Pushrod kings MK1 Escort hillclimb/sprint car

[Pushrod King]

Here is my ex production rally cross 1300gt,now fitted with a 1700 crossflow which is built to a simple but effective Spec:711m block,standard crank,lightened flywheel,highly modified,lightened,stress relieved and polished rods,arp bolts,high pressure oil pump,Kent 264 cam,duplex vernier timing gears and chain,accralite pistons (modified to give 12:1 compression ratio),copper head gasket,old spedeworth 1600 hotrod spec flat head with mexico sized rimflow valves,steel rocker posts and gear,mass exhaust manifold with twin box 2.25" system, twin 45 webers and aldon vacless dizzy with ignitor.Radtec alloy rad.WCXM.
Tran-x straight-cut gearbox,5 linked english axle fitted with a plate type lsd.
Bias pedal box,fiesta mk1 rear discs and calipers,ap 4 pot front calipers clamping on 257mm discs.
Rosejointed,adjustable front tcas,anti-dive kit,concentric top mounts.Quick rack.
2.25 coil overs with Koni inserts all round.
6X13 Revolution rims with Avon slicks.

When I bought the shell 5 years ago it was described by the seller (N&P at gatwick) as being very sound but a little dented,that was NOT so!! I ended up doing lots of welding and also 5 linked it while I was at it in fact I did all of the work on the car including building the engine, making the front struts and letting in the mexico arches to the front wings myself but I got a friend of mine to spray the outer shell.(I did the prep and painted the underside,engine bay and cockpit).
At Goodwood I have caught an Ac Cobra 289 and TVR speed six and given some others a fright including an Audi Quattro Turbo:D (not allowed to overtake though).If there's anything I've missed please ask;)
I'm now hoping to take part in the DTRC so I'll probably see some of you about:thumb:

[andypipe]

Nice car. About time you got some piccies up

[Pushrod King]

Nice car. About time you got some piccies up
Thanks,how does it look in action Andy? There are a couple of other pics that a mate of yours took and put on mrjimbos' competition car thread:thumb:

[tim]

ar strange u see some1 post up but never know who they are until you see there car.
i was up at silverstone with jimbo in the rain earlier this year
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/timmymagic/sprintin/DSCF1716.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/timmymagic/sprintin/DSCF1737.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/timmymagic/sprintin/DSCF1747.jpg

[Retromotorsport]

be good to see another Mk1 out in the DTRC ... that will be 3 of the lil buggers frightning some of the modern cars :D

[andypipe]

4 if you count Russ's Mk1 RS2000

[david_white]

:cool: Nice to see the piccies at last, I was gonna post the ones I have from when you were at Lydden next to Jimbos Mk1 RS2, but thought you were keeping the car secret from all the TRC ranks :D

Very nice car, cant wait to see it out-gunning a load of the modern motors in DTRC :dance:

[Tezza2]

Very tidy looking car, nice & simple.

[tom burgess]

bloody quick around goodwood aswell:thumb:

[Pushrod King]

bloody quick around goodwood aswell:thumb:

Thanks,yeah 98.89 is my quickest lap from a standing start:banana: .For those who don't know Goodwood is 2.4 miles long and is a bloody quick circuit,I pull 7000rpm in 5th down Lavant straight that's about 135mph:clint: before braking into an 80mph right hander,followed by the chicane.

Tom,is your dad Roger?

[tom burgess]

i was wondering how long before sombody realised.:D yeah he sure is.;)

[Pushrod King]

I was 2nd in class to him at Lydden last summer,twas only my second time there so I wasn't too upset:cool: Have you done Goodwood then? If so what in?

[tom burgess]

nah ive never done goodwood.looks a bit scary.would love to have a go.i sprint dads car wiv him but i werent out much last year(only done 2 events).hopefully will be doing more this year:banana: wot times did you do round lydden?

[Pushrod King]

88.69 secs 1.75 laps,with totally the wrong gearing,I couldn't go higher than 3rd gear and was really untidy into the devils elbow cos I was trying to carry too much speed:clint: .Mind you it was better than my 1st time there,i had a misfire and only had a 500revs powerband:rolleyes:

When have you seen me at Goodwood?

[tom burgess]

i was there once when my dad was doing it and once again when alex ribbens done it in his dark blue escort.;) youre car was flying and i remember i could hear the crossflow screaming.nice one:thumb: are you planning on doing any sprints this year or trying to go racing?

[Pushrod King]

i was there once when my dad was doing it and once again when alex ribbens done it in his dark blue escort.;) youre car was flying and i remember i could hear the crossflow screaming.nice one:thumb: are you planning on doing any sprints this year or trying to go racing?

I think that was with my old 1660 engine that had 10hp less than the one I run now:thumb: .If I race this year I'm still planning on doing the two lap twmc sprint at goodwood and probably the AC owners club one in November if it doesn't clash with a race meeting.

[Pushrod King]

Unfortunately I can't get a race licence this year:( :stu: . Maybe I'll be out racing next year :dunno:.

I'm concentrating on a couple of sprint series this year so fingers crossed for a good result:thumb: .

[Pushrod King]

Just got the points charts for 1 of the championships (all circuit) that I'm doing and after my win At a very wet Goodwood last month (anyone got any pictures?)I'm currently leading my class by 6 points :woohoo:.Just got to keep getting the points,there's only 4 more rounds.
I think I'm leading my class in the other championship that I'm doing too but won't know until next month.

[Pushrod King]

Pictures of Goodwood,thanks Jamie:thumb:

[paulwoodford]

I love this car, looks really period whilst suggesting its intentions in a cool collected manner!

Any story behind the random hole pattern in the front panel?

[Pushrod King]

Any story behind the random hole pattern in the front panel?

Not really,the holes were already there when I bought the car,it used to have a pinto in it so I guess they're where they are for the oil cooler and are small to try and stop the stones from the rough section of the rallycross track holing the rad etc. TBH I don't really like them;)

[paulwoodford]

I thought it was some kind of random flower you'd tried to depict :lol:

I'd appreciate your further advice in my thread about the Fiesta and classes mate if you've got a sec :)

P

[Pushrod King]

Anybody want to buy this car after October 27th?

[andypipe]

Anybody want to buy this car after October 27th?
What are you doing next year then?

[Tezza2]

I certainly would!

[Pushrod King]

What are you doing next year then?
:thinking::thinking::thinking::thinking:Maybe a mk2 version along the same lines but starting from scratch,but I'll probably end up just keeping the mk1 and updating it.
TBH though I am tempted to sell up altogether and get a 3dr cossie road/track car:help:.

I'm doing the sprint on the 6th, it looks like I'll be on my own so I'll probably stay on and watch the Dmn.
I had looked into racing aswell as doing the sprint but I couldn't get an Ards test until the 9th Oct and the car's far from ready for racing:rolleyes:.

Having worked out the points so far I'm only 1 point ahead after dropped scores:clint:. The daft thing is all of my points are for being 1st,2nd,or 3rd in class but Pauls'go down as low as 6th,because of how the system works my dropped (lowest) score will be 11 and his 6 so although I'm 6 points infront it actually works out as 1 which actually means I've got to either beat him (hard to do at lydden),do really badly so I've got a lower score to drop or pray for rain.

[graham bahr]

I'm doing the sprint on the 6th, it looks like I'll be on my own so I'll probably stay on and watch the Dmn.
I had looked into racing aswell as doing the sprint but I couldn't get an Ards test until the 9th Oct and the car's far from ready for racing.


IMHO if your going to go racing do it in your current car, you know the car and feel at home in it, your first few races will be a steep learning curve better to do them in a car you know well than have to learn a new car and racecraft at the same time, although its rarely mentioned one of the harder things to get used to is driving with other cars so close inches apart at 3 figure speeds is common and in those circumstances you really do want a car you know well

[Pushrod King]

IMHO if your going to go racing do it in your current car, you know the car and feel at home in it, your first few races will be a steep learning curve better to do them in a car you know well than have to learn a new car and racecraft at the same time, although its rarely mentioned one of the harder things to get used to is driving with other cars so close inches apart at 3 figure speeds is common and in those circumstances you really do want a car you know well

Thanks Graham,I've raced before although I'd be a little rusty now (lie the shell lol);) TBH if I built another car I'd build it along the same lines,using the same knowledge that I put into the mk1,I haven't changed anything on it (other than tyres)since I built it four/five years ago the only thing I'd possibly like to change is the roll cage as it's an old SD one with no door bars and you're not officially allowed to alter it.

Will you be there on the 6th?

[graham bahr]

I'd possibly like to change is the roll cage as it's an old SD one with no door bars and you're not officially allowed to alter it.


nothing to stop you fitting bolt on door bars, they are universal and allowable as long as you dont actually modify the cage itself

[Pushrod King]

After seeing the damage to Andys' car I'd really like to have the door bars shaped so that they curve out into the door apperture the same as the hot rods use.

[tom burgess]

someone else maybe at the sprint on the 6th too:thinking:and maybe the same car could be racingpray:

[graham bahr]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After seeing the damage to Andys' car I'd really like to have the door bars shaped so that they curve out into the door apperture the same as the hot rods use

maybe mk1's are different but in my MK2 which has a SD cage if you had a curved door bar you would have to gut the door or it wouldnt shut

http://media.turbosport.co.uk/2007/9/2007092111017467652rs door bar.jpg
http://media.turbosport.co.uk/2007/9/2007092111011803895rs door bar2.jpg
http://media.turbosport.co.uk/2007/9/200709211101548096rs door bar3.jpg

[Pushrod King]

OK,OK Tom>>> don't rub it in:watchout: thank god you dads not in the same race class:duck:

Graham,the doors are already gutted (it's a race car) but are alloy panelled (inside) at the mo although I'll probably get some kevlar doors or skins ( was already looking when you told me your plans Andy)now that they're more readily available;) as you know weight is a real disadvantage to a racer.(just wish I could lose weight so easily:D)

[Retromotorsport]

Rollcentre racing do a weld in kit that can swoop out into the door, you'll need to tweak them though as they are a universal fit, have a look at Retro Als door bars

[Pushrod King]

Rollcentre racing do a weld in kit that can swoop out into the door, you'll need to tweak them though as they are a universal fit, have a look at Retro Als door bars

Thanks Gary,I was thinking of bending some tube up myself and possibly copying SD s universal bolt on clamps so they stay within the non modified rollcage rules.But thinking about it the blue book states homoglated rollcages, mine's way out of date so I suspect the rule doesn't count:dunno:

[graham bahr]

But thinking about it the blue book states homoglated rollcages, mine's way out of date so I suspect the rule doesn't count

not quite, your roll cage will have a drawing number that is held on file with the msa, a competition roll cage has to comply with what they have on file irrispective of whether is 6 months or 60years old, or it needs specific certification from the msa

[Pushrod King]

not quite, your roll cage will have a drawing number that is held on file with the msa, a competition roll cage has to comply with what they have on file irrispective of whether is 6 months or 60years old, or it needs specific certification from the msa

:confused: There are other cars with modified SD cages running in the DMN,what are the chances of them having certification? Or can you get away with certain changes? OR would it be ok if they stay the same as the drawings in the blue book ?

[graham bahr]

i modified a cage and got away with it for years until i ran into a stroppy scruit, eventually he agreed to let me out and i continued to race with the same cage until i wrote the car off a couple of years later.

if you stick to having bolt on additional reinforcements as per the blue book your be fine

[Pushrod King]

I thought it was about time for an update: Well,the last sprint of my season was at Lydden Hill on October 27th we arrived there with me needing to either win or finish one place behind Paul Goddard in his rapid BDA engined Zakspeed bodied yellow mk1 to win my class in the all circuit championship. In practise I ended up setting the 2nd fastest time,then in the 1st timed run I managed to throw the car off the track at the Devils elbow,(I was distracted by the photographer) narrowly missing the tyre wall and getting about 3ft in the air whilst sideways:clint::doh: so ended up with no time set so only had one timed run to set a time which had to be within 1 place of Paul.
I gave the car a quick visual check over but couldn't see anything bent although the mark on the steering wheel was now about 30 degrees from where it should be in the straight ahead position.
I ended up lining up just as the last car in class D7 left the line and just about had time to do my seatbelts up before lining up for the run,before the lights went green I let the car ease forward and broke the beam setting the clock off:doh:I left the line not knowing what was bent on the car but decided that I had to just go for it and despite very bad understeer I completed the course,went back to the paddock and awaited the results...........2nd in class on the day and after dropped scores I won both class D7 and Category D overall for the year by1 point :banana::banana:.

Anyway,I'm now going racing in 2008 (subject to the medical) but still intend to do the odd sprint aswell. Plans for the car include a 4 speed gearbox in place of the type 9,fibreglass doors, and either a new rollcage or more bars added to the current one, I'll be sticking with the current engine.
http://uploads.turbosport.co.uk/getrempic3.php?url=http://www.twmc.org.uk/lydsprint2007/img_7432.jpg
Paul Goddard:

[graham bahr]

nice one nick :clap::clap::clap:

not sure about going back to a 4 speed box though, if you do you could easily end up in the situation that your car is way under or over geared depending on the circuit, unless you have a nice supply of alternative diff ratios, even with a T9 alex ribbins was swapping diffs to get the best from the car

[GavinR]

Well done :clap:

[tim]

are you racing this mk1 next year?

[Pushrod King]

nice one nick :clap::clap::clap:

not sure about going back to a 4 speed box though, if you do you could easily end up in the situation that your car is way under or over geared depending on the circuit, unless you have a nice supply of alternative diff ratios, even with a T9 alex ribbins was swapping diffs to get the best from the car

Thanks Graham,we used to change diffs for each venue when we raced hotrods,tbh I haven't made a final decision but when I built the car in the 1st place I'd reckoned on using a 3.89 diff and all five gears at Goodwood (the car was built with mainly Goodwood in mind) and then 4th at other circuits but found that it was way too high geared for anywhere other than Goodwood,I've ended up changing diffs anyway and used a 4.1 at brands and silverstone (stowe) and a 4.4 at Lydden and still didn't use 5th!
I've got 2 lsd units so changing ratios all of the time will mean swapping the lsd unit over between crown wheels and casings.I have got 1 of each ratio from 3.54 down to 4.44. The main problem with using the 5 speeder is that I occasionally get 5th instead of 3rd:doh::D

[Pushrod King]

Well done :clap:

Thanks:thumb: I heard a rumor that you won a championship this year,congrats on that:clap:

[Pushrod King]

are you racing this mk1 next year?

Yeah I'll be racing this old nail that I've used for the last 4 years:thumb:

[steely dan]

congrats :clap:
same again for next year, or will you try a different championship?

[david_white]

Well done :clap:

Hope to see more of your car on circuit next year :banana:

[Pushrod King]

Just a quick update...I've sourced a new gearbox to use (see pics and tell me if you know what it is).
The car's up on stands ready to be checked over,engine out for a check/rebuild (hopefully more power too). I've got to reposition the seat, fit the extinguisher system,add some bars to the cage, fit a rain light,wire in the brake lights,fit some front lights,change the brake pads,regrease the front hubs etc. etc. etc.

[graham bahr]

hmm, straight cut and dog engaugment, its a long long time since i've had a rwd ford box in bits but from memory it looks like a T3 ( cortina3/4/5 rs2000) type box.

from the other mods it looks you your definatly coming circuit racing, in which case dont forget to uprate tthe brake fluid, normal dot stuff is fine for sprinting etc but has an alarming tendancy to boil without warning on during a race

[Pushrod King]

hmm, straight cut and dog engaugment, its a long long time since i've had a rwd ford box in bits but from memory it looks like a T3 ( cortina3/4/5 rs2000) type box.

from the other mods it looks you your definatly coming circuit racing, in which case dont forget to uprate tthe brake fluid, normal dot stuff is fine for sprinting etc but has an alarming tendancy to boil without warning on during a race

Spot on Graham:clap::clap: I'm not sure I'll get on with it (dog box) though:dunno:
I'm reckoning on trying racing:thumb:
Already thought about the brake fluidxmaswave

[graham bahr]

dog box is just fine, the thing with them is not to pussy foot around with them, just slap them into gear as quick as can and they are fine, it just wont like slow gental changes, if you change gear slowly like your taking your 99year old granny for a sunday trip to church, they dont engauge properly and it wears the hell out the dogs

[Pushrod King]

Well,there's just over three weeks to go until my first race (hopefully) and the car still needs loads of work! Family problems (teenage daughter)are really getting me down so I'm having trouble working on the escort:(
I have managed to add to the roll cage and my crank came back yesterday so hopefully I'll find the energy (mentally and physically)to get the engine built and the car ready in time:pray:
Here are some pics of the progress that I have made.

[kosingcurry]

Nice stuff mate, looks wicked. I'm gonna try to make an effort to come and watch one of the races you lot are doing, probably brans hatch. Keep it up bud....all be worth it in the end!:thumb:

Oh and by the way, my time for the 2006 season at Goodwood sprint was 96.2 seconds, not sure if that rings any bells but it was the first time I was there....you'll probably embarress me in the ford.:D.

Still...this year will be quicker:thumb:...if I don't crash

[SnappyRacers]

In practise I ended up setting the 2nd fastest time,then in the 1st timed run I managed to throw the car off the track at the Devils elbow,(I was distracted by the photographer) narrowly missing the tyre wall and getting about 3ft in the air whilst sideways:clint::doh: so ended up with no time set so only had one timed run to set a time which had to be within 1 place of Paul.

Now there's nothing like keeping up to date with these things... Just noticed this one!

Just remember I'll be taking photos of EVERY SINGLE RACE you're doing this year!!!

:bolt:

[Pushrod King]

Now there's nothing like keeping up to date with these things... Just noticed this one!

Just remember I'll be taking photos of EVERY SINGLE RACE you're doing this year!!!

:bolt:

I think I'll be too busy to wave this year:lol:

[Pushrod King]

Found out that the wheelspin I was experiencing was infact clutch slip:doh: So it's out with the old lightened cast flywheel and AP racing clutch (rated to 129ft/lb) and in with the shiny new steel flywheel (note the double dowels)and AP Racing cerametallic paddle clutch and cover.
Whilst Burtons had the crank for crack testing and drilling the dowel holes I got them to machine the no1 journal for clearance of the duplex timing chain they also balanced the assembly while they were at it. I'm very impressed with the service I got:clap:

[Pushrod King]

The car's ready and the trooper's packed ready for the 3.5hr journey up to mildenhall this afternoon,staying in a travelodge as I'm racing at snetterton over the weekend. Just got to go and get fuel and the trailer, load up and wait for my daughter to finish school then we'll be on our way.
Wish me luck! Nerves are already setting in as this will be my first race meeting since 1997:help:.

Hope team Pipe look after me.

[andypipe]

Good luck

[graham bahr]

your be fine pushrod :thumb::thumb:, i'll wave as i go past :D

[andypipe]

your be fine pushrod :thumb::thumb:, i'll wave as i go past :D

Sideways:D

[graham bahr]

not more damp cold/wet weather pleaseeeeeeeeeee :pray:

[dangerousdave]

Good luck all of you guys :thumb:

[andypipe]

Sunday is wet. Not looking forward to that

[steely dan]

good luck :thumb: should be a good weekends racing with all the turbosporters there.

[andypipe]

4 cars in total. Shame we dont get many supporters

[Pushrod King]

:thumb:, i'll wave as i go past :D

Backwards,when you try and outhandle an escort;)

[graham bahr]

Backwards,when you try and outhandle an escort;)

obiviously we were never at the same sprint nick because my 2.0 atmo beemer took many an escort scalp :D:D:D

the place i liked least was goodwood because my car was badly badly undergeared for the place, like it had only 117mph on tap, i've still done a 96sec lap there though :dance::dance:

[Retromotorsport]

Nick, we missed you sunday, was it a no fix situation with the oil?

[Pushrod King]

Nick, we missed you sunday, was it a no fix situation with the oil?

Thanks for asking Gary (I didn't think anyone would notice),Main problem was a misfire, then came the oil leak, then fuel leaking straight out of the tank breather,then the fact that after 12 years of wear the zip broke on my race suit (thought I had lost weight) coupled to the fact that I had no grip from the tyres :giveup:and last of all I didn't want to stay another night in the bloody travelodge bed. (uncomfortable's not the word)
I couldn't believe how much my car had changed to drive with the new gearbox (race ratio dog box) (want to swap Andy?)and harder compound tyres:clint:. Wish I'd gone testing beforehand:doh:
I did manage to knock 2 seconds off of my qualifying time and did several laps within 1/2 a second of each other with the slipping clutch and misfire so I'm not too disappointed.
Not sure I enjoyed it though:dunno: Can't believe how much it cost me either didn't get much change out of £500:clint:(sponsor's skint)

[tom burgess]

Did wonder where you had gone nick:watchout:shame as its always good to have an escort out there:cool:and as for the money.i thought everybody knew racing is expensive:D

[Retromotorsport]

Nick, it gets cheaper .. closer rounds, less hotels .. less fuel etc etc .. just hope we dont lose you as it was mentioned how great it was to have 4 n/a old school style escorts out there getting in teh way of those 4wd whooooshh crackle wisssssshhhhh cars

[graham bahr]

i think its pretty much as gary said it does get cheaper / better

personally i dont really rate snet as a drivers track even though it suits my silly horsepower car

and harder compound tyres. Wish I'd gone testing beforehand

you should find your harder tyres give you just as much if not more grip it just takes longer/harder driving to get the tyres really hot so you can find it. whilst i've never driven the turbo on soft slicks i know my old car had more grip on harder slicks that were hot

[Pushrod King]

Nick, it gets cheaper .. closer rounds, less hotels .. less fuel etc etc .. just hope we dont lose you as it was mentioned how great it was to have 4 n/a old school style escorts out there getting in teh way of those 4wd whooooshh crackle wisssssshhhhh cars

Thanks for the encouragement Gary,I'm not sure what I'm doing at the mo;)

[Pushrod King]

i think its pretty much as gary said it does get cheaper / better

personally i dont really rate snet as a drivers track even though it suits my silly horsepower car



you should find your harder tyres give you just as much if not more grip it just takes longer/harder driving to get the tyres really hot so you can find it. whilst i've never driven the turbo on soft slicks i know my old car had more grip on harder slicks that were hot

Thanks Graham,my tyres have still got the moulding marks on the contact areas even after 15 laps of snett,I'm just not sure that they suit me and my car's weight (lightest of the Escorts even with me in)

[andypipe]

Just plod away at it. Its taken me 15 years to get were i am now

[david_white]

Just plod away at it. Its taken me 15 years to get were i am now

Exactly Nick, and he still qualifies last :doh:

:bolt:

[Pushrod King]

Exactly Nick, and he still qualifies last :doh:

:bolt:

And then romps away in the race:thumb:

[Pushrod King]

Spent some time on the car today,took the engine out removed the sump,flywheel and clutch.
The oil leak was caused by a small split in the sump:doh: Easily fixed anyway:)

The clutch is more of a worry,looks like I need another friction plate and a new pressure plate in the cover assembly:( If you look at the pictures you can see that the cover hasn't been contacting the centre plate (1/2 black 1/2 shiny bronze) this is because the face hasn't worn level so the assembly doesn't sit flush!

Also had my tyres checked with a durometer and not good news there either,they're alot harder than my mates year old ones that are the same compound and are nearly worn out:watchout:.(mine were new this year)

So before I race again I need an oil tight engine,a new clutch,new set of tyres,bigger balls,and an fia approved race suit.

[david_white]

Keep at it though mate, it will get easier as you go on, it will just take a while to get the car exactly how you need it for racing with a setup that suits you and is reliable. :thumb:
Andy has broken every part of his car over the coarse of a season but gradually you iron out the problems so they're not repeated and the car also gets quicker. Andy's is a lot quicker than a couple of seasons ago but sometimes you don't realise cos everyone else ups their game too :dunno:

[Pushrod King]

Thanks Dave:thumb: It's the cost that's bothering me,I've just ordered a new clutch cover assembly and another plate (£500 +) got to buy some overalls and ideally non wooden tyres and get it rolling roaded to find/cure the misfire and see if I fixed the oil leak.

[graham bahr]

i wouldnt worry about the clutch too much, they can take a long while to bed in fully, if it wasnt slipping before it had oil dumped all over it it should be fine :thumb:

[Pushrod King]

i wouldnt worry about the clutch too much, they can take a long while to bed in fully, if it wasnt slipping before it had oil dumped all over it it should be fine :thumb:

TBH It didn't feel right from the start,I couldn't get a new plate for the cover until after Silverstone (on back order)so I've ended up buying a complete new clutch,at least I've got some spares now. It's the tyres I'm really pissed off about they were new and should of been better:rsocmoan:

[Pushrod King]

I managed to race in the DMN at Lydden yesterday and actually finished qualifying and both races:woohoo:
In qualifying I elected to go out on slicks and although it was slippery managed to qualify 4th in class,10th overall and was the 1st rwd with the Brents pug 205s and a nova(.013sec) in front and Russell Turners big power arched mk1 behind.
Race one:it's starting to brighten up a bit so I decide to stay on slicks and alter the pressures to try and get more heat into them,I do this and it starts to rain again Gerald Gale (parked next to me)rushes about changing his tyres and I start to think I'd made the wrong choice but didn't really have time to change tyres (Gerald had borrowed my nut gun) so I got in the car went to fire it up but it wouldn't start as the battery was flat:doh:everybody had gone to line up on the dummy grid so my 12 year old daughter had to push the car to bump start it:clap: I took my place on the grid (alongside Gemma morris) and had to keep the engine running while everyone else lined up behind Graham in his BMW 635csi who was acting as pace car.
We complete a very slow (almost) lap behind Graham and then we're off and I get baulked by Gemma and Paul Goddard but manage to stay infront of the rest at the 1st corner, by the devils elbow I'm on the back of Paul who inturn is on the back of the Nova which is understeering wildly up the hill I manage to get alongside Paul who is trying a pass on the Nova we go into the hairpin three abreast with the nova actually physically (you should see Paul's door)pushing Paul across the track into me I decide to back off with only milimetres to spare until I'm off the track on the grass and probably the barriers,paul gets infront and I spend nearly a lap behind the Nova until he leaves an escort sized gap into the Devils elbow and I'm past we then spend a lap or two with him trying to get inside on the corners with me in turn making sure there a wasn't enough room for him to do the same to me as he did to Paul I then start to pull away in chase of Paul but the car started to misfire a little and he was too far ahead so it finished with Paul 3rd in class behind the Brents and me 4th in class and 10th overall, I'd finished where I started dispite getting past the nova but had had a great 1st race in 10 years:woohoo:. I got back to the paddock switched the fan on and the car died!! the battery was totally dead (explained the misfire) I run an alternator so was scratching my head a little as both wires were still connected:confused: I fiddle about and find that one of the terinals is broken inside the insulation so borrowed a battery charger off of Gerald,extension lead off of the team next to me and charged the battery whilst I put a new terminal on the alternator lead,(burning my hand in the process:stu:) I flick the ignition on to check the connections and nothing happened:clint: the battery was still dead,did a quick check and the charger's not working so I ended up fixing that too:rolleyes: After all that it was time to drink the very welcome cuppa that my daughter had bought.

Race 2: Before I went to line up I made sure that there's somebody there to push start the car if needed but when I flicked the ignition switch and pushed the starter button the engine spins over and fires up.
we do another slow almost lap behind the pace car, make our way down the hill to the start line, the lights go green and we're off,this time I made absolutely sure that I wasn't baulked and actually made up a couple of places so was 8th overall by the time we came out of the 1st corner! The race continued with me catching and passing Paul goddard for 3rd in class only to make a mistake on the next corner so he got it back and started to pull away paul passes a blue mini, I look in my mirrors and Russell Turners catching up as we go into the Elbow I get inside the mini as we get to the hairpin and I go infront and accelerate down the hill expecting Russell to be right behind me but he was still behind the mini as I went into paddock, I decide that as the track was now nearly dry it's about time I started to really push and set about catching up with Paul and just as I started to apply some pressure he went off at the Elbow,clouting the tyre wall hard:clint:. I carry on but the back end is starting to get loose ( I didn't change the tyre pressures back form earlier)and I get caught by the escorts of Andy and Alex so I wave Andy through and he's followed by Alex,I tried to keep up but my car's just not letting me get the power down and I eventually spun and stalled the engine under braking into chessons and got passed by Russell turner, the blue mini and the nova:doh:I eventually got it restarted and gave chase to Eric False in his fiesta catching and passing him into the hairpin finishing 7th in class and 11th overall.

[david_white]

Well done Nick, very good driving and decent results in very tricky conditions. :clap:

Lets hope its dryer next time out and the escorts can give the pugs a run for their money :woohoo:

[Ken Welch]

Well done Nick. I was behind you when you spun at Chessons. It was quite interesting, I was not sure where you were going the end up.

[Pushrod King]

Well done Nick. I was behind you when you spun at Chessons. It was quite interesting, I was not sure where you were going the end up.

I wasn't sure either:clint: I'm just glad I didn't get collected or hit the barriers.

[SnappyRacers]

I'm waiting on getting the pictures of your spin from another snapper... They're on his memory card!

[lee 1]

Well done on the resuls and the write up:thumb:

[Pushrod King]

Well done on the resuls and the write up:thumb:

Thanks:thumb: I'm now looking forward to the next race:)

[carl_harker]

very nice car in the flesh:thumb: