Dink's Spa Classic Car Racing blog - dialup unfriendly
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Dink's Spa Classic Car Racing blog
So WTF is this all about then?
Well Dink's got a brand new job and it'll be a bit PH unfriendly (read: more Dink demanding), which isn't a bad thing BTW. So I thought it'd be a nice idea to do a blog and post up 'some' of my 700 Spa-pictures with a bit of caption and leave the rest of the forums alone . . .
Enjoy, for the forthcoming weeks I guess . . .
Being at a racing-classics-event at Spa is one of those really great things to do. What an amazing unreal place to be. Just driving to it in my ratty Civic was a nice experience, doing some twisties through the woods and letting her rip.
But OK, I parked my car and headed for Cheng Lim's place in the paddock. I met BossCerbera who invited me to check out the races and the mighty Thunderroad Cobra: what a glorious beast!
Those exhausts were the biggest I've ever seen on a roadcar. Yup, it's roadlegal.
Look at the gearswitchsystem, it ain't standard!
Phil, Cheng and Barry sorting out the three vidcams for sunday's race-footage.
After saying 'hi and all that' the Cobra's new brakes needed some roadtesting. "So let's get in the Spada and take your cam", Phil said . . . More tomorrow
This one's got a soundbyte you won't believe. It's like a funnycar doing an endless quartermile. Baby engine 6.6 gives 630 brake.
So WTF is this all about then?
Well Dink's got a brand new job and it'll be a bit PH unfriendly (read: more Dink demanding), which isn't a bad thing BTW. So I thought it'd be a nice idea to do a blog and post up 'some' of my 700 Spa-pictures with a bit of caption and leave the rest of the forums alone . . .
Enjoy, for the forthcoming weeks I guess . . .
Being at a racing-classics-event at Spa is one of those really great things to do. What an amazing unreal place to be. Just driving to it in my ratty Civic was a nice experience, doing some twisties through the woods and letting her rip.
But OK, I parked my car and headed for Cheng Lim's place in the paddock. I met BossCerbera who invited me to check out the races and the mighty Thunderroad Cobra: what a glorious beast!
Those exhausts were the biggest I've ever seen on a roadcar. Yup, it's roadlegal.
Look at the gearswitchsystem, it ain't standard!
Phil, Cheng and Barry sorting out the three vidcams for sunday's race-footage.
After saying 'hi and all that' the Cobra's new brakes needed some roadtesting. "So let's get in the Spada and take your cam", Phil said . . . More tomorrow
This one's got a soundbyte you won't believe. It's like a funnycar doing an endless quartermile. Baby engine 6.6 gives 630 brake.
WE WANT MORE! Nice pictures Dinkman
It was so quit on PH...ow thats right Albert is the weekend at Spa
we are curious what pictures you have for us...spoil us and share your weekend whit pictures and specs and reports? everytime a bit is great!
will follow the thread
GTRene
It was so quit on PH...ow thats right Albert is the weekend at Spa we are curious what pictures you have for us...spoil us and share your weekend whit pictures and specs and reports? everytime a bit is great! will follow the thread
GTRene
Edited by GTRene on Monday 2nd October 22:46
Dink got some AMAZING photos from the weekend! 
I don't envy editing them all...
Here are a couple of my favourites from Dink's download to my laptop that capture the racing atmosphere...
Pretty Formula 2 cars...
Classic Formula 1 cars...
A bit of congestion in our 70-odd car race...
Cheng at work...
Me waving.
The in-car footage from the race is going to be fun to edit.
THE SPA PODIUM!
A couple of my shots of the Espada...
I don't envy editing them all... Here are a couple of my favourites from Dink's download to my laptop that capture the racing atmosphere...
Pretty Formula 2 cars...
Classic Formula 1 cars...
A bit of congestion in our 70-odd car race...
Cheng at work...
Me waving.
The in-car footage from the race is going to be fun to edit.
THE SPA PODIUM!
A couple of my shots of the Espada...
GTRene said:
So you've mannaged it to the podium?? well done Phil
Also it seems most of the times it was dry? better specialy with high powered rwd cars
Also it seems most of the times it was dry? better
specialy with high powered rwd carsWe have been SO-O-O-O close to wins/podium over the years but have been cursed with bad luck like punctures, vapour lock on last lap (while leading!). The race started dry but started to rain when I was P3. I like the wet
and got to P1. I don't think we played the Safety Car period as well as we could which is why we ended up P3. Cheng drove a blinder in his stint to get us up to P3 from where the Safety Car/driver change dropped us. Dink got a photo of the moment I took P1 from the Sunbeam Tiger:
Well done Phil, looks like you had a great weekend mate
Great shots there too Dinkel
I love the red Aston (DB4?) and of course the Cobra
That is one mother
er of a machine. I can't wait for the rest of the shots and the vid.
Edited to say: Nice shots of the Lambo and that you're such a poser Phil, waving to the camera
Edited by focused on Tuesday 3rd October 01:12
focused said:
Well done Phil, looks like you had a great weekend mate
Cheers Gary! It was a fab weekend for lots of reasons. Driving the mighty Cobra on the world's best circuit is a real privilege. Also, meeting Dinkel, spending time with the Thunder Road team and the other racers and, of course, 700 miles in the Espada.
Getting on that bloody podium - AT LAST! - was the icing on the cake!
Bit of video here for a soundbite until I get the in-car stuff sorted out.
. 
Mind you, Cheng was giving it just a bit more than tick over
Thanx for posting some highlights Phil. There'll be loads more forthcoming weeks. It'd be nice to add some additional info, like explaing the Cobra's gearshift etc. in reaction to my daily feed. Would you like to do that please?
Thanx for posting some highlights Phil. There'll be loads more forthcoming weeks. It'd be nice to add some additional info, like explaing the Cobra's gearshift etc. in reaction to my daily feed. Would you like to do that please?
The gearshift...
In addition to "the gearstick" there are four further levers and a screw adjuster sprouting from the tunnel (the aluminium tunnel cover is removed in the photo above). I was a but concerned about dealing with all those levers at the same time as keeping the car on the island!
The transmission is a 'dog box' which means that upshifts can be made without using the clutch by momentarily lifting off the gas to release the dogs from the current gear in order to quickly shift straight into the next gear up. The transmission has a very short-throw gate in both axes which aids the speed at which shifts can be made. So: to make a shift up the box, you stand on the gas in (say) 3rd and at peak revs you slightly lift from the gas at the same time as slamming the lever back to 4th then standing back on the gas.
Trouble is: what happens if you accidentally select 2nd? Without the clutch as a safety 'fuse' between the shifts, a full bore 'accidental downshift' will result in 8 circular holes in the hood... The lever system that Cheng and Barry made prevents this.
The two rear-most levers and the screw lock behind them are 1st and 5th gear lockouts. To select 1st (only to pull away, then it's not needed again in a race) the right hand lever/bar needs to be lifted up to let 1st in. The left hand lever, in conjunction with the screw lock, can permanently lock out 5th. On most UK circuits, 5th isn't needed. Of course, at Spa 5th is needed for the two long straights (Kemel and approach to Blanchimont) so 5th was left 'open'.
OK, so here's how it works... While stationary, 1st gear is opened to pull out onto the track for the start. After moving off to start the formation lap, 2nd is selected automatically 'closing' 1st. Shifting from 2nd to 3rd causes 2nd to be closed so now 3/4/5 are the only open gears. Due to the pronounced kink to the right for 5th, it's unlikely that 3rd will be accidentally shifted when doing the 4th/5th shift. When 2nd is needed (for the Bus Stop, La Source and [sometimes depending on traffic] Rivage 1) the lever in front of the gearstick needs to be slapped forwards to open 2nd some time before you need to engage it. After shifting back up to 3rd, 2nd is automatically closed again.
It might sound complicated but it works very well indeed! No missed shifts or mis-shifts all through the race!
In addition to "the gearstick" there are four further levers and a screw adjuster sprouting from the tunnel (the aluminium tunnel cover is removed in the photo above). I was a but concerned about dealing with all those levers at the same time as keeping the car on the island!
The transmission is a 'dog box' which means that upshifts can be made without using the clutch by momentarily lifting off the gas to release the dogs from the current gear in order to quickly shift straight into the next gear up. The transmission has a very short-throw gate in both axes which aids the speed at which shifts can be made. So: to make a shift up the box, you stand on the gas in (say) 3rd and at peak revs you slightly lift from the gas at the same time as slamming the lever back to 4th then standing back on the gas.
Trouble is: what happens if you accidentally select 2nd? Without the clutch as a safety 'fuse' between the shifts, a full bore 'accidental downshift' will result in 8 circular holes in the hood... The lever system that Cheng and Barry made prevents this.
The two rear-most levers and the screw lock behind them are 1st and 5th gear lockouts. To select 1st (only to pull away, then it's not needed again in a race) the right hand lever/bar needs to be lifted up to let 1st in. The left hand lever, in conjunction with the screw lock, can permanently lock out 5th. On most UK circuits, 5th isn't needed. Of course, at Spa 5th is needed for the two long straights (Kemel and approach to Blanchimont) so 5th was left 'open'.
OK, so here's how it works... While stationary, 1st gear is opened to pull out onto the track for the start. After moving off to start the formation lap, 2nd is selected automatically 'closing' 1st. Shifting from 2nd to 3rd causes 2nd to be closed so now 3/4/5 are the only open gears. Due to the pronounced kink to the right for 5th, it's unlikely that 3rd will be accidentally shifted when doing the 4th/5th shift. When 2nd is needed (for the Bus Stop, La Source and [sometimes depending on traffic] Rivage 1) the lever in front of the gearstick needs to be slapped forwards to open 2nd some time before you need to engage it. After shifting back up to 3rd, 2nd is automatically closed again.
It might sound complicated but it works very well indeed! No missed shifts or mis-shifts all through the race!
touching cloth said:
Great thread, great pics Dink. But why, out of all those cars, am I in love with that little green MG? It looks lovely for some reason.
That MGB GT looks extremely tidy. I like it a lot too... More pics...
klassiekerrally said:
touching cloth said:
Great thread, great pics Dink. But why, out of all those cars, am I in love with that little green MG? It looks lovely for some reason.
That MGB GT looks extremely tidy. I like it a lot too... More pics...
A few years ago there was one for sale in Bathem I believe(Holland) with a 4.3 big valve TVR Griffith engine under the bonnet...lovely car(base wa a MGB-GT Costello) almost bought that car...but at that time it was a bit of a gamble..so sadly I did not bought it
That lightweight Jagguar on the picture is a real lightweight...it almost flies in that corner
GTRene
Edited by GTRene on Tuesday 3rd October 12:26
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