FIRST RUN,WAS 'PRACTICE'....
THE MORNING SUN,WAS TRYING DESPERATELY TO 'BURN' OFF THE LOW MIST,BUT A FAIR COLD WIND WAS BLOWING...''IDEAL'' FOR AMBIENT CONDITIONS,FOR THE TURBOCHARGED K900.
BEAR IN MIND,THIS CAR IS UTTERLY IN 'STANDARD' ROAD-GOING FORM. THE SUSPENSION SET-UP I HAVE 'BORROWED' THE SPEC.FROM MY 99 TURBO,AND ALSO THE WHITE 99 EMS RALLY CAR ON THE ISLAND,THAT I COMPETED WITH SUCCESFULLY BACK IN THE EARLY '2000'S....
THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS REMOVED PREVIOUSLY JUST TO CHECK,FOR ANY ALLOY CORROSION,WHERE IT HAD BEEN FOUND THE 'HEAD' HAD BEEN REPLACED AT SOME POINT,IN IT'S LIFETIME FROM A STANADRD 900? HENCE THERE WERE NO SODIUM-COOLED VALVES FITTED?
I STOLE SOME VALVES ,FROM A SCRAP 'TURBO' HEAD I HAD LYING AROUND,AND SHIMMED EVERYTHING UP,AS BEST I COULD.
IT IS STILL THE STOCK ENGINE,WITH 134K,ON THE CLOCK(MILES),AND THE ORIGINAL GEARBOX.
THE TURBO HAD A NEW EXHAUST TURBINE HOUSING FITTED,AND I RIGGED THE 'COLD START INJECTOR' TO FIRE MANUALLY,FROM A SWITCH ON THE DASH.THE 'APC' BOX HAS BEEN TINKERED WITH PREVIOUSLY,AND IT DOES EXACTLY,WHAT IS REQUIRED, BOOST GOES HALFWAY INTO THE RED ZONE,AND THEN METERED BY THE BLACK BOX....
OH,AND IT HAS A TOWBAR FITTED.....AND ITS ONLY GOT 8 VALVES,NOT 16!! COS' EVERYBODY SEEM'S TO THINK IT SHOULD HAVE 16?
ON THE DYNO,IT RAN 166BHP.,AROUND 18 MONTHS BACK...BUT THAT WAS WHEN WE DISCOVERD THE 'K-JET' WARM UP REGULATOR,REALLY NEEDED A REBUILD,TO KEEP THE 'AFR' IN CHECK.
I HAVE AN 'INNOVATE' MOTORSPORTS 'AFR' DIGITAL GAUGE SET UP FITTED,AND WITH THE REBUILT 'WUR',EVERYTHING WAS FINE...FUELLING MORE THAN ADEQUATE.
WE COULDN'T GET AN ACTAUL POWER RUN,THAT DAY? DUE TO SOFTWARE ISSUE'S ,BUTI WOULD ESTIMATE WE ARE AROUND 175-180 BHP,AND PROBABLY OVER 200 LB/FT TORQUE? THE K900 'FEELS' QUICKER THAN MY CLARION 99 TURBO,BUT MAYBE THE GEAR RATIO'S ARE HELPING A LITTLE? WITH THE 5 SPEED 'BOX
ANYWAY,PRACTICE RUN COMPLETE FOR EVERYBODY,ALL GOOD?
BUT? ONE OF THE TOYOTA YARIS GR,WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HIS CARBON FIBRE 'BEAM SPLITER' NEEDING EMERGENCY REPAIRS...
I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT 'LIGHTWEIGHT' LUXURY
CAR'S ALL TURNED AROUND BACK DOWN THE BOTTOM OF THE COURSE,THE START OF RUN ONE....?
ALL WEN'T WELL,THE OLD SAAB REALLY SUITING THE BUMPY MOUNTAIN ROAD TAKING THE CREST'S ABSOLUTELY FLAT!!
THE LAST CORNER IS AROUND 100 METRES BEFORE THE FINISH,AND THE ROAD WAS VERY DAMP UP THERE,SO I JUST BACKED OFF A LITTLE,AS THE CAR GOES LIGHT OVER THE FAST RIGHT HANDER AT AROUND 80 MPH...AND THER EIS NO -RUN-OFF IF YOU GET IT WRONG!!
EVERYBODY BACK DOWN THE HILL....NO INCIDENTS.
AT THIS POINT,WE WERE LYING 4TH IN CLASS. THE TWO YOYOTA YARIS GR LEADING THE CLASS,WITH LESS THAN A SECOND BETWEEN THEM,THEN CAME THE LOTUS ELISE 3RD AND FIFTH,WITH THE SAAB WEDGED FIRMLY INBETWEEN THEM IN 4TH.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF PACE,I WAS JUST 5 SECOND DOWN ON THE TOYOTA'S......IT HAD STARTED TO RAIN,AND I AM ONLY ON ROAD TYRES,WITH NO LSD,AND TWO WHEEL DRIVE...
THERE ARE 10 CARS IN OUR CLASS...
'THE SLOC' IS THE FASTEST OF THE 3 DAYS OF HILLCLIMBING,AND I WANTED TO MAKE A GOOD INROAD,INTO MY TIMES? AS YOUR FASTEST TIME,OVER ALL 3 DAYS,COUNTS TOWARD YOUR FINAL OVERALL POSITION...
RUN 2? COULD I TAKE A SECOND OUT OF THE LITTLE LOTUS,AND MOVE UP TO 3RD IN CLASS?
IT DIDN'T START WELL,MY GLASSE'S BROKE,WHILST TRYING TO PULL MY HELMET ON!! LUCKILY HAVING 30 YRS EXPEREIENCE,IN MOTORSPORT PREP,I HAD THE SPARE PAIR IN THE GLOVEBOX....
SAT IN THE SAAB,JUST 10 CARS FROM THE START? THE RED FLAGS CAME OUT UP THE MOUNTAINSIDE
A PORSCHE BOXSTER HAD LOST IT,IN THE SWITCHBACK S-BENDS,AND HIT THE SCENERY. THE CAR WAS DAMAGED QUITE BAD,BUT DRIVE OK.....
20 MINUTES OF WAITING,UNTIL CAR WAS RECOVERED,COURSE CLEANED UP...
GOOD TO GO!!
EXACTLY THE SAME PLACE THE PORSCHE CAME TO GRIEF,I CAME INTO THE SWITCHBACK USING ALL THE ROAD,AND A BIT MORE.....
HUGE 'BANG' DOWN THE NEARSIDE REAR OF THE CAR? BUT, STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL STRAIGHT,SO I KEPT MY FOOT HARD ON THE GAS.....
THIS TIME NEARING THE FINISH,I WAS HITTING 90 MP IN 4TH GEAR,SO I KNEW THIS WAS A FAST RUN...QUICK LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKES,I COULD SEE THE TRACK HAD DRIED,AND CUT IN TIGHT ON THE APEX.....
THE CAR GOES AIR-BORNE AT THIS POINT? BUT HARD ON THE GAS...
ALL THE COMPETITORS WERE OUT OF THEIR CARS,WATCHING THE LAST FEW CARS COMING UP,AND I WAS ONE OF THEM...
THE SAAB FLEW ACROSS THE TRACK TO THE NEARSIDE,AND ALL I COULD SEE WAS A VERY BIG OFF 'IMPENDING' ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN....
SOMEHOW,AND I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW,THE DAMNED THING GOT ROUND....
ON OPPOSITE LOCK...
EVERYBODY WAS WAVING AND CLAPPING,INCLUDING THE MARSHALS.....?
IT WAS ONLY AS I SLOWED,THAT THE FAMILIAR RUMBLE OF A PUNCTURE,OR A BENT WHEEL BEACAME APPARENT? AS I CAME TO A STOP,I JUMPED OUT THE SAAB....
I HAD CLIPPED A ROCK,IN THE SWITCHBACK,DOWN NEAR THE START OF THE COURSE.....WHICH DESTROYED THE REAR WHEEL...
MORE SO? I HAD ALSO PUNCTURED THE NEARSIDE FRONT TYRE,ON THE SAME ROCK...
I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME,I HAD ANY PUNCTURE'S.....NEVER MIND TWO!!!
I MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT TAKING THE FINISH,IN THE 'AIR',AT 90 MPH WITH TWO FLAT TYRES,IF I 'HAD' KNOWN....?
ERM,''THAT WAS SPECTACULAR.....'' SAID THE MARSHALS CAME RUNNING OVER...
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPARE WHEELS WITH ME IN THE CAR,SO HAD TO DRIVE BACK DOWN ON TWO FLAT'S.....
IT WAS LIKE A SCENE FROM A FORMULA 1 'PITSTOP',WHEN I GOT BACK DOWN....?
THE GUY'S WITH THE OTHER CAR'S IN OUR CLASS,CAME RUSHING OVER,WITH TROLLEY JACKS,AND WHIZZY NUT GUN'S TO HELP...
CARLSSON TO BLOMQVIST......
''WHAT IS THIS TERRIBLE THING YOU HAVE TAUGHT YOURSELF,YOU MUST UNLEARN IT.....''
LEFT FOOT BRAKING
