Passion for Speed 2017: Done ….

A busy “weekend” for the tuxracing team ….

26/01/2017: We head out to Zwartkops Raceway arriving shortly before six am. Pit selected. Fossa is off loaded. Time for coffee. Then a BCET. Confused? A BCET is that famed bacon, cheese, egg and tomato toasted from the Aces Cafe! Documentation done. Scrutineering done. We hang around until our HTP is completed. Around mid-day we head out for some run in of Fossa’s engine. Engine feels powerful and smooth. A lap and a half later the alternator light starts flashing. Back in the pits we find the fan belt destroyed. The water pump pulley does not line up correctly. Fossa is stripped, ready for quick assembly. It is decided to pick up some fan belts on the way home and complete the repair in the morning.

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27/01/2017: It is raining. By 07h00, Fossa is reassembled with her pulley and new fan belt in place. A cup of coffee made with our three-phase kettle. A three phase kettle is one that does not boil water in one go, this one needs three stages … And another BCET.

Fossa's solo run, a big job for such a small car to entertain the early visitors

Fossa’s solo run, a big job for such a small car to entertain the early visitors

08h00, The first stint for the slower cars come up. The consensus seem it is too wet out there. We still have an engine to run in and we may have a wet race on race day, Fossa lines up all by herself … The track opens. It is a bit slippery but improves as Fossa circulates and after five or six laps Mike Briggs joins the fun. We complete seven laps when our time is up, the slickest corner being number five. Fossa holds out well, engine running good, temperature good, oil pressure good …. Later another stints goes smoothly.

Just after 13h00 our qualifying slot. On our second hot lap, exiting corner two, I apply the happy pedal to discover how Fossa will handle with three wheels as her left front hub breaks and Fossa make a trail of sparks to the side of the track.

Breaking a hub in pics, courtesy Ralph Pike

Breaking a hub in pics, courtesy Ralph Pike

Breaking a hub in pics 2, courtesy Ralph Pike

Breaking a hub in pics 2, courtesy Ralph Pike

Sad sight

Sad sight

 

The hunt for a suitable replacement hub is on. Word goes out, things do not look good. Internet research based on the part number indicate Ford Cortina Mk2 Gt or Lotus … A visit to the Zwartkops workshop may be promising, but these guys are also in progress with their qualifying sessions and with the quantity of cars under their command rather busy. It is decided to go home and see what configuration the rhino has fitted and then we would debate returning or leaving the work for the next day. Worst case scenario at least weld the broken hub to enable loading Fossa on her trailer.

Back home we strip Rhino’s hub. Her stub axle have a smaller diameter …. This is a no-go. Mixed feelings, can’t say disappointed, could have been worse. there may still be that odd chance we may succeed, the probability low though. I start to mentally prepare to play photographer.

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28/01/2017: Up early. Brian Schussler will be arriving around five. There is still no helpful feedback with regards to any usable hub …. I decide to leave my race kit at home … Annalie, T-eam Manager suggest other wise, maybe another opportunity will show.

Track side pre 6am armed with our welded and assembled hub …. A short while later Gary Stacey arrives … We take a walk down to shed ons again and meet up with Peter Du Toit. Peter say we can strip his red Anglia for spares, Sorry, to me that is not an option. The chief mechanic promises to send one of their guys as soon as he arrives to go and look in a shed for a spare. By half past seven we are still waiting when Gary gets a brain wave, he might have what we need, just not sure of the sizes. After a few communications with his shop he has a Coastal Hire West Rand bakkie on route with the spares. While Gary is on track competing in the race that would have been our first race, the spares arrive and the “Roach” and Brian collect at the main gate ….. and I am waiting on glowing coals to see if it will fit …… The musketeers grab a lift with Danie from the Ford Anglia Club to speed up the delivery. I grab a bite of my BCET  …..

SA Ford Anglia Club

SA Ford Anglia Club

The parts arrive, Bearing sizes match and without much further deliberation we start cleaning and assembling. Lionel and Michelle Da Silva pop in for a brief visit. Brian and the “Roach” pitch in.

The "Roach" and pilot

The “Roach” and pilot

Brian Schussler and the pilot

Brian Schussler and the pilot

The newly refurbished hub is fitted. The brake caliper is fitted to discover interference …. Gary jumps into action with a borrowed angle grinder applying some weight reduction ….. Forty five minutes before our next race and final opportunity, I pull Fossa out of the pits … a short drive around the pits indicate a bit of a pull to the one side …

On with the racing kit. We are going to try! Should Fossa provide bad feedback I will bring her in ….. We line up at the back ….

Fossa back on track

Fossa back on track

Video with insert courtesy, Michelle Da Silva

Lap times:

1:47.1162 – 1:31.8903 – 1:31.8164 – 1:29.0605 – 1:29.6906 – 1:29.4857 – 1;29.5068 – 1:28.453

I am happy with Fossa’s lap times considering she has just had major surgery!

See you at Zwartkops Raceway for the Historic Tour, 4 March 2017,

Cheers, 😉

Passion for Speed 2017: Less than a week to go

For us, this week is all about racing at the 16th Passion for Speed at Zwartkops Raceway.

With the ECG results approved, it is all systems go, gO, GO!!

Fossa floating while her wheels get balanced

Fossa floating while her wheels get balanced

We were considering taking Fossa to today’s Super TraxDay, with costs in mind, the testing opportunities included in the price of the race entry fee and a general faith by the team in Fossa’s fitted engine, we decided to take a rest day.

Tomorrow time to spend on a completely unrelated project unless a golf cart is allowed to race, followed by the start of our preparations for the rest of the week.

Where can you find the team Thursday to Saturday? Can hardly wait for the famed toasted bacon, egg, cheese and tomato sarmies from the Aces Cafe!

27-28.01.2017 - Pit Allocations

27-28.01.2017 – Pit Allocations

Our provisional on track times below:

Programme 26.01.2017

Programme 26.01.2017

Programme 27.01.2017

Programme 27.01.2017

And race day!

Programme 28.01.2017

Programme 28.01.2017

The plan is to run the “new” engine on Thursday to test. Should any problems show face we have the tested backup ready to roll.

You can expect many of the regulars, a few specials and a few new cars. I am looking forward to a promised XR6 Interceptor taking to the track …..

The SA Ford Anglia Club have planned their week end in support of the on-track Anglia’s, thanks guys!!

Then we also have a visitor, Brian Schussler, new to this habit we know as racing ….

See you at Zwartkops Raceway!!!! 😉

2017, New year, new challenges …..

Welcome to January 2017,

Fossa Ford Anglia’s year started with a “new” Frankenstein engine installed 1 January ….

Selecting the top of our available parts, like selecting the top leaves for some special tea, we assembly a nice smooth engine for Fossa with our new BuddPower.com tappet cover and some new idea’s implemented.

Fossa's spare engine fitted

Fossa’s spare engine fitted

Before the installation I comply with a new rule of the MSA. All drivers over the age of 50 have to “pass” a stress ECG test. Not a regular visitor to any kind of doctor or related facility, the fact that I have to do this strange thing causes me STRESS. On the 30th of December I walk the treadmill. Firstly it is started at a slower speed and two minutes or so in the nurse press the accelerator and we speed up. Some nice scenery would have been cool. I inspect every wall and corner in front of me. Ten minutes into the brisk walk the nurse lean forward and reduce the speed of of machine, I expected an acceleration and prepare for a similar increase in speed as before. The machine comes to halt and I am still walking, already changed up a gear. for a brief moment I must have generated a few kilowatt feeding back into the system ….

Have I passed? Define passed. MSA is closed until the 9th. I have been looking at the results and wondered and Google’d …. “The age-predicted maximum heart rate is a useful measurement for safety purposes and for estimating the adequacy of the stress to evoke inducible ischemia. A patient who reaches 80% of the age-predicted maximum is considered to have a good test result, and an age-predicted maximum of 90% or better is considered excellent.” Do I accept that I have passed and renew my club membership and enter the 2017 Passion for Speed at early bird reduced price? If my results are not accepted, water down the drain? Waiting for feedback.

What happens if I do not pass? Well I will have a nice track car. Fossa will be roadworthied and we will have another road car labeled with stickers of her proud history. The Roach will get his MSA license and continue the “new tradition”.

We are considering taking Fossa to Super Track day at Zwartkops on the 22nd to give her “new” engine a run-in.

If all goes well, we will probably see you at the Passion for Speed, 28/29 January at Zwartkops Raceway!

Greetings, 😉