Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Yes some of these hardships can be put down to bad luck. Some of them are deffo my bads. But I really do hope the misfortunes are behind me now
I hope we'll have a good season final with no failures so that I can consentrate on the suspension geometry instead of yet another engine repair. Maybe try something with the exhaust and intake lenghts.

As for today the engine was timed and the powertrain was re introduced to the car. Now its only a bit of this and that and It will be making all the right noises again.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

We are back in business

It started right away and sounds very strong! Idles like a clock and doesn't mis a beat. Did not even show any leaks!! Not yet anyway
Hopefully the darn Tran X has the courtesy to keep all the lubricants to itself and not spread them around the bottom of the car.

Very pleased now. Only the catastrofic state of my right rear tyre is worrying me. Its completely bald in the middle. I only have a three year old dry tyre as a spare.
Hopefully my initiative will get the green light and I may have afford to buy more tyres fot the season to come.

This is how it was left tonight.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

All right here we go wish me luck! Its the season final this weekend.
I feel quite lucky allready though. Yesterday moving the car to the trailer I started the darn think with huge paper bungs in the throats
Luckily they were stuck to butterflys and we avoided the drama...

[exboyracer]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

I was only thinking that same thing when I saw that picture in your last post!

[david_white]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Good luck mate, looks spot on

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Just got back from the track feeling tired but ever so happy. Finished third from the 8th starting block.
Engine worked perfectly but the box and the clutch gave me a headache yet again. I need to get to the bottom of these issues and I'm thnking of changine to double disc organic clutch.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

short footage from the free practise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PYFKaQiyPQ

Overtake on the second last lap to secure the podium finish. No Escorts were harmed in making of this photo. Theres no contact.

[exboyracer]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Congratulations! Payback for all your hard work

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

I had two short sessions on track on Friday. Everything was working fine and I got the hang of the rhytm. Everything was feeling good . Feeling was all I had since these were not timed sessions. I was relieved to hit 8000rpms on the main straight which to me says the engine is now pretty much the same as it was before the major failure. Which happened on this very same straight earlier this spring.

Come Saturday it was time for the official warm up and qualifying. Everything felt good but the qualifying showed I was a second behind my 2008 Pinto laptimes. The car was feeling fast but due to worn out rear tyres it sure wasn't. If pushed the car would only slide wide. I was 8th in the qualifying. Which was a bit of a disappointment.
I knew my rear tyres were worn but thought they'd still hold. As they were not within regulation thread depth I had a pair of three year old tyres with me that still had some meat on them. In case of not making trough the scruteneering I would put on the dried out oldies to pass the scruteneering.
The situation seemed hopeless. With nothing to loose I decided to give the pensioners a chance.
Well, they were mounted on old rims which proved to foul the rear calibers. So for sundays warm up I decided to put the pre historic A048's to the front and the current fronts to the rear.

It worked. At first the car was understeering a bit but the back end had a good bite and I could really push the corners. I was 1,3 seconds faster than I was in the qualifying. I've never done a lap this fast. I took 0,8 seconds off my record in 2008. It felt like there might be a race ahead of me after all.

So after two hours I was sitting in the 8th starting grid looking down the line up in front of me. An BMW in front of me, Duratec Escort beside me and a Capri in front and to the left of me.
As usual I can't remember the details and something may not have happend like its stated here but I'll tell it like I think it happened.
The start was not a complete succes. It felt like the clutch was slipping and gradually it evolved to wheel spin. I was on limiter for what seemed like forever. But the car was keeping up with the others. On second gear I started really moving. On the main straight we were three cars neck and neck battling down the main straight. Me, the six cylinder BMW E30 and the 2,6 Capri. The Dtec mk I was allready ahead of us. I got the best speed out of the first corner and managed to hold the inside line to the second after the main straight. I was first out of our trio to come out of the second corner now chasing the white Duratec Escort MK1.
I believe I was 5th at the time. An R1 engine Imp was leading the race. Followed by an XE engined MK1 and an XE enigned Kadett D. Then it was Marko in the Duratec Escort and me.
Marko and I were very even but I had the upper hand at braking later. We were literally buber to bumber for few laps and I just could not find a hole to overtake him.
I believe it was on lap four I found a hole and out braked him for the inside line. I pretty much forced my self past him and started to pull away. Or so I thought. The white mk1 shape just would not vanish from my mirrors. It was bumper to bumper again. This time it was me infront of him. But I simply could not pull away.
During our cat and mouse the Kadett infront of us cracked his gearbox case spitting the oils to his front tyre. He was forced to slow down and we went by him.
Soon after I left my braking too late and went wide. Marko (Dtec Escort) did not miss the opportunity to overtake me and I was fourth again.
I didn't fall far behind but was right on the Escorts tail again.
I was feeling confident, I still had some grip in my tyres and could brake into corners much later than my heavier competition. I got good speed out of the corner and managed to out brake him in the second to last corner(the picture in my post above) . In the second to last lap.
And this remained the order we arrived to the chequered flag. The R1 Imp, XE Escort and me.
What an ending to the season!!!
I finished three races and brought home two trophies. A noticeable improvement over the past decade as I previously have only bagged one third position in 2008

The worn out and charred clutch was the only casualty of the weekend. I can live with that.
It also came clear to me that if I hope to stay competitive I need to have fresh tyres in every event. Especially in the rear. The front seems to cope with less but the back end seems to be very picky when it comes to thread depth.

The remains of a A048


Thank you for reading
Markus

And I wish to congratulate the winners Tomi and Mikko if they ever happen to read this.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

[david_white]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Congratulations, a great finish to the season and everything seems to be working well once the clutch is sorted. What tyres are you allowed to run, maybe it needs more rubber now you are peddling it harder

[david_white]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Maybe stiffer front springs are worth a try next year, just from looking at the pics??
Might just be the angle of the pics though, guess it must handle pretty good..

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Maybe stiffer front springs are worth a try next year, just from looking at the pics??
Might just be the angle of the pics though, guess it must handle pretty good..

Hah, funny you should say that! I was just thinking the same thing. I've even brought it up on conversations few times today.

And

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?171553-HD-Escort-mk1-anti-roll-bar-options

Not that the car feels it would need any improvement on the handling but as you said looking at these pictures it made me think too.
Deffo something to try. How else could I find out. But as said it handelcce very well turns in nice and is well ballanced.

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

I have as big tyres as I am allowed.
We basically have a one type tyre class. Yokohama A048. Size depending on the cars weight. My tyres are as big as regulations allow. 225/50/15
I've been thinking of trying narrower 205/50/15 to get better overall gear ratio. If the grip is there. Theres plenty of different compunds in the 205 though

[Roadsport]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

Photo gallery of the final race.

http://www.canonfotopalvelu.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Historic+Race%2C+Botniaring+18.9.2011/Roadsport+B+ja+C/

[dug112y]

Re: Escort Sigma 1600 Race Car

the tyres look like they have had a good life but i'd guess the pressures have been a little bit high....start them 2/3 psi less when cold. what pressures are you running and what weight is your car?