As I was prohibited from using my "proper" car I had to settle for a green thing, or optionally a blue thing. Neither choice was what you might call "awe inspiring" but it seems Wazas cant be Chuzas.
Just before I joined chat I instructed the Glutbuckets ( the pit crew from hell that just will not go away
) to prepare each of the cars for a private trail run around the Glen.
First thoughts were that the Brab 2.5 litre ought to be favourite as a pretty benign but with a big enough engine........dissapointed to be getting lap times in the high 1:09's
I wondered if the sweet handling Eaglet might be better, but the lap times were similar, and the hastily evolved set up did not hold much promise of drastic improvement. (mental note.. must send Glutbuckets to night classes on set up theory,, come to think of it..must send the Glutbuckets anywhere that isn't near me
)
Tried the McLaren Marshmallowmobile....nuff said!! but kudos to Hristo who seems to be able to pedal that thing at impressive speed at times.
So, only the last choice..Lotus 33 BRM, hmmmmmm...2 litre...probably nimble enough, but this isn't a tight circuit and those long straights are going to be its downfall.
Had some major suspension and geometry tweaks before it even looked like going around The Loop and when it did, the gearing ( all six of them) required a good kicking too. Here the Glutbuckets came into their own..kicking machinery is something they are really good at.
Suddenly I was posting low 1:09's!! ...that cannot be correct surely??? But yes it was, must have been some kick!!!!
Sooo a cunning plan, more cunning than a cunning thing on national cunning day was whispered to me by Arnold Glutbucket.
What if, you keep this car and setup, but run a few notches higher with top gear, and bank everything on getting in the slipstream of a big fat Fezza somewhere near the front of the grid. After all, this little 2 litre buzz box ought to get off the line quite smartly and up through the Esses make up a few places.
Sitting on the grid in 6th place I felt like a fool, I had listened to Arnold
will I never learn??
Yes there were Fezzas up front, but they were two rows ahead and everything hinged on me getting to them, before they got to The Loop Lap1!!
The flag dropped and Syd , who was just in front, seemed to bog down a little and I was able to slip through on the inside line. The car immediately in front was a 3 litre but as we exited the Esses there was already a gap developing between it and the leading pack of 4.
Worrying times dear reader, what should I do?
Fortunately the gap did not get too large on lap 1 and I was able to keep pace whilst the 4 car pack jostled for position.
At Big Bend there was a gap down the inside and I took it, ( later Arnold was to claim that he KNEW I would be able to effect a pass and get to grips with the leaders because of his "special setup"..yea right Arnold!!
).
The sight of Mabel Glutbucket frantically waving an item of her enormous underwear ( apparently demonstrating her support!!) as I passed the pits almost ended my race there and then..shudder!!!
The fact that we were now at the slowest part of the circuit, played into my hands beautifully as I was able to get into the "tow-zone" of the leading bunch as we exited the Esses onto the first long straight.
Bizarre as it seems, Arnold's plan appeared to be working and I was able to sit in the slipstream and enjoy the view for a few laps until Mike and Hristo decided to perform their ariel ballet.
It was very entertaining as they went up into the air, spinning and cartwheeling in harmony..... but then like all things that go up, they had to come down!! and the chosen landing zone looked like being uncomfortably close to where I wanted to be in about 1 second
.
Fortunately Fulvio in his Fez went to the right, and I chose the left, as a car landed square in the middle of the track dispensing bits of machinery in all directions. I put a rear wheel onto the grass in my attempt to avoid the projectile, and was rewarded with a violent lunge across the track towards where I knew Fulvio should be!! No contact made, but that might be down to Fulvio's avoidance and less to do with me.
Derek Dave Randall was the major beneficiary of all this as he scarpered into the distance beyond the range of my magnetic tow rope. Fulvio had recovered his momentum and was now using the power of the Fez and the tow to close rapidly. I did not put up a fight as I wanted him to drag me up to
DerekDave, which he did
.
This perfect plan was working all too well and I found myself in 3rd spot being pulled along by the two cars in front, ever further from the main pack but with another Fez in 4th a litttle way back.
Mr 4th place Fez, latched on to my slipstream a few laps later as we exited the Esses and moved to take the inside line into The Loop.
I think he must have been unhinged by the sight of Mabel, still waving her underwear from the pitwall and was desperate to get away from the area. I left what I thought was enough room and took a wide line into The loop. Ony to be surprised as something red and fast emerged from my blind spot apparently intent on impaling itself on the fencing, presumably in a frantic attempt to dislodge the image of Mabel from its mind.
I was clipped on the front wheel and squirmed violently but managed to stay on the grey stuff whilst the red thing barrell rolled to blissful oblivion.
This is where the plan unravelled, for now Fulvio and
DerekDave had slipped too far ahead and out of range of the tow I needed. The only good thing was that the gap back to the folowing pack was immense
. Half the race still to go, so maybe the leaders would do the decent thing and fall over each other, or blow an engine? but it was not to be...so I cruised home in a safe 3rd spot tempted only to throw it away on the last lap rather than face Mabel and what would be an insufferably chipper Arnold in the post race celebrations.
Grats to Fulvio and
Derek Dave