Elise / GT Cup @ Snetterton

[Englebert]

Last weekend i was at Snett for the next round of the GT Cup. With the NSX having an engine fire in the last race, the cobwebs were blown from the Elise.

On Friday i did a bit of testing in the car, which was on Pirelli slicks opposed to the Dunlops as used by Britcar. They are a couple of seconds slower, but at least they last more than five minutes!

For official practice, i handed over to my old man.

Fastest car in our class was a bird. Not cool.

Of course this couldn't stand, so did the business in qualifying.

Check out the pick up on the front tyre!

The race was the next day, so just had a nose around the paddock and messed about.

The following morning, we were told by the organisers we were too fast! Same news was given to Sarah in her M3. We could take ballast, or run as invitation. I wanted a proper race, so chose to be in the invitation class.

It was all looking rosy for the race. The car was fine and i was in confident mood. Sadly though, the gods were looking down favourably, and chose the last lap to give me gearbox failure whilst in the lead :dapprove:

Shame, as i would have gotten the clean sweep with fastest lap...

The guys tried desperately changing the 'box for the second race.

But it wasn't meant to be, we had to watch them go round without us...

So there you go, another successful weekend LOL. Back to Brands in a few weeks. Fingers crossed for some luck!

 

[Graham Gooch]

Good pictures!

Jealous of not being able to race at the weekends like you.

 

[Greeny.]

Good write up as ever, im very jealous

 

[seb]

enjoyable read.

 

[Naith]

oh u make me laugh... 'yehhh the NSX blew up so we just got the elise out'

FML.

good to see the thing run though, yet shame about the reliability, truly a monstrous machine and great to see everytime you get her out.

 

[Russ_16v]

Always the way matey!

What box does the Elise run?

 

[Fred@BTM]

is Adrian Watt still running that knackered M3?

 

[Englebert]

Yeah. Few of those beemers look better from a distance! Although to be fair, the Elise's paintwork is shabby...

Currently we have a Quaife. Which is crap. Will change at end of season!

 

[Bloooor]

Karma that, because you have more money than me.


As I still want you to bring the Vanquish up to the Norfbest™, I will be nice :approve:

Car looks epic! Interior is sooooo clean too! lav it

 

[Christopher]

Awesome stuff!

 

[Fred@BTM]

the shell on it is more bent than that louis bloke from pinapple dance

 

[Addz]

Nice read, shame about the bad luck but bet you're still having fun!

 

[Tom84]

goods pics and read. i was there on the fri, had to change an engine in one of the radicals that was in one of the other races, wish i had had a nosey around now lol

 

[Englebert]

Should of! Perhaps at another meet...our headgasket was getting changed on the Friday! That's pretty routine though!

 

[Clart]

what happened to that tramp we used to know and love? You've changed.

 

[Englebert]

He saved up his pennys and went high roller. For life.

 

[Alex H]

Shame about the box failure.. better luck next time!

 

[Tom]

I have a chubby.

 

[Ian_s]

Missed this the first time round, is the blonde Nicola? I spoke to her about a job a while back but didn't have enough experience (formula fords, clio cups, caterham roadsport A/R300/R400, formula student)

If i'd got the job the NSX wouldn't have set on fire and the Elise gearbox would have been fine

 

[Englebert]

Maybe you were the man for the job, they've had quite a high turnover of staff recently!

 

[jon_r]

I'd love to know how they can declare you 'too fast' halfway through a race weekend. Is the series run by the FIA?

 

[Englebert]

I imagine the governors would be the MSA? Not sure who you could complain too, as ultimately it was the Mark Haynes (who started the series, and interestingly related to the founder of the Haynes manuals) who made the decision.

We did think it was unprofessional to knock our door on the morning of the race though, and the person who told us agreed! We're not going to win anything this year, so this round we weren't particularly bothered.

 

[Ian_s]

Theres always going to be differences in the speed of cars within a class, its the organisers job to try and keep everyone on a level playing field e.g. Audi 4wd touring cars balast, Seat running less boost on the diesels and I'm pretty sure the lpg Foci will be slowed down soon.

 

[Englebert]

GT Cup are very keen to keep it level, that's for sure. It's almost they want everyone to have their turn of winning.

I know that seems fine, in theory, but it does mean people who actually invest time in themselves, realise no benefit from it. You could argue it maintains poor driving standards, as it doesn't encourage any form of driver training...

I out qualified a Honda N/A and Honda Supercharged Exige. I'd argue the problem was them, not me.

At the end of the season the plan is to go Honda N/A and change to Hewland, and will just move up a class so please them.