As usual, we made a trip to Blyton Park on 7th March 2019 to get a feel of the car with the new front wishbones etc. It seemed fine to me but it was cold and damp and not the best conditions for pushing it too hard. Also at this test day was Ewen Sergison who was shaking down a 1936 Maserati 6CM - a real racing car. He kindly taook the 904 out for two or three laps to see what he thought of the handling. When he came back he thought the engine was to die for but the car was too soft at the front. He recommended that the dampers be tightened up and longer bump stops fitted. The spring rates at the front seemed about right.
The Blyton Brains Trust!
The first competitive meeting was at Ty Croes in Angelsey. What a wonderful circuit. If you have never been there put it on the bucket list. The dampers were screwed up, and longer bump stops added to the damper rods. As we speeded up in the practice runs , smoke started to drift from under a wheel arch. On investigation by Andy, who had come over from Norton for the weekend, it was found that the wheel was rubbing on the thickened fibreglass at the join of the new wing when braking hard and turning in. An angle grinder was borrowed and the problem was solved.
For the rest of the 2019 season, Jim Payne shared the driving with me and was usually quicker except for Shelsley Walsh, I am delighted to say. We had a full season and competed at Shelsley Walsh, Loton Park, Curborough, Bo'ness and MIRA. We both won some class awards usually in the target time classes but had great fun and were encouraging each other to better times.
At the Blyton meeting in May, Jim Collins was sharing with me, I had a first practice run then it was Jim's turn. Going into the Wiggler on the Eastern circuit at full chat, he hit the brake pedal which wasn't where he thought it would be and hit the clutch. Needless to say he arrived quicker than he intended and went straight on. On his return to the paddock there was superficial body damage but the left wishbone now had a kink in it. So back to Yorkshire to get that repaired.
To be fair to Jim the pedals are very offset to the right for a left hand drive car but Jim Payne and I have got used to them.
This time round Andy made an extra pair which are carried in the trailer as insurance.
I went off at Loton.
Just about to depart rearwards into the trees!
The weather varied considerably over the season but the worst of all was at Bo'ness in early September.
At one of the Shelsley meetings, Jim had locked the rears changing down to 2nd going into bottom "S" and had mounted the bank but with no apparent damage.
You may have noticed that the car now has proper transparent headlight covers. An earlier attempt by Plastics4Performance near Bolton, by using my mould which had been used to make the fibreglass cover, had not really worked. A vist to Martin and Walker at Thruxton who make a really accurate 904 replica had led me to Lucas Mitchenall in Durrington near Amesbury They advised me to make a plug and they could then draw the plastic over that. They were able to make two pairs but needed me to extend the plug if I required any more. At the other end of the car the carbs had now ben fitted with air cleaners and the holes cut in the tail for clearance had been finished off with some laser cut surrounds supplied via Jim Collins.
After Bo'ness, Pete Bentley and I returned to Lincolnshire and after power washing the Scottish mud away, set off next day for Cadwell Park. The family had bought me a track day at Caldwell for and on my 80th Birthday.
As you will have realised by now nothing about race cars is simple. With an instructor on board, we again had smoke pouring from a wheel arch as we braked and turned in. This time the hose from the fuel tank to the IVA spec fuel filler on the mudguard was being ground away by the tyre.
I also took Pete as a passengerfor a few laps. He could not believe a race car on proper tyres could corner so hard and was convinced that we were heading for the boondocks at the first corner.
Again, if you have never been to Cadwell, put it on your bucket list!