Annalie and me head out to Zwartkops Raceway on Friday morning. Our brand new 244 profile camshaft fitted, positive expectations.

Documentation and scrutineering completed and two practice stints remaining, we head out. Fossa feels good, it’s just as if she is being held back. We achieve a best lap of 01:27.715, a very good start to the weekend. Still the target, our best lap of 01:26.889 set in October 2014.

Post discussion with the other Anglia drivers and against some recommendations I go ahead and change the choke tubes by up-sizing one step. Stint two, Fossa feels even better, now breathing to about 7000 rpm and a new personal best of 1.26.222. We head home with questions of upsizing the choke tubes even further. The plan is to head track side early, do the swop, see what it does during qualifying and making a decision from there.

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The Roach opts-out in favour of video games. A young gent Jaco through a Ford Ranger group makes contact and utilize one ticket. Himself an oval track racer from Port Elizabeth, have a lot of idea’s … Well, we arrive track side shortly before 06:00. It is cold, very cold. The decision to upsize the choke tubes freezes right there. The entries from the Little Giants rather shocking with only twelve entries. We are going to race with the BIG V8’s of which there are only six entries.

Qualifying, 08H45. On our 8th lap we run a 1:26.360. Quite acceptable, must be honest on the quest for lap times I was hoping for better.

Race one, 10H54. Starting in position 17 with the two Alfa’s of Jaco (Class B) and Jaco Sr (Class C) Taylor in front of me and the Alfa of Louis Baartman (Class C) following I knew there will be no relaxation. For a short while I see flashes of the following yellow Alfa in my rear view mirror but a lap or so in I only needed to concentrate on the Alfa of Jaco Sr in front of me until the big V8’s come into play. Every corner I catch up to the Alfa, every straight he builds a gap just to have it close at the next corner until the final lap corner four, Jaco Sr’s Alfa rear end starts slipping out and he disappears in a cloud of dust to the inside of the track. I have open track in front of me to the chequered flag and a yet another new personal best of 1:25.116!

Fossa Ford Anglia surrounded by Alfa’s

Race two, 13H16. This time round we start in 16th position again surrounded by the Alfa’s, one in front and two to the back. Jaco Sr behind the Alfa of Louis, my expectation, Jaco Sr to pass Louis before the end of lap one and a race for the flag. This does however not happen and we are running solo. The V8’s catch up and just after the leading group pass at corner five to six Ben Morgenrood slides off to the inside of the track at corner seven. Two of the V8’s pass as we enter pit straight followed by Ben for the second time just before corner two. We finish with a best lap of 1:26.166.

We manage a first in class. We are doing our best to get Fossa Ford Anglia and myself in a position to get more play mates with the more regular guys and girl being classes A and B. The lower regular entries are make that task bigger. Sure we all have scenario’s which have one miss the odd race, but I do have to wonder why we have such small entries. Is it honestly the economy? Are there so many cars in need of repairs? Is there something happening that I am not aware off? We need competitors to fill the fields and produce more close races throughout all classes. It is more fun for the competitors and have a better chance in an entertainment world were we compete for spectators.

All in all, a nice event, thanks Zwartkops Raceway. Thank you Fossa Ford Anglia, our Tea-m Manager for your support in a beautiful new personal best as a birthday gift, thanks!!!!

As for our immediate future. Fossa Ford Anglia is in good condition and our next race should be 7July at the Midvaal Raceway, Historic Tour Round Four. Only items I would like to do is an oil and filter change, and further experimentation with the side draughts.

Till then, cheers 🙂

Only days after our last race at Redstar Raceway it appears it was our absolute last race at the track. Pity, I have my own thoughts which will remain exactly that. How many close by MSA approved tracks remain. Zwartkops Raceway, our awesome home track. Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, a very challenging track, never hosting a Grand Prix since it’s upgrade, very expensive to rent. The only other track in easy reach, Midvaal Raceway, raced the track twice and racing stopped due to surface condition …..

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It’s three days before the planned day to take Fossa Ford Anglia to Zwartkops Raceway for our next race. Everything ready excluding her wash, or that’s what I thought …. Not wanting to leave anything to the last day, I start the washing process just to discover brown spots all over her body like some sort of rash!

I can not take her racing looking like she has chicken pox. What caused it I can only think. I grab what I have available and start looking at solutions. It looks like rust and have penetrated the paint. On hand I have some rather expensive cleaning and polishing products. Even this seems to be no quick solution. I start experimenting with my spray paint finishing products. Sand her down with 1500, 2000, 3000 and 4000 grit. Then some cutting polish and only then the expensive products in “sequence”. The plan was to take Fossa track side on Friday, but I only manage to complete her late on the day. Attempting to start her, the 38DGAS has decided to flood her, no time and power left for a carburettor rebuild, we fit the 36DCD.

Saturday morning we head out to the track. On arrival we find insufficient space allocated for the Pre66 Little Giants. I get permission to park behind some of the Zwartkops Raceway machines. 07:00, We head out to qualify with the shiniest car at the venue. Our first race with the 36DCD in a while and the power goes down so smoothly we achieve a 01:28.06.

Race one, At about 10:00 we head out. We are followed by the Alfa of Jaco Taylor snr. Soon Jaco’s Alfa proves too much for Fossa and we are racing solo. Fossa’s brake pedal feels very hard without her normal braking making the racing very exciting using the engine and gearbox to assist in the slowing. 01:27.63

Fossa Ford Anglia, the shiniest car on track using all available space

Race two, somewhere after 14:20. This is going to to be another interesting event. It has been decided to throw all the Pre66 events together. Pre66 Legends, the U2’s and the Little giants. The race is extended with an extra lap as it is a known fact we will be lapped by the big dogs. And then there are a few non finishers of the first race starting behind us. The lights change and the rolling thunder V8’s lead us off. I soon find myself having solo fun. All until firstly the mighty V8’s pass followed shortly by the faster of the U2’s. Running alone gives opportunities to test limits and I have Fossa screaming tires for longer. The smooth power transition offered by the 36DCD and the lack of our normal braking power, all things to get used to. 01:27.22.

Annalie have ordered a new billet 244 camshaft which we should have fitted and ready by our next race 9 June at Zwartkops Raceway. Would love to do a test  track day …

Cheers

Repairs and improvements done to Fossa Ford Anglia’s wiring and Redstar Raceway, 10 March is a go. It is the first round of the Historic Tour for the year. The team arrive trackside shortly after six. Final checks and prep followed by a cup of coffee.

08H10, Qualifying. To us a “new” track as we will be racing anti-clockwise. We only manage a 2:50.?.

We have visitors again. Annalie’s sister and brother pops in. Drivers briefing and the mental preparation for race one begins.

10:45, Race one. Pre ‘66 Legends, pre ‘66 Sports & GT, pre’90 Sports GT all in one race. Only sixteen entries received for the Pre66 and Little Giants of which one withdrawal by our previous challenger, Mark Van Rooyen and Clive Winterstein have a broken clutch cable. The pre ’90 Sports & GT cars entered eight wicked Porsche 911’s. We pull away with the Kelly/ Botha MG ahead of us. Fossa Ford Anglia does not feel on song, but initially manage to catch the MG just to be caught soon after and the MG disappearing in the distance and I have no answer for their sudden speed. Last year at the same venue I knew it was imminent. It becomes rather lonesome race and I start experimenting turns. I manage to change the bouncing in some corners to a slide of the rear. Redstar raceway have us running in third gear most of the time and I do not have the gear for corner eight, two being to low and three like a standing start. The engine running 5500 to 7000rpm’s. The Porsche’s catch up and overtake, followed by the Shelby Mustang, Chev Nova and Chev Bel Air. Somehow I lose track of laps done and if the leaders passed me once or twice, crossing the start finish line I catch a glimpse of the chequered flag and “assume” my race is done. I miss one lap! Best lap time, 2:50.? again. We disable one of the fuel pumps as I have the suspicion we are flooding the sidedrafts.

14:15, Race two. We are minus the Kelly/ Botha MG as they have fried their engine in another race. It is another lonely race. I start to get a feel for the track in this direction and we net a 2:43.? cutting seven seconds. Still not where I’d like to be but an improvement.

A well prepared event with the venue being it’s normal clean self.

We really need greater support in the pre66 classes so that we can fill a grid. Adding the Pre90 Sports & GT cars have a incredible speed differential. Should two or more Little Giants cars be in a race with each other and they are are blue flagged it will interfere in what could be spectacular racing.

Our next race should everything go to plan, 7 April, Historic Tour round two at Zwartkops Raceway. Cheers.