DTRC Brands Hatch, 24 March 2007
There's a hint of deja-vu here, but first, a recap.
Last time out last season we lasted two corners at Silverstone. Once the gearbox was off, we soon spotted the diff teeth poking through the bellhousing. That's explains a lot then. Second hand 6 speed Fiat Coupe gearboxes aren't that common yet so the prices are high. Factor in the labour to strip one down and it worked out cheaper to buy a new casing complete from Fiat. Ever since we've been running the kappa we've been bemoaning the lack of an LSD, but a look through the Quaife catalog showed that although they do not list a diff for the Fiat Coupe, they do list one for the Alfa 156 2.5 V6. That's kind of handy seeing as to how we are running the gearbox internals from that Alfa inside the Fiat casing. So money spent with Quaife as well.
Other changes were relatively minor, the rear section of the exhaust was removed, will have saved a few kgs, and we now have a side exit system. Its a bit louder than the old system but as that clocked around 89db at most circuits, we figured we could probably afford that. The rest of the winter work was just maintenance - new power steering pump, new alternator, new fuel pump (the fuel tends to rot them so these are now considered a twice-yearly service item).
Keen to get in a pre-season test, we attended a track day up at Donington Park on 25th February. The plan was that a number of the Fiat Coupe forum were also going to attend, but in the end only a handful came. We were also joined by "champ" (Jason), and Dave Roberts and Richie Ellingham turned up to watch too. Weather was awful, rained horrendously. We ventured out in the first session on slicks as the first two laps were to be bhind a pace car. We didn't have time to put the wets on, so figured might as well do the "slow" laps and figure how slippery the circuit was. Too slippery, by the time I'd reached Craners I knew I was wasting my time. I was more concerned that the engine would barely run below 4000rpm but any application of throttle just spun the wheels instantly. Decided to abort on this first lap, but already the session was red-flagged as a 911 GT3 had hit a wall. A later run on wets only lasted a few laps before we got black flagged for noise (maybe we needed that rear tailbox?). In that time we learned the track was still slippy in places, the engine pulled like a train up top and it churned out smoke like never seen before!
Keith and I spent a while discussing what caused the smoke - he was hiding in the snack bar when I was out on track so only had pictures to go on - and this video. Turns out we were both right - it was overfuelling as a result of the new alternator now sending 14.1v to the fuel pump, as against nearer 12v when the kappa was mapped last September. And it was chucking out oil, turns out our dipstick only reads half full when the level is correct, so we had too much.
Back to Owen Developments for a correction to the mapping. When Mark phoned up, we were completely gobsmacked! Still running 1.4 bar, we now have 587bhp at the flywheel and 504 of these are making it to the front wheels! So I was really looking forward to trying it out.
Step forwards Brands Hatch - MSVR were putting on a meeting that was primarily a Lotus day, but with track time sold to other organisers. The BARC put on a combined race with the Dunlop Track & Race Car series, Tin-Tops and Tiger R6 all eligible. The entry was 33 cars, 3 of which were in our class. It was March, so it goes without saying that it was bitterly cold. We had some concerns about the noise-limit after Donington, but we passed at 104db, and we were out on track.
Qualifying:
To say I was rusty was an understatment, and with the track being so cold it was hard to get any heat in the tyres. Both ends of the car were moving around a lot, but even now I could see the kappa was pretty quick in a straight line. Driving in point-and-squirt mode I got down into the 55s for the first time ever with a best of 55.4 seconds which was enough for class pole and 4th overall on the grid. Rod Birley's Escort Cosworth was way out front, but the two Tiger R6's in front of me were shortly never going to make Paddock before me, were they?
Just when I was getting in the rhythm, I binned it. Its taken me eight years, but finally I put a car into the gravel and couldn't get out. Completely my fault, going up towards Druids, Steve Dann (in his first ever race) moved over to the left to left me by, and I screwed it up, out braking myself and ending up in the litter. And poor old Steve had to bin his Golf as well to avoid hitting me! A trip to the Clerk of the Course followed with a lot of apologising on my behalf.
Race 1:
Back in the paddock I set about cleaning out the stones from the kappa. The front splitter did an excellent job at scooping up all the stones, being dragged out of the litter backwards scooped up a whole lot more inside the front bumper. I was on my own and time was tight, having a drivers' briefing to attend did me no favours but they are necessary. I got as many stones out of the kappa as possible, even took the front wheels off and removed stones from the brakes, cleaned out all around the steering rack, check the belts on the engine. Thought I'd done a decent job considering.
Driving out on track I almost got caught out unready again - just like last year. I was waiting around outside the car - as Rod wasn't here yet there was no need to worry, was there? And suddenly the whistle went, the gate was open and I wasn't even close to being ready. I had expectations of having to race from the back, might be fun but its not like I was going to get all the way to the front like Peter Challis did last year. But it was OK, I just drove up the middle of the grid and took my rightful place on the outside of row 2.
Moving off on our rolling lap I could hear stones everywhere. But as I drove down from Paddock there was a bigger problem to concentrate my mind. I could not select third gear - moving across the gate from second the lever would just not push forwards into third. The other gears all seemed to be in place so I tried a few times on the rolling lap but to no avail. I was going to have to race without third gear, only the most important gear there is for me at Brands. I take every corner except the Esses and Paddock in third - and although I could probably take them all in fourth, Druids was going to have to be screamed round in second.
As we came round towards the start line, we bunched up real close, much closer than we usually manage in the LMA Euro Saloons races - then again I'm not normally this close to the front of the grid! I was sat right on the rear of the Tiger in front, just enough revs on in second gear to be comfortable I could get the better of him. The lights went out as we reached the gantry, I had been sitting almost central on the track hoping the Tiger would expect me to go down the middle, but the plan was always straight down the outside. It started off well, got a great launch and 500+bhp blasted its way past the Tiger. Then I hit 8000rpm in second, changed up to fourth and all momentum was lost. Half a dozen cars went down the inside of me into Paddock, keeping out of the way a few more got me going into Druids. I was completely hung out to dry! More got me coming out of Druids and it wasn't until after Graham Hill that I finally had enough space to set about making up some places. The MG Midget in my class had been right behind me on the grid and had got by - there goes my class win then. I started moving through the pack, although I was bogging down coming out of Clearways, once the engine came on cam I could launch past cars easily. A couple of laps in, a black Tiger had a big moment in front of me going into Clearways, then I saw the Midget facing me - presumably the Tiger was taking avoiding action. So back in front of the Midget, and I took the Tiger only for him to blast straight past as I had been slowed far too much for 4th gear. Never mind, I'd soon get past him, but now Steve Weatherley was right up behind in his Cosworth Sapphire too. I went straight past the Tiger down the straight but a BMW had gone off at Paddock and the yellow flags were out. Not sure if I passed the Tiger before the flags, but he got me again as I struggled to get out of Druids.
Following lap I realised there was a yellow flag about half way along the straight and I was stick behind the Tiger which seemed to top out at 110mph or so, the kappa was pulling 130mph coming into Paddock, even with its poor launch from Clearways. Being held up by the Tiger let Steve blast by - darn, there goes that class win again. My best chance of getting back past the Sapphire was the straight, had to wait for the BMW to be cleared away before the yellow flags were removed. A couple of laps later the flags were gone, I went down the inside of the Sapphire into Paddock, but not far enough to make the move stick. Steve stayed around the outside, I had to pull tight to the inside to give him the room. There I go, off cam again, made it to Druids still on the inside, still side-by-side. We gave each other room again as we went round together. This put Steve on the inside for Graham Hill, nothing I could do, he was still in front. But coming round Clearways I managed to get that little bit closer, closer enough to make the move into Paddock stick this time.
The last few laps followed a familiar pattern, Steve would close up where I was slow, then I would pull out a gappm down any piece of straight. We were running into backmarkers, if I say so myself, I carved my way through rather well. With a couple of laps to go I was closing on Tim Creighton's Proton Coupe only to see him lock the brakes going into Paddock and smack straight into the wall - ouch! Nearly followed him, so busy watching almost proved the adage that you go where you are looking, but just managed to avert my gaze in time. Following lap I could see Tim out of the car.
Once I saw the minute counter register zero, I knew this was the last lap. Coming down Cooper straight there were three cars in front of me almost filling the track. Not good. Steve was closing in again, the Celica in front stayed tight to the inside at Clearways, a BMW was running outside. There was a small gap in the middle, had to go for it. Just as I launched through the BMW lurched over towards me and I guess just saw me in time and lurched back again. Somehow I got through the gap, Steve followed me through and I reached the finish just 0.5 seconds in front - a class in. And without third gear!
Back in the Paddock, James Whelan had arrived to watch. He had a look at the gear linkage with me but there was nothing obvious and we were unable to find why third just would not select. So with more deja-vu in mind, we pulled out of race two and that was it for the day. Rod Birley took the honours again, this time from the back of the field. So that's win number 442 for Rod, we're only 440 behind now!
The kappa is back with Keith at Auto Integrale for investigation. We fully expect to be ready for the LMA Euro Saloons season opener at Oulton Park on 14 April. We also had a great time with the DTRC guys and were made to feel very welcome. Hopefully we'll be able to race with the again at some stage this season, preferably with a full complement of gears!
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