Hi all
just to keep both the car spec updated and a record of recent changes, events, and the hi's and low's of competitive racing, i'll try to add in some race info etc from the events i'm involved in along with the BLS team and car.
So, this weekend just past, 20th and 21st September, was the BRSCC race event at Rockingham Speedway.
I'd not been before, as a circuit constructed initially to attract the american circus of indy car, it has never held any interest for me to attend any other car or bike race events there. Its initial design as a variation of an oval yank tank track, meant that anything capable of going round a corner has to contend with a rather odd shaped added on infield circuit. Its very much an afterthought, no Cadwell Park thats for sure, and is rather obviously an attempt at attracting some, any, form of event, to keep the place functioning since the yanks disappeared back over the pond!
Anyway, enough about that, a quick recap on changes to the car.
I'm sure Bryan will correct me if i get any details wrong, but essentially, due to the poor availability of the usual choice of race tyres, dunlops historically, the BLS 33 has now been graced with a set of Hankook slicks, and a matching brand set of wets too.
A bit of an unknown, bought on paper spec alone almost, but brand new and unscrubbed, and the same to be said for brake pads too, the saturday practice session was going to be more important for bedding these in and for Bryan to feel his way into the new rubber.
I spotted that the new rubber was in fact more generous for width than the previous slicks, and the camber settings had been backed off slightly less radically to make the most of a bigger footprint, which was in turn to make the most of the extra pace the car potentially has from the extra performance gained from the change to the 16v engine and throttle bodies etc etc so this was a pretty important event from the future aspect of car set up point of view, more so i guess than trophy chasing in the race itself, which is just one of many races afterall.
That said, its always nice to do well, and i have to say that i for one was secretly hoping and aiming high, because for the first time in a long time, there were no less than 4 Alfa 33's on the grid!
Alongside us in the paddock was the mighty 33 of Chris Snowdon Racing, equal in spec to the BLS car, as in large capacity (2.0 i believe) steel built fuel injected engine, boasting a lot of power, and with wide arches and track, huge trick brakes and a good history of success, this was going to be a big contender.
Further round the parking was the silver 33 of Louise West. I'm unsure of the spec but a modified A2 class car none the less, and also Nick Andersons 1.8 8v 33, again an A2 modified car.
Great to see these cars out there, and i was rather excited about the prospect of a Snowdon, Shrubb, Seager showdown as i saw these as the biggest protaganists for the silverware
Scrutineering appointement arrived, and anyone who knows the attention that BLS pay to their car and racing, will, like me, never, ever, guess that anyone no matter how scrupulous, could find anything to comment negatively on, but horror of horrors, the car failed the noise test, apparently scoring a 112db!
It was unbelievable, 112db? thats Concorde at full throttle from 10 yards!
We weren't alone, three alfa's in total were questioned, 2 of them, us included, were refused entrance to the circuit for the practice session, and shamefully instructed to either "Sort it out or go home!"
Talk about a Hi-Vis Hitler, this bloke was close to a chinning from more than one of us, his "shattitude" was astonishing.
We rushed back to the paddock, stopping occasionally to try and blag some exhaust wadding to repack the silencer from some of the other race teams, thankfully, successfully.
Back at the paddock, we all discussed our amazement, but swiftly and correctly repacked the silencer anyway, and sorted a new test with the scrutineers and a possible track practice with race control should we then pass the ravages of Decibel Dave!
All back in one piece, we attended our new appointment, along with Vincent's 16v Turbo 156 that also failed miserably, and to our relief we passed with flying colours.
Now the odd thing about all this is that the car was measured at 101db at the previous Anglesey meeting, and nothing had changed between events, which is why we found the 112db measurement so incredible, so no doubt the fact that they ignored their own stipulations of a designated open area testing position, opting instead to test on the lane exiting the inner paddock, surrounded by race lorries, concrete barriers and other running race cars in close proximity, had a notable effect on the tests outcome, but more likely to be the main factor, was that Hi Vis Hitler was rumoured to be misreading his meter!
This sounds closer to the truth, as the new test result came out at 100.4, hmm, now we have decimels in the decibels, suspiciously close to the 101db from anglesey a month previous. so it would appear far more conceivable that the car actually measured 101.2db on the first test, and not 112db, and to reinforce this, the other failing car of Vincent passed with similar flying colours with a rather pitiful attempt at silencing.
Essentially, there is no chance on earth that our silencer repairs affect the noise level by over 10db, it is a huge amount, so Decibel Dave apparently needs to go back to school, for lessons in both maths, and manners!
To top it all, race control would allow Bryan, and Vincent, just 3 laps to get their bearings. This would actually pan out to be an out lap, one full lap, and an in lap. Pitiful but appreciated to get it none the less.
So no tyre scrubbing, no brake bedding, and certainly no time to learn the new track sections etc, and without a qualifying time, it meant a start from the back of the modified class cars, which we were thankful of being not at the back of the grid entirely, but far from ideal.
heres the assembled cars for race one
