Donington 6th/7th June

[Oxfordshire driver]

Hi All
Simon (MarlowSud) and I missed Mallory but now looking forward to Donington this coming weekend.
Simon will be in his Trofeo and I will be resting the Sprint and giving the SC a run. Fingers crossed that the gremlins that affected Simon's races at Silverstone at the beginning of the season have now been rectified.
From memory I think we are first out on Saturday morning (09:15) and then race 2 is approx. 14:00 on Sunday.
No Motors TV at Donington but I am sure we will come away with the usual video footage.

Are there any other takers for Donington?

All the best,
Malcolm

[Oxfordshire driver]

Just found the running order on the Donington website;
Qualifying at 09:15
first race 16:45 (race 3 on running order)
second race 14:15 (Sunday, race 16)

http://www.donington-park.co.uk/events/ ... rand-prix/

[Kegsti66]

Hi Malcolm,
I too missed Mallory but hope to get over to Donington to watch the racing. Hope the sc is sorted and look forward to seeing her on track and your in car footage.
Hope to catch up this time, didn't see you both at Castle combe, but caught Ian, Ted and Gary.
Good luck.
Keith.

[Marlow Sud]

The SC has been on a conservative rolling road and showing 158bhp at 6400rpm. About right for a 1732cc with big valve heads?
Anway, you might see Malcolm mixing it with some faster cars at Donnington.
Fingers crossed.

The trofeo has new tyres, a new mirror on the offside and a massive new rear view mirror to keep me out of trouble.
I was the class winner at Castle Combe. Thats because I was the only car in class D.

All the best,
Simon

[Roch 1490]

Hi Guys I won't be going to Donington as I still have a broken gearbox engine & box out this weekend also got a bit of chassis leg surgery to be done.
The Sud will be back together for Brands, although looks like I need some more bhp looking at the SC figures!!
Good luck to the Suds at Donny get stuck into them Fords!!
All the best Ian.

[Marlow Sud]

Hi Ian,

We will miss you at Donnington. Good luck with the repairs and we look forward to seeing you at Brands Hatch. Your Sud has star billing on the CTCRC website in amongst the Fords

All the best,
Simon

[Simonsud]

When's brands might try and come if I'am free mates just finished his fiat uni turbo and has been looking for a excuses to go somewhere in it

[BS25]

Good luck Malcolm and Simon, I'll keep a look out on the live timing (http://www.tsl-timing.com/event/152321 for anyone else wanting to follow). I see that British Superkarts are the headline act - do try and watch them out on track, they are very quick and don't seem to use the brakes very often!

[Oxfordshire driver]

Hello All
Were any of you aware that Donington have a TopGun training facility for their marshalls?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y2pjr0ty7cg90 ... l.mp4?dl=0

[Kegsti66]

Like it !!

[Oxfordshire driver]

Morning, me again..
Completed first race at Donington, was not able to improve on qualifying lap time.
The SC felt good but the brakes do not give me the confidence that I get from the Sprint with the outboard 33 set-up with cooling ducts.
The brakes started to fade after a couple of laps so a lot of lifting and coasting, particularly through Craner Curves in order to have the brakes at the top of the circuit for McLeans. The real killer for the brakes though was the combination of the Fogerty Esses, Melbourne Hairpin and Goddards as the brakes were just not able to cool in time.
Ducting will be the first job once back home, un-vented, inboard discs in very close proximity to the manifold seem to quickly lose their edge!

All said and done another thoroughly enjoyable race, really enjoyed the start and spent most of the race trying to stay ahead of the mk1 Scirocco (1.8 turbocharged) and the CRX.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3761owexiww6 ... 1.mp4?dl=0

Bryan, Simon and I took some time out to walk round to the Craner Curves to watch the SuperKarts, they really are something else. I think you have to have a screw loose to race in these! The smell of Castrol R wafting over the circuit was quite nice though.

All the best,
Malcolm

[Kegsti66]

Thanks for sharing the clip Malcolm, sc sounds great.
That Starion and cosworth were very quick and as for the karts.........
Good day, but I got burnt

[Veesix75]

That was an excellent start off the grid Malcolm, very quick.

Not bad times with the brake issue either, plus I assume your first time racing at donington?

I struggled to keep up with your gear changes on the video, what gear did you go down craner in, and likewise around old hairpin and back up the hill?

I think from watching the vid you will get down to 2 min lap times next time you go which is a good time for the car/power.

Donington is a tricky circuit, even tho I know all my cars were capable of doing craner flat out, unfortunately my courage and self preservation gene forced a 'conditioned reflex' lift every time I went down it!

Well done.

[Roch 1490]

Hi Tim, I think its more scary lifting down the Craners! so when are we going to see you out, you know you owe me one for making me do the evil Silverstone national Hopefully all the Suds will be out at Brands cos we'd hate to disappoint Mike Bedwell and the AROC !

[Veesix75]

Ha ha......I meant a lift before I went into them! I suspect a lift half way round would induce a backwards journey over the grass.

Hopefully I will see you at brands, fingers crossed!

[Oxfordshire driver]

Good to see you today Keith and enjoyed looking over your car, a real beauty!

Simon very kindly fitted some cooling ducts on the SC before the second race , this made quite a difference and the brakes were much better right up until two laps from the end when some smoke started filling the cockpit. No flames visible so carried on while looking out for any marshalls waving frantically.

Had a bump from the CRX half way through the race while braking for McLeans. Bit of a dent in the rear valance so not so straightforward to pull out.

Thanks to Simon's ducting I was able to improve 3 secs a lap in race 2.

Thanks for the comments Tim but really too much coasting in race 1. Generally 4th down Craner Curves and up towards McLeans, but with the new found confidence on the brakes in race 2 I was changing up to 5th heading towards McLeans.

In car of race 2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v00s4cqm4uweo ... 2.mp4?dl=0

All the best,
Malcolm

[Marlow Sud]

Hi Guys,
I was very slow at Donnington so I am going to skip over that.
Here are details of our inboard disc cooling system:

Great to see the Orange Ti Keith. Lovely job.

All the best
Simon

[Veesix75]

Are the inboard discs on the SC the (rare) upgraded vented discs or the standard solid disc and calipers? What pads did you use?

Simon - donington is a much harder and technical circuit to learn than it looks, take credit your lap times were faster than mine the first time I raced on the GP circuit and it will take a couple of more visits to get it right.

I still can't get all the lines right

[Marlow Sud]

Hi Tim,

The pads in the 1.5SC are DSUNO no less.

http://www.ferodoracing.com/products/ca ... ds/ds3000/

The discs are the standard thin solids and standard ATE calipers.

Brake fluid is AP Racing Radi-CAL R4 with a boiling point of 340deg.

In your Sprint, have you got inboard 265mm ventilated discs (cut down) with 6 pot lightweight calipers per chance?

The fastest I got was a 2:12 and what makes me really grumpy is the black moggie minor doing 2:05's. He is a great driver though.
I have been given sage advice that it is better to be grumpy with a slow time than be totally depressed with a smacked up car on the back of a trailer.

The guys in the Karts were doing 1:26! This is what they were racing. A SuperKart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3PaN1USUJw

All the best,
Simon

[Kegsti66]

Thanks guys, thought I would give the old girl a run.
Think my lap times would be about six minutes plus.

[Veesix75]

I used ds3000 in my old sud when it had inboard brakes, and we got some fade towards the end of races on a hot day, but certainly not after a few laps hence why I asked. I'm surprised they faded so early.

I have standard 33 outboard discs and calipers (aka minuscule disc and single pot calipers, they're not great either, I use ds3000.

I know John at just suds had some of the inboard bigger vented discs and calipers albeit over a year ago. James (junior) sud has them also.

If you contemplate outboard then you may need new shocks, however if you have inserts (not coil overs), then the series 3 sud inserts will go in an early 33 series 1 strut - the latter will take the later 33 vented discs and calipers.

[Veesix75]

Btw, that moggy minor isn't a moggy under its jelly mould exterior, it's probably running mg midget everything including engine

[Marlow Sud]

Hi Tim,
I have a plan. I am going for big vented discs with four pot calipers all mounted inboard. Also, a more capable brake master cylinder.
Brgds,
Simon

[BS25]

We ran inboard vented discs on our Sud race car from 1993 to 1997, I think the discs came from a Chevette HSR! A period mod then! Standard calipers were spaced with the handbrake and adjusters removed. Worked very well and I'm sure with vented discs and more suitable calipers you'll have no issues.

Donington is an odd circuit for me, I go ok there but never really feel like I've got on top of it. You could go back there later in the year and be 4/5 seconds a lap quicker on the long circuit just through being more confident/familiar with the car. My first race was at Donington and I remember it being a huge disappointment, I was miles away from where I thought I would be (back of the midfield at worst) having set good times in my road car on AROC track days/evenings. Having sulked for a few days I looked forward to the next race (it was at Cadwell) and went much better - nothing changed in either me or the car. For us mortals I think it's normal and ok to go to new or certain circuits and struggle - that's part of the challenge and fun of it. With more time behind the wheel it gets easier to adapt - then it becomes a surprise when it feels awful but the times said you did fine

[Marlow Sud]

Hi Bryan,
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I found Castle Combe a real challenge as I did with Cadwell at first. Watching what the experienced racers helped a lot but also the Sprint is rock solid and helps you to be very confident. I need to get used to the car, keep in mind it is just 1300cc and 1974 and focus on getting better as a driver. I cannot fault the car but it's fun improving it steadily.
All the best,
Simon

[Marlow Sud]

Big inboard brakes.

Here are a few pics that Rodger (Alfascozia) sent me of his setup:

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image.jpg (41.93 KiB) Viewed 16985 times

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The 1.5 SC goes to HiSpec a week tomorrow to have inboard brakes like this fitted. HiSpec have advised the cost will be <£1000.

All the best,
Simon

[Kegsti66]

[Veesix75]

That's a snug fitting caliper. Looks good.