We finished up friday with one or two things left for the morning... We were super keen... One more sleep and the waiting was finally over......
Saturday........ 19tH
First on the list was a clean.... get all the leaves and cobwebs, dust and dirt off the car, i mean, we couldnt arrive at the track with anyone thinking this car was anything less than pristine....hahaha..... To the other guys track side they think the car is more of a gimic than anything else and like i said, we not there for the times, but for the fun of it... cheaper way of racing, competitive side still there but fun being the main objective.....
We decided not to run the sprint races as we were worried about the car giving trouble... Having done the last 2 years on the same motor, we though this one we would not be being so lucky....
4 stints.... Pieper being up first.... about 40 or so minutes each.... The plan being just to finish we wernt conscerned about strategising or petrol planning escapades... its was more... come in, chill, go out.... which is what we did..... We started last on the grid as we didnt qualify... We got to the track late and really we wernt concerned anyway, i mean its 3 hours... we dont have to win it on the first lap....
The first stint saw pieper in after about 10 laps already...... tyre issues... The back left tyre had a blow out so he came in and we put the ewing 16 inch on.... Not as gangstar but old school cool enough to get away with it.... he said the car was much better actually... and i mean handling wise (not looks.hahah) . less touching saw for better cornering and easier driving.... 40 minutes were up and pieper was in...... my turn.... This race is honestly the best.... 25 laps in a row around the track at night, i mean i cant think of something more fun than that..... Finding some good fun in between with some other cars, a race within a race type of thing.....
Next up, pieper again for his final run with one more for me..... He went and and came in early saying the car had some issues so i went out early with him doing the last 20 minutes rather.... Car did have issues... the front suspension seemed to be puling the car way left of accelaration... not ideal and dangerous i guess.... Car otherwise was perfect and just fun to be in..... 31......... awesome car and was living up to name... track beast....
I came in.... 20 minutes to go and Pieper went out.... the times were getting better and better and the confidence coming back...... times dropping every lap.... awesome... and at 6 minutes to go....... it happened.......
The back left wheel decided it had had enough..... all 4 wheel studs snapped off in turn one before the main straight seeing the car doing a 180... now what.....???? 2 vsp"s passed the car so he decided to jump out.... ran over to the side of the track and just get out of the way... 3 more cars passed.... and then.... someone who cannot be mentioned for the purposes of causing any more issues, drove straight into the front of the 31............................
I cant explain the emotion in all of us on the night as this car means more to all of us than its just a car.... It had a life and personality... over the years its become something more and developed into what it was... or is..... many man hours.... lots of team work and just general learning was the idea which started as far back as 7 years ago...... A real sad ending to the night but i guess racing is racing.... The car wont die here..... it cant and so it will be brought back to life in some shape or form...... lots on the cards already for it and i guess you"ll just have to keep checking the blog to see whats next for our ................. 31...........
Funny, the 'dumb idiot' you refer to in your beautifully written article actually happens to be a 4 times SA Champion, as well as a winner of the 6 and 9 hour endurance events. you also failed to mention that your 'driver', if we can call him that, turned the lights off before he sprung to safety, also that the golf was the leading car in your class, 30 laps ahead of you and lapping some 9 seconds a lap quicker than your 'track beast'. The golf was passing a Lotus up the inside of that corner, and had nowhere to go, and had no warning of the stranded car infront of him because the marshals had not seen it and not put out the yellow flags. At the end of the day it was a racing incident that could maybe been avoided if certain things had happened. Get your facts straight before you put up reports like this, as it will come back to bite you, just like a poorly prepared car.
ReplyDeleteI'm with the previous anonymous poster. What you should have done was keep your mouth shut, given the circumstances. Instead you ranted and raved like a looney, with no consideration for the other parties involved. If you want 'stance' and 'pimpin' take it to a car show, but your failure to race prep properly destroyed another car. One word. Selfish.
ReplyDeleteOh, and read the white book before you point fingers about other drivers.
It always amazes me that on the day no one has anything to say yet when a person has the opportunity to post or have there say in the "anonymous" state the heros emerge... As for the post or article, its written purely what is ment to seem from the cars point of view... No one cares if the everyone else was world champ... its quiet simple... both cars were knocked unecessarily due maybe to marshalls or lighting.... The fact that the 31's lights were off means nothing... Firstly because the car could have been the other way around, and secondly cos as stated in your beautifully written anonymous comment had no where to go regardless... hence with all the experience in the world, kak driver or not, would have done the same.... None of us on the night had issues and our car is written off... 5 cars managed to pass us and the 6th hit us... So what.. we get another one and do it all over again... I asked if the driver was ok and said sorry... As for being prepared, the issue was a stud which broke whihc no one can prepare for... We had 6 minutes to go and running fine which is more than i can say for the other "not so prepared" field then of more expensive or "better cars"... I appreciate your enthusiastic comments, but i think selfish because i destroyed another car is a bit far fetched...our car too was destroyed and im sure that the both of us would have preffered the complete opposite.. I dont know whos raving like a looney besides the comments previously posted, but ya... See you guys there next year with a lower and more pimpin 31.....
ReplyDeletecheers