Project Scope Creep

[puma2]

  now that is fun
 i can remember doing something like with a lot of cones and i got lost as to which way to go   

[moca2cv]

now that is fun
 i can remember doing something like with a lot of cones and i got lost as to which way to go   

I went wrong on my first run but the marshals were kind enough to point out what I got wrong so after that I was locked in! SDMC (I don't know about other clubs) number the gates too so it's harder to get lost, but plenty of us have proven that it's not foolproof!

[Ardent]

Nothing is so simple it cannot be misunderstood.

[moca2cv]

Nice little write up from Sevenoaks District MC on Facebook of the Brands Hatch Autosolo and some nice piccies too: https://www.facebook.com/100063456275903/posts/pfbid02UesCxPPhTvLy61wobbZJas5yQXM1qmDBbG5mnmxgiYMtd2BmtGHREgFvSMr3Dbtvl/

[moca2cv]

And here's the write up of the Ashford Cattle Market Autosolo if you have FB: https://www.facebook.com/100063456275903/posts/pfbid0wGn46VDNgqcvNc2D241CMTFDS55vWA67CkRXj8CLJ5VpChsjTq1RXV6RMrQugvBrl/

[moca2cv]

I'm no longer on Instagram (although I've left the profile up because I can't bring myself to delete everything!), so that means I have to post pictures here 😁 Here are a couple more from Formula G round 2:





I'm booked in at Kent Motorsport for an alignment on 22 June, and maybe a couple of extra bits while it's up on a ramp, and then on 28 June I'll be at an event at Valence School near Westerham helping to raise money for kids with special educational needs by offering passenger rides! I am looking forward to that very much, and I'm super grateful to SDMC for entrusting me with this important job

[puma2]

  what i nice way way to spend time with the kids putting big huge smiles on there faces with a little lap out in the 2. hopefully a good weather day for you  

I can remember being out by Porthcawl with a few of us in our 2s and 2 family's with young kids came past and wanted pictures with them with the cars in. iam postive they thought our 2s were some sort of supercar      

[Joesson]

And?

[moca2cv]

Dropped the car at Kent Motorsport for a few bits. Alignment, new rad, fresh engine mounts and a brake bleed. Just need my silencer to arrive, and to put some sound deadening in, and I'll have a nice civilised race car again

You know you're in a good place when you walk in and see this:

[moca2cv]

Ok, lots done in prep for some events coming up.

- Alignment done. Gone for -2.5 all round, maxed caster (with rotated top mounts), slight toe out up front and slight toe in out back. I know more camber is better on track, but it's miserable on the road, so I'm happy to compromise on that.

- Shiny new rad and BRD rad bushes are in. Temps rock solid even in this heat wave, heater blowing hot, no issues there!

- The new engine mounts are in, too. I went for OEM with poly inserts. Out ones look like the exhaust touched them at some point...

- I also popped a dash brace back in. I tried using an alternative (turnbuckle and rose joints) but that didn't work so stock for now.

- Tightened up the hydro pivot fixings.

- Fitted the rear spacers (fitment on point now).

- Tidied up the frunk and wiring after the rad replacement.

- Gave the car a good clean and a hoover.

- Fitted a sun strip.

- Cleaned the steering wheel.

After that little lot I'm just about ready for a day of autosolo in the sun to help raise some money for Valence School in Westerham

[puma2]

  let us no how the day goes hopefully smiley face all around  

good work on the work InProgress  will it ever  end ha ha

[moca2cv]

A bit slow to update this...

The demo day at AutoSolo was very much a tale of two halves! It was a glorious day, and I got there nice and early. A nice bacon bap, and natter, and walking the course. It was very tight so grateful to have had the hydro! ABS fuse popped, car unloaded, ready to go!



Sadly no passenger on my first run, but at least that meant less pressure on doing handbrake turns. I was slightly nervous as usually in gymkhana we get a morning of practice to get used to rotating the car in the conditions given, whereas in AutoSolo there's no practice. I missed a gate so no time but the handbrake turns were good, happy days.

Runs 2 and 3 I was FLYING. Error-free runs, and 3 seconds faster than everyone else at the lunch break. I think the passengers enjoyed themselves

The lunch break I made a mistake. It was hot, and I was out in the sun too much enjoying myself. I got too hot, tired, and dehydrated. I made mistake after mistake in the afternoon and by the end of the day was 12th overall.

I had also developed a nasty clunk when using the hydro. I was under the car after each run trying to figure it out, but to no avail. So I started working backwards through things I'd changed, starting with the spacers. I whipped them off, no clunk! I can only presume that the clunk was the wheel and hub rotating slightly and the studs hitting the locked disc. I've spoken to some drifters and it's a thing... won't be using spacers again for skids.

So a mixed bag. Not the biggest deal as it was non-competitive, but still disappointed that I didn't maintain the lead.



No onboard videos this time sadly, my GoPro batteries did not like the heat, and I didn't get a single recording :/

Lots to process for the next event, a track day at Llandow... to be continued!

[moca2cv]

There were lots of things I wanted to do before Llandow, but life gets in the way sometimes...

I wanted to address the GoPro issue, so procured a power cable that slots in to the battery slot and plugs in to a usb port. But I also needed a USB port to plug it in to near the back. So I dug out the crimp set and set about piggy backing the cig lighter.



All installed and ready to charge.

[moca2cv]

The main thing I wanted to do at Llandow was get back on semi slicks. I have a set of wheels with AR1s mounted, but I wasn't confident I'd have enough tread to get home after the trackday. So how to get the wheels to the track?

The answer was pretty simple - just put the stock seat back in! Then I can get one wheel behind the seat, and three on it.



Et voila, practical again 😁

However I had failed to account for the extra bulk of the seat, and the backrest sits on the newly installed USB port 🫣 I'd just have to slide the seat forward a bit.

[moca2cv]

I don't have any time for more prep than that really, so other than check tyre pressures I'd just have to see how it went. I headed west very early on Saturday morning and arrived at the track just before 8am.



I got the car unloaded and the wheels swapped over, had my breakfast and a chat with everyone as they arrived, an got out on track as soon as possible. It was so good to be out there again! The car felt quick, planted, and I felt like I was getting back up to speed - I'd not done any fast driving since last year, so it felt really good.

I also spent a lot of time in the morning sitting with novices, helping them with lines and mirrors, and it was great to see them progress through the day.

Lunchtime, I rotated the wheels side to side. Bit of a mission as I can't get the jack under the front so I had to put stock wheels on one side temporarily 🤣

Everything else was great, so I fired up the RaceBox for a little bit of data logging. Unfortunately as the day progressed, it got hotter and hotter and the track less grippy, so my times weren't as good as I hoped - I suspect I was quicker in the morning - but the numbers showed I could be pushing a little more for sure.

About 4pm one of the MX5s buried itself in a tyre wall There was a bit of a break while they tidied up and attended to the driver and passenger, a very sobering moment.

But not for long - with only 30 minutes left, it was absolutely frantic as everyone tried to get in a last few laps 😁 I snuck out ten minutes before the end and had an absolute hoot.

I had so much fun, I didn't take many photos, but I'll get some on boards up on YouTube as soon as I can.

[moca2cv]

Here's a video of a few laps of Llandow:

https://youtu.be/_E21t7csyXg?is=OO28-IqusYeMaODt

And a RaceBox screenshot:

[moca2cv]

Yesterday I did my first grass auto test with Sevenoaks & District MC at Brands Hatch and, as my aunt was visiting, I signed her up as a member, got her set up with an RS Clubman, and brought her along to passenger with me. I'm not competing for points in this championship, so not an issue being in a fun class.

It was an evening event, so 6-8pm, with 6 tests (5 of which were all forwards - phew!) and three runs on each. As with autosolos, your slowest time is dropped, and your score is the total of all runs. You can do them in any order you like, but most pick a test and do all three runs on that before moving on to the next one. I'm a logical person so started at 1.

Unlike the autosolos however, the gates aren't numbered! You can go through or round a single obstacle multiple times and in different directions, and the cones all look the same, so it's an added challenge!

I'm used to this with gymkhana, but not with multiple layouts and no practice, so to make sure I had the routes locked in, I sat back and watched a few runs of other drivers. Once confident I knew the lines, I had a crack. The strategy worked, and I didn't do a single wrong test all evening.

My first run I ran with ABS and no hydro. There was so little grip, it was hilarious! But the PFL ABS is next to useless with all four wheels locked, and a hydro would be useful, so I disconnected the ABS fuse and went out again, this time in gymkhana mode. It was much better!

We had so much fun, even with the face full of dirt every time we turned, that we forgot to check the times until the last test - we were sat in third, but with just a few seconds between us and fourth, so the pressure was on to put in some clean runs. I picked up a cone penalty on my first run, naturally... so I dialled it back a bit, concentrated on being smooth, and prayed it was enough.

And it was! Very happy to pick up another medal, and even happier to give it to my aunt as a little souvenir. I hope she is able to have a go next time.

[puma2]

  love that your aunty was up for this and you had a good day out with her  
even better to come home with keep safe medal     nice one