Have a great day Frans.
Two new racecars in NZ
- Thread starter Frans
- Start date
Hi All,
Racing day was cloudy and very windy. No Gazebos were seen, miserable. I had one of the worst Hayfever attacks ever. My eyes were swollen closed and so was my throat making breathing difficult. I almost ODed on Antihistamine with 3 pills swalloed before lunch, all in vain.
I qualified 10th and at the first corner I think I was around 4th or 5th. I had a very good start. Unfortunately the red mist hit me on turn 4 and I left the braking too late by far. Realising the problem arising with the 4 cars ahead of me I decided in a split moment to rather go sideways and try to join the track further up around the corner. I didn't make it but luckily missed all the cars and landed in the sand trap. The engine stalled and I knew/thought it wouldn't start so I left it there and made a B line for the fence.
The second race was okay for a few laps when I had a good dice with a MG. The MG driver was slower during qualifying and when I passed him he started trailing me and ended up a very good opponent. The 3rd race was uninteresting with no excitement and I retired a little early with with an extractor failure.
I have some good footage that I will post once converted. One interesting thing on camera is a black Cortina Mk1, running a 2l Cosworth motor, overtook me on the second last lap and on the last lap he was just out of sight at the last horseshoe bend when he left the track. Arriving at the bend I saw a dust cloud but that was all. Immediately the the race was red flagged and we finished under a red flag. On the cool down lap we arrived at the scene and I saw the weirdest thing that is un-explainable. The Cortina was sitting completely and securely on top of the tyre wall. I am sure that tyre walls are more than a meter high! How he got there with only a left front fender damaged will remain a "Ripley's strange but true" moment. The driver safe and sound as well.
Regards, Frans.
Racing day was cloudy and very windy. No Gazebos were seen, miserable. I had one of the worst Hayfever attacks ever. My eyes were swollen closed and so was my throat making breathing difficult. I almost ODed on Antihistamine with 3 pills swalloed before lunch, all in vain.
I qualified 10th and at the first corner I think I was around 4th or 5th. I had a very good start. Unfortunately the red mist hit me on turn 4 and I left the braking too late by far. Realising the problem arising with the 4 cars ahead of me I decided in a split moment to rather go sideways and try to join the track further up around the corner. I didn't make it but luckily missed all the cars and landed in the sand trap. The engine stalled and I knew/thought it wouldn't start so I left it there and made a B line for the fence.
The second race was okay for a few laps when I had a good dice with a MG. The MG driver was slower during qualifying and when I passed him he started trailing me and ended up a very good opponent. The 3rd race was uninteresting with no excitement and I retired a little early with with an extractor failure.
I have some good footage that I will post once converted. One interesting thing on camera is a black Cortina Mk1, running a 2l Cosworth motor, overtook me on the second last lap and on the last lap he was just out of sight at the last horseshoe bend when he left the track. Arriving at the bend I saw a dust cloud but that was all. Immediately the the race was red flagged and we finished under a red flag. On the cool down lap we arrived at the scene and I saw the weirdest thing that is un-explainable. The Cortina was sitting completely and securely on top of the tyre wall. I am sure that tyre walls are more than a meter high! How he got there with only a left front fender damaged will remain a "Ripley's strange but true" moment. The driver safe and sound as well.
Regards, Frans.
When a 'low budget" 1300 can run with (and beat many) more modern, big budget 2 litres, then you know how good the Gordini (and driver) really are!
Keep it going, Frans.
Cheers, Henry
Keep it going, Frans.
Cheers, Henry
He's good......
The R8G (and similar cars) have the undeniable advantage of a good weight distribution and power to weight ratio. These fundamentals are impossible to beat. Everything else is equally important but can be beaten.
Apart from that (things to do with the car), driver skill is the other thing you just can't beat. All the power in the world and the best setup won't help you.
Pair these two things and very little can go wrong. I think this is what Frans (and the entire racing car history) have demonstrated.
Apart from that (things to do with the car), driver skill is the other thing you just can't beat. All the power in the world and the best setup won't help you.
Pair these two things and very little can go wrong. I think this is what Frans (and the entire racing car history) have demonstrated.
Hi,
I have edited the videos and cut a lot out so that it will not be that boring. I had another look at me exiting the race and I honestly don't know what happened. In hindsight, maybe I could have made it but in real life it was panic stations and at the end I avoided all traffic.
The Cortina saga isn't as clear as I thought. That appears in the Handicap race.
Have a look say what you think, I won't hold it against you
.
Qualifying.
Scratch Race.
Handicap Race.
Enjoy.
Regards, Frans.
I have edited the videos and cut a lot out so that it will not be that boring. I had another look at me exiting the race and I honestly don't know what happened. In hindsight, maybe I could have made it but in real life it was panic stations and at the end I avoided all traffic.
The Cortina saga isn't as clear as I thought. That appears in the Handicap race.
Have a look say what you think, I won't hold it against you
.Enjoy.
Regards, Frans.
HAHR!!
Omg that start was amazing, you did well not to send half of them to the panel shop. And man that move on the inside before that spin was going to heroic!
Bummed for you it didn't come off.
Yet, still points for catching it and not ending the wrong way, nor destroying that XJS.
COOL STUFF!
Omg that start was amazing, you did well not to send half of them to the panel shop. And man that move on the inside before that spin was going to heroic!
Bummed for you it didn't come off.
Yet, still points for catching it and not ending the wrong way, nor destroying that XJS.
COOL STUFF!
Sunday is racing time again!
This time at the Pukekohe track and on the original version with the very long straight. The long straight does not suit me at all because it then becomes a horsepower track that suits the Muscle cars in their "point and shoot' type of racing. On the other hand, depending on weather and wind I could check my ultimate top speed again!
And, I got new boots for my birthday! The old ones has seen better days and has been clamped with contact glue overnight a few times.
So wish me luck.
Frans.
This time at the Pukekohe track and on the original version with the very long straight. The long straight does not suit me at all because it then becomes a horsepower track that suits the Muscle cars in their "point and shoot' type of racing. On the other hand, depending on weather and wind I could check my ultimate top speed again!
And, I got new boots for my birthday! The old ones has seen better days and has been clamped with contact glue overnight a few times.
So wish me luck.
Frans.
Racing is off!!!!!Bloody Jacinda got her panties knotted up and we are in a 7 day lockdown from 6:00 am tomorrow. Do you know what it feels like when everything is packed, race fuel bought, cars washed, Gazebo in the car, hitched and raring to hit the road in 6 hours time and then someone just says "up yours" stay at home. Is it the right thing to do?? Maybe I'll think different in a few days time when my steam pressure has dropped a bit.
Flippin' 'eck!
Well, I guess it beats being in two weeks quarantine.
Well, I guess it beats being in two weeks quarantine.
Shit.Frans.i realy feel for you mate as iknow how much effort goes into the preparation for raceday.will think of you today.
Really really crap situation.
Really really crap situation.
Welcome to the Victorian world, where lockdowns can be produced at the drop of a hat or more correctly a whiff of Covid somewhere. Hope it is settled soon for the good of all. In some ways I pity the pollies too as either way they will cop flack, right or wrong, and we are the collateral damage... Stay safe and well. Fingers crossed !
Ken
Frans, she has done the right thing...inconvenient but you can race another day. Keeping COVID free demands a conservative approach and augers well for the long term. We are lucky here in Western Australia that our government has taken the same tough approach.
Enjoy Frans!
Good to hear that Johan is back. Good luck to both of you.
Henry
Henry
The last race of the season and what a disaster. I think the cars thought last event was the last and no need to go this time.
I cooked the engine on the second lap of qualifying, still warming the tyres and brakes. Lost power, overheated and water pouring from under the head. I have no idea of what happened nor how it happened. Fatal. I'll report back with a post mortem.
Johan qualified and did the first race without skipping a beat. After returning to the pit he helped me with my Gazebo and noticed his car creeping forward. He pushed it into 1st gear and we continued with the Gazebo, he then checked oil and fuel, locked the car and went home a happy man. This morning I phoned him and he refused my "Good luck" because the gearbox was stuck in 1st and not moving from there. In the effort something snapped and the gear lever became a spoon in the broth.
No happy ending for the Renaults.
I cooked the engine on the second lap of qualifying, still warming the tyres and brakes. Lost power, overheated and water pouring from under the head. I have no idea of what happened nor how it happened. Fatal. I'll report back with a post mortem.
Johan qualified and did the first race without skipping a beat. After returning to the pit he helped me with my Gazebo and noticed his car creeping forward. He pushed it into 1st gear and we continued with the Gazebo, he then checked oil and fuel, locked the car and went home a happy man. This morning I phoned him and he refused my "Good luck" because the gearbox was stuck in 1st and not moving from there. In the effort something snapped and the gear lever became a spoon in the broth.
No happy ending for the Renaults.
I was looking forward to your report Frans, sad to hear that all your luck was bad luck. Hope the problem is not too hard to fix.