After a successful debut at North Weald, the Bora was destined for pastures new… Longcross. I have never been there before so it would be a very interesting day. However, the car would need a little fettling before that event. The brakes were now properly bedded-in and everything else was working well… apart from the clutch! This was partially expected given the increased power/torque delivered since the re-map, but I had been very careful at all times to avoid slipping the clutch. I had not given enough consideration to the traction control and ESP functions which utilise brake application to limit wheelspin and maintain control of the car in extreme conditions. I had used this at North Weald with no apparent ill effects, but during the following days or road driving I discovered that the clutch had indeed started to slip whenever the brake interventive traction control operated. In this situation there are 2 choices… fit a new standard clutch or fit an up-rated clutch.

Given the intended continuation of motorsport participation during this year I opted for the up-rated clutch. Having scoured the internet and various catalogues I selected a Helix unit, as I know that their products are not just remanufactured parts with thicker springs. The downside of this selection is that fitment requires the flywheel to be changed from the standard dual-mass flywheel to a lightened, single-mass, steel flywheel, with dramatic gearbox noise effects. Not ideal for prolonged road use but the only choice where the reliable transmission of a lot of torque is required, especially as DMF's have been known to fail on even standard engines! Sadly the fitment was not as straightforward as I would have likes, due to changes in the TDi PD engine line-up which meant I had to have a flywheel modified to fit my car. Thankfully the guys at the garage were very accommodating… but then I was paying them for their time so they are the real winners! Now there are some new noises to endure whilst driving, but at least I can be confident that the parts are up to the job. My new resolution though, to protect my investment, is to keep the ESP switched off in all competitions unless it is VERY wet, and in that case I will also have to be far more sensitive with my right foot!

Rain had been forecast for the day of the Longcross event and for once they were right and it persisted nearly all day, easing a little at lunchtime and at the very end of the day. Having never been there before I made a special effort to get there early and got set-up, noise tested (just 75dB – the quietest ever tested by them, allegedly!), scrutineered and signed-on. There was then some time for breakfast and a bit of socialising before walking “the snake”, which is a very impressive piece of road designed for steering and handling tests consisting of a series of crested and variable camber corners with big rises and falls. After the mandatory drivers briefing there were 2 convoy runs for everyone, a very good idea at a venue with such a long and varied course which includes chicanes, a hairpin and some VERY fast runs on the outer (banked in some places) track. As soon as I got back to the paddock it was time to get to the start line for first practice. The rain was fairly light but was definitely on the forefront of many people’s minds.

After a careful launch the sprint to the first corner saw me up into 4^th gear already. Straight away I found I had slowed far too much and the grip available was surprisingly high. Through the snake I was really feeling my way with which gear to be in and trying to discover just how much grip was available. After the hairpin came the high-speed blast around the outer track where there is a choice of surfaces and banking to assist. On this first run I was very cautious and didn’t quite make 6^th gear. Unfortunately there was an anomaly with the timing equipment, which affected many drivers, including me, so I had no idea how quick I’d been. Crucially, nor did my class competitors! Second practice didn’t go quite as well, although I did manage to push a lot harder in most sections, I also missed a gear shift in the middle of the snake which cost me a lot of time. On the outer track I managed to grab 6^th before the chicane and the finish line, pulling near to 100mph at the end of the run. The times were published, mine was 2:35.37 and I was just 0.15s off the quickest in the class and a few seconds quicker than the other one. I was hoping to surprise them in timed runs.

Once the marshals and officials had all refuelled, we got back under way with more rain. In fact it had eased a little but of course there was still lots on the track. The grip level on this proving ground surface is immense even when wet, only the 2^nd corner and the hairpin were giving me any cause for concern, the latter due to the surface change from the end of the snake onto the outer track. After a good start I managed to push much harder through the first corner and carry more speed through the second one by applying the handbrake and sliding though. I also now had much more confidence into and through the snake, managing to hold the car in a very gentle drift through the long off-camber right-hander. On arrival at the hairpin I decided to attack lot harder, spurred-on but he fact that I could see the previous car exiting the corner as I arrived. I turned in later, carrying more speed, and again used the handbrake to loosen the back end. On this run I managed to keep my right foot planted almost all the way around outer track banked corners and carried a lot more speed through the chicane. I just caught my time as I flashed past the clock after the finish line, 2:26.61; just a shade under 9 seconds quicker than second practice, and returned to the paddock with a huge grin!

I knew inside that I could go quicker still. I could carry more speed in the first and third corners and I was sure I could take the high-speed section absolutely flat-out and gain a little in the last chicane, as I had been a little messy there.

With greater concentration I really attacked my second timed run and I felt I had carried more speed through the first few corners and the whole of the snake. My treatment of the hairpin wasn’t nearly as neat as the first run but I had again caught the car in front. As I braked for the hairpin, he was just exiting it, as I braked for the chicane he was just exiting it and as I crossed the finish line at over 100mph I was catching him… I nearly forgot to check my time on the clock! 2:25.21 was the result. I was really pleased but had no idea if the others could have gone quicker, especially my closest rival in the class who had competed there before. I had won my class by 4.48s; I was very pleased with that result, especially as it was at a new venue.

My tyres are now way past their best so I will be forced to change them very soon, but not before completing a couple more events… Wiscombe Park Hillclimb and the Sprint at Debden.

Wiscombe Park promised to be an interesting event, as I have enjoyed reasonable success there with previous cars… but the prospect of threading a 1.5 tonne road car through the trees was more daunting after a couple of practice runs. The car ran faultlessly and I had to concentrate very hard on getting the right lines though the tight hairpins and controlling the wheelspin in The Esses. Ultimately I was unable to beat a well-prepared and well-driven mini on relatively sticky list 1b tyres. It’s not an excuse, just the reason I was beaten… stickier tyres and a light car well driven. 2^nd in class meant I still took home a decent number of speed league points.

I have only been to Debden once before, back in 1998, in the rain, in the Belmont. I won my class on that day with an unlikely and underpowered car. This year I still had an unlikely car, but perhaps not underpowered! The threat of rain was thankfully unfulfilled. There is no way I would relish the chance to attack a wet track with the remains of the tyres that came on the car. Sadly, and rather stressfully, on the Friday before the event, the Bora was broken into and the stereo and other property stolen. Luckily the local vehicle glass repair centre had the correct window in stock and the thieves had not damaged the car side of the audio wiring, so the original stereo could be reinstalled. Life goes on.

Back to the event; my class consisted of a total of only 3 cars, one of which I had beaten at Longcross and one who I later found was competing in his first event. From the very first practice I managed to lead the other two, despite taking it fairly easy on a dusty, slippery track. The lack of grip available in first practice was quite surprising, but I now had a decent chance to practice my use of ABS braking into high speed corners on a dry track… an acquired taste!

My margin over the next driver started in first practice at just over 12 seconds, my nearest competitor having some difficulties at the entry to “the roundabout”. The gap was reduced to just under 5 seconds in second practice when he got it right. In first timed runs the gap was just under 6 seconds but I soon found out that the 2^nd place driver had suffered fuel starvation so I would have to be sure not to make any mistakes myself in 2^nd timed runs, just in case he could catch me! We both managed to improve for the final timed runs but I managed to keep a gap of 4.6 seconds and take the class win. So that’s a 100% winning record at Debden… that’ll be hard to maintain! I also took part in the “fun runs” offered at the end of he day, managing to shave a couple of tenths more from my time. During that third run I really had to work hard to keep the car pointing the right way at times. A good feeling.

Now I have a decent break to enjoy before the Abingdon CARnival sprint in June. I will get some new tyres, sort out my stereo situation and find a way to secure the brake fluid reservoir cap, which keeps coming loose, probably due to the heat coming from the nearby air intake hose. This is particularly important as brake fluid is amongst the most flammable in any vehicle!