BIGASH/FF-Racing X85 Clio Cup Racer Project

[sbridgey]

Went a bit of the beaten track at Oulton today Had to withdraw from the Donington race on Saturday as won't get the car fixed but not much damage just have to remove the gearbox and engine but I'm working up till the weekend so no time to fix

​Oh no. thats a real shame.

 

[2Damnsly Andy]

Doesn't sound good James what happened?

 

[sonny172cup]

Holding breath.....


Hope all is well mate

 

[BIGASH]

No not too bad thanks! Basically was going into island ( left hander 4th gear nearly flat) and the car just swapped ends not slide but swapped! Was doing about 100 straight towards the wall and went straight into the tyre wall! Thankfully put the car into a spin and scrubbed off some speed but the data shows I hit the wall at I think 40mph! Damage really isn't bad but the cause of the spin is the reason I've had to cancel Donington the gearbox that I thought was leaking from the breather has actually been leaking from the seal where the two parts of the gearbox join and it has obviously got worse today and then dumped lots over my rear tyres as the underside of the car and rear beam is covered in it. Engine and gearbox out and send the box back to agency

Just took the car straight round to Blink Motorsport who really kindly stayed open for me and we checked to see how bent it is on their Hunter Alignment machine. Thankfully the answer is not very much at all

Will hopefully get the box and engine out tonight but would never get it ready for Donington so had to withdraw.

Could of been a lot lot worse so got to be thankful and also the day was going really well upto that point with a great improvement in pace over last years race at Oulton.

 

[Toastfrenzy]

That's a bummer James, hopefully won't be too long to put right. Least you managed to scrub of some of the speed before the tyres.

 

[sbridgey]

Not good, the run off at island always scares me. At least you got it into a spin and it sounds like you didn't do "too" much damage.

Hopefully you get it sorted pretty sharpish, so you can get back out there.

And i know everyone else is thinking it... pics?

 

[msa197]

Had all the signs of leaking from the breather!

You ok though?

 

[Riad]

Good going today James, Great to see the car in action after all the hard hours certainly goes well! even with me and you in haha

FF Racing @ Oulton by Riad Ariane, on Flickr

 

[withoutabix]

Thats abit of a kick in the balls dude, car was going and sounding very well today!

you forgot to say bye btw!

 

[Tony Hunter]

Ouch! Island is always a bum clencher at the best of times, as there is only one place you are going to end up.

Hope all is well.

 

[Chi]

Car looked great mate, gutted for you and my passenger ride

 

[aucky]

Looked and sounded great today

 

[Chip-mk1]

Bummer but sure you will sort it.

Shout if I can help.

 

[Adam G]

Bad luck James, perhaps it's better to happen today rather than mid race.
​Does that mean you're free for Llandow now?

 

[indigorallye]

Nothing to do with the Michelins?

 

[Fred@BTM]

1 snapped bonnet pin (on bumper) and 1 broken ziptie, a lucky escape!

 

[dmallett]

Gutted for you James! Just as things were looking good

 

[mark123]

Bad luck James. Hope they find out what the problem with the box is.

 

[Naith]

Easily one of the most composed cars I've had the pleasure of being in. Gutted about the off but you and I know it could have been ALOT worse.

​You cant half pedal boy!

 

[Rich_172]

Looked and sounded great today

This

 

[BIGASH]

Thanks everyone Had a really good day apart from that, great to catch up with some old faces! Thanks also to Fred for taking the day off work and coming up bloody legend

Just got in now as been in the garage, cars is stripped down need to get the engine out tomorrow once i've compression tested it. Not too much damage on the car really got away with it lightly! Clips and mounts for a few panels, head and tail lights are damaged but it's a race car so they'll be fine! Quite a lot of grazed wrap which i'll probably have to change. Front end seems okay although the rear end (Went in first) has got some play probably just knackered the wheel bearing as the play isn't bad. I checked the bearings earlier in the day and no play but i'm wondering if it was a cause or consequence. Anyway just glad I didn't have a passenger in at the time! Sorry for anyone who was waiting for a go I will make sure there is a next time and i'll try to avoid throwing it in the scenery

Had all the signs of leaking from the breather!

You ok though?

Yes I agree Mike, I mod'd the breather the other day and then we could really see where it was coming from although it still wasn't much but must of got worse just before the off

Yes absolutely fine thanks Mike, Just gutted to be missing Donington

Not good, the run off at island always scares me. At least you got it into a spin and it sounds like you didn't do "too" much damage.

Hopefully you get it sorted pretty sharpish, so you can get back out there.

And i know everyone else is thinking it... pics?

Thanks Simon! Lol not really any pics. Riad got one of me and the car on the truck but not much to see really the tyre wall did a pretty decent job so its just panel mountings etc damaged and a little bit of the front shell bent

Good going today James, Great to see the car in action after all the hard hours certainly goes well! even with me and you in haha

FF Racing @ Oulton by Riad Ariane, on Flickr

Haha yes it was good to get you out in the car mate! Thanks for that photo its epic

Thats abit of a kick in the balls dude, car was going and sounding very well today!

you forgot to say bye btw!

Thanks mate! Sorry yes I did walk the whole way up the pitlane to say bye to everyone I could get my hands on but was in a rush to get to check the alignment

Car looked great mate, gutted for you and my passenger ride

Great to meet you Sorry about the passenger ride I will try and make it up to you!

Bad luck James, perhaps it's better to happen today rather than mid race.
​Does that mean you're free for Llandow now?

Yes Adam I agree

No unfortunately not! I'll either be working on the car or down watching a few friends race at Donny

Nothing to do with the Michelins?

Don't think so although that first session with them was hilarious! just sideways everywhere They drove really well with them in the end just didn't seem as quick

Sorry I didn't get chance to say bye!

1 snapped bonnet pin (on bumper) and 1 broken ziptie, a lucky escape!

A very lucky boy yes Few other bits to sort but nothing compared to how it could of been

Easily one of the most composed cars I've had the pleasure of being in. Gutted about the off but you and I know it could have been ALOT worse.

​You cant half pedal boy!

Thanks mate Glad you came out in it! Yes definitely agree buddy

Haha lol!

 

[SharkyUK]

Phew, glad you're in one piece along with the car mate! I was getting a bit worried for a moment there... Oh, and battle scars add character to a racecar...

 

[Russ Rallye]

I've spun at island in my cup car, locked the rear brakes on cold tires and went round at the hairpin, i managed to not hit anything though, still not sure how! Shame you're gonna miss donny, I might be down there with my mate who's racing a white clio 197/200 this weekend so come say hello if you're spectating James. Out of interest what kind of lap times does your car do around oulton?
​russ

 

[Tony Hunter]

I think we do 2.00-2.01 round there

 

[Hoofy]

Ahhhh dude, gutted to hear you're out of saturday's race!! You still gonna be along to watch?

 

[Russ Rallye]

Yeah tony expected it to be around 2mins, certainly what I'll be aiming for in mine when I can shake it down.
Ive gone from spectating to racing now this weekend as 2nd driver in my mates clio 200, I'm totally unprepared but looking forward to racing again after 3 years out!
​russ

 

[p@blo]

Nothing to do with the Michelins?

Saw you were running these - how did you find them James?

 

[BIGASH]

Phew, glad you're in one piece along with the car mate! I was getting a bit worried for a moment there... Oh, and battle scars add character to a racecar...

Haha yes very true Thanks mate!

I've spun at island in my cup car, locked the rear brakes on cold tires and went round at the hairpin, i managed to not hit anything though, still not sure how! Shame you're gonna miss donny, I might be down there with my mate who's racing a white clio 197/200 this weekend so come say hello if you're spectating James. Out of interest what kind of lap times does your car do around oulton?
​russ

Yes that does sound lucky! I was was very lucky too really thanking my lucky stars Yes i'm planning on popping down so will come and find you!

Got mine round in under 2 yesterday when it was just me in the car (only one brief session) Plenty of time on the cards for me through Cascades and druids but it'll come with some more seat time round there I think

Ahhhh dude, gutted to hear you're out of saturday's race!! You still gonna be along to watch?

Yes i'm gutted too! Yes certainly am look forward to catching up with you guys

Saw you were running these - how did you find them James?

I don't really know in all honesty, shoved them on before lunch and didn't set the pressures so was going round the circuit on the lockstops drifting (was actually really funny)

Then Fred went out after lunch once we had fiddled and reported back positive things but then I went straight out and binned it on the 2nd lap so can't really give an opinion

 

[Fred@BTM]

I say they're better (even though they were 2008 tyres, and used) the car felt way more stable on them, but i got a fair bit of traffic during my "fast" stint on them, so not 100% on lap times, price on new ones rules them out though unfortunately, 50% more per tyre over the dunlops

 

[Chi]

Have you ever run slicks?

 

[BIGASH]

I say they're better (even though they were 2008 tyres, and used) the car felt way more stable on them, but i got a fair bit of traffic during my "fast" stint on them, so not 100% on lap times, price on new ones rules them out though unfortunately, 50% more per tyre over the dunlops

I think you might be correct the actual g round the corners was very similar so a new set and setup to the car could be quicker! Maybe have a play with a new set over winter and do a proper comparison

Have you ever run slicks?

I have but not on this car mate. No real interest to either in all honesty, don't get me wrong slicks are fun but to optimise you have to spend a lot of time fannying around with setup. Also it puts so much more load through the car you can twist the shell and wear componants out a lot quicker. For example on my car I would probably be cornering about 10mph faster that is just going to equal a bigger accident when it all goes wrong lol!

Don't get me wrong if I ever race a series where slicks are allowed I would use them but wouldn't just be a case of bolting the tyres on.

 

[Cooksport]

Get some slicks on there!!!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Get some slicks on there!!!

For what purpose though?

James is on a very right budget and trying to make use of any time he can as dev/testing time, the moment he puts a set of slicks on it, he will learn nothing about what settings the road tyres he is forced to race on will require?

 

[Luke.]

For what purpose though?

James is on a very right budget and trying to make use of any time he can as dev/testing time, the moment he puts a set of slicks on it, he will learn nothing about what settings the road tyres he is forced to race on will require?

​Tight*

 

[Chip-mk1]

indeed, apologies for not spotting that typo before submitting the post

 

[Cooksport]

It was tut joke. But if we haaaaaaavvvveeee to give it a reason... FUN!!!

 

[arctic]

And everyone loves fun!

 

[Chi]

Tight budget? ?? Have you seen that car

 

[Cooksport]

Tight budget? ?? Have you seen that car

That's the reason!

 

[Chi]

I get it!!