It was a big motorway cone with the hard rubber base which has somehow clouted it, there is orange all down the exhaust right to the back box.

At least I can't be accused of not trying!

 

They are really heavy Rob and at those speeds you are lucky the damage was just the pipe?

See you at Shelsley, RAIN FORECAST...and Pete's on Kumhos, and I'm on my magic Contisports. Maybe zero points then!

 

I drove in the soaking wet at Loton on slicks and found them very grippy indeed, I think only standing water will affect the slicks and I can't imagine on shelsley's gradient that that could happen, but i may be wrong and I don't have another option so we will see. Saturday is forecast sunny, sunday wet, so we might get some driving albeit practice.

 

Hope you are right on the weather.
At Barbon i ran on the slicks in the wet and there is indeed a lot of grip.
The Conti's are a bad (dangerous) joke.

Wish i had some Kumhos!
Graham.

 

I'm coming to see you all again tomorrow

One last push to try and maximize the number of entries to our Epynt Hill Climb and recruit a few extra marshals. We're looking on course for about 55 - 60 entries for our first ever event, not bad considering we're not in any championships and the event was little more than a glint in Martin Leonard's eye about 3 months ago! We've set a maximum entry of 80 and we can accept entries pretty much up to the last minute so it's not too late if you fancy a go on the newest, longest hill climb in Great Britain

I discovered last weekend that we can accept entries from Caterham/Westfield type cars. I got confused and turned away a couple of entries in the past few weeks

I'm going to try and get there early tomorrow so I can see how people do the signing on, park trailers etc. What time do the regs say people should start arriving?

Cheers,
Gary

 

Shelsley is a very special place in many ways.
The signing on is no exception...

Quing starts about 6.30am. Signing-on about 8.00am when the queue is about 40 deep.

Very nostalgic, very romantic, and very frightening to go fast.

See you there!
Graham.

 

0600 ? Can't see me getting there that early. I think I'll aim for say 0730. What time is it now? I think I'll have to go to bed soon!

See you tomorrow

 

First 'A' meeting at Shelsley Walsh today, first time with an extra 100bhp, first time on slicks, first time on the new surface.

Started with a slow exploratory run, tried harder next run locked up into bottom ess and scared all the marshalls to death but made it round and posted a 32.24 a PB by half a second but knew the big slide had cost me a lot of time was patient and got a 3rd run at about 5.15pm, got my first decent launch of 1.89 and pressed on to a 31.09, faster than Roy's class record of 31.17. I'm so glad I go the extra run or tomorrow would have still been practice. The new engine saw me crossing the finish line at 104mph some 10mph faster than last year despite the insane heat, and it was hot, sat in the car in a triple layer race suit in that sun is miserable, I can't imagine august!

So in theory I broke the record, here is a reality check, Roger in the A4 with an extra 100bhp after his day of mapping with Motec Dave and new found launch control did a 29.23, just half a second behind the all time closed roof record of Tom Hammond in his Pikes peak S1 Audi Quattro, which is just insane and has widened the class divide on a whole new level.

Here's a video of my final and fastest run - 1.89 Launch, 94 mph ess approach, 104mph finish line speed and final time of 31.09.

Hope I can keep it up tomorrow and it stays dry!

MySpace Videos: My Impreza RA at Shelsley Walsh hill climb by rob

Rob.

 

My gearing is different to yours!
I thought we had the same ratios, but you enter the straight up to bottom S in 4th, I'm in third to take the straight, but then of course you are getting there faster!

Hot again Rob.

Graham.

 

what temp is considered hot in the UK?

 

Probably anything over 20 degrees. We get warmer days but we also get cooler summer days and there's always the chance of a drop or more of rain!

 

It was about 25 26 in the Shelsley Paddock yesterday, but much better today.

I'm sure Rob will fill in the details, but a ballistic weekend of racing.

 

Great to see you guys yesterday. Sorry I left without saying goodbye but I'd been there since first thing and on my feet all day in the heat so enough was enough. I had planned to go out for a beer last night but after I got back I found I'd got sun-burn and a killer headache. I think I might have had a little sun-stroke, it was scorchio at Shelsley !

So how did you all do today? Did the rain keep away?

 

Will let rob do all the talking as Graham said im shagged and am drinking beers

Congrats to rob!

some vids

MySpace Videos: Evo @ Shelsley walash 02/06/07 by Pete

MySpace Videos: evo@ shelsley walsh race day by Pete

 

We now have some competition for Graham for the Epynt hillclimb! Watch this space.

 

Nice to know.
I'm missing out on a Father's day treat for this.

I don't have competition anyway, I just ignore them all.

Rob and Pete have fallen-out with Mira so I think I know who will be my partners in crime!

Is there an entries list yet?
If they are there then I won't bother!

Graham.

 

I will post an entry list at the weekend, there is a race 911 Carrera coming by the looks of it. It also sports 400 bhp so if it's dry it'll possibly make things more interesting for you.

We're still taking entries no problem, ideally we would like 60 for this year.

 

Better late than never but this is the first time I have been online since Sunday.

I was late getting there on race day for 1 reason or another rushed like a headless chicken next thing I'm on the start line and half way up the hill, red flags stopped just short of the kink and made to reverse into the spectators area and watch from the marshalls hut at the fastest part of the track (apart fromthe finish line) and annoyed as I was it was amazing to see Pete, Roy, Graham etc. flat out through there, makes you realise how much we all push and just how fast we are as a class, also got to see Roger in his A4 flat out and it was an impressive sight. I went up with the next batch and pulled a 1.83 launch, a drivetrain fightening PB on the new mega grip start area, finished with a 31.06, another PB but made a hash of the esses bumping off the bank on the exit to top ess and knowing I could do a 30, Roy posted a 30.93 with put me in 3rd and set a target for the final run on the afternoon.

Final run went well, 1.85 64ft launch time, 96mph ess approach and 104mph finsih line speed, total time 30.73, an new PB and 1/2 a second quicker than last years record, which meant not a lot when Roy had broken it earleir and Roger had smashed it by 2 seconds in the A4. It put me in second place, then Roy pulled out a 30.70 beating me by 3 100ths of a second and putting me in 3rd place, annoying but giving away 120bhp and him being midland champ and all I can't complain! I knew exactly where I had left the time as anyone who has watched my practice day video will notice, smoking the inside left wheel through the first ess under power and not launching forward like Roy, and the figures proved it, I did the ess sector in 9.56 seconds and Roy covered the same space in 9.15, which in hill climbing is an eternity. My over agressive throttle use and rear diff set up costing me almost 1/2 a second in the most important part of the track.

Pete took 4th with a 31.77 and Graham 5th with 32.44, the power and weight difference is outlined at shelsley more than anywhere and mine and Roy's crossing speeds at the finish line were some 10 and 15mph more than Pete and Graham creating such a divide where we are all normaly so close, it won't be the same next weekend at Loton and worse for me at Prescott on later this month where i lagged behind the others.

A great weekend and I haven't enjoyed the sport so much before, not because I got decent times, because I just concentrated on driving got to watch the spectacle of the top 12 shoot out and have good banter with good people, and manged to raise a few eyebrows in my £5k car (pre-mod's before anyone says anything!)

An interesting development in the big money sector of the sport is that the closed roof hill record of Tom Hammond in his s1 quattro which Roger had his sights on got smashed from 28.54 to 28.06 by Mike Endine in his Insane Puma, over a second ahead of Roger this weekend, so a bit of a spanner in the works for the all conquering A4 and it should be interesting at the next 2 Shelsleys to see them slug it out.

I have also made a decision, I quit sprinting full stop, despite breaking the class record last time out it was a miserable meeting, in a soul less baron place and having to spend an hour with a surform trying to get my slicks back in some respectable shape I've had enough, it's rubbish. It's just hills from here on out and whilst i will only be driving 3 this year which is a bit limited, I will try and expand on that next season.

No videos because I couldn't find my recorder (which was in my trainer?!?) but some pics when i get my pc working.

Loton next weekend where the power/weight advantage only means so much with Pete proving that by undercutting my record at the last 'B' meet, but our respective times of 56.70 and 56.61 are 1/2 a second under the class c1 record of Roy and if we can match those sort of times we should be in good shape.

Rob.

 

Great quote, made me smile

Sounds like a good weekend, maybe see y'all at Prescott 23/24 June - that's if I have a car!!

I think I may have to sell then; health's not getting any better, nor is the bank balance! See how it goes.

Cheers

Martin

 

Hope your ok mate, and know the bank balance feeling this is an expensive hobby, albeit the best thing you can ever do!

It's not the stuff of F1 teams is it losing equiptment into your shoe!

 

I have never felt the power or pwer to weight ratio thing so much as this Shelsley meeting.

The car is just so far back on speed at 14 mph slower than Rob and others.

Mt 350 bhp is struggling to get me there, but I'm simply not as risk taking as the others either!
I have a vid of my Sti passing the fastest section up the hill (actually past Robs vantage point and it truely looks as if on rails.
Like WELDED on the rails.

All a bit **** really so must try much harder and sod the car.

Keep looking forward Martin!

Graham.

ps: I'm happy to be beaten by a 911!

 

How rally drivers do hill climbs (front page) !

Brecon Motor Club

Rob, PM me your email address and I'll send you an entry form

 

Looks a bit like my style, but i get a bit more sideways...

Seems I will be having some bizzar company in my class from the telephone call I've just had!

Now then; 'I'm doing this for the fun, for the fun for the fun....'

Going to get blown away or side swiped by a bloody Escort.

 

If you got any more sideway than that you would be going backwards!

We had a meeting last night to check the status of everything. Looks like all's in hand and there are still entries coming in so we're looking good

 

Martin sounded all excited tonight!

I offered to go in the 1A tyre class but will stick it out in 'my class'.

I think I'm doomed from what I heard!

Be some fun won't it?

 

You're not playing the "we're all doomed" card already are you? There's a week to go yet With your car, your experience and sticky tyres I would think it's the rest who should be nervous!

It's all for fun anyway, no championship points at stake or anything. Someone at the club last night threatened to enter in a 1litre Micra, but then he does play a mean pin-ball

I'm still in "have I thought of everything" mode, but come the day I'm sure I'm going to have a grin from ear to ear

 

Threatened?? He was the first to enter!! 5 more potential entries tonight so we will hit the 50 comfortably i think.

 

Nice weather, good banter and fresh air (I've got a sports cat!) and we will all enjoy it.
I am looking forward to it, but everyone keeps telling me not to stray off the tarmac due to unspent shells...what does that mean....

So its me, a 911 a Darrian(!) and Rob and his bro I guess; no wonder I'm doomed!

Graham.

 

Heres how fast a quarter of a million £'s gets you up Shelsley in a 'Ford' Puma, 28.06, 100mph ess approach, 117mph finish speed.

MySpace Videos: puma by rob

 

I haven't entered, yet anyway.