Our “season” has started with an outing to the Piston Ring Club today. The weather did not quite play ball being overcast and with the occasional light to medium rainfall. Despite this the members of the Ford Cortina Fun Club turned up in their numbers.

A slightly nervous outing as I am still getting used to this trailer. Loading Fossa went without a hitch, no pun. We decided to take Fossa off the trailer at the Piston Ring Club so that she can be parked next to her Ford Cortina sister and get a bit more exposure. Not so clever though, we fail to remove the bolt assembly that allows the breakneck trailer to break neck! I reverse Fossa down. At the moment her rear wheels touch ground she touches her chassis onto the trailer which has not tilted back. The soil under Fossa’s wheels does not allow for traction, we can not drive her back up, we can not drive her down. Geore and the guys from The Ford Cortina Fun Club helped resolve the issue by assisting getting Fossa back onto her trailer. Thanks guys!

We received plenty visitors, often asked for event flyers of which we were freshly out ……. Michelle and Lionel popped in for a visit.

Fossa Ford Anglia “posterized” and with some of our banners from our spectating days

Coming weekend we have HTP’s on Saturday and Legends Club prize giving on Sunday. On Saturday there is “open practice” at R380 for four hours track time or Super Trax day on the Sunday for R430 starting at 10h00 as per the Zwartkops Events. We have the prize giving at 12h00 …..

A rock and a hard place …… We would really like to get to the track and run Fossa, in fact we have withdrawal symptoms. I have no idea how Fossa is going to behave with her new diff ratio and narrower tyres! Will it be slip and slide on the corners …. Testing. Do we tow Fossa on Saturday for four hours at the price or on Sunday for that price. Sunday we will be very happy to get two stints slotted ….. Funds are simply not that abundant ….

We realise that the sport as many other is expensive. AND we are exceptionally grateful for the opportunities given. This is still like a post teenage dream come true for me.

I can see the first testing of Fossa will be on the 31st of January which leaves no time for any changes. Exciting, nerve wrecking, choose one. The metro police will not approve of testing on the neighbourhood streets ….. and frankly it is not safe.

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We have received a provisional program for the events.

On the 31st of January, first practice session at 07h30, followed by one at 10h10. Our qualifying time will be at 14h50.

On the 1st of February which shows our events as at 08h25 and 10h25. The events for the day kicks off at 07h30 and the final event of the day at 17h55, a total of 26 events.

The three of us all have leave approved for the Friday and Shane Venter will be joining us on both days.  Then we also have the support of the Ford Cortina Fun Club on Saturday. Can we beat our previous best of 17 known supporters on one day?

Greetings!

2014 Pre 66 Legends Calender,

31 Jan/1 Feb – Zwartkops Raceway International
7/8 Feb – Cape Town International

Feb – Traxday
15 March – Midvaal Raceway
12 April – Zwartkops Raceway

May – Traxday
7 June – Zwartkops Raceway
12 July – Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
16 Aug – Phakisa Freeway

Aug – Traxday

Sept – Traxday
11 Oct – Zwartkops Raceway
8 Nov – Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
13 Dec – East London Grand Prix Circuit

Dec – Traxday

The above events in red are part of the series for 2014 that we can not attend. We do however want to do a Phakisa Freeway one year …. We will try and fill in our blanks with Traxdays at either Zwartkops Raceway or Midvaal Raceway pending costs and possible visitors. With our last event on the 8th of November it is once again going to be a long stretch to our next event in 2015 ….. That is a long way off and I suppose we must get there first? The East London event also looks too tempting with a short holiday prospect. Will have to save up a lot for that one!

There will be a lot of water to run into the sea before then and so many exciting events and happenings before then.

Zwartkops Raceway have not yet made available their Super Trax day dates for 2014, but seriously looking forward to the early morning excursions to our second home, sometimes icy cold and a few hours before the sun shows it’s head, always with a muffin and hot coffee to warm our freezing hands. The super white of Fossa glaring in the fluorescent lights of Zwartkops pits. The sound of the torque wrench confirming the tightness of Fossa’s wheels. The smell of hot oil, tires and brakes.

What else will 2014 deliver ….. Will Fossa’s hardware be reliable …. What will our lap times look like with our still untested differential ….. Will there be a class change for us with skill and setup improvements ….

The Little Giants classes as per lap times at Zwartkops Raceway –

Class W – 1:20.01 > 1:24.00

Class V – 1:24.01 > 1:27.00

Class U – 1:27.01 +

With our best unofficial time of 1:27.46 and best official time of 1:29.961 around Zwartkops we are still a way off. Generally, a second is nothing. On the race track a second is like the average persons five. We know what it takes to gain or drop a second.                                     It is that elusive perfect lap!

Fossa can be followed on Facebook.

Our wish for 2014, safe and fun racing for all!

Greetings, see you track side!

To win you have to ENTER first, then you have to FINISH first and then you can finish FIRST

To race such old machines, mechanical failures will play a role. It is not in everyone’s budget to rebuild engines, gearboxes and differentials after every race, every now and then you have a setup that stays reliable for a while. We have experienced that, this year ending with engine reliability.

Quite often our last race feels like our best race. Mainly due to our budget, I always try and race Fossa with some preservation in mind. In our last race with her apparent differential failure it was as if most of that preservation went out of the window. Normally with a noise like that I would have probably withdrawn from track action. Exactly what fueled me, not sure. And in that second race chasing that Porsche ……. adrenaline overdose, maybe.

Fossa on her trailer complete with appropriate flags, poster and pamphlets

We took Fossa out for her final official outing to the Piston Ring Club yesterday. Fossa recieved quite a few visitors, a couple known and a lot of new admirers. All of them leaving with a “International Historic’ event pamphlet. We were parked with the newly formed “Ford Cortina Fun Club”. And we also had some special visitors, Riaan, Ericka and eight month old Anika Jonker all the way from New Zealand. It was a nice change, thanks!

Fossa’s big sister with yet another poster and pamphlets

Believe Gerdus is taking his Locost to Midvaal Raceway tomorrow, but despite being on annual leave I will be heading to work to go and off load containers.

Once again we thank BoltStop for their assistance in 2013. Really much appreciated. BoltStop is also involved in motorbike racing having two bikes in action.

…….. and into 2014

Zwartkops Raceway Historical International 31 January and 1 February 2014

We still have not tested Fossa’s new differential ratio …… We will probably only be able to sus out that configuration during the free practice on HTP day, 25 January and Super TraxDay, 26 January.

And then – Practice and qualifying on 31 January and race on 1 February 2014. That is if I can get leave on the 31st!

Some new cars to join “Little Giants” ……..

In Sebenza at a Caltex which is a regular stop, I found a ……. I wanted to say a gentleman, but he is Italian and therefore an Alfa supporter. Not unknown to Sarel Van Der Merwe as Sarel wiped out their “Alfa” many, many years ago. Maybe because it was an Alfa! Salvatore Gaultieri, known as Salvi. Salvi helped his son in preparation and setup of his own business and says he is ready to acquire a Pre66. Kept on bragging how his Alfa was going to kick our butt, he has since had a change of heart and may actually look for a Ford! Pending time line, finances and assistance he could be on track in mid 2014.

Philip Pritchard’s Renault looking around the corner

And then there is Philip Pritchard. Philip is not new to historics having run a Perana  Mk2 Cortina a few years back. Philip has prepared for us a Renault R8. Awaiting feedback when “it” will go live!

“EDIT” Another add-on: Shane Venter has promised to add another Ford Anglia to the pre 66 Little Giants line up. I expect that addition mid to third quarter 2014 ……

Exciting times ahead!