I was hoping that the Mini of Mike Lucas was going to uphold the marque name, but he seems, by MyLaps, to be having a very indifferent time of it..........whats going on. I know he has a new engine courtesy of Ray Green.......is it giving trouble? Hope he can rectify the problems and have a better day tomorrow.
Teething problems AMCO! Not helped by a dodgy core plug (too many years stuck under the bench) then a fuel pump that wasn't delivering. Mike stuck with his own distributor and points but I did include an Aldon distributor with electronic ignition, which will be one of his next jobs.
It only has a road cam in it so it never was going to be a quick car with that engine, but at least he finished the last race!
Great racing again though AMCO. Close and only a couple of very minor touches.
As posted on Facebook, that was my last circuit race today...
Thanks Ray.........I did mention you in despatches on FB......
All a learning curve given mini's and the A series are new to me. As Ray stated had some issues, water on the garage floor the day the engine first started on Tuesdays night. Then the top (not correct and old) radiator hose let go on day 1. Day 2 the car only managed 3 laps each time due to fuel issues.....fuel pump was failing. Today got to finish 1 race then came in on the last lap after more fuel starvation started in the last race. Yokohama A032 slide around a lotstill have learn how to drive a mini correctly have been a rwd guy for soooo long now.
Last edited by nzeder; 01-17-2016 at 08:28 AM.
Mike L
I am glad you managed to sort out some of your problems Mike.....as you will have found out driving a Mini on the track is a whole new ball game. Some people, like me, never get to grips with it, so I wish you luck. The Yokohamas are pretty useless on the track as you found out. Some experimenting with tyre pressures may help but you really need to get some good....read expensive...tyres, of which there is only a tiny choice in 10inch, unlike other sizes where there seems to plenty of stuff available. I did notice there were a lot of non dot rated tyres, with 'funny' tread patterns, being used by competitors, even though they arent supposed to be.
We may have to look at the tyre issue - again. it seems that you can get a WoF for some of these tyres yet everyone agrees that they wouldn't use them in the wet.
The rules appear to be that if a tyre is 10" wide and the grooves are only the middle 5", as long at there is more than the 2mm tread, the tyre is deemed legal... no lateral grooves for water dispersion are required. That needs looking at as we are at the stage where the fastest 2 cars are 3 seconds a lap faster than the rest - which I don't really like.
Maybe we'll have to re-introduce the speed bar as although Bruce Manon is a capable and safe racer, I'd hate to think what would happen if those with lot less talent could race at that speed.
I was always impressed by those who could switch from FWD to RWD regularly and be on the button instantly - Bryan Bate and Brian Hartley come to mind, both Manawatuis, something in the water perhaps....Originally Posted by AMCO72
Ray, this does need addressing(I believe) but I dare anyone to bolt on a set of 2 stripe Hankook DOT slicks to their everyday regular road car and drive it through any LTSA testing station to get a WOF, I bet they will NOT get one.
Back yard WOF garage sure, she'll be rite mate(we all know how it goes).
I wouldn't call Bruce Manon a back street garage Dale, but the rules are apparently quite clear and he checked it out with them before purchasing. It appears to be a loophole that needs closing.
Thanks for that. A great reminder of my final race weekend. Shows quite clearly where the seat pan is lower than the sill. Would probably fail the Police 4" block of wood test even though it is standard! At least Nigel's pic shows the car's best side.
Car may now be for sale needing a little TLC but with a stack of accumulated paperwork, older spares, original trim and 5 original 13" Cosmic wheels etc.
Last edited by ERC; 01-18-2016 at 04:38 AM.
Yes I agree Ray, let me reword, As an LTSA testing station would have no motorsport conflict of interest, hence an opinion made would be totally un-bias and based on regulation only! does that make sense? my research on this sometime back when these tyres first became available is they would not pass them, and I didn't want to buy 4 new tyres to try. Tony Roberts has more information as he'd been in contact with LTSA head office when this Hankook tyre discussion came up via the H&C commission a couple of years back.
Well I do like to follow the rules and as much as I would love to have a Arden alloy head on a mini it will have to be a 5 port for a number of years to come. And iron as the only alloy head I can find that was used in period is the 8 port Arden head.
Gerald have you tried the Hoosier historic bias ply rubber. I have read these are good for classes that don't allow slicks but twice the price of the A032R.
Mike L
A neat looking car Ray. Its so incredibly low. Must have taken years to master getting in and out and still looking dignified. I know I'd embarrass myself pretty badly contorting my frame to negotiate this one.
Just out of interest, why are you hanging up the helmet? Surely as long as you're enjoying driving you'd keep racing?
I've sent you a note Steve. Sorry, I missed out a few people yesterday. Yup, getting in and out isn't too easy, especially on the street if parked at the kerb! Easier than a fully caged Ferrari 430 though.
Ray, I have not had any personal involvement with your series, but am sure that many may be glad you are solely on the sidelines. (Take that whichever way you want, but it's meant as a jest) I did love to see the Marcos out there on the rare occasions when I got down, We do need to see more of the different cars, and without your input, both as competitor and co-ordinator NZ motorsport would be a much less rich environment
Great grids by you jokers over the past couple of weekends! Standout cars for me include the Alfa 75, and Rons Alfasud (I am a bit Alfa biased...) but otherwise a grid of well turned out cars all being driven well!
IMG_5139 by Richard Opie, on Flickr
You might need to have a word to this chap, wouldn't want these unorthodox lines into Turn 10 to become tooooo popular!
Great grids by you jokers over the past couple of weekends! Standout cars for me include the Alfa 75, and Rons Alfasud (I am a bit Alfa biased...) but otherwise a grid of well turned out cars all being driven well!
You might need to have a word to this chap, wouldn't want these unorthodox lines into Turn 10 to become tooooo popular!
The only words he needs to hear is 'Great effort to do 2 complete 360s at full noise and still line up for the sweeper and not hit 1 of about 20 cars around him' He was hung out to dry by being moved onto the grass but thank god it all ended good. Impressive handicapping to have full field all arriving at sweeper at same time.
Looking at photo he is watching were he is going (backwards fast) and dab on picks brings her back around. I gave him thumb up when he came into pits and he shrugged and put hands in air.
Top effort.
PS Snoozin I know what you were meaning, and top shot, in right spot again.
I guess this forum is as good a place as any to tell you all about the presentation that was made by Deb Day to Ray and his wife at the conclusion of the prizegiving yesterday afternoon. It celebrated the 20 plus years that they have put into this series and resulted in every person in the room rising to their feet - a fitting tribute indeed!
Fantastic shot!!!!
Weekend 1, Ricky spent all weekend trying to resolve issues with the car. It wouldn't rev, despite replacing just about everything possible in the electrics department. Not sure even now what caused the problems but he was back on the pace Saturday and Sunday of weekend 2.
Check out the incar video for race #17 - about 8 minutes in. For my money, one of the best drivers in the series.
https://www.youtube.com/user/240ZRicky
I'll try and post links of any following cars video.
Adam Jones - who won the last handicap race by a split second, is a professional film maker (he did the Bruce Manon video) and is going to put an ERC video together, using a mix of shots and hopefully, also including the Hampton Downs video of external shots.
I haven't fully analysed the two weekends as yet, but weekend 1 was 32 cars and weekend 2 was 42. Sad that injuries and cars broken before the weekends, reduced the fields a wee bit, but if spectators enjoyed the ERC Series racing, please post a comment on the NZFMR facebook page...
To put things into perspective, just one safety car intervention over the two weekends, when one car (#19 - Porsche) had an electrical smoke up and ended up parked in an unsafe position.
Couple of minor dings, with one driver sent home on the Sunday of weekend 2.
No red flags, no exploding cars, very few yellow flags and lots of big grins. Very, very proud of the guys who, as a series, fly under the radar, with virtually zero pre event publicity, despite some fantastic, close racing - with OVERTAKING!!!!
Last edited by ERC; 01-25-2016 at 01:40 AM.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote