Stylussprinter's Stylus

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Well I didn't manage to keep my 4 year championship run of wins going in 2012 , I didn't get closer than 2nd in class so maybe it's a sign I'm wavering now . I still drive it very hard and enjoy competing , maybe 2013 will be the season to get back to form .

I'll be off to Goodwood for a General test day in April for the usual '' wake up '' session but before then I've been invited by a fellow SYLVA driver to drive his twin rotary engined Phoenix at Abbeville in France . That'll be a definite wake up call because it has a super charger and puts out 300bhp at the wheels !!! Similar to my Stylus apart from the grunt but weighing just 550kgs .
So its out on my bike for a few weeks then off to the ' doc ' to get through the licence medical again . Having BP and CLL makes it not a forgone conclusion these days --- ugh !

[exboyracer]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Good luck!

[ColeJersey]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Good luck

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Phew ------------------ got through my medical for 2013 !!!! and thanks for both your good luck wishes . Eyesight's a bit crap in the left eye so only down to 5 lines with glasses but the ' chassis's ' holding up ok.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Abbeville in that 300bhp@wheels Phoenix was awesome . Having never seen the track before I did my usual ''push to find out session'' --- I found out it'll spin like a top if you don't know where the next corner goes !!! Two Exiges passed me to the left plus another to my right , with me still going backwards in a straight line fortunately. After that I got on fine but it needed really sensitive throttle control in the very tight bends and would spin the wheels at 100mph when changing up to 4th plus a little wiggle.My April test day didn't last 3 laps ------- gearbox problems , sticking in 3rd and 5th gear so packed up and went home. Cutting a long story short , it was engine out yet again , down to BGH gearech in KENT while he stripped and rebuilt it the same day -- brilliant service and a great guy with huge knowledge and skills at 80yrs of age, along with banter close to scarcasm !!So missed my first event in April and entered TWMC Goodwood event in June . Managed a 94.56sec best which got me 2nd in class against a Radical . Just done Goodwood again for the BRIGHTON & HOVE EAGLE sprint and did a 94.18secs best which got me 4th from 10 entrants . GT40's , LOTUS Buick's , CORTINA V8 , The Phoenix I tried at Abbeville !!! ESCORT Formula2 chassied Cosworth 2.3lt , SPORTS 2000 driven by an ex- formula 3 driver VERY WELL TOO at 86 sec's !!!!Next event for me is EELMOOR Sprint near Aldershot on 6th Oct then CASTLE COOMBE on the 19th Oct.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

I forgot to say that the reason for no posts since earlier this year is that I couldn't for some strange reason log onto this forum but Clint has just sorted me out

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Strangely , after Clint sorted it all out for me and my last post saying so ------ I've not been able to post since then until today simply stopped trying. Since my last event of 2013 and winning the ACSMC Sprint championship , Sports Libre over 1800cc class for 4th time since 2005/6 , I decided to modify the Stylus a little more.(having told myself that at 70yrs I'd spent enough and must just gracefully come 2nd on occasions from now on)
What I had in mind was to attempt to get down to my times at Goodwood of 8/9 yrs ago --- h'mmm ok , probably not very realistic but let's face it motorsport is a disease , albeit a very acceptable one . I had worked out that changing from my heavy 8.5kgs 15x7 in wheels shod with R888 soft 205x50 tyres --- to 13x7.5 in wheels shod with Avon ZZR A24 compound 215x55 tyres , would lose me 10mph at the top end BUT hopefully would get me through the corners quicker plus be at top rpm in 5th much sooner thereby lowering laptime.
I googled every source of wheels you can name for size/weight and price , including Image three piece at a stonking £280 a piece !!!! Fantastic weight but just not in my price budget Several one piece wheels at quite light weights but not really light enough if you're going to spend the money --- most around 4.5kgs . Finally I found Carl Austin at FORCE RACING WHEELS . A brilliant wheel choice , just about any combination you could think about , including many 3 piece designs and weights plus a really nice guy to deal with face to face . I removed the front upright/caliper/hub/disc and drove up to LEEDS to meet him . It was clear that he could produce any off-set and width from 10 in upwards but there would be a 6 weeks waiting time . That didn't bother me as the 2013 season was over and no events till April this year. Price was £192 a piece for 2 front at one offset plus 2 rear at a different offset and would weigh just 3.54kgs each. He normally built the wheels I chose with 5mm wheel centre webbing but I went for 7mm webbing as my car is heavier than his usual MINI race car clients cars plus had 100bhp more than most of those . Otherwise the wheels would have weighed 3.4 kgs !!! Another tricky thing for him to acheive was to clear the inner wheel from touching the steering arms I'd recently made that easily cleared my 15in wheels and wheelweights.
Unlucky for Carl but great for my budget , was the fact he'd made a very tiny snag 1mm deep on the anodised gold centre of one wheel while etching FORCE RACING WHEELS around the edge . Very very nice of him to offer me £100 off the set of four OR make me another wheel centre in a couple of weeks -------------------- I took the discount and simply filled the snag with resin and gold Hammerited it over. He was upset though and not due to the discount offered but that he had never snagged one before. Smashing guy and I would recommend him to anyone.

The result of all this is that in April this year at Goodwood , I went 1 second quicker than last season's best at 93.27sec's standing start lap , so very pleased my theory came right .

I have photos but have lost the ability to downsize pics in my computor since repaired but if anyone could possibly put some on for me then I could email them after pm your email address ?

[PeterM]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

What a fantastic story and write up on your amazing car and achievements. I also own a kit car (Fisher) but always found it really hard for anyone to work on it or even know what to do on it. I would love to touch base with you to chat about our car.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

I'd be happy to meet up any time PeterM , afterall I am retired . My car doesn't travel though or rather ' not on oad ' at least , so it would either be a place midway between us but probably better here at mine in ASTON CLINTON . If coming from LONDON you'd take the M25 to junc 20 then off up the A41 towards Aylesbury for about 13 miles . PM me for the address or postcode if you fancy coming here , email etc.

Looking at your car it appears to be a FURY but the front end doesn't seem FURY . Also the front suspension appears to be outboard like one of Jeremy Phillips earlier Striker designs (inboard front rockers NOT outboard wishbones) Engine is obviously 2lt XE . Do you compete in it and is it road going ?

[PeterM]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Hi thanks for replying, would love to meet up and have a chat about cars, would like to see your views on our car. I share it with a close friend and never raced or competed in it but would love to. We have been to spa and various tracks with it. Maybe even pop over to you with the car on the trailer if that's ok!.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Hi thanks for replying, would love to meet up and have a chat about cars, would like to see your views on our car. I share it with a close friend and never raced or competed in it but would love to. We have been to spa and various tracks with it. Maybe even pop over to you with the car on the trailer if that's ok!.

Just pm to arrange a date ok

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

I forgot to mention that I'm booked up with Motorsport-events for a COOBME trackday on the 4th JULY , as I've never spectated nor driven the circuit ever and will be competing there on the 26th JULY --- so really need a heads up on the best lines . Hoping to get Ed Moore to drive my car while I observe exactly where he points it ha ha !!!
After that I'll be at the BRIGHTON & HOVE Goodwood sprint on the 2nd AUGUST , EELMOOR nr Aldershot on the 5th Oct then CASTLE COOMBE again on the 18th Oct. That'll be my lor for 2014 budget wise

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

WOW ! -- what a day at Coombe . My first ever drive of the circuit plus Ed Moore driving me around in the Stylus , he's a mighty quick driver and took me to places not visited before , technique wise. I followed the convoy then had my first session , getting gradually quicker lap by lap . Let a few obviously regular guys pass me who were on the ' pace ' straight out the box . Once I'd been round with Ed ' for 12 laps , I realised my normal driving style wasn't the quickest for this circuit . Ed ' was almost ' rally ' style in his approach to corners as opposed to my low steering input style (smooth etc) Turn in was instant as opposed to gradual and in higher gear than my approach for the tight ones . I actually paid for 4 laps of him driving at race pace but he seemed to be enjoying the Stylus so much that he forgot I was in the car !!! He said he loved the car's handling and '' what a lovely engine '' . He also told me there was a vibration in the transmission which I've not felt ? -- also he didn't like my steering wheel -- too flexible , like playing snooker with a piece of string he said !!!! All good stuff and I learn't a lot .

[PeterM]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

It's amazing what we can learn from professionals, I need to get next to an instructor to.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Yesterday at Coombe there were 3 cars in my class including myself. A Radical SR8 V8 2.6lt and an Anglia V6 Cosworth 2.9lt , both on slicks and me using Avon zzr 1b tyres .The Radical V8 won at 62 sec's , I managed a 69 sec's after 4 runs -- 74/72 practice then 72 and the 69 on timed runs. Couldn't read the Anglia's time but think I beat him , making me 2nd in class . We'll have to wait for the time sheets in the post unless I can find it online for the DICK MAYO sprint 26th July. Obviously no award for 2nd having only the three of us , hence my doubt .
The course didn't take in CAMP corner , the finish line was just after the right kink that follows the last chicane . FTD was Steve Broughton SBD Motorsport in his 2lt Dallara at 55 sec's . Haven't got the sheets so can't tell you the decimal point .0000 sec etc