andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

[tom burgess]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Only joking Glenni was there when it happened and it was a bloody hard hit.i was laughing at Dave climbing through the back of Andy's car to repair it though

[mervhill]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Ah ok mate, was a bit surprised that someone like yourself that appreciates racing and how it would feel to be taken out would laugh to be honest.

[david_white]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Only joking Glenni was there when it happened and it was a bloody hard hit.i was laughing at Dave climbing through the back of Andy's car to repair it though

Suprised you didn't add a pic to that comment, I'm sure I saw you with a camera when I was stuck head first in the car with my feet in the boot

[tom burgess]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

this one

[Retromotorsport]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

To Andy on a great weekends drive

The sun was shining which makes a change for when we go to Snetterton .. it always rains.

We set Andys car up for qualifiying and he drove down to get noise tested, 104 , so an exhaust re-pack is on the cards.
Waiting in the collecting area for a while and off they all went, we ran to the pitwall and waited, along came Rod Birley, no surprises there ... eventually Andy came into view, obviously slow .. as he came alongside us he blipped the throttle, engine revs went up, car didnt move any quicker, .... damm clutch slip.
He pulled into the pits after doing the 3 laps he needed to do to qualifiy. Told us what was going on and confirmed the clutch slip .. a few moments of panic but lets calm down and get the car to the paddock.
Back at the paddock, and on closer inspection the pedal was solid.
The pedal box had a split in from brands last month, it had been taken out of the car and i welded it up, when it went back in, now straight, the clutch pedal had no free play, so the fluid wasnt going back to the pot, and was holding the clutch down a little. Dave White slid into the footwell and after a few moments with the spanners we had freeplay, and a working clutch, just in time for the times to come out.
Andys time .... 1:45.5 dead last

Anyway.. after a few laughs we set the car up for the race. All Andy had to do in the race was make up 22 places to catch the class leader who had put his Pug205 on the Class D pole with a time of 1:22.1 a bit of catching up to do then
At this point i'd like to point out that the driver of the Pug is Richard Brent, who happens to be a racecar driving instructor ...so he can pedal a car .. (teams excuse book page 34 no 12)

All the cars came round for the rolling start and with a thunderous noise they set off, and when i say thunder i mean thunder... there was over 2,500 horsepower between the front 4 cars, there was under 500 horsepower for the lat 4 cars though

Andy first passed Nick in his mk1 escort, to be fair to Nick it was his first race with a car that wasnt being kind to him, and then Andy set after the next two cars in class D, Alex Ribbens in his Gp2 Mk2 pinto powered car, and Paul Goddard in his Mk1 Broadspeed replica with BDA power.
Andy passed 8 cars on his way to a fine 3rd in class bearing in mind he started dead last, a few minis, the escorts, a Pug 306GTI and a Lancia Delta. His best Lap was a 1;24.6 the next fastest N/A Escort was on a 1:27.0 lap. But that Bloody Richard Brent was doing 1:22's

Richard and the other Class D car infront of Andy had also made a storming charge through the field finishing 12 (Richard) and 13th (Graham Richardson in his Nova) with andy 22nd O/A

We put the car away for the night and headed back to the Pub... well its traditional Andy's dad had said at the start of the race..............
"if Andy passes all the N/A Escorts i'll buy the beers"
And good to his word we all had a couple pints while talking about Sunday .. cheers John

The weather on Sunday morning was bright and sunny, but the forcast was for rain, Andy said it would probably start raining at 12 (the race start time) and stop as the chequered flag drops .. always the optomist is Andy

Anyway the rolling start comes round and Andys away, taking the Class C Renault Megane of 'woody' as soon as the lights went out, and he set of in the hunt for Graham and Richard, he had some brillient dices with the hot favourites to take class E and some class C cars, the pace was fast in the sunshine, with Rod Birley doing a 1:13.6.
Andy was gaining on Graham's Nova, and just when he could see the Nova ahead the heavens opened, the rain soaking some corners and leaving others dry, the pace slowed and a few cars spun.... unfortunatly Andy was one of these spinners, the lap before he had been ahead of a 3 car battle, they came round and Andy wasnt infront after a few moments he came into view and hadnt lost a place in class, as he came by the wall i sent the slow signal and Andy settled for the points from 3rd place instead of trying too hard and spinning off again .. the sun came out again for the final few laps.
When Andy got out the car, he was his normal self and said sorry for the spin.
Sod that, he had done well, peddling the Mk1 past the more powerful Escorts in his class and running faster than some of the cars in classes above him, including a Seat Cupra ..

Again, and yes i'm biased, the DMN provided the most entertaining racing with such a diverse field , Skylines, WRC Escorts, Seat's, Mini's, Pugs, and even a Vectra Supertourer.

Hopefully snapperjon has his normal quality of pictures to show the weekends events.

Andy, you did us proud

[Dan]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

nice write up gary i was wondering how andy got on

awaits pics

[Graham]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

nice one well done andy

now andys engine is 1800 i think its time to go back to that 264 cam as more pure power is the only way he's every going to get nearer to richard because andy giving away about 20bhp

[Jon]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Well done Andy and crew, sounds like a great weekends racing

[Retromotorsport]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Just found this pic ...

[lee 1]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Just found this pic ...

Not lacking grip then

[Graham]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

excellent one wheel dangling, just as it should be! i know gary wont agree but it always used to work for me in the 02 and that used to beat most escorts

[andypipe]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Thats why ive got a massive crack top to bottom of my windscreen

[Retromotorsport]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

excellent one wheel dangling, just as it should be! i know gary wont agree but it always used to work for me in the 02 and that used to beat most escorts

graham, did you ever work out the rear roll center on your 02?
I havnt actually measured Andy's (its as low as it can go with the set-up Andy's got)but i know its below the axle centerline, but yes your right, i would prefer to keep the car flatter.
The good news was that andy reported back that the car was neutral, so i can dial in some more rear end grip so he gets a touch of understeer, and make use of that extra grunt hes got now to shoot him out the corners.

Think maybe i'll be doing some moving of the original front cage attachment points too as i suspect they may be putting the screen is shear, allthough Andy does tend to be kind on screens and makes them last so we could just bond it in.

[Graham]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

The good news was that andy reported back that the car was neutral, so i can dial in some more rear end grip so he gets a touch of understeer, and make use of that extra grunt hes got now to shoot him out the corners.

i would say if his car is neutral then you should leave it alone and let andy push it harder until it does over or understeer THEN correct that

moving of the original front cage attachment points too as i suspect they may be putting the screen is shear

no need just attach the cage to the shell on teh A posts

graham, did you ever work out the rear roll center on your 02?

nope too technical for me i prefer not to therise too much anyway and just drive/adjust/drive the car until the adjustments stop improving things

[tom burgess]

Re: andypipe's - MK1 Escort - xflow

Well Done Andydrove very well in the 2nd race i thoughtshame we wont have the rivalry of last year thoughwe will let you win this timegood luck for the rest of the season