The Roaring Season

Entry for weekend 1 of the Festival:


1 Alan Ferguson BMW M8 ®
2 Bert Quin FORD PERANA
10 Neil Fraser LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE
17 Peter Northin FORD ESCORT
18 Ken Northin FORD ESCORT
19 Kerry Chadderton PORSCHE 911SC
21 Bryce Platt PORSCHE 924 S
29 Mike Lucas MINI COOPER S
36 Win Jacob JAGUAR XJS 3.6
40 Adrian Dobbe VAUXHALL VIVA HB
48 Ricky Cooper DATSUN 240Z
64 John Palmer MG BGT
70 Ray Green MARCOS VOLVO 3L
72 Karl Sentch DATSUN 240Z
77 Jeremy Thornton PEUGEOT 205 Gti
79 Gary Langsford ALFA 75
88 Bruce Manon FORD ESCORT
89 John Ure JAGUAR XJ12
92 Brian Yates PORSCHE 924S
93 Ivan Selak FORD ESCORT
96 Steve Rasmussen PORSCHE 911 RS
150 Allan Brook MG BGT
158 Tony Vujnovich FORD PERANA
181 Ron Findlay FORD PERANA
203 Andy Mygind DATSUN 240Z
205 Richard McCarthy Jr PEUGEOT 205 GTi
280 Ken Williams MERCEDES 280CE
331 John Hudson BMW 320
616 Dave Mallin MG BGT V8
635 Zachary Lawrence BMW M635CSI
739 Grant Kern MG B V8 SPORTS
944 Paul Madeley PORSCHE 944S2
996 David Heron PORSCHE 996

First session up this weekend at 9am! Also of course, first after lunch.

As last year. Practice Friday morning.

First session after lunch is a scratch race.

Saturday and Sunday, 2 handicap races, same time slots.

Paul Halford is now running the Ferrari in Classic Trial.

nzeder wrote:A Ginetta G15
[ATTACH=CONFIG]30210[/ATTACH]

A nice looking little car - does the whole arse end lift up? I assume the motor is in the Imp position.

Sadly, Paul Halford has had to pull out -broken wrist.

Phil Laird out - broken leg.

Couple of others out with mechanical issues. Par for the course.

Horrendous traffic problems to and from the track today. A total of 4 hours getting there and back for documentation...

What caused the traffic problems Ray?

Heading south, just after Hill Rd, Manurewa Collision between a car and a truck carrying human waste... Yeuk! Needed an extensive clean up which took a while. I pulled off the Motorway at Manukau and it took an hour to get to Manurewa. Then made a big mistake and came off at the Bombays and it took a good 10 minutes, just to get out of the BP filling station.

On the way home, an accident on the harbour Bridge heading north.

In sharp contrast, left home about 6:05 this morning and it was a dream run, down to the motorway and on it. Traffic heavy at 3pm heading back and a crawl from about Tip Top corner.

I was hoping that the Mini of Mike Lucas was going to uphold the marque name, but he seems, by MyLaps, to be having a very indifferent time of it..........whats going on. I know he has a new engine courtesy of Ray Green.......is it giving trouble? Hope he can rectify the problems and have a better day tomorrow.

Teething problems AMCO! Not helped by a dodgy core plug (too many years stuck under the bench) then a fuel pump that wasn't delivering. Mike stuck with his own distributor and points but I did include an Aldon distributor with electronic ignition, which will be one of his next jobs.

It only has a road cam in it so it never was going to be a quick car with that engine, but at least he finished the last race!

Great racing again though AMCO. Close and only a couple of very minor touches.

As posted on Facebook, that was my last circuit race today...

Thanks Ray.........I did mention you in despatches on FB......

All a learning curve given mini's and the A series are new to me. As Ray stated had some issues, water on the garage floor the day the engine first started on Tuesdays night. Then the top (not correct and old) radiator hose let go on day 1. Day 2 the car only managed 3 laps each time due to fuel issues.....fuel pump was failing. Today got to finish 1 race then came in on the last lap after more fuel starvation started in the last race. Yokohama A032 slide around a lot still have learn how to drive a mini correctly have been a rwd guy for soooo long now.

I am glad you managed to sort out some of your problems Mike.....as you will have found out driving a Mini on the track is a whole new ball game. Some people, like me, never get to grips with it, so I wish you luck. The Yokohamas are pretty useless on the track as you found out. Some experimenting with tyre pressures may help but you really need to get some good....read expensive...tyres, of which there is only a tiny choice in 10inch, unlike other sizes where there seems to plenty of stuff available. I did notice there were a lot of non dot rated tyres, with 'funny' tread patterns, being used by competitors, even though they arent supposed to be.

We may have to look at the tyre issue - again. it seems that you can get a WoF for some of these tyres yet everyone agrees that they wouldn't use them in the wet.

The rules appear to be that if a tyre is 10" wide and the grooves are only the middle 5", as long at there is more than the 2mm tread, the tyre is deemed legal... no lateral grooves for water dispersion are required. That needs looking at as we are at the stage where the fastest 2 cars are 3 seconds a lap faster than the rest - which I don't really like.

Maybe we'll have to re-introduce the speed bar as although Bruce Manon is a capable and safe racer, I'd hate to think what would happen if those with lot less talent could race at that speed.

AMCO72 wrote:I am glad you managed to sort out some of your problems Mike.....as you will have found out driving a Mini on the track is a whole new ball game. Some people, like me, never get to grips with it, so I wish you luck. The Yokohamas are pretty useless on the track as you found out. Some experimenting with tyre pressures may help but you really need to get some good....read expensive...tyres, of which there is only a tiny choice in 10inch, unlike other sizes where there seems to plenty of stuff available. I did notice there were a lot of non dot rated tyres, with 'funny' tread patterns, being used by competitors, even though they arent supposed to be.

I was always impressed by those who could switch from FWD to RWD regularly and be on the button instantly - Bryan Bate and Brian Hartley come to mind, both Manawatuis, something in the water perhaps....

ERC wrote:We may have to look at the tyre issue - again. it seems that you can get a WoF for some of these tyres yet everyone agrees that they wouldn't use them in the wet.

The rules appear to be that if a tyre is 10" wide and the grooves are only the middle 5", as long at there is more than the 2mm tread, the tyre is deemed legal... no lateral grooves for water dispersion are required. That needs looking at as we are at the stage where the fastest 2 cars are 3 seconds a lap faster than the rest - which I don't really like.

Ray, this does need addressing(I believe) but I dare anyone to bolt on a set of 2 stripe Hankook DOT slicks to their everyday regular road car and drive it through any LTSA testing station to get a WOF, I bet they will NOT get one.

Back yard WOF garage sure, she'll be rite mate(we all know how it goes).

Kiwiboss wrote:Ray, this does need addressing(I believe) but I dare anyone to bolt on a set of 2 stripe Hankook DOT slicks to their everyday regular road car and drive it through any LTSA testing station to get a WOF, I bet they will NOT get one.

Back yard WOF garage sure, she'll be rite mate (we all know how it goes).

I wouldn't call Bruce Manon a back street garage Dale, but the rules are apparently quite clear and he checked it out with them before purchasing. It appears to be a loophole that needs closing.

Thanks for that. A great reminder of my final race weekend. Shows quite clearly where the seat pan is lower than the sill. Would probably fail the Police 4" block of wood test even though it is standard! At least Nigel's pic shows the car's best side.

nigel watts wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]32695[/ATTACH]

Car may now be for sale needing a little TLC but with a stack of accumulated paperwork, older spares, original trim and 5 original 13" Cosmic wheels etc.

ERC wrote:I wouldn't call Bruce Manon a back street garage Dale, but the rules are apparently quite clear and he checked it out with them before purchasing. It appears to be a loophole that needs closing.

Yes I agree Ray, let me reword, As an LTSA testing station would have no motorsport conflict of interest, hence an opinion made would be totally un-bias and based on regulation only! does that make sense? my research on this sometime back when these tyres first became available is they would not pass them, and I didn't want to buy 4 new tyres to try. Tony Roberts has more information as he'd been in contact with LTSA head office when this Hankook tyre discussion came up via the H&C commission a couple of years back.

Well I do like to follow the rules and as much as I would love to have a Arden alloy head on a mini it will have to be a 5 port for a number of years to come. And iron as the only alloy head I can find that was used in period is the 8 port Arden head.

Gerald have you tried the Hoosier historic bias ply rubber. I have read these are good for classes that don't allow slicks but twice the price of the A032R.

nigel watts wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]32695[/ATTACH]

A neat looking car Ray. Its so incredibly low. Must have taken years to master getting in and out and still looking dignified. I know I'd embarrass myself pretty badly contorting my frame to negotiate this one.

Just out of interest, why are you hanging up the helmet? Surely as long as you're enjoying driving you'd keep racing?

I've sent you a note Steve. Sorry, I missed out a few people yesterday. Yup, getting in and out isn't too easy, especially on the street if parked at the kerb! Easier than a fully caged Ferrari 430 though.