The Birkett Relay

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Crunchie Gears
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The Birkett Relay

Postby Crunchie Gears » Mon Oct 28, 2019 7:57 pm

having reported on the track day on Monday last week at Silverstone Lee and I met up at the Paisley Pair in Brackley on Thursday ready for practice on Friday.

Lee came with his partner and their son Buddy which was cool.

Unfortunately they did not bring good wether with them! Yes, it was very damp on Friday even though it did not rain much. We started on Avon ZZRs and frankly had no grip. With no standing water lap times where 3 minutes 16 seconds. I think Reliant 3 wheelers were quicker than us! reported on the track day on Monday last week at Silverstone Lee and I met up at the Paisley Pair in Brackley on Thursday ready for practice on Friday.

Lee came with his partner and their son Buddy which was cool.

Unfortunately they did not bring good wether with them! Yes, it was very damp on Friday even though it did not rain much. We started on Avon ZZRs and frankly had no grip. With no standing water lap times where 3 minutes 16 seconds. I think Reliant 3 wheelers were quicker than us!

It was not that wet but we thought we should give the Avon CR 28s, our wet tyres, a go. My goodness what a difference! :D :D It was possible to brake and drift the car (it was still very slippery). If the car was under steering out of the corners, even the quick ones, applying more throttle induced a drift. Really good fun. :P Not only that but the wets were not burning up so we knocked off a little early.

We got scrutinised on Friday afternoon too so Saturday was quite relaxed. 8-) oK no sun glasses as the weather was misting rain. While we were relaxed the other Morgans had turned up including our team mate Tom with his identical Morgan +4 Club Sport. There was plenty of piss taking between the Morgan teams (there were 4 teams and one running with some Caterhams).

For qualifying Lee was up first, Tom next and then I. The rain was heavier. I did not follow Lee or Tom’s times. I was getting focused or nervous; whichever :? :lol: I had to sit down and chill as the adrenaline was increasing my pulse rate. Lee then brought the car back and said he could not see anything through the spray! He had done his 3 laps so good to go.

I went up to assembly to wait for. My 20 minutes. Got out really sensibly got my 3 laps in testing the grip and then found myself caught in a gaggle of cars. I slowed down and made a big gap. So I had enough time for a fast lap.

Got on the the National start finish straight with a really good drive. Though I need to look the braking as late as I can. So arriving 5 mph quicker on the approach to Copse, leaving the braking and using a late turn I did not work to well and I was off line in the very very wet line. First bend and messed the lap. I then tried hard to get on the throttle early after each bend. Got pushed off line by a Radical at the loop and had the car more sideways than is useful. Finished the lap with the chequered flag to indicate the end of my session.

Got into the pits and Martin, our Chef du Garage (race engineer), told me My last lap was 3.03 which was the 2 seconds quicker than Aero Racing 1. Job done!!

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DJ.
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby DJ. » Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:13 pm

Well done, so far, it sounds great :)

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Crunchie Gears
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby Crunchie Gears » Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:31 pm

Car in one piece. Qualified better than Aero Racing 1. P41 on the grid. If the rain stopped we would have been in heaven.

Then the handicaps came out and Aero Racing 1 had two laps more than us! How does that work? :evil: :evil:

Never mind we were going to sort it in the race.

So we looked at how to arrange the driver stints. As Tom was in his car and Lee and I were in the other car we decided to have Tom do 4 half hour sessions and Lee and I would do 2 one hour sessions. Tom did not want to start so it was between Lee and I. Lee stood up for it! :D :D Good man.

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Nash
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby Nash » Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:18 am

Come on Paul, I want to binge read not wait for weekly episodes :D
Buckle Up - Adventure Calls

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nelmo
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby nelmo » Wed Oct 30, 2019 3:58 pm

Ditto - and pics and video's wouldn't go amiss...

Jees, racers these days - all about me, me, me... :twisted: :D

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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby Crunchie Gears » Wed Oct 30, 2019 7:55 pm

Oh, I did answer but waited a little for Lee to tell his story. I will have to write it again :(

Having tried to get the pit to car radio sorted Lee could just speak to the pit, Tom had no communication and I had full radio.

This was important during the race.

During qualifying I went to race control as they did not publish our times. I took the transponder from Lee and my car. When I got there they had sorted it. I went back to the garage and gave the transponder to Martin.

Lee started the race in the hard rain. As mid grid there were cars everywhere. Very tough for his first ever start!

I got called to race control and our transponder was not working. I persuaded them we could fix it rather than getting chucked out. I got back to the garage and told Martin and he owned he still had it in his pocket :roll: :roll:

As the radio was not working we put out the pit board for Lee to come in. Our pit garage was close to the end of the pit lane; just where drivers are concentrating the the entry into Copse. Add the rain and spray causing poor visibility. Lee missed it.

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leegav
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby leegav » Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:00 pm

Sorry guys... been busy.
I’ve been prepping for this all year. Getting my race B licence getting some tuition and learning the Morgan. As we have found out it hasn’t been great in the wet but that clearly was down to tyre choice. Monday saw us at silverstone for a track day. My first time ever at silverstone on track. Started slow warming up and on every lap throughout the day I got better finishing in the dry on a 2.46. I honestly believe I could knock 5 Ish seconds of that if I was in my own car. I really did hold back in places because it wasn’t my car. Although Paul told me to drive it like I stole it I still had some respect. :D
A boring week at work saw me, the mrs and Buddy pack up and head to silverstone. I didn’t sleep well that week especially after seeing the weather and having some history in this Morgan in the wet. I wasn’t confident at all.
Anyway Friday practice. Learn the car, get better and get confident in the wet in someone else’s car. I did that and spent as much time as I could in the car. TBC
Say NO to Pheasants !!! Body count = 3
Say NO to Blackbirds !!! Body count = 1
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Say NO to Squirrels!!! Body count = 1

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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby leegav » Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:14 pm

As usual me and Paul met up and had a few drinks. 8-) :? :roll:
Saturday came and I was ready. Qualifying wasn’t easy. It’s a nerve racking experience were it is very easy to try and keep up with the car in front even though it may be much quicker. My plan was to keep it on the black stuff and knowing that Paul was around 5 seconds quicker in the wet the day before I’d leave him to attempt some grid movement. I just wanted to take part, if you don’t complete 3 laps you won’t race and the fact I stacked the car in qualifying at brands I wasn’t going to do the same here. Anyway, I volunteered to start the race and we were placed 43rd on the grid from 70. As soon as I’d got in the seat I need a pis and had about 30 minutes of messing about before we even got round the formation lap, it was cold and very wet so I got drenched. Adrenaline kicked in about lap 2 and I forgot how cold and wet it was. I can safely say I have never driven in such bad conditions anywhere. You could not see anything if a car was infront of you only a red light.so all corners were judged and guessed especially down the pit straight. Yellow flag came out with safety car after about 5 laps. We all stacked up for a while and even stopped at some corners. We got going again and I held my spot as best I could. I overtook an old Porsche and I was chasing a big orange cobra that left me on the straight but I was behind on every corner. TBC
Say NO to Pheasants !!! Body count = 3
Say NO to Blackbirds !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Marmots !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Squirrels!!! Body count = 1

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leegav
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby leegav » Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:37 pm

Did a good set of laps with no issues and fastest lap on my first hour was 3.15 seconds which interestingly was the overall race average at the end of the day. I came in and swapped with Tom, got warm and checked his laps, 3.23 8-)
Onto my second stint. Even wetter than the first but a little more confidence in the car and starter nerves had disappeared.i decided to do a few laps and test the cars capability in such wet conditions to try and gain more confidence so on the long straights i was breaking a bit later and a bit harder every lap..... then after knocking out a 3.09 ish lap i came down hanger straight at 105 ish..broke hard...balanced the car with some trail breaking turning the corner into Stowe... the car didn’t turn and I Aqua planed strait into the gravel taking a place next to a radical and a civic in the same gravel...it was very very wet. Next few laps were similar pace and then had a small error into abbey, I was infront of a car that was pressuring me for the previous lap and I pushed the accelerator an inch to much to early and had the car sideways in that fast corner, tried to grab it and old on and the car found grip and fired me the other way, I ended up losing 4 places as it took a while to get the car started again, and I was scared as I was in the middle of abbey turn after the bend so wS just waiting for a car to Tbar me :o
Last 2 laps before putting and a Clio undertook me on copse and tried to gain a place, he went straight on into the gravel and missed me by a few inches... crazy!, just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse I came round luffield and into woodcote came flying down pit straight and all hell broke loose....break lights everywhere sliding around all over track all hidden with rain spray.. luckily and I really mean luckily I was half way down the straight and pulled towards the pit wall, missed 2 carterhams facing wrong way on track with one of the bent as hell crushed against the wall. I literally drove between the 2 cars involved in the crash.... reminded me of days of thunder driving through smoke hoping to come out the other side... I came into the pits next lap and my time was done. I was tired cold and wet. As Paul finished his final stint I was asked to do the last 30 minutes as Paul was doing a longer stint as Tom stacked his Morgan coming out of woodcote. Amazing weekend with amazing people and a long time coming.... roll on next year!!!
Say NO to Pheasants !!! Body count = 3
Say NO to Blackbirds !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Marmots !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Squirrels!!! Body count = 1

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leegav
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Re: The Birkett Relay

Postby leegav » Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:38 pm

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Say NO to Pheasants !!! Body count = 3
Say NO to Blackbirds !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Marmots !!! Body count = 1
Say NO to Squirrels!!! Body count = 1


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