Wet, Wet, Wet

My car spent a while in the panel shop (Cape Motor Repairs) and was restored to it previously looking shape and colour. Magnificent job I must admit. More amazingly was the time in which it was accomplished and then finally being returned to Martin's Auto Repairs on the Tuesday evening before the race. Martin rolled up his sleeves on the Wednesday (voting day) and put all the bits and pieces back (man-alone I might add) which included the engine, gearbox, exhaust, gauges, seat etc. By Wednesday night it was finished and was fired up. Thursday morning at 06h30 the sign writers delivered the decals and all the previous signage was returned to their original looks.

I'm almost lost for words for the efforts made to get the Datti back up and running given all those holidays in between. A big, big thank you to Gunter from G & A Promotions, Selwyn Moodley from Cape Motor Repairs and Martin from Martin's Auto Repairs.



All the signs were there but some locals were in denial saying it would not rain. Ironically it did hold off for the Thursday and Friday during the day but came Saturday at 08h00 precisely, the rain made its presence and never once let up. My qualifying was at 08h00 and with a light drizzle attempted it on slicks. I managed to only post a 1:52.4 putting me 14th on the grid and 3rd in my class. As the morning wore on, so the rain became more and slightly heavier. Our first race was off at at about 10h15 due to some hold ups from earlier collisions and biker offs. It was 'full wets' weather and luckily I had mine on.

Conditions in race 1 were atrocious and in some places somewhat dangerous but I managed to truddle around putting in a best time of 1:50.8 some 17 seconds off normal pace. Having the advantage of using the full wet tyres I made up 7 places and finished 7th overall and 2nd in my class having been beaten fairly by Peter vd Poel in the front wheel drive Renault R12.

Race 2 saw the withdrawal of many entrants, especially all the V8's and the class A guys due to dangerous driving conditions and reduced the field to only 15. By now conditions had further worsened and only the mad and the brave tempted to race. On the 1st lap Mike Napoli (still on slicks) cried 'enough' and withdrew leaving 14 to risk it all. It is absolutely no pleasure for me to drive in such wet conditions but in lieu of my previous 'race rolling' escapade I had to push on and bag whatever points were up for grabs. This time around I only managed a pathetic best time of 1:54.9 on wets which to some degree says it all as for the deteriorating weather conditions and still I however managed to finish 5th overall having once again been beaten by Peter in the Renault.

The plus side was the Datti finished in one piece and afforded me 2nd place in class D for the day while only a few minor mechanical issues where picked up which will require some attention for the next race. Again I must give thanks to my 'boet' for preparing a 'great finisher' given the weather conditions beyond any one's control.

Thanks 'Boet'

Door 2 Door Racing

Well it's been a long time since the last race of December 2008 and the wait had become almost unbearable. It finally arrived for me on the 6th February and boy was I eager. The arm joints needed some loosening up and the racing skills honed for the start of the 2009 season. Well during the off season absolutely nothing was really done to the Datti other than to repair the cylinder head which was damaged on the last race of 2008 and some re-greasing of the wheel bearings.

Fridays practice was slotted at various times during the day but I settled for my first one at 13h45 after sorting out the required documentation and then performing my usual routine checks on the car. The Datti made all the right noises at the right time but I soon discovered I was either VERY rusty having not been active for a while or the Datti was just not making power. No matter how hard I tried, I could not do sub 1:35. In fairness I did consider the slight wind as well as the temperature which was pushing towards the 30 degree mark. I settled for the latter as a reasonable assumption. The next practice slot again was at 16h15. Again I tried my damdest but faired even worse not being able to this time better 1:37's and became somewhat frustrated. By the time Martin had arrived I gave him my run down and told him I personally felt the car was simply just lazy out of the corners. We left it for then and headed home.

The next morning early we were back at the track and 1,2,3 Martin was in think tank mode. Off with the tappet cover and some adjustments were quickly made. Then it was out with the spark plugs and a new set of race plugs fitted. The timing light was hauled out and a quick adjustment and resetting of the timing was done. "Try that and let me know if it's better" he said.

Qualifying was at 10h35 and I was eager to see if I could post closer to my previous best times as in all fairness the track was near perfect with lots of rubber on the deck and temperatures were good. By the end of my first qualifying lap I could already feel and see the difference. The Datti was crisp again and that 'edge' had returned.

I qualified with a best of 1:33.1 again putting me on pole for class D. I was chuffed. Due to the very busy weekend race schedule my first race was only off at 17h00, so for the rest of the day I spent chatting to fellow racers and also sat in T3 watching the other various race categories.

My first race turned out to be an absolute blast and the pace was fast. I had got off to a bad start due to some sleepy race souls ahead of me in Class C and Mike (Napoli) got the gap and got ahead of me. We all managed to get through T1 OK and like a pack of hungry wolves we all stormed for T2 not anyone giving an inch. Mike was this time caught in traffic and I took him going through T2. He hung on to my rear for dear life but again traffic in T5 resulted in Mike coming off second best. I held him off for the rest of the race beating him by a comfortable 3.7 sec margin.

Race 2 was scheduled for 12h05 on the Sunday and temperatures were somewhat cooler while track conditions had improved even further with all the racing that had again taken place. A slight thunder shower on the Saturday evening was welcomed which somewhat brought down the temps just a tad. Race 2 was an absolute cracker with Mike this time 1 row behind me. Mike had a great start and beat me from a rolling start squarely getting by on the outside. We got away from the pack behind us but their cars were definitely quicker. English competitor Lee Moulden in the Gunston coloured Capri was eventually all over me finally taking me going into Turn 1 on lap 6 and splitting Mike and myself. We still raced on one another's bumpers as if we were glued to each other. Paul Ammann in the Scirrocco also got involved with him passing me down the straights only for me to out brake him again in the corners. Paul did eventually get passed and that’s how the 4 of us finished, nose to tail stuff with only 1.2 seconds separating the four places (Mike, Lee, Paul and myself). In the interim I also landed up posting my fastest time ever at a 1:32.57 thereby also incurring my first official breakout. (That I know of)

The last and final race 3 was off at 16h30 with a slight mist now having come in from the sea and bringing some cool relief. This time both Mike and I had good rolling starts and we soon were out on our own with Mike leading due to a 3 car start lead he had from the finish in the second race. Never once were we more than a cars length away from each other and it became a duel to the last lap. Having watched and observed for 5 laps being behind Mike I picked up on some weaknesses and I eventually made a move and took the lead from him going into T1 on the start of lap 6. It was door to door racing, never once touching and only allowing each other enough room to hold our lines. Mike tried all the tricks he had and on 2 occasions pulled next to me going down the back straight into T5 only for me to out brake him and hold my position ahead of him. Coming out of T5 for the last time it was bumper to bumper as we dragged each other to the finish line with the Datti taking the win by a mere 0.173 seconds and the closet other class D car behind Mike some 16 seconds behind. What a cracker it was and much to the joys and delight of the crowds. Thanks Mike for a great days racing between two classic cars.

That’s what racing is all about and I can only again say a BIG word of thanks to Martin who once again had the winning trick tucked up under his sleeve. I was just the nut behind the steering wheel throughout the whole weekend.

Thanks ‘Boet’

Enough is Enough

December 6th was the last race of the season to be held at the big K and the 'classic car' brigade was afforded an extra race which of course counted for no points as the championship had already finished. This therefore gave some of the old classic die-hards and thoroughbred racers another chance to 'do it one more time'.

Martin had already decided long prior to the race that he would be sitting out entirely as the minister of finance gave strict instructions to 'tighten our belts' and save where we could. This sounded like a good opportunity to do just that and instead he decided to sit in T3 and watch the clowns put on our show.

Qualifying was afforded to the classics unexpectedly and was most welcomed. The Datti was sounding as sweet as ever even although she now had a full and hard race season behind her. The track temperature was already good at 09h20 and the weather conditions near perfect. I thought to myself, do I or don't I. What the hell, just once more. I gave it my best and qualified the Datti in second place with a time of 1:33:2 and was actually quite chuffed I could still post such a time after all the racing the poor motor had already completed during the season.

Race 1 was off at 11h50 and as per usual the Datti performed effortlessly as she had always done throughout the season finishing second behind Jaco who had now decided to race dad's Anglia for a change. I returned to pit and did the necessary race prep for the next heat off at 16h20. I then was off to T3 and watched the rest of the days race precedings from there.

Having enjoyed and spent time out at T3 I returned to pit, put on my 'baby grower' and took the Datti to the pre-race paddock and parked in my start position. There I warmed the car to just on race temperature and cut the engine. While waiting for the race before us to finish I put on the rest of my race gear and as per norm entered 'focus' mode. We started up and proceeded on to the track and as per norm started scrubbing the tyres to warm them up and clear any previous cool down debris. Having not even reach turn 1 I suddenly heard a noise coming from the engine which I was not sure of but it did sound rather terminal and evidently it was. I slowly returned to pit while the rest passed me by on there rolling start lap. A quick inspection at the pit indicated that the problem was in the head but due to my limited knowledge of the internal combustion engine, I was unable to diagnose exactly the cause. I just went back to T3.

Sunday morning we returned to the track and by means of a fancy camera used in the motor industry we (Martin hello) determined that the inlet valve seat in No1 cylinder had disintegrated and was the cause of the problem. Well, I was somewhat relieved that it was not anything much worse and accepted the fact that after continuously revving the Datti in excess of 7000 RPM at each race something had to eventually give.

Evidence of the damage in No1 cylinder.









Having already achieved far more than was ever expected during the season I bid the ol' Datti farewell till next season. In the meantime the motor will be redone and some suspension work is definitely needed for competition in 2009.

Once again I bow my head with gratefulness for all that my 'boet' did and achieved with the 1400 Datti.

Thanks 'Boet'

I did it 'My Way'

The last race of the championship for 2008 was held last weekend (15 November 2008) and what a race day day it turned out to be.

Well, that is for everyone else that raced. Friday was a limited day for 'classics' and due to the schedule, and understandably so. We were only afforded 1 practice round at 16h00 with a qualifying round scheduled for 17h15. As per usual, every nut an bolt was again checked from front to back, the front disc pads were replaced and oil levels top up where required prior to the car even getting to the track. The motor was ever so sweet and little was done or required in this department. My (our) race strategy was really quite simple, just go out there and finish a race even it's just the one heat. We had already done enough going into the last race to secure the class win for the season. So off I went at 16h00 to just see that all the noises were being made in the right places etc. Well on lap 2, I had lost 3rd gear and by the time I got back to the pits, I'd lost 2nd gear as well. Not phased, I went and collected the stored 2nd hand gearbox from the workshop and returned leisurely to the track. Qualifying was also subsequently cancelled due to some oil spills which had to be cleaned up properly before sunset.

To cut a very long story short, after the 4th time of having to remove and fit the replacement box we finally had it in at 22h00. All seemed OK however it was evident this was not the best race box you could lay hands on. While you could get all the gears, changing from 3rd to 4th and back was very tricky as the selector gates were obviously damaged. So we settled for 2nd best and enjoyed a few well deserved liquid refreshments and and a well earned braai. We left at approximately 01h00 for some rest and returned bright and breezy the next morning at 07h30.

Saturday, race day and it turned out to be a beautiful summers day and perfect for racing. The crowds were huge and the outfields were packed to capacity for this last major calendar event of the season. Our race was only scheduled for 11h00 and plenty time was therefore available to do the pre race checks and refuelling etc. A rolling start was again the order of the day and by all standards it was a good and fast start for a change. Everything seemed great until I just before T2 where for the love of me I could not get 3rd gear. Man it sounded like those early day gear boxes without syncromesh gears just grinding away like a cheap old coffee grinder. I eventually got 3rd, hit the gas peddle and off I went towards T3 trying to hook 4th the just before the kink. Again the coffee grinder was on full song, eventually slipping in just before I had to now change back to 3rd for T3. It was inevitable, this race was not going to be a very competitive one. The rest of the race was very much a procession of grinding and vibrating my way to the finish line eventually finishing a low 4th in my class D, Jaco, Arnold and Derek all having past me while I happily ground my way to the finish. Well, that was not the end just yet, as the Datti had in the interim also vibrated so much so, that the starter motor broke both mounting brackets clean off against the bell housing. Having made it now through T1 I coasted towards T2 but by the time I'd reached T2 the car had now died on me as well with smoke starting to pour into the car. I could immediately smell it was electrical. I managed to stop on the oval track section out of harms way and waited for a tow back to the pit. Ya well no fine. Almost an hour and a half later only then was I towed to where I laid the Datti to rest. A quick check by Martin and it was evident that that starter motor had broken free from the housing and shorted against the cross member thereby causing the electrics to say 'hoesit'. In the meantime while I was stuck out on track waiting for a tow back to the pits, the lovely CAR girls were eager to get their hands onto me and stood waiting in anticipation for my appearance. Of course it never happened and in my absence Martin took good care of all that devoted attention.

Looking back, it was sufficient that I had just completed the race which if my maths is correct I would have earned just 2 points for a start and finish and 3 points for finishing 4th in the race. That therefore makes it my worst race of the season which according to rule 8.3 means this is the race which I will now drop and re-instate my previously dropped 13 well deserved points taking my total tally for the year to 101.

This season must go down as being one of my best years in my life where I had originally only set out to merely compete in 'classic cars' and be a part of my brothers much loved sport. Half way through the season my 'boet' said to me, "you're looking good so far, I want you to just win class D for me for the year, and I know you can do it". I thought this would be the least I could do to somehow repay my boet a favour for all his dedicated efforts and preparation put into my race car during the year. Well, as it now turns out I not only won the class, but also the silver cup and last but not least, the overall 'classic car' championship in my very first FULL year of racing. While I'm immensely chuffed with my achievements for the season, I have to admit and pay credit where credit is due, that without Martin's help and race guidance throughout the season, this would never have occurred and for that I am immensely grateful and proud to be a brother of such a devoted and determined race hero.

Thanks again 'boet' for all that you have done during this memorable season and we will both celebrate our success achieved at an appropriate time and venue later this month.

Thanks my 'Champ'

Something's 'A-miss'

Glorious sunshine beamed down upon Killarney and the race fraternity this past weekend bringing some welcome relief to the rain drenched Cape. Spectators were plentiful and racing was good.

During the previous event of September and now (October) a little refreshing was done to the Datti 1400 GX and clearly the times were proof of that as she constantly ran 1:33's throughout the day even allowing me to clinch pole in class D ahead of Jaco Lambert with a 1:33:64 on the Friday evening. (Just for the record my 1400cc posted an unofficial 1:32:55 during Fridays practice even although I had a good tow from being behind Rob Ferrolli's Jetta)

Saturday dawned and our first race was off at 10h20 with Jaco Lambert in his Escort 1700cc plus on my left going down the straight into turn 1. I managed to hold Jaco until turn 2 where he managed to get ahead of me while I held Glen in the class C Anglia at bay. Unfortunately it was not for long as Dougie Davids dumped his sump from turn 2 all the way around turn 3 making the race line almost impossible to follow. Being fully aware that Jaco was nowhere in contention as far as points was concerned, I settled for second place in class D for the first race with Arnold Lambert 0.2 seconds behind me in his 1600cc plus Anglia.

Having refuelled the Datti with another 10L of 102 octane propellant, Race 2 was off at 15h05. My closest rival was in class F as far as the championship went but he only managed to finish 3rd in class F during the first heat due to a spin resulting from the oil on the track. This took a little more pressure off and allowed me some slack which unbeknown to me was going to come in very handy later on. Again I was in the 1:33's posting a best of 1:33:36 in lap 5. Jaco was again well ahead of me with both Mike and Arnold hounding me like hound dogs chasing a fox. Lo and behold in lap 6 I picked up a miss which suddenly had me in a flat spin. I wasn't too concerned about my position as I had already done the necessary calculations before the race but was more concerned about not finishing the race at all. I slowed in the event that I was running low on fuel and finally crossed the finish line in 4th place after allowing both Arnold and eventually Derek through as well. Upon returning to the pits all the electrics and plug wiring was double checked without any finding but a tap on the fuel tank produced a rather very echoing and hollow sound clearly indicating that the liquid propellant required for proper and efficient internal combustion had been rapidly consumed through normal aspiration and combustion leaving the remainder of 102 liquid propellant well below the pickup.

My combined total race time resulted in me finishing 3rd overall for the day and un-officially the championship should now be out of reach to the rest of the classic car contenders as my closest rival Peter Harrison posted a DNF in the second heat thereby putting him out of further contention. It hasn't quite sunk in yet but with one race left I still have one final move to make on the 15th November all while we wait for the official points results and announcements.

Again it goes without saying that without a person with the vast amount of race knowledge and engine technology such that my 'Boet' Martin has, I wouldn't find myself in the position I now am. I will go publicly on record and now declare that there isn't a more experienced person in South Africa today that knows more than Martin when it come to racing Datsuns/Nissans.

Finish and Klaar!!

Thanks 'Boet' my CHAMP!!!