sally's scribbles
Entry posted by stephenh
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Sally’s scribbles (non technical):
Having risen bright and early (4.45am) Stephen and I arrived at Aintree at 7.25. John Loudon and Garry Bunn were already there and Stephen signed on getting back in time to get the car ready for scrutineering. Lee Smith and John Williams were further down the paddock together. The loos were locked and there were only four portaloos by the office. Fortunately the loos opened around 9am.
The weather was brilliant. Fabulous sunshine all day and just a head wind down Railway Straight.
Deciding to have exercise Stephen and I walked round the course taking in the damp patches – which would dry- and new patches of tarmac which weren’t quite on a level with the old.
There were three in John Loudon’s 2A class, six in 2B with Stephen, Lee and John W. and two in Garry’s 3G. I was taught to remove the battery from Garry’s car and take it the least distance possible to wait for him to come round and pick it up again.
Enjoying a bacon bap and coffee after P1 we spotted the only other WSCC member, Andy Lowe in a Megapin, being towed back into the single seater paddock. Stephen’s enquiries ascertained that Andy had broken his drive shaft on the first corner. So that sadly was the end of his day.
Considering there were 136 cars including the Caterham Academy there were very few off’s and P1 and P2 progressed smoothly. Lee Smith discovered that his 5th gear produced an ‘I’m falling apart and disintegrating noise’ which was somewhat disconcerting. He ended up going from 4 -6th gear. John Williams did his personal best but with a target time of nearly 9 seconds less he felt he had rather a lot to overcome!
At 11.30am the timed runs started with a very efficient commentary which wasn’t interrupted by the big equestrian event going on the other side of the Melling Road. The only real stop was just before 2A and 2B set off. The Course car went round with water for the Marshalls. Stephen, Lee and John W, all had a new PB whilst John L. broke his own class record with a 46.18. Stephen stayed in front of Nigel Fox in his Caterham – an important challenge.
John L. had a look at Lee’s car and agreed that a tooth had probably fallen off 5th gear. He would have to continue with 4th – 6th. Unfortunately the car bogged down after leaving 4th and crawled slowly back up to speed. After T1 there was a forty minute break for lunch and there was a convivial gathering round Garry’s trailer.
All went smoothly for T2. Garry, John W. and Lee did their best runs whilst Stephen, John L. and Nigel Fox didn’t. T3 produced a PB for Stephen as did P4. Sadly Garry developed a wiring problem with his flappy paddle gear change between P3 and P4 and was unable to do the last run. The runs finished around 5pm.
John L. broke his previous lap record from 46.51 to 46.18
Garry got first in Class with 46.10.
Stephen received first in class.
It had been a fabulous day with personal bests all round and with great weather – a bit too great at times! – minimum hold ups and once again brilliantly organised by the Liverpool Motor Club.
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