o tighten up a few bolts, including the gear selector arm that was about to drop of splined shaft and replacing the long bottom engine mount bolt that had stripped the thread by vibrating on the mounting bracket. I had also ordered a powered cool box to keep the beer, oops i mean food, cold over the weekends and some new mugs (the bleach taste in the old plastic camping mugs was bit off putting), which i packed while and organising the camping equipment. I'd even devised away of strapping the spare wheels to the trailer so the back of the car wasn't so full. So by Friday when it was time to pack up the car i was really organised!! This felt very strange!!!! So about 6.30pm we set off on the 3.5 hour trip to Cadwell, fully laden and feeling strangely relaxed!!! But i had a nagging feeling that something was g
oing to happen at Cadwell, nothing was usually this straight forward.......
After a crap nights sleep, including folding the tent up and moving pitches at midnight due to the nosiest generator in the word still running, i got up at 6am, went for a shower (luke warm) and went for a walk around the track with Judi and Dave Wade. I new Cadwell was up and down, but when you are walking round it really shows all the inclines and camber changes!!!
As i was racing in the 1st bikesports race on saturday aswell as RGB i needed to get down to scruitineering when it opened at 8am so i could get to the new drivers briefing at 8.15am as it was the only one i could have made due to the timetable. Scruitineering was being done quickly (unlike brands!) thankfully, but as we ran through the light check the brakes stopped working! I have had light problems at every meet so far this year!! I had 5 minutes to sort it, luckily
i found it within a couple of minutes, the spade connector on the brake switch had come off, so after pushing it back on i had my pass and i ran off to the briefing.
Bikesports qualifying was at 9am so i made my way down to the assembly area and parked amongst some very expensive (and fast) radicals!!! Luckily the field was a 50/50 mix between bikesports and other RGBers so i didn't feel too out of place. My plan was to take it nice and easy in bikesports qualifying, hopefully preparing myself for a good qualifying session in RGB. I'd then have a couple of hours until the 28 minute bikesports race, which again i was planning on using as a test session for the RGB race in the afternoon.
I took it very easy for the first couple of laps to warm the tyres up and just get used to the track again, as i started to pick the pace up the backend of the car felt very loose. I put this down to my driving and tried to get myself into a rhythm, but as i pushed on it just didn't feel right and i was getting annoyed with myself. I smelt oil and actually slowed slightly thinking it was car infront. I had also done an oil change the week before and thought there maybe a bit on the exhaust/engine, so i picked the pace up again but the car was all over the place.
Just after this photo (coming into Hall bends) the car stepped out, i caught it but ran out of tarmac and carried straight onto the grass and hit the tyre wall. I thought the front suspension must be knackered from the impact and as soon as i took my helmet off i could smell transmission fluid and there was smoke coming from the rear offside wheel. Andy bates was standing over the other side of the track telling me to come and see him when i got in.
I was towed back to my pitch, there was oil all over the offside rear wheel and the front nearside corner didn't look too hopeful, I was convinced the weekend was over! My trusty side kick Dan came back with William who was very upset (not sure if he was worried about his dad or the car) and we whipped the bodywork off. To my delight and surprise the front suspension and chassis was absolutely fine, the fibreglass was broken and the mounting brackets bent, but nothing a hammer and bit of tape couldn't fix. The rear corner on the other hand looked more terminal! We removed the wheel, caliper and disc which revealed oil pouring from the seal around the rear axle bearing, and on closer inspection there were fragments of metal on the surrounding area. After a chat and a bit of help from andy the rear axle was removed to reveal the bearing had collapsed.
Axel removed
Andy took the axle away to get the old bearing off while i tried to source a bearing. I didn't hold at much hope, Its a MKII escort Mexico rear axle, not the sort of thing Halfrauds stock!!! I called 118118 to get local motorfactors numbers which returned 2 hits, part co and some local place. I called part co expecting to be laughed at, but amazingly they had 1 in stock!!!!! There were 2 types, i didn't know which one it was and they only had the one type. Surely sods law meant it would be the wrong one! After Andy had heated and eventually cut the bearing off i took it with me to part co to compare the one they had in stock. To my amazement it was the right one!!!!!
A brisky drive back to the circuit, some quick tool fabrication from Andy, a large hammer, lots of help from Dan and Andy plus 2 tins of coke later and my car car was back on 4 wheels!! During the running about Dan had even cleaned all the oil off the car!! A bit of black gaffa tape (see front corner in later pictures and video) and some braket straightening and the car was as good as new!!!
I had missed RGB qualifying and the Bikesports race, but i was up and running in plenty of time for the first RGB race!! And as an added bonus i was being allowed to enter bikesports race 2 to make up for missing race 1 Brilliant!!!! Thanks to all the help from Dan and Andy, i couldn't have done it without you!!!
The only downside to all this was that because i had qualified out of session for RGB i had to start from the back of the grid for both RGB races. At least i could only improve my position during the race!!!
Race 1
I knew cadwell was narrow, but until we pulled up on the grid it hadn't quiet sunk how narrow! My first race at Snetts sitting on the grid was exciting as there seemed so little room, but this was in a totally different league. I had Judi along side and i'm sure if i stretched out i could have changed gear for her! Tony Carpenter was in front, and felt like i was sitting on hos rear clam! But then when i looked forward the lights were miles away and i could hardly read the time boards! I had seen video of carnage at at coppice on the first lap the year before and wanted to stay out of trouble, but also wanted to try and get a good start and try grab a place or two on the run to coppice. As the lights changed i managed to get off the line with minimal wheel spin, but Tony stalled directly in front of me, there was no room to move over to the left as Judi was there, so had to stamp on the anchors, i stopped before rear ending tony, and then had to slowly pull around him. although i was not last now, there was already a gap ahead of me. Due to the bunching of the cars into coppice i managed to pull back the gap and found my self behind Bob Mortimer who was behind Judi. For a couple a laps or so I followed Bob trying to get past Judi, but as we approached the goose neck i went round the outside of them both and was feeling very pleased with myself. Although this was shattered after the race when Judi informed me there was a yellow flag at approaching the goose neck. Bob hadn't seen it either and luckily for me the marshals didn't spot me, otherwise i would have had a(nother) ticking off!
For the next few laps i slowly closed the gap that had appeared in the first couple of laps, and eventually past Neil Constable-Berry. I was then slowly trying to catch the next group made up of the Grant brothers and Neil Palmer in his nice blue Fulcrum. Just as tagged onto the back of them we caught up with a back marker but I didn't manage to get past as quick as the other 3 so a gap appeared again. By now there wasn't enough time to make up any positions, well until Tony Gaunt had a small spin and i gained another place just before the chequed flag and finishing 17th.
All in all i was pleased i had got out there and to have actually raced, plus made up a few places in the process. Its all gaining me invaluable experience!
Race 2
I was hoping for a better start this time, and Tony had assured me he wouldn't stall! We had a green flag this time, so after the lap we lined up for the start. I was expecting a short delay, but virtually as soon as i rolled onto my grid position the lights went out and we were off! Luckily i was already in 1st gear and ready to go, even if i was a shocked and nearly bodged it up! Note toself, be more prepared after a green flag!! Tony didn't stall, but a car a few places ahead did, which caused some mild alarm for me, but didn't hold me up as much as before.
For the first time i had an on board camera, so you can see my attempts rather than listen to ramblings!!!
I finished 12th and was elated!!!! My best finish to date, and i started form the back. Every race weekend seems to get better for me at the moment, OK it wasn't plain sailing and at one point didn't think i would be racing, but these up and downs seem to have made the best weekend ever, again!!!! I'm just waiting for it all to come crashing down!
Roll on Anglesey!
