The Mallory De-Brief
Discussion
Right I'll put my full story of woes, glory and 26 autofactors later, but for now
http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
ETA Full race here http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
Regards
Iain
http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
ETA Full race here http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
Regards
Iain
Edited by chassis 33 on Monday 21st August 12:08
Nice, what throws you off is the sliding rear catching the new patch of tarmac just as you come over the brow at the exit. That throws the back back in line and you end up pointing at the grass as it snaps back before you can get the lock off. Reading the track surface before the race or on the green flag lap can help you predict that kind of thing. different patches of tarmac will imho always have a different grip level higher or lower..
good save though. That can be an expensive off as your doing about a ton as you exit gerrads
probably even surpassed your last effort if you'd connected with a barrier 
good save though. That can be an expensive off as your doing about a ton as you exit gerrads
probably even surpassed your last effort if you'd connected with a barrier 
Right I've finally got some time to write my report!!! Are you sitting comfortably, then I'll begin.
With one eye on the weather reports dad and I trundled off to Mallory hoping for a change in fortunes with new sponsors in tow.
After arriving and having the obligatory tin we bunked down for the night, to the back drop of some band murdering just about every classic song ever written.
Come Sunday morning I'm aching to get in the car and settle my nerves, as it was the first time back at Mallory since the accident last September driving Graham's Tasmin. With this in the back of my minds and a wet track I decide just to go out and get a few laps under my belt. Coming round Gerards for the 7th time something starts to flail about, and before too long my steering has gone, and the smell of burning rubber, I thought I'd had a blow out...
...back in the pits and I discovered it wasn't a blow out but my serpentine belt had cried enough. Right, ok no worries, we've a spare on the Disco, but ideally we could do with a new replacement, cue calling all the autofactors in the area, but to no avail.
Come the race everything is good, yes I did qualify dead last but hey I made it, and all I'm after is a finish and a signature. After being told in the new drivers briefing that there would be no formation lap, and the lap out of the pits would lead straight onto the lights...no wonder Dean Cook exploded off the start when the green flag was waved, I thought there was something a little suspect so hung back not wanting to upset the stewards...time for the start proper and i make a reasonable start, Tim Hood was behind me, having had fuelling problems and not making the track for qualifying. Tim seemed to use his experience and hung back off the start, its a narrow track and things can often go wrong, as for me I was a pig in clover, charging off the start line I get between Mark and Howard's Tasmins, should I push for the gap, it's a bit tight...oh bollox to it its a race and I stick my nose in, turning into Gerards for the first time I slot in behind Howard who has the inside line, briefly contemplating taking him round the outside but think better of it. I drift wide out of Gerards to give me a clear run past Howard onto Srebbe Straight, change up and use the grunt of the V8 to ease past the Tasmin. Life is good, I've made up a few places everything is going well, too well.
Braking into the hairpin a wisp of smoke pops out of the bonnet vent...hmmm, ok, no worries, probably just a drip onto the exhaust I'll survive, the car is carrying on fine, so no need to panic Mr Mannering...how wrong I could be...over the next lap and a half smoke starts billowing out from the car, and coming into the hairpin, I can't actually see where I'm going, so a very pissed off hand goes up, and that’s my race run, pull off and crawl back to the paddock. Get out of the car, smoke still coming out of the car, throw my neck brace half way across the paddock, gloves fly similar distances.
I take the bonnet off...time for my best Hugh Grant impression...
F***...F*** F*** F***; the drivers side exhaust manifold is on fire. I have the ‘presence of mind’ not to set off my fire extinguisher, but run and get the power extinguisher from the back of the Disco. It was now obvious what had happened, when the belt detonated in qually it had caught the PAS hose back to the reservoir, the damage had eventually ruptured sending PAS fluid all over the engine bay. My dad and Richard gat back from the pit wall, and I stomp off to be alone and eventually make a call to the Samaritans...well a friendly ear anyway (thanks…many many thanks). No sooner had I got off the phone, Richard's lady finds me and says to put my helmet; on they've fixed it, really what, ok...run to the car, helmet on, start strapping myself in, the commentator says 5laps left...gloves where are my gloves...one is found but as the bonnet goes back on I'm still one short. Bollocks to it, I need to finish, I hare off through the paddock, almost taking an Alfa with me that’s trundling to the holding area for the next race. I get out on track and just tickle the car round, get out of everyone’s way, just finish. The flag comes out...YES, my first flag since Pembrey. The euphoria only lasted until the results sheet came out...Iain Jones NCF...pants, not enough laps to be a classified finisher. But on the bright side...I finished.
With several hours until the next race the hunt was once again on to find a new serpentine belt...eventually after calling 25 auto factors, Landrover dealers and 4x4 specialists in the East Midlands, the 26th is open and has one in stock!!! The belt arrives back at the circuit and everything is checked over for race 2.
Again I start on the back row, the lights go out and I hook up the start, Steve Glynn has stalled a couple of rows in front, everyone swerves to avoid him...well almost everyone...I'd pulled alongside Mark's Tasmin by now and I had to move right...sorry mate, we trade paint, we both survive, braking into Gerards I check my mirror, oh crap, no mirror, turning in, one hand on the wheel the other pushing the wing mirror back into place. The rest of the lap is uneventful, settle down after the excitement, coming through the Devils Elbow I hear the shriek of an AJP at full chat, Richard Wright is making up for being baulked avoiding Steve Glynn, he passes me with ease on the pit straight probably has 3 or 4 car lengths on me by the time he turns into Gerards, I turn in, I'm quicker than him, hell I'm a lot quicker half way round I'm on his bootlid, the back end twitches, ooo, careful, get it together, another twitch, and another, and oooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmm eeeerrrrrrrrrrrr.
I have to say I've not had much luck this year really, blown clutches, blown head gasket, seized fuel pumps to mention the recent list, but now I know why, Jimmy and Ayrton had been told not to look after me by the big guy upstairs (no not Max Mosley), until now...
I run out of road trying to correct the fourth twitch of the corner, I was on the grass, sideways totally out of control somewhere in the region of 95-100mph. Looking back at the on board film I don’t lift off the throttle until I’m a good few metres onto the grass. OH MY Goodness that’s the edge of the grass, somehow I stay out of the barriers, except now I'm facing the wrong way up the circuit about to slide right across the track...the track...thats tarmac...tarmac has grip...BRAKE BRAKE....as I see Howard hurtling towards me, his visor the only thing stopping his eyeballs popping any further out of their sockets. Back on the grass the car slides back round to the left and I end up on track once more. I get into first straighten up and carry on, repassing Mark's Tasmin a few corners later...I find the car doesn’t feel brilliant, the engine certainly isn’t happy, but I continue, putting in several 1:06 laps. Eventually the engine sorts itself out and I can drop my times to 56secs. I honestly don’t recall any more of the race towards the end I think Kevan lapped me and I found I could pretty much hold station only loosing a couple of car lengths per straight. Before I have time to think about what's just happened, the flag comes out. Finally, a classified finish.
Thanks to Green Star, my dad and Richard Froggatt for spannering over the weekend and everyone else for their support, both at and away from the circuit. The next challenge will be getting the pennies for the entry at Brands in a fortnight, where I'll be looking forward to just tickling the car round and getting the last signature needed to loose my numpty cross.
Regards
Iain
With one eye on the weather reports dad and I trundled off to Mallory hoping for a change in fortunes with new sponsors in tow.
After arriving and having the obligatory tin we bunked down for the night, to the back drop of some band murdering just about every classic song ever written.
Come Sunday morning I'm aching to get in the car and settle my nerves, as it was the first time back at Mallory since the accident last September driving Graham's Tasmin. With this in the back of my minds and a wet track I decide just to go out and get a few laps under my belt. Coming round Gerards for the 7th time something starts to flail about, and before too long my steering has gone, and the smell of burning rubber, I thought I'd had a blow out...
...back in the pits and I discovered it wasn't a blow out but my serpentine belt had cried enough. Right, ok no worries, we've a spare on the Disco, but ideally we could do with a new replacement, cue calling all the autofactors in the area, but to no avail.
Come the race everything is good, yes I did qualify dead last but hey I made it, and all I'm after is a finish and a signature. After being told in the new drivers briefing that there would be no formation lap, and the lap out of the pits would lead straight onto the lights...no wonder Dean Cook exploded off the start when the green flag was waved, I thought there was something a little suspect so hung back not wanting to upset the stewards...time for the start proper and i make a reasonable start, Tim Hood was behind me, having had fuelling problems and not making the track for qualifying. Tim seemed to use his experience and hung back off the start, its a narrow track and things can often go wrong, as for me I was a pig in clover, charging off the start line I get between Mark and Howard's Tasmins, should I push for the gap, it's a bit tight...oh bollox to it its a race and I stick my nose in, turning into Gerards for the first time I slot in behind Howard who has the inside line, briefly contemplating taking him round the outside but think better of it. I drift wide out of Gerards to give me a clear run past Howard onto Srebbe Straight, change up and use the grunt of the V8 to ease past the Tasmin. Life is good, I've made up a few places everything is going well, too well.
Braking into the hairpin a wisp of smoke pops out of the bonnet vent...hmmm, ok, no worries, probably just a drip onto the exhaust I'll survive, the car is carrying on fine, so no need to panic Mr Mannering...how wrong I could be...over the next lap and a half smoke starts billowing out from the car, and coming into the hairpin, I can't actually see where I'm going, so a very pissed off hand goes up, and that’s my race run, pull off and crawl back to the paddock. Get out of the car, smoke still coming out of the car, throw my neck brace half way across the paddock, gloves fly similar distances.
I take the bonnet off...time for my best Hugh Grant impression...
F***...F*** F*** F***; the drivers side exhaust manifold is on fire. I have the ‘presence of mind’ not to set off my fire extinguisher, but run and get the power extinguisher from the back of the Disco. It was now obvious what had happened, when the belt detonated in qually it had caught the PAS hose back to the reservoir, the damage had eventually ruptured sending PAS fluid all over the engine bay. My dad and Richard gat back from the pit wall, and I stomp off to be alone and eventually make a call to the Samaritans...well a friendly ear anyway (thanks…many many thanks). No sooner had I got off the phone, Richard's lady finds me and says to put my helmet; on they've fixed it, really what, ok...run to the car, helmet on, start strapping myself in, the commentator says 5laps left...gloves where are my gloves...one is found but as the bonnet goes back on I'm still one short. Bollocks to it, I need to finish, I hare off through the paddock, almost taking an Alfa with me that’s trundling to the holding area for the next race. I get out on track and just tickle the car round, get out of everyone’s way, just finish. The flag comes out...YES, my first flag since Pembrey. The euphoria only lasted until the results sheet came out...Iain Jones NCF...pants, not enough laps to be a classified finisher. But on the bright side...I finished.
With several hours until the next race the hunt was once again on to find a new serpentine belt...eventually after calling 25 auto factors, Landrover dealers and 4x4 specialists in the East Midlands, the 26th is open and has one in stock!!! The belt arrives back at the circuit and everything is checked over for race 2.
Again I start on the back row, the lights go out and I hook up the start, Steve Glynn has stalled a couple of rows in front, everyone swerves to avoid him...well almost everyone...I'd pulled alongside Mark's Tasmin by now and I had to move right...sorry mate, we trade paint, we both survive, braking into Gerards I check my mirror, oh crap, no mirror, turning in, one hand on the wheel the other pushing the wing mirror back into place. The rest of the lap is uneventful, settle down after the excitement, coming through the Devils Elbow I hear the shriek of an AJP at full chat, Richard Wright is making up for being baulked avoiding Steve Glynn, he passes me with ease on the pit straight probably has 3 or 4 car lengths on me by the time he turns into Gerards, I turn in, I'm quicker than him, hell I'm a lot quicker half way round I'm on his bootlid, the back end twitches, ooo, careful, get it together, another twitch, and another, and oooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmm eeeerrrrrrrrrrrr.
I have to say I've not had much luck this year really, blown clutches, blown head gasket, seized fuel pumps to mention the recent list, but now I know why, Jimmy and Ayrton had been told not to look after me by the big guy upstairs (no not Max Mosley), until now...
I run out of road trying to correct the fourth twitch of the corner, I was on the grass, sideways totally out of control somewhere in the region of 95-100mph. Looking back at the on board film I don’t lift off the throttle until I’m a good few metres onto the grass. OH MY Goodness that’s the edge of the grass, somehow I stay out of the barriers, except now I'm facing the wrong way up the circuit about to slide right across the track...the track...thats tarmac...tarmac has grip...BRAKE BRAKE....as I see Howard hurtling towards me, his visor the only thing stopping his eyeballs popping any further out of their sockets. Back on the grass the car slides back round to the left and I end up on track once more. I get into first straighten up and carry on, repassing Mark's Tasmin a few corners later...I find the car doesn’t feel brilliant, the engine certainly isn’t happy, but I continue, putting in several 1:06 laps. Eventually the engine sorts itself out and I can drop my times to 56secs. I honestly don’t recall any more of the race towards the end I think Kevan lapped me and I found I could pretty much hold station only loosing a couple of car lengths per straight. Before I have time to think about what's just happened, the flag comes out. Finally, a classified finish.
Thanks to Green Star, my dad and Richard Froggatt for spannering over the weekend and everyone else for their support, both at and away from the circuit. The next challenge will be getting the pennies for the entry at Brands in a fortnight, where I'll be looking forward to just tickling the car round and getting the last signature needed to loose my numpty cross.
Regards
Iain
nice write up and video Iain. 
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