FUEL PROBLEMS FOR SILVERSTONE MEETING!

Saturday evening set the scene for the weekend. Having only got the car back from the paint shop late on Thursday and no time Friday to prepare it due to work and then on Saturday Mike was working at Prodrive in a Lambo, so preparations started at 6.30pm and had to finish at 8.30pm when it got dark.

On its return to us, the fuel pump was noisier than the engine,so we assumed it had suffered some damage in the Mallory impact. Fortunately we had an upgraded spare ready to fit, but the inlet and outlet pipes we 12 mm and our car pipes just 10mm, so some pipes had to be adapted to cure any leaks. We had to almost empty the tank to do the work, leaving just a litre or so in the swirl pot. Our normal practice is to fuel before we leave, so we eliminate a problem at the track, but being late we didn't.

Sunday was a late start for scrutineering and then a mid-day session for timed qualifying. We arrived at 9am, so had plenty of time to unload and wash the car, check settings, oil etc. We scrutineered twice as Mike needed to get the in-car camera location approved and he still had time to meet with Garry Feakins to sort out his tracking. We all took our positions in the stands and Mike did an out lap, then an initial recorded lap as he warmed the car up and then nothing!

The others went past 20 times, each going faster and faster, but no Mike and no fuel!

An easy mistake to make considering how late and stressed we were Saturday evening, but having checked the tank and pump several times for any signs of leaks, we didn't put 20 litres in to complete the qualifying. Mike was roughly last on the timing sheet placing him on the back row of the heat in we think 38th place and needing to get to 16th to qualify for the final in just 15 laps, possibly less with a red flag incident.

Unfortunately there were no time sheets available before the final, but Mike scraped in by two places in we think 14th, but obviously now 38th in the final. Knowing the the top 20 drivers were all faster in the qualifying than Mike was in his heat, he knew he would struggle, but any progress would be a bonus on last year when he finished in 38th in his first Stock Hatch race.

There is a video of the qualifying and of the heat. Mike was unable to switch the video off until he returned to the paddock, so filmed 20 minutes of waiting in the qualifying and then the full heat etc which took another 30 minutes, leaving just space for 5 minute of the final, which only covered the time spent in the assembly area. Next time we will use a bigger SD card or a second one. We took the precaution of changing the batteries in the camera for the final, but forgot about the SD card.

Between the heat and the final, Mike and Garry worked on the car together with a number of the front runners, who were all interested in trying to understand why Mike is so quick through the corners yet has no grunt down the straights. This is our first season, so the only set up and modifications were done by SPOOX. We have obviously had 5 race meetings now, but are still running with the same set up, with the exception of the new fuel tank and pump. We also remove the standard catalyst and fitted our own system with a sports catalyst attached to the back box.

The positive comments were that Mike had a good shell and excellent roll cage, which is the right starting point. The pump and tank were a positive improvement over the standard, as the standard set up is in their opinion inadequate. The removal of the standard catalyst improved gas flow, but there was no need to have a back box and the sports catalyst. They added that the engine mount we were supplied was illegal but the OMEX was a good ECU. Out came the laptop to find that it had been mapped very conservatively. The compression ratio was so high at 11.5 that it needed to be run on race fuel, yet mapped for pump fuel. There was much more to be gained from a re-map to focus on less revs and more torque. To do that we needed to run the twin down pipe that all the other SAXO/106 people were running, and we needed to be running a bigger bore exhaust than we were.

The front tacking was corrected, but could not be aligned with the rear. By all accounts the rear was lowered but absolutely standard and with so much play in the bearings it would fail an MOT. Garry was not surprised that Mike found that it broke quickly rather than progressively. Within 10 minutes there was plenty of interest round the car, but generally the enthusiasm and support Mike got for driving such a car was encouraging.

In the final, having changes a few settings, Mike moved from 38th through to 26th in the 16 lap final, with a couple of excellent Karting moves up the inside under braking. To conclude, Garry had been watching Mikes performance, and has offered the use of his car for Mike to test to see the difference between his and a front runner. Garry normally sets fastest laps, so this will be an excellent bench mark for Mike.

In addition, Garry has advised Mike to miss Oulton Park in order to get the car right for Snetterton. Garry is quite happy to have Mike run with him as a 'team' and share his setting with him. I think in view of the support Mike got in Karting from initially Terry Langley, who basically showed him how to drive, through Mick Brookfield who taught him driver aggression.Then Bo at Maranello taught him that drivers need confidence and some arrogance and then with Graham at ARC he managed to comprehend race tactics and alternative kart preparation strategies. Hopefully Garry can encourage Mike to convert his natural driving talent into some race winning performances.

As usual images will follow shortly.

One last word from Mike "Many thanks to all those supporters who turned up at Mallory and then again at Silverstone. Pity about qualifying, as I felt I could have got straight into the final and then with the extra second Garry found in the car, looking at my times, I could have got my first top 10. I have decided not to race at Oulton Park, but to work with Garry to get the car and myself right for Snetterton, so I hope to see you all there at the end of September?"