Time Attack Debut, in summary, Great start, then downhill! In more detail..... We headed down to Silverstone for Friday test session, just to learn the track and test out some aero mods. Running on an old set of BTCC tyres and Vpower on lowest boost setting of 1.2 bar (circa 720bhp) Testing went well and after a few minor mishaps with the front splitter we were down to 58.3 seconds, that was 0.1 under the existing lap record so we were happy with that. After a quick roadside repair session we were ready for the main event. For the 10 minute morning warm up session we filled her up with race fuel and ran at 1.4 bar boost (circa 800bhp) The unknown vintage touring car tyres were swapped for our 3 year old sprint slicks and we set off, the car felt nice and lively and was hooking up well. Lap 2 and I gave it some, lap timer showed 57.2, kept it going nice steady lap, not pushing it and lap 3 was 57.01, new Pro Extreme lap record by 1.4 seconds! Hit traffic so slowed down and headed back to the pits for a tyre temp check. All good but with only 3 mins remaining it wasnt worth going out again. For practice we made a wing adjustment and stepped up the boost another click to 1.6 bar (866bhp) On the out lap it was feeling ok but then as we started a flying lap, it was clear all was not well, a misfire, followed by complete lack of boost. Trundle back to pits assuming a boost hose off but no sign of any issue, no smoke, no noise, all the usual checks revealed nothing. A few quick blips of the throttle and it transpired only one turbo was spinning, a quick check revealed a bent turbo shaft....bummer! Not something we carry as a spare, they had been on there for a few years with no issues. On the trailer then, end of play. Lisa didnt give up quite as easily I will go find us a turbo after many kind offers of help, the most suitable option came via Paul Blamire, he had a similar unit in his workshop and his colleague Ren could fetch it down within the hour RESULT! With help from Steven Darley and Phil from RA Motorsport we set about the awkward task (when hot) of a turbo swap. In anticipation of what lay ahead we also fitted our brand new shiney set of Dunlops and set the boost to 1.8 bar (930bhp) Ready with 10 mins to spare before qualifying, I was looking forward to winding on the power on to new sticky slicks. After a few steady laps to bed them in, I started to crank up the speed....but all was not well, the misfire was even worse and we had lost some 5mph straightline speed, it should have been up 10mph! Into the pits and onto the laptop, nothing obvious causing it, we swap over injectors (we have 12 fitted lol) and go out to try again but misfire still there and fueling showing very rich. Session end and we had not done a hot lap. Meanwhile Olly Clark and Gareth Lloyd are flying round, banging in new fastest laps and new lap records! Much head scratching and we find a bad connection on an alternator wire, hmm, that would do it. The car then needs a jump start to get going, further verification that it could have been a charging fault, cautiously optimistic, I set the boost up to the pre planned 2.0 bar, 1000bhp setting. Set out onto track and try a full throttle run, this should be like Starship Enterprise on warp factor 9 as the cars and corners come flying past.....but they are flying past in the wrong direction, on boost its missing even worse, I turn the boost down to 1.2 bar, its still missing but I decide to push on anyway and try and salvage a lap, I come up behind one of the Pro cars but he pulls away on the straight, then just coming out of Luffield and the power drops off completely and I cruise across the finish line 20mph slower than warm up, well off the pace. Back to the pits and I see Mr Darley give me the finger across the throat sign, yup its just chewed the replacement turbo and its tinkling away under the bonnet, quick look at the compresor wheel reveals its going round in square circles! Oh well, thats racing as they say! Win some, lose some! Im not one to dwell on the negatives so looking ahead with the positives, the car felt totally planted on circuit and was ballistic at 1.2 bar on the warm up, I believe setting the fastest finish line speed of the whole day running some 400bhp short of potential. Really looking forward to running MAN boost and maybe even a sniff of NOS running on fresh tyres.........one day! Im pretty sure there was at least another 2 seconds to come on the day from our warm up lap, not sure it would have caught Gareth though, I think we may need a pro-aero package for that, so on that note, Sponsor required! Only need approx £10k for a full carbon floor, matching exhaust, ducting and aero pack.....3 seconds per lap guaranteed you say?......bring it on :) We didnt get a video of what turned out to be our fastest lap as it was just a warm up run, the camera was on for practice though and caught the run the turbo failed on. You can see me turn on the headlights for a hot lap as I slowly set up for a run to the startline, then Olly comes past, he wasnt to know I was about to start a hot lap.....but soon found out ;) I then lose power just before lift off for the left hand kink at Maggots and you then hear it just go flat with no boost, so I tuck in tight, so not to spoil Ollys lap. At the moment we suspect it was either a wastegate or wastegate control valve sticking, causing one turbo to do all the work and overspeed, whilst the other turbo backed off to control the boost. https://youtube/watch?v=2i5wM7aUshE&list=UU1H4yE6gs4AGm5xz8cbHhtA
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 12:31:17 +0000
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