A wee yarn from a wannabe racing driver - Round 3 MIRA

[PhoenixCapri]

So this may be a long winded and boring ramble though the trials and tribulations of competing in an old car, but hopefully I’ll be of at least some interest to someone or better yet inspire someone else to join in with a bit of grass roots motorsport – it always needs fresh blood!

As some will know I’ve been building a Mk1 Capri track car for the last 5 years, there are so many excuses for why it’s taken so long but to cut that story short, I’ve been slow. Build Thread

It all started when I killed my old Escort at RRG 2010, I like to think I was driving it ‘properly’ but in reality I was just highlighting mine, and the cars, ineptitude!



Damn. I still miss the old thing, we had 11 years of history having learnt to drive/weld/paint etc. together, but life goes on and she died doing what she was welded back together to do, have fun.

So began a hunt and planning for a replacement, that, after going via a Mk2 Escort estate ended up with me buying a pretty rough, badly built but very cheap Mk1 Capri ‘race’ car. It was a race car in that it had tried to do a round of the HSCC at Donnington, but after about a lap it threw in the towl and its competition life was over, until now. Since I can’t seem to do much about my own ineptitude, I decided to at least make the replacement a lot more competent in the corners.
In all it’s glory – looks far better than it was!



I also got to thinking, I knew what type car I wanted to build, and I knew I wanted it to be able to do what the Escort had, track days, some shows and the odd countryside blast on a summers day, but I also wanted more, I wanted to use it properly, I wanted to compete.

But what in? Well I looked at various options; the HSCC (bit limiting/expensive), the track day trophy (unlikely to be competitive and bit risk of killing it a bit too fast) and even time attack (it costs how much for a timed track day?! WTF), but having enjoyed the sprints and hillclimb elements of RRG I figured that might suit me well. Not too expensive, and enough competition to have some fun and make me want to improve the car and my own abilities. Then I changed jobs and started working in the same office as the guy who owns, and was at the time racing, this



Well that settles it, I thought; a wide range of classics, of all sorts of abilities but handicapped so anyone could be competitive – perfect. To top it off all the rounds are held at great venues, generally in picturesque landscape with cooked breakfasts readily available



Where do I sign?!

[Paul Y]

As one Wannabe to another..Subscribed...

Please continue.

P.

[PhoenixCapri]

Now at this point I should say that the car developed to be what I wanted, not to a set of rules, and this is not the best way to develop a competition car…. But more on that later.

So I investigated what I needed to do to join up. Like everyone says you should, I went to some meets, had a great time, and started getting things together; an MSA approved helmet, some 8856-2000 flame proof overalls (about £300? for both) and membership of the relevant club/championship. The class I want to run in, Modified Classic Saloons, allowed a lot of mods so I’d be ok to run, but I would need an original block – so no Zetec. A shame, but not the end of the world, but I would also need a National ‘A’ Speed licence. Ah…

To start out in Hillclimbing and Sprinting you need a Non-Competitve National ‘B’ Speed Licence, which can be got by simply sending the nice people at the MSA £43, then a couple of weeks later you have a shiney new licence, woop! For more info on the getting started bit, look here.

Now to turn this into an 'A' licence you need to compete in 6 meetings and get the clerk of the course to sign your upgrade card at each one to say you drove and acted well. Easy enough I thought, so all I needed to do was take this year to earn an 'A' licence, get to know the car and some of the tracks and then next season I'll be in the classic championship. It's just like Grand Turismo all this, simples.

Fast forward 5 years through the build thread and we get to last Saturday, my first competitive outing ever (excluding prating around in pay and drive go-kart championships). A week of very late nights, rushed MOTs and generally not having a clue (I'm so lucky to have Lauren who'll put up with this kind of nonsense!) and it's about 7am on the morning of the meeting

[alecf]

I'm Currently at a similar point. My first race is a week today and the cars still got no shocks or mapped

[courseout]

As someone with similar aspirations (and budget by the sounds of it, lol) I am following this with great interest!

[The Jackeria]

Step one, apply for license, step two, take ARDS competitive national B test, step three, race 6 times, step four, get national A? Have I got that right? I'm interested even if my car is in no way prepared to race competitively.

[PhoenixCapri]

Apr 26, 2016 4:45:03 GMT The Jackeria said:

Step one, apply for license, step two, take ARDS competitive national B test, step three, race 6 times, step four, get national A? Have I got that right? I'm interested even if my car is in no way prepared to race competitively.

Everything except step two - the ARDS test is for National B Race licences, whereas for Hillclimb and Sprint events you just need a Speed licence, the B version of this is called a Non-Competitive Nation 'B' Speed licence. You get this by sending £43 in the post with your application, that's it. Basically it allows you to run in trails where you're not 'racing' others (i.e. on the track on your own) hence not needing a test. Worth nothing that you can generally use Race liences to run in Sprints, but not the other way round - but as ever best to check the regs in detail or just call the organizers - this I am learning fast!

[PhoenixCapri]

Glad a few of you are interested, so I shall continue obviously ask question along the way and I’ll help as best I can!

So it’s a beautiful spring morning, the sun is shining, there’s a light frost and once it warms up it’ll be a great day for motorsport. Cricky I’m getting nervous.

A short drive down the A46 and its 7:45 when I pull up to the Prescott paddock area. Now I’d read through all the meeting info I was sent, so I know I need to sign on between 8-8:30, that the driver briefing is about 8:15 and that scruiteneering starts at 8:30 with me being number 39 I’ll be getting scrutineered not much after 8:30. So that’s a lot of things I’ve never done, crammed into an hour….

I’ve also read that trailers should be put in the grass field opposite the paddock, so I drive straight in there, thinking I’ll unload there and then park up the trailer and tow car. About 10s after this decision I’m spinning wheels on a wet grass slope, woops.

Some reverse action later, I’m now in the paddock unloading and appear to be doing what others are doing, must be doing ok. I drive the Capri into an empty spot next to cars in my class, dump the trailer in the trailer field and then dump the tow car in the public parking (the trailer field is rammed in the only corner you can get to with a 2wd car!).

Next up, sign in. At Prescott the sign in office has queues for odds and evens – these are your race numbers, so I line up in the pleasingly short odd queue (why it’s shorter I have no idea as there as many odd numbers as evens?!). At the desk I hand over my Licence, Championship card (you get this when you join a championship) and a commentary form – this is so the commentator has at least a few notes on you and your steed, and importantly my Upgrade Card (the office will get this sign for me at the end of the event if all goes well.

The all important upgrade card this is found inside the MSA Year (Blue) book you get sent with your licence (I've spared you mine due to the ugly face adhered to it!



I’m handed back a piece of blue card – this I wasn’t expecting, but hey ho, go with the flow.

By now the drivers briefing is kicking off on the start line, so I get as close as possible and here about 10 words, including have a good day. Well I know I have to drive up hill from the start line and that a red flag/light means stop so that’ll have to do.

Right then, what’s next? Damn its 8:35, rush back to the car to find a scrutineer literally just start looking at it, perfect timing!

Scrutineering is a pretty simple process, pop off the bonnet and boot, show the scrutineer around the car as they check everything looks ok – safety related things being key.

A few key things for newbies to know that get forgotten:

1. Your battery earth cable needs to be yellow (wrap with tape)

2. You need your towing eyes fitted and a tow lable and arrow pointing at them (these come on the MSA scrutineering type sticker sheets from ebay)

3. Your beam breaker should be fitted - this is the black plate stuck on the front of sprint cars, see the MSA blue book for specs

4. While you don't need a lot of the safety stuff a full race car might have, if you have certain things fitted there must be to spec and working i.e. if you have a cage it must be to MSA specs; if you have an extinguisher it must be in date - etc.


Its noticed my inside lap belt is at a funny angle – this turns out to be because on one late night I fitted the eyelet to the wrong hole, so this is corrected and the car is deemed good. Next my overalls and helmet are checked for the relevant labels and we’re good to go. The scrutineer then asks for the mysterious piece of blue card, ah ha that’s what it’s for! Tears of 1/3 of it, signs it and hands it back. He then gives me a scrutineering sticker for the car – this gets stuck on the right hand side so the marshals can check for it as I get to the start line.

I stuff the blue card in Laurens handily placed handbag and promptly forget about it.

[PhoenixCapri]

It’s about 9am and I’m ready to go, apparently.

The meeting runs, give or take, in car number order with the exception of a small group of bikes which run first. That means I’m going to be doing my first practice run sooner rather than later.

The normal run of things is 2 practice runs and 2 timed runs. The ‘B’ championship rounds generally run on one day – practice in the morning and competitive runs after lunch. The higher championships run over Sat and Sun, with practice on Sat and comp runs on Sun. Being on one day helps keep the ‘B’ championship costs down, which is all good.

At this point I become aware that every car has a numbered parking space, and I’m not in mine – woops. When I ‘dumped’ the Capri most cars didn’t have numbers on, but it is now very obvious I’m out of place! Little shuffling around and I’m between 38 and 40, counting can prove difficult but I’m reliably informed that’s were 39 should be



Not long after this Tim the handicapper comes around for a chat. Now the handicap is set pretty much on what the car should be able to do, but there is a degree of driver ability sewn into it. My target time as per the programme is 61s, but Tim quite rightly things this is a little wide of the mark so he’s going to set me a time of 55s – this is a pretty tough time as Simon in his Alfa (see first post) was only just getting here after years of experience. But to be honest the car should be able to achieve it, so definitely gives me something to work towards. This isn’t my final ever time, and it will likely be amended for the next meeting at Prescott to take account of my last set of times.

At this point the merits of a handicap system could be discussed, but that’s an argument to be had at the pub between winners and losers Suffice to say they’re never perfect, but they do at least do a decent amount to level the playing field.

At this point there is a call for drivers of cars up to number 40 over the tanoy and it’s time to get ready.

[faker]

Awesome thread and awesome read. Continue my good man.

[PhoenixCapri]

Apr 26, 2016 11:32:51 GMT faker said:

Awesome thread and awesome read. Continue my good man.

Cheers dude, I shall

[PhoenixCapri]

Engines are fired and we’re given a 5 minute warning. The aim is to get to operating temp before your run, and with some steady revs the oil pressure slowly reduces toward the normal operating position. We’re called down to the formation area – this is the bit of tarmac that leads to the start line – thankfully I have people to follow!

We’re guided into two lines, and await our runs. Ahead of me each car pulls up to a marshall who sends them through to the start area. They hand over a small piece of blue card – oh *&$%
Jump out of car, run up the road a bit looking like a complete idiot, grab said blue card from Lauren and get back in car – crisis averted, but definitely feel the fool now! Lesson 1, if someone gives you something that you don’t know what it is, ask, or failing that at least keep it on you!

A couple of minutes later and it’s my turn.

I pull around the sign on cabin and pull up where a marshall tells me to. The MGB ahead lines up and gets ready to go. As he launches I’m beckoned to the start line – no turning back now.

At this point you enter a small stretch of tarmac designated by two white lines – this is the area you are allowed to spin your wheels and get some heat into your tyres, if you want to. Critically this is the only area you are allowed to do this, do it in the pits or staging area and you’ll be reprimanded.

So I light up the rears, far too easily, and get to the start line. One marshal stands ahead of the car to tell me where to stop and another chocks my rear wheel, I’m also told to release my brakes. I’m shuffled back a little so I’m just behind the timing light beam and a sign next to the start line lights tells me to put my visor down (seems plenty forget just as I had!). Your run isn’t timed until you break this beam, so the green light means you’re clear to run, not GO – worth knowing.

I sit at the red light.

[faker]

Can't beat hillclimbing. Awesome stuff. Me in my nova.

[GT4ME]

Great thread.

[mk14dr]

Awesome thread. Bittersweet when you start by remembering the Escort (I always read the Escorts plate as BAD ***T), I remember it feeling somewhat perverse to be taking that picture with the car in that state. I guess it needed documenting for this very reason, you live and learn.

I look forward to more epic racing stories.

[qwerty]

Very interesting thread! Keep updating.

[PhoenixCapri]

Apr 26, 2016 12:05:23 GMT faker said:

Can't beat hillclimbing. Awesome stuff. Me in my nova.

Love it, guess that's quite a machine on a twisty course, probably better suited than the Capri is!

[PhoenixCapri]

Apr 26, 2016 12:18:21 GMT mk14dr said:

Awesome thread. Bittersweet when you start by remembering the Escort (I always read the Escorts plate as BAD ***T), I remember it feeling somewhat perverse to be taking that picture with the car in that state. I guess it needed documenting for this very reason, you live and learn.

I look forward to more epic racing stories.

Like you say, things need documenting for when you finally get around to wanting/needing to look back on them. Poor thing was a mess, but at least the running gear is still going strong.


Thanks to everyone else too. Am quite enjoying documenting it, so will keep the tales coming

[PhoenixCapri]

The light goes green, I launch


I wheel spin


Already I wish I’d bought new tyres rather than being cheap and running on 9 year old Avon semi slicks…..


I get the wheel spin under control and we're away, and I don’t really have a clue where I’m going I never got around to running up Prescott when RRG was here – I wish I had! It’s like the first time I drove the Nurburgring, the land marks aren’t like the videos or as they appear from the side of the track. The gradient is much more apparent, and boy does that strip of tarmac seem narrow!





My target for the day was to make it to the top of the hill, so I take it steady. My lines are rubbish, and I’m barely carrying any speed through the turns, but I’m already having fun.

I reach the top in a blur, with very little idea what, if anything, I did well. But the car is in one piece and I stayed on the black stuff – that’ll do.

My time? A 58.3, which I’m pretty happy with especially given the room for improvement – 3.3s away from my target time isn’t too bad, and it’s a gap that seems possible to close, so all good

I pull back into the paddock, my ‘entourage’ tells me well done for not crashing and we go to the café for a fry-up. I could get used to this.

[wayjay]

Great stuff,car sounds good as well