Two new racecars in NZ

Great photos Frans. Thanks for posting. The R8 looks wonderful - I really like how you styled the air intake too. There wouldn't be many R8s on the planet raced as yours is I suspect. Smallest engine in its class but OK in the power/weight stakes I guess?
 
Hi potentz,
Yes it is a V6. Apparently it raced in Italy in some or other Alfa Cup racing series because he imported the car from there. It is Gary Langsford as you can see in the window and here is a photo of the entries in my race.View attachment 126029


Would you look at that field!
 
Great photos Frans. Thanks for posting. The R8 looks wonderful - I really like how you styled the air intake too. There wouldn't be many R8s on the planet raced as yours is I suspect. Smallest engine in its class but OK in the power/weight stakes I guess?

Not only the smallest but the oldest - no other cars from the 60's
 
Would you look at that field!
I remember seeing grass track racing in NZ too in the early 1970s. Great fun. There was a Corvair-engined VW that really moved and, of course, could get the power down.
 
Looks like fun times. Needs an Alpine in the mix.
 
Hi,
Look what I found! Gift from a secret admirer, my wife doesn't know him either?
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Hi All,

Went racing on Sunday and had a good day.

I qualified 5th on the grid with an avg speed of 116 kmh. Then got 5th in the race with avg of 117 kmh. 2nd race 7th with avg of 119 kmh. 3rd race 5th again with avg 118 kmh.

I have a poor attempt on in-car video again that I will put on as soon as I have converted it. A friend of a friend has some footage from the pit roof that he will send to me as well.

Regards, Frans.
 
Here is a link to the last race on Sunday. Tired but happy. I made a gadget to turn the camera on, start recording, stop recording remotely. It all works with with a cable that gets pushed and pulled. Still requires development in the sense of indication. I cannot see the LED if it is on or off nor started or stopped. I have a minute piece of Ally that is polished and act as a mirror. When I tested it, it worked fine. However that was in the dark and Sunday at the track it was bright sunlight and didn't mean a thing.

At around 7.00 mins you can see the Golf GTI watching me and not the track.
At 7.45 the Merc is overtaking me, only just.
At 8.15 the Porsche i sovertaking me.
At 8.30 I get a bit loose in the tail and that is enough to give the Alfa a good run.

I have some photos as well which I will add later.


Regards, Frans.
 
HA that VW!

I was like heck he's brave :p
 
Frans
Absolutely great to see you on the track again.
You can see the advantage at braking and corners, but they Get away on you down the straightaways.
have you ever thought of going down the 1600 / 807engine path For more HP?
Please keep the action coming!
 
Frans
Absolutely great to see you on the track again.
You can see the advantage at braking and corners, but they Get away on you down the straightaways.
have you ever thought of going down the 1600 / 807engine path For more HP?
Please keep the action coming!

Thanks for the interest!

The 807 path have crossed my mind numerous times but I never fell for it because of other reasons. I'm thinking with my heart and not with my head.

I do get enough joy out of it as is in the sense of the opposition that has just paid $3000 (my complete racecar cost me $3200 to get it on the track) for his 4 pot calipers and rotors and then I out-brake him with my homemade specials that I got for free. If the 2800 DOHC Mercedes overtakes me I know that it is a race car prepped by a leading NZ racing family, Ken Williams brother of Racing Ray Williams that holds/held the NZ landspeed record, and it takes him a while to do so.

The white Boxster didn't fly past me and that is a 2500 flat six, the black Boxster is a 2700 etc etc.

I can see another problem arising in that the older likewise cars are not there anymore. A whole gaggle of MGs where on track a while ago and the last 2 races there weren't any, 1300 and 1600 Escorts and Anglias are gone, a Mini appeared briefly but was a disaster for the driver. So, the older cars and their older drivers are retiring and there is only newer stuff joining us. The newer stuff is pushing me further behind because of their standard FI, 16V DOHC and so on. So again, thinking with my heart winning in my mind.

Frans.

Photo credit to Steve Ritchie.
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Yes, you have done an amazing job to keep the 'old' R8 going amongst the field, but any break in an old car these days, will due to scarcity of mechanical/gbox parts will be costly.
Maybe time to 'modernize' up with a 172/182 Clio? ;)
 
Great stuff Frans. Keep it up.
Yes, you have done an amazing job to keep the 'old' R8 going amongst the field, but any break in an old car these days, will due to scarcity of mechanical/gbox parts will be costly.
Maybe time to 'modernize' up with a 172/182 Clio? ;)
He's running 16 gearbox internals.
 
I am with Frans. There will always be another faster car no matter what. I always thought about taking my friend's Logan to the Nurburgring as it is (POS bog standard 1.5DCI) to see how it goes. It is all about fun in the end and about how fast you are not the car. It is easy to get yourself in a money black hole chasing another .01s and lose most of the fun along the way.

Besides, you know what they say. It is a lot more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

Or maybe it's time for some lateral thinking. How about adding some lightness to the car? Or speed holes? Go faster stripes?

No idea what it cost to build, but for your entertainment watch this:

 
But Frans, if you are having fun what does it matter?

I saw a car in the paddock the other day that had a bunch of lap-times written on the inside of his passenger door. He explained that as he beats it he crosses it out and writes his new record, the door had about 30x revisions on it.

What a legend!
 
Hi All,

Racing at Hampton Downs tomorrow. Looks like ok weather. Hopefully my camera remote switching will work and I can put up some decent footage.

Below is the entry list.

Regards, Frans.
 

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