Aintree June sprint

[dennisdoyle]

Why don’t we write our own reports of the events? The results tell us who came 1st, 2nd 3rd etc, but the background is often lost.

Anyway, here’s my starter for 10:

I came with 30 hp more than last time, that’s a 25% increase. It knocked 2 seconds off (4%) & upped the speed trap time by a similar percentage. Obviously it’s not a simple equation as it had taller gearing but was still even further over the revs for peak power. Memo to self – spend £75 on a spridget diff.

The consensus in sports libre is that it costs about £1,000 to shave a second off your time. This is based upon my observation that my recent engine rebuild that started out as a new set of shells probably ended up costing me 2 grand (I daren’t tot it up lest my wife discovers the sums). Clearly bad news if you are currently circulating in the 60-second bracket!

Matthew Sutcliffe turned up in his bike-engined hillclimb clubman’s car. It was geared for Harewood & hence could only clock 102 mph on the speed trap, but still managed to get below 50 seconds. Has anyone ever got so quick so slowly before? With appropriate gearing it could presumably go about 20 mph faster on the two last straights, so what time would it have done then? Why was it running in the racing car class rather than sports libre? I asked Matthew but he didn’t know.

Very grateful for John Harding’s advice re. a number of bird strikes & hence ensure the visor was down. Found it quite unnerving getting bazzed by the bustards feeding on the finish line. I’m no expert but reckon they were actually swallows or swifts & that would equate to a closing speed approaching 200 mph – enough to severely test the glue on your dentures. Seriously though, I think a 70’s GP driver (Andrea de Adamich?) lost his eyesight & hence his career after a bird strike.

Has anyone ever got an award before in a bog standard Nissan Micra? Well, Tim Gill did today.

Anyway, overall a great day out. Thanks to origanisers & especially marshalls.

Anyone one else got any observations on their day out?

LOL - Dirty Den Motors of Bury (PLC): Sponsored by the DHSS, Inland Revenue, the VAT man & HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

[sprintman]

dennisdoyle said:

Very grateful for John Harding’s advice re. a number of bird strikes & hence ensure the visor was down. Found it quite unnerving getting bazzed by the bustards feeding on the finish line. I’m no expert but reckon they were actually swallows or swifts & that would equate to a closing speed approaching 200 mph – enough to severely test the glue on your dentures. Seriously though, I think a 70’s GP driver (Andrea de Adamich?) lost his eyesight & hence his career after a bird strike.
LOL - Dirty Den Motors of Bury (PLC): Sponsored by the DHSS, Inland Revenue, the VAT man & HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Andrea de Adamich had to retire as a result of the Jody Schecketer British GP multiple shunt in 1973 in which he severely injured his leg.

There were two GP drivers who had to retire due to eye injuries - Helmut Marko, when a stone flicked up by a car he was following penetrated his visor, and Johnny Servoz-Gavin, who hit a bird (the feathered variety).

As far as the sprinting at Aintree went there were a lot of incidents both on and off the track - a report will shortly being going onto the website. Could I make a plea from the Commentary Box? Always ensure you fill in and present a Commentary Slip. We might not always be able to refer to it but if it is there then there is always a chance and when there is a lull they do make for some amusing reading.

PS if you don't fill in a slip we will make things up as usual!

[dennisdoyle]

Anyone interested in comparing the speeds reached by different cars can have a look at the whatnonegatives site which has captured quite a few. I've collated these at:

myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dennisdoyle/Aintree_speed2.doc

It would be more interesting if there was some detail of the horsepower available - anyone else care to divulge ths for their cars?

OK, I know a single number doesn't tell you much, but I think it's still fun to speculate.

[davesgonemental]

My car's a slip of a thing with 163bhp.

For reports and details of what I'm up to with the car and motorsport life:

www.davesgonemental.com/wordpress/?cat=4

The short version is that myself and Gary Thomas had a right old ding-dong, taking nearly a second from the old record and finishing about 2/10ths apart. Lots of fun, but I want my record back!!!