter and Steven Jovanovic in the 200mm class. We tagged along in TrackSideRC livery in support and both the boys were now NovaRossi powered. TrackSideRC was supportive of both the boys and later in the meet we mixed and matched clutches across from the Velox V10 to the TM G4 and enjoyed a good performance improvement off the mark.
Morning came and it was straight into the controlled practice sessions and by lunchtime the first of the qualifying rounds commenced in dry conditions. With rain on the cards it was a do or die round and Luke took it easy, perhaps too easy but managed to get to the finished line unscathed. Guy tangled in amongst a very strong lower group and badly chunked a rear tyre which made it very difficult to get around the back-straight corners and chicane and withdrew. With the track quite rubbered in the big names made there mark and several younger drivers put on a strong showing to keep them honest.
Friday saw the inevitable rain arrive and many attempts to get a round completed were disrupted in vain. The MRCCR club did it’s utmost with a steam cleaning vacuum to suck the track dry, all their members on track with towels, squeegies and brooms but the drizzle made a consistent track impossible and while frustration with the weather ran high, the garages were most appreciative of the efforts the host club made to give us track time. Many went out in the slippery conditions to dry it out but mother nature was not having any part of us racing on Friday.
Saturday morning and the track was still damp, again the MRCCR crew were out in force drying the track and by lunchtime the second of the qualifying rounds commenced. It was agreed by all the delegates that the event would go ahead with only two rounds of qualifiers and move onto the finals on Sunday in the hope of clear weather and the finals to decide the results. With the track still green from the rains it was a handful to complete and the best times were set the day before. He started with a moderate pace and after 3 minutes received orders to push and didn’t improve his standing by much at all.
Guy was next and lady luck seemed to be out for lunch when the silicon in the crank shaft of his Capricorn engine shot out the crank and lodged itself in the intake port and the engine just wouldnt start. It’s a cruel sport sometimes!
Luke was first up and the clutch change on the TM to the V10 the night before lead to a spring too tight and no clutch engagement. Sometimes luck falls our way and the timing systems failed allowing a three man crew including Jeff Hamon, Tim Westowwd and myself to reset the clutch and relieve a very distressed Luke as we rushed him onto the stand and made the start of the 1/4 final.
Never before have I seen Luke drive with such determination, he was in the running in third behind two fast locals, Brendan Sola and Adam Bailey when a backmarker closed the door and broke the exhaust pipe spring. Again with the help of Jeff Hamon and other RC buddies we had him back in track but the 160 seconds was too much a loss and he completed his final with a great drive on 59 laps. His spirits were high as he felt his mates come to the fore when he needed them and he proudly walked down the drivers stand as I stood proudly below in admiration of his maturity.
Guy wasn’t as lucky this time, with poor his fast start entered the high speed sweep with a car sideways in front of him and it broke his front bumper post and steering rods let go. We got him back on track with a loose shell and later found more damage was done than expected as he withdrew from his final and the event.
Needless to say it wasn’t the best of results for the team but the event continued into good weather and some excellent RC racing was on display for all to enjoy and the rain plagued event turned into a spectacular display of RC driving and pit work.
THE BEST EVER RC CHASE CAMERA OPERATOR on the planet. 45 minutes of unedited brilliance!!! Shot free handed and shakeless. It was so good, it surpassed envious emotion, I am inspired by the quality of the framing, panning and zooming and the only break I witnessed was a couple of seconds shooting pit lane. I could see the car numbers, the decals and the framing was remarkable. For anyone shooting RC vision this is how it’s meant to be done! BRAVO!!!
Thank you RedRC, you’ve upped the ante on all of us!
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