Post by apextwin on Jul 30, 2019 15:46:44 GMT
27th 28th July - Wiscombe Park
British Hillclimb championship round.
Beautiful sunshine and 23 degrees, not the typical weather the Wiscombe Park micro climate tends to throw up for the July national championship round. The event at the picturesque Devon venue has the reputation of always being a wet one!
With the weather being just right and the track looking in fantastic condition, it was a perfect storm for good times. The outright hill record would surely be under threat from the main championship title protagonists this weekend. On a personal level My goal for the weekend was to better my previous PB (set on my first visit in less than ideal track conditions in 2017) and to try and better the time set by fellow Mk1 Mx5 driver Dave Newman. Beating his time of 45.62 would mean taking the honour of the fastest Mx5 ever up this venue.
Practice run one went smoothly with little in the way of any dramatics and a PB beating time of 46.37 was laid down. Second practice saw a small improvement to a 46.11. The third and final practice run of saturday saw a dip into the 45s despite 2 tragic 2nd to 5th mis shifts! 45.79 was the days best. I had my work cut out to better Newmans time.
Sunday began with one final practice run and a disappointing 46.90 was recorded after yet another flunked gear change!
I was determined not to mis shift on timed run 1 and took a steadier slower approach to the changes. I carried more speed everywhere through the blind Esses section and kept my foot in more than previous runs on the approach to the super tight first gear "Sawbench hairpin" With no mis shifts the run was going very well - that was until the red flags came out on castle straight. Sadly James Hudson had rolled his smart Mk2 Golf at the final hairpin. Driver thankfully ok and the car repairable.
After the incident was cleared I returned back to the bottom paddock and awarded a re run. This run was neater but slower than the red flagged run and a 45.68 was recorded.... Just 6 hundreths away from the time goal I set myself!! It would as usually occurs in Hillclimbs, be all to play for on the final run of the day.
Off the line the car hooked up well with my best recorded launch time of the weekend, the first corner that greets you off the start is the tight left handed "Wis" corner. Here I barely braked and chucked the car in got on the power as soon as I could and tried to keep my foot flat all across the parkland and over bunnies leap. As you can see from the onboard I feather the throttle, but a note to self is that its definitely flat next time out! After the leap its hard onto the brakes for "the gate" a deceptive right hander which marks the end of the open parkland section and the beginning of the daunting wooded Esses section.
With the tarmac being in fine shape and being both completely dry and moss free I knew there was plenty of grip available. From the onboard I can see i need to have more confidence in the cars traction out of the gate and into this section - small throttle lifts halt your progress quickly on such gradient and cost valuable time. My favourite part of the course is the blind brow of the middle of the Esses. On approach it looks like a right angled left hand bend, It's un sighted but opens up as you crest the rise. Its also off camber throwing the car over to the right on exit. Exciting stuff! Then its back on the power up change to third and brake as late as you dare for Sawbench. back on the power a dab of oppo and up to second then third for the fastest section of the course the "castle straight". At the end of the straight is Martini hairpin , a super tight and super steep section. Every run of the weekend I turned in too early here, meaning I lifted my inside left rear wheel loosing traction from the TORSEN diff. Its fun to blaze over the finish line on the limiter with wheels spinning - probably not the fastest way but its so hard to lift your foot in the heat of the moment.
The Onboard:
The result; a 45.44 A new PB and enough to beat Dave Newmans best. However it was not good enough to take the fastest MX5 ever honours...John Wells laid down a 45.17 in his Mk2 Turbo. Something to aim for next time (if the weather gods are kind)
I feel a 44 could have been achieved at the weekend - A bit of stop watch timing from my footage reveals I was 0.5 secs up on my best recorded time on the red flagged run. Thats hillclimbing though - you have to deliver the time on the runs that count.
Hats off to the main BHC contenders - the hill record fell several times over the day with Wallace Menzies setting a staggering 33.13 to take FTD.
Next event is at Shelsley Walsh in two weekends time.
Take home car of the event. I was very much enjoying the noise of Colin Satchells 205 coming up Castle straight. A prime example of a car built for the demands of British Hillclimbs.
British Hillclimb championship round.
Beautiful sunshine and 23 degrees, not the typical weather the Wiscombe Park micro climate tends to throw up for the July national championship round. The event at the picturesque Devon venue has the reputation of always being a wet one!
With the weather being just right and the track looking in fantastic condition, it was a perfect storm for good times. The outright hill record would surely be under threat from the main championship title protagonists this weekend. On a personal level My goal for the weekend was to better my previous PB (set on my first visit in less than ideal track conditions in 2017) and to try and better the time set by fellow Mk1 Mx5 driver Dave Newman. Beating his time of 45.62 would mean taking the honour of the fastest Mx5 ever up this venue.
Practice run one went smoothly with little in the way of any dramatics and a PB beating time of 46.37 was laid down. Second practice saw a small improvement to a 46.11. The third and final practice run of saturday saw a dip into the 45s despite 2 tragic 2nd to 5th mis shifts! 45.79 was the days best. I had my work cut out to better Newmans time.
Sunday began with one final practice run and a disappointing 46.90 was recorded after yet another flunked gear change!
I was determined not to mis shift on timed run 1 and took a steadier slower approach to the changes. I carried more speed everywhere through the blind Esses section and kept my foot in more than previous runs on the approach to the super tight first gear "Sawbench hairpin" With no mis shifts the run was going very well - that was until the red flags came out on castle straight. Sadly James Hudson had rolled his smart Mk2 Golf at the final hairpin. Driver thankfully ok and the car repairable.
After the incident was cleared I returned back to the bottom paddock and awarded a re run. This run was neater but slower than the red flagged run and a 45.68 was recorded.... Just 6 hundreths away from the time goal I set myself!! It would as usually occurs in Hillclimbs, be all to play for on the final run of the day.
Off the line the car hooked up well with my best recorded launch time of the weekend, the first corner that greets you off the start is the tight left handed "Wis" corner. Here I barely braked and chucked the car in got on the power as soon as I could and tried to keep my foot flat all across the parkland and over bunnies leap. As you can see from the onboard I feather the throttle, but a note to self is that its definitely flat next time out! After the leap its hard onto the brakes for "the gate" a deceptive right hander which marks the end of the open parkland section and the beginning of the daunting wooded Esses section.
With the tarmac being in fine shape and being both completely dry and moss free I knew there was plenty of grip available. From the onboard I can see i need to have more confidence in the cars traction out of the gate and into this section - small throttle lifts halt your progress quickly on such gradient and cost valuable time. My favourite part of the course is the blind brow of the middle of the Esses. On approach it looks like a right angled left hand bend, It's un sighted but opens up as you crest the rise. Its also off camber throwing the car over to the right on exit. Exciting stuff! Then its back on the power up change to third and brake as late as you dare for Sawbench. back on the power a dab of oppo and up to second then third for the fastest section of the course the "castle straight". At the end of the straight is Martini hairpin , a super tight and super steep section. Every run of the weekend I turned in too early here, meaning I lifted my inside left rear wheel loosing traction from the TORSEN diff. Its fun to blaze over the finish line on the limiter with wheels spinning - probably not the fastest way but its so hard to lift your foot in the heat of the moment.
The Onboard:
The result; a 45.44 A new PB and enough to beat Dave Newmans best. However it was not good enough to take the fastest MX5 ever honours...John Wells laid down a 45.17 in his Mk2 Turbo. Something to aim for next time (if the weather gods are kind)
I feel a 44 could have been achieved at the weekend - A bit of stop watch timing from my footage reveals I was 0.5 secs up on my best recorded time on the red flagged run. Thats hillclimbing though - you have to deliver the time on the runs that count.
Hats off to the main BHC contenders - the hill record fell several times over the day with Wallace Menzies setting a staggering 33.13 to take FTD.
Next event is at Shelsley Walsh in two weekends time.
Take home car of the event. I was very much enjoying the noise of Colin Satchells 205 coming up Castle straight. A prime example of a car built for the demands of British Hillclimbs.
, something for me to target when I get back in the game 
