Two new racecars in NZ

I never mentioned this but Johan and I went racing on Sunday. All started well with good weather, good qualifying and a good first race for us. Then the second race went well until the second last lap when his car's tail stepped out on the high speed right hander, called the mountain, and it did a 180 degree and hit the wall with the rear-end. Johan is okay but the car has suffered badly. Decisions will have to wait a while to see what can be done.

A very sad end to the day for him.

For me, it was a good day with equaling and improving my PB a few times. The car never skipped a beat with only checking oil and fuel for the day.
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Oh no! As long as Johan is ok, then what you/Johan do with the car can be sorted out.
 
Bad luck Johan, but good he's OK. Looks as if the rear window is in place but there must be quite a bit bent underneath I guess.

Good luck with the decisions. If he ends up needing a shell we can help looking over here but that would be an expensive pleasure. R10s are found from time to time, with the same structure. I guess there are some in NZ too?
 
Hi All,

I have just entered a race that is on the 25th and 26th of February in Fielding NZ. This is the only track in the North Island that I have never raced on. I'm thrilled to explore this new track although it is 6 1/2 hours away from home but I thought that I just have to do it. Bite the bullet and go!

Then I can add it to my NZ Racing CV. Presently I have done both layouts on the Pukekohe track, all three on the Hampton Downs track, and all three on the Taupo track.

My ZA Racing CV includes Kyalami, Phakisa, Midvaal, Zwartkops and Lichtenburg.

This time I will make sure that I activate my camera because I was negligent and forgetful the last few races and Covid didn't help either.
Then at least you can suffer with me watching it.;)

This is the layout and it is a clockwise track.

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Great looking circuit Frans. I meant to email to say I hope you have your noses above water! Best wishes, as ever.
 
Frans said:
Hi All,

I have just entered a race that is on the 25th and 26th of February in Fielding NZ. This is the only track in the North Island that I have never raced on. I'm thrilled to explore this new track although it is 6 1/2 hours away from home but I thought that I just have to do it. Bite the bullet and go!

Then I can add it to my NZ Racing CV. Presently I have done both layouts on the Pukekohe track, all three on the Hampton Downs track, and all three on the Taupo track.

My ZA Racing CV includes Kyalami, Phakisa, Midvaal, Zwartkops and Lichtenburg.

This time I will make sure that I activate my camera because I was negligent and forgetful the last few races and Covid didn't help either.
Then at least you can suffer with me watching it.;)

This is the layout and it is a clockwise track.

View attachment 216708
Click to expand...
That looks like a nice track, fast flowing with a tight section.
 
Frans said:
Hi All,

I have just entered a race that is on the 25th and 26th of February in Fielding NZ. This is the only track in the North Island that I have never raced on. I'm thrilled to explore this new track although it is 6 1/2 hours away from home but I thought that I just have to do it. Bite the bullet and go!

Then I can add it to my NZ Racing CV. Presently I have done both layouts on the Pukekohe track, all three on the Hampton Downs track, and all three on the Taupo track.

My ZA Racing CV includes Kyalami, Phakisa, Midvaal, Zwartkops and Lichtenburg.

This time I will make sure that I activate my camera because I was negligent and forgetful the last few races and Covid didn't help either.
Then at least you can suffer with me watching it.;)

This is the layout and it is a clockwise track.
Click to expand...

Good luck Frans! Will Johan have his car ready to join you? Looking forward to your footage :cool:
 
dimistyle said:
You'll Love Fielding, hopefully be some great footage from the day, good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks dimistyle, I really hope so because it is something new and I hope my lap times will be improving as we go along. I will have to learn quick as we only get 12 minutes to practice/qualify.
 
Frans said:
I never mentioned this but Johan and I went racing on Sunday. All started well with good weather, good qualifying and a good first race for us. Then the second race went well until the second last lap when his car's tail stepped out on the high speed right hander, called the mountain, and it did a 180 degree and hit the wall with the rear-end. Johan is okay but the car has suffered badly. Decisions will have to wait a while to see what can be done.

A very sad end to the day for him.

For me, it was a good day with equaling and improving my PB a few times. The car never skipped a beat with only checking oil and fuel for the day.View attachment 211699
View attachment 211700

View attachment 211701
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the good wishes. The emotional goodbye is over and the car is for sale as is where is. I will list it under "Cars for sale"
 
Johan said:
Thanks for all the good wishes. The emotional goodbye is over and the car is for sale as is where is. I will list it under "Cars for sale"
Click to expand...
Such bad luck Johan. I do understand "there comes a time".......
 
Hi All,

The day has come and gone. I'm back from Manfield and as I said previously, I can add to my CV that I have now raced on all the circuits in the North Island.

This was a fair distance to travel, an 1100 km return trip towing the race car with 60l fuel, all the tools, racing wheels, Gazebo, fire exti....etc etc.

Arrived Friday afternoon, left the car at the track, and booked into a Motel. Saturday morning we got an additional 15 minutes for practicing before we got our 15 minutes for qualifying. The esses, a long fast 4th gear right-hander, leading into a very sharp 3rd gear left-hander, immediately into another right-hander still in 3rd, and immediately after that you find the 2nd gear hairpin. It took me a few laps to work out what my best lines were going to be through there.

After qualifying, I found myself in 20th on the grid which was very respectable for the type of cars I raced against. A fellow countryman that I used as a comparison with a 3 series BMW was almost 3 seconds a lap slower. Race 1 started off very well but wet, and I held a few BMWs behind me until a Safety Car for 2 laps. When we resumed the race I was down on power and the car spluttered and couldn't rev out to the shift light but I at least finished the race 3rd last. My BMW marker man also overtook me.

Back in the pit, I was trying to find the issue and I found the fuel level very low, and that was strange because I know the consumption which is 3 km/l. Why would it be so different here? I thought half-heartedly that was it, but very weird because the way I made my tank I have never had fuel starvation, even with less fuel in the tank.

So, Sunday morning with a topped-up tank of fuel, I started it up to get some heat in the engine and then leaving it to saturate before we start racing. I knew straight away something was very wrong, backfiring at random times, couldn't idle, and sounding very sick in general. I turned it off and started looking for the fault, little bit late to do it now but that's the way it was. Eureka! I found the issue, The mild steel crank pulley broke the spot welds off and the movement between the collar and the pulley that determines the timing, crank angle sensor pickup is on that pulley, was varying at will. Then I hurried along all over the site trying to find someone with a welding machine. And I found him! So I hurried back and stripped the rear panel off, the silencer, cross member, and got the pulley out. He welded it back in a guesstimate position as we could not determine the exact position. Then I had to remove all the welding splutter before assembly because that was something we did not remember. I was too late for the 1st race but managed to be in time for the last 12-lap race, normally we do 8 laps per race only. The car was good but not perfect, I had to short-shift because it was not pulling strong enough towards the shift light rpms. I added a whole lot of fuel for this 12-lapper because of the consumption the day before. After the race, I checked the fuel out of curiosity and I had almost a half tank of fuel left. That pulley has caused real havoc with the engine. I hope I don't have issues because last time it cost me an engine. Burnt a hole in no 4 piston.

In the end, it was enjoyable and a new experience and very glad that I could do it.

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Frans said:
Hi All,

The day has come and gone. I'm back from Manfield and as I said previously, I can add to my CV that I have now raced on all the circuits in the North Island.

This was a fair distance to travel, an 1100 km return trip towing the race car with 60l fuel, all the tools, racing wheels, Gazebo, fire exti....etc etc.

Arrived Friday afternoon, left the car at the track, and booked into a Motel. Saturday morning we got an additional 15 minutes for practicing before we got our 15 minutes for qualifying. The esses, a long fast 4th gear right-hander, leading into a very sharp 3rd gear left-hander, immediately into another right-hander still in 3rd, and immediately after that you find the 2nd gear hairpin. It took me a few laps to work out what my best lines were going to be through there.

After qualifying, I found myself in 20th on the grid which was very respectable for the type of cars I raced against. A fellow countryman that I used as a comparison with a 3 series BMW was almost 3 seconds a lap slower. Race 1 started off very well but wet, and I held a few BMWs behind me until a Safety Car for 2 laps. When we resumed the race I was down on power and the car spluttered and couldn't rev out to the shift light but I at least finished the race 3rd last. My BMW marker man also overtook me.

Back in the pit, I was trying to find the issue and I found the fuel level very low, and that was strange because I know the consumption which is 3 km/l. Why would it be so different here? I thought half-heartedly that was it, but very weird because the way I made my tank I have never had fuel starvation, even with less fuel in the tank.

So, Sunday morning with a topped-up tank of fuel, I started it up to get some heat in the engine and then leaving it to saturate before we start racing. I knew straight away something was very wrong, backfiring at random times, couldn't idle, and sounding very sick in general. I turned it off and started looking for the fault, little bit late to do it now but that's the way it was. Eureka! I found the issue, The mild steel crank pulley broke the spot welds off and the movement between the collar and the pulley that determines the timing, crank angle sensor pickup is on that pulley, was varying at will. Then I hurried along all over the site trying to find someone with a welding machine. And I found him! So I hurried back and stripped the rear panel off, the silencer, cross member, and got the pulley out. He welded it back in a guesstimate position as we could not determine the exact position. Then I had to remove all the welding splutter before assembly because that was something we did not remember. I was too late for the 1st race but managed to be in time for the last 12-lap race, normally we do 8 laps per race only. The car was good but not perfect, I had to short-shift because it was not pulling strong enough towards the shift light rpms. I added a whole lot of fuel for this 12-lapper because of the consumption the day before. After the race, I checked the fuel out of curiosity and I had almost a half tank of fuel left. That pulley has caused real havoc with the engine. I hope I don't have issues because last time it cost me an engine. Burnt a hole in no 4 piston.

In the end, it was enjoyable and a new experience and very glad that I could do it.

View attachment 217551View attachment 217552View attachment 217553View attachment 217554View attachment 217555
Click to expand...
Great photos Frans. Good luck with the pulley repairs!
 
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Shoji said:
Hi Frans. Will you be looking at a more modern type of pulley or a custom to sort the problem?
Click to expand...
I would like to get the same one unless there is another option that is as light as these mild steel ones. This is the 2nd one that broke. The 1st one cost me an engine when it detonated itself to burning a hole in the piston.
I think 2 in 14 years is not so bad. The first one was not balanced. I had the second one balanced and thought that was the end of the problem. NOT.
If I can get another one now I will TIG the collar to the pulley and not rely on the spot welds.
 
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