F.....ck those Datsuns..........................are quick!!

Well it was race time again (27th March) however this time round the 140Z was not to be a part of it due to some race parts still being awaited from the USA. The 140Z has demonstrated beyond all doubt that a well prepared and tuned 4-cylinder can put in times that will make any opposition stand up and take note. What has equally been demonstrated is that you can only do so much to a 4-cylinder race engine where after reliability or rather the lack thereof starts playing a vital role as we saw. As such the 140Z will now be de-tuned to a more reliable state of tune where after it will once again resume race duty first in class X and hopefully thereafter back to class A.

In the meanwhile we did some head scratching as to what we will need to do in order to allow the Datti GX Coupe to be a little more competitive in class C. I will be the first to admit that realistically this car is super competitive in class D and ideally does not belong in class C. However going backwards is not an option either and I did the inevitable by asking the very person who gives 110% in preparation on this car if he could squeeze a little more just so that we can at least be up there with the other class C competitors. I had conjured up some weird and wonderful ideologies and suggested that we consider the possibility. The Datsun master said 'leave it to me' and I duly did not expecting anything to dramatic. Boy was I horribly wrong. Not only did he implement the changes to the entire intake and exhaust system but also lowered the entire car all while still retaining the original suspension parts. As per usual I flew down on the Thursday night and we met at the track. After our ritual greeting and hellos I had the opportunity to at least take it down pit lane where after I parked it for the night. The sound of the new exhaust was most obvious. The extra oomph however was mind boggling and put a smile on my face sufficient that if it wasn't for my ears, the top of my head would have fallen off.

Friday morning we had some running around to attend to and we eventually got to the track by 12h00. The normal routine checks out of habit were done and the tyre pressures were adjusted as per the norm. My first practice session was at 13h46 and I was rather eager to get to grips with my rejuvenated Datti. I donned the overalls, helmet and gloves and eventually took to the track slowly at first just to get some heat into the tyres and to get a feel of the car and its handling difference. Man was I impressed especially coming out of the corners. On lap 2 I upped the pace slightly and it felt good and eventually coming at full tilt through T4 and onto the back straight I silently said, 'gimme what ya got'. About halfway down the straight I encountered a miss, took T5 and again nailed it down the main straight again noticing a miss. I immediately slowed and coasted back to the pits. 'Mr Datsun' grilled me with all kinds of questions and eventually made a decision to the likely cause. A further change was made to the fuel system and a new set of plugs were put in just in case. We now had to make a call as to whether the problem was solved or whether we had to make further changes which then required that we go back to the workshop. I duly requested the chief marshals permission for a quick 2 lap test run and was duly given permission to go out with the Sports & GT category. Again I took to the track and all seemed clear. I hit the back straight and let her run until reaching full revs and she was clear throughout the entire rev range. Again down the main straight and again she was clear. I pitted after the 2 laps satisfied that the problem was solved. My next session was at 16h10 and I needed to do a time to ascertain the improvement over my previous best time of 1:32.0 done in February. Again we checked the basics and everything was 100%. Time seemed to move so slowly. I eventually got my chance and by now the air temperature had cooled somewhat all while the track conditions were still good. My first lap was great and it was evident that this Datti had some serious grunt for an A14 and I was soon to see why. I started my second lap and man it felt good, she turned well, accelerated brilliantly and sounded awesome on the back straight. I hit T5 with a much greater speed than normal and the brakes worked well. Coming out of T5 she rocketed out all while drifting slightly to the edge, I held her and let her rev up towards the start finish and even before reaching it 'Mr Datsun' gave me the thumbs up signal, 'Job Done'. I crossed the finish and posted in the 1:29's. My jaw dropped and my delight was like that of giving sweets to a child.

Saturday, race day and again we were denied a qualifying session meaning that we would use our previous race's best time to make up the grid and thereby putting me second to Dave Alhadeff in the 2000cc Alfa GT Junior. Overnight rain ensured that the track would likely be somewhat slower but by now it had cleared and the track was dry. A rolling start was done as per the norm and at lights out I hoofed it clinging to the back bumper of the Porsche 911 of William Carter as we approached turn 1, Dave on my outside having the better line for T2. I took the outside line on T2 and took Carter and got Dave going through the kink heading for T3 with Dave right up behind me. I new the Alfa was quick here but not ever having had the opportunity to be up here with him I was still unsure. We headed for T4, a dab on the brakes and then peddle to the mettle through T4 and on to the back straight. By now I had pulled a slight gap on the Alfa but now it was who had the best legs down the back. The Datti surprised me as it kept pulling down the back. I hit the brakes hard as I passed the 50m brake marker, the left front locking up slightly under heavy braking due to the extra speed carried. Dave closed on me only slightly. Through T5 and on the exit the Datti simply pulled away from the Alfa. Man this was good. This lasted for the entire race with me eventually finishing 0.3 sec ahead of the Alfa and in turn posted a personal best of 1:30.1 during the race.

Race 2 and I now found myself 4th on the grid as all 3 Sciroccos had withdrawn from class B with Dave in the Alfa this time on my left. Again a brilliant rolling start was done and this time I was tucked right up behind the 530 BMW of Charles Arton in class A, the lights went off and I held onto that BM's back bumper like paint going into T1. Dave still next to me held on dearly, but coming out of T1, the BM simply disappeared in to the distance and I managed to out drag the Alfa going into T2. Again for the entire race it was a ding dong battle with Dave pushing me at every corner hoping that I would somewhere make a mistake so that he could capitalise. Mistakes I made aplenty as I pushed as hard as I could through each corner but held him off to the finish line with a mere 0.7 sec separating us this time around. In turn Dave put in his fastest ever time of 1:29.7, while the Datti got down to a blistering 1:29.6. After 16 hard fought laps we were separated by 1 second in time difference.

The 2 wins ensured a class win for the day and to my utmost surprise I was awarded the 'Driver of the Day' award at prize giving that evening. I still cannot actually believe that an A14 motor can be tuned to such competitive heights, proof once again that I still have the greatest Datsun engine builder in the country without any question of doubt.

Thanks 'Boet'.

A 'cracking' start to 2010.

The start to the 2010 race season proved to be a rather expensive one to begin with for the Datti 1400GX. It all started going pear shaped from the airport on the Thursday night already but that was completely out of my control and I had to put it behind me albeit R2000 later. The commencement of the new season was now in full swing and I had to get some practice under the belt after nearly a 2 month lay off. The Datti had again been thoroughly prepared mechanically and only needed to be cleaned and the required new sponsorship decals applied. This was all done and accomplished by lunch time leaving me with 2 full sessions available for testing purposes. I took to the track at 14h00 and slowly got back into the swing of things but by the 4th practice lap the dreaded miss as suffered last December was back, so into the pits I pulled. A check by Mr Datsun himself confirmed another blockage in the needle and seat area. This was again removed and cleared without much effort. So we went out again at 16h45 to retest everything. The Datti was sounding as sweet as could be but coming down the main straight past the pit area I noticed a metal object hurtling along the ground which had come from under the car some 150m ahead of me. It looked like about 200mm in length and simply cartwheeled onto the bonnet front-end and into the windscreen blasting a hole and a huge impact shatter. Now I realized what Filipe Massa must have gone through. Luckily it did not penetrate and only splintered the glass that was shot into the car. All said and done, I was happy and was still able to see through the windscreen damage albeit with some difficulty.

Saturday morning qualifying was at 09h30 and it was perfect race weather with light cool winds and overcast while the track temp was just right. I was now faced with the fact that this was a start of a new season and yes, I was still in class C but had to now raise my efforts if I was to remain within chase of any glory among the much bigger and powerful cars. The Datti was absolutely brilliant and on lap 3 I manged a personal best ever of 1:32.0 and was so chuffed I pulled in satisfied that it should stand me for good. After checking the results it left me in 2nd place within class C with the 2L Alfa Junior of Dave Alhadeff in 1st position.

Race 1 was off at 14h00 and I gave my best but was never ever able to catch the much quicker Alfa and so settled for a comfortable 2nd place in class C. Upon reaching parc ferme, the scrutineers took a look at the windscreen and decided it was too dangerous to continue and would have to replace it. So that evening we fetched my spare and fitted it ala NASCAR style.

Race 2 was on Sunday which was a much cooler day with a hint of rain in the air. The first heat was due off at 11h00. I firstly took my car down to the scrutineer bay where they re-issued my certificate to compete after having now replaced the windshield overnight and were satisfied that it was now safe to race again. The grid was made up from the results of the 1st heat and was next to Dave again. The start was of medium pace and was now in a close dice with the pack. Going down the back straight and into T5 I over did it under braking and found myself in the marbles and ran very wide off the circuit. I manged to hold it and keep going and got back on now a further 6 places down the field. I now had a race for my life as I was determined to regain the lost ground from my mistake made. It was not easy but I kept a cool head and picked them off one by one. Lo and behold on about lap 7 it started to miss again but I was determined to just keep going. Slowly all the ground I had made up was being lost and those that I had past were catching me again . Luck was still on my side as after Keith Andrews had now passed me, he too slowed down again and I retook the position still with the misfire. On the last turn now heading for the chequered flag I had no option but to allow the Alfa Sud through of Mike Napoli and finished 0.4 seconds behind him at the finish and in 3rd place in class class C. So we again had to clean the needle and seats of each carburetor. It was now evident that the fuel hosing had to be replaced for our next event in March.

Race 3 was due at 14h30 and the weather had now cleared quite a bit and was quite hot. Starting from 14th position on the grid I now had to put in a good result if I was to stay in the running for a top 3 position for the weekend. The rolling start was done at a cracking pace and it was a cooker from lights out at the start. I was always in with a shout but on lap 4 I spun in the huge oil spill coming out of T2 and other too followed suit. I suffered no damage and managed to get the car started again and was off this time ahead of Dave in the Alfa who also went off in the oil. No sooner had I regained to the track and the race was red flagged only to have to do it all over again this time with only 6 laps. At the restart I found myself in a comfortable 2nd place knowing that Dave was now out of the running and that I was never going to catch the Northern region entrant of Wenzel Nortman in the 2L Toyota Corrolla SR5. In the end the final results for class C were Nortman from Richards with Napoli taking ovrall 3rd.

After all said and done it was a great weekend with many ups and downs but I was most satisfied with what was achieved by the Datti and among also some great fellow competitors.

Thanks 'Boet'

Retro Datsuns

Well after a long wait and preparation it was game on. You may recall that I had posted a video of a lap of Kyalami as well as references to a website in which a full lap description was available. I used this as reference and guide to a track that most of the Cape Town guys who traveled to the 9-Hour retro race had never ever raced on and I believe that to degree it helped at least some.

On the Thursday night the Datsuns arrived, one having been towed up while the other (1400 Datti) was on a transporter together with 10 other cars all from Cape Town. We duly unpacked and prepped our allocated space in the pit area all in preparation for the Friday. Friday morning we were up at sparrows and the Cape Town guys we duly greeted by the Friday morning traffic. A journey that takes 5 minutes took us 30 minutes in the traffic. Then it was down to business. We had already fueled the cars before leaving Cape Town and only had to make tyre pressure checks and changes. Obviously minor pre-checks such as oil levels, brake fluid and water levels etc. were also done. Peter Lindenberg had arranged and made the effort to drive us the race lines for those that had never turned a wheel here before which was most helpful.

At 09h00 and already at a temperature of 23 degrees we were on for the first time and on lap 7 the 140Z put in a lap of 2:02.8 first time out ever. The second session was skipped and in the 3rd session the 140Z got down to a 2:02.3 still on 8" rubber. For the qualifying we decided to change the rubber and on lap 2 during qualifying a 2:00.4 was done to utmost satisfaction. Sadly the 1400 Datti suffered with a miss for all 3 of the practice sessions including the qualifying. We new that it was fuel starvation although we had already replaced the fuel filter (which was dirty) and for the qualifying session we eventually put our original CT jets back in desperation only to confirm that it did not solve the problem either. After the qualifying session had ended the Datsun guru went through the fuel system with a fine tooth comb and worked his way from the back to the front. Upon taken the carburettors apart it was eventually discovered that a piece of black rubber (probably fuel line hose) was the cause of the problem on the back carburettor blocking the fuel bowl from filling correctly. The floats were then also thoroughly checked for any possible leaks. Having now found the problem, I used the post '73 - pre '84 qualifying session to test and duly posted a 2:14.6 which I was more than happy with as it now at least revved cleanly all the way to 7000 rpm. Arrangements were then subsequently made with the COC to allow the time for the pre-77 classes EFG which he duly agreed to. I also duly arranged my original entry form classing to be amended to reflect correctly and was duly assigned to class F based upon my best time officially posted. We sealed the afternoon off with a few welcome liquid refreshments and set off for home and a reasonably early night.

Saturday morning dawned and as per norm we arrived at the track at approximately 07h00 for our traditional race preparation routine. There was not more we could do other than put all we had learned into practice. Race 1 for class ABCD was off at 10h10 and the 140Z was driven hard into third place behind the V8 Capri Perana (Z181) and the BMW 3.0CSL (batmobile) of Uli Sanne and in the process manged to post a fantastic 1:59.4. The fourth placed car finished a full 25 seconds later behind him. The little 1400 Datti had one heck of a dice with a very sideways on every corner 280E Merc for the first few laps which I managed to get past, after which he then fell right off the pace due to excessive tyre wear I guess. I then had a humongous dice with my local JHB race buddy Ted Young in an Anglia for the remainder of the race. I cannot explain the closeness of it and I only hope that the TV coverage will display some of the close action. In the interim I also managed to post a 2:12.0 which was my target time zone anyway (2:10.0 to 2:13.0).

Race 2 was almost a repeat of race 1 with the 140Z again finishing in 3rd place behind the 'batmobile' while the fourth placed Robin Forbes in the V8 Corvette finished a full 30.1 seconds later. This gave the 140Z an overall 2nd in class C. The Datti meanwhile managed to keep the 280E Merc and the more powerful and fatter tyred Escort MkI of Gert Botes well at bay this time round and again landed up with a full 8 lap dice with the class E Anglia, that of Ted Young. The closeness and overtaking opportunities were aplenty on every conceivable lap with Ted holding on to the finish line to beat me by 0.8 seconds. My hat off to Ted for withstanding the pressure for a full 8 laps all while his tyres were fading fast. I managed in turn to take overall in class F for the day, a result most unexpected, yet most appreciated. To say that I was tired is a gross understatement, but one race event that I'll never forget.

Kyalami is undoubtedly a very challenging track to say the least but we managed to get the better of it albeit this time round anyway, never once losing control or letting it get the better of us.

Once again 'Mr Datsun' came up with all the answers and solutions and let both Cape Town Datsuns do the talking. A brilliant way to end a season and again I must thank my 'boet' for just making it so much easier with perfect race prep for each and every race this year.

Thanks 'boet'.

THADULPHUKEM

Wesbank racing is the BIG league in racing and to be chosen to be a part of the huge event which also includes Production cars, VW Polo Cup, Formula VW is always a privilege to be a part of. Saturday 26th September 2009 was no exception and the Mighty Datsuns were there as always. Due to the large number of championship events it was impossible to afford everyone equal track time and to a degree is understandable. The classic car brigade were afforded 90 minutes practice on the Thursday only with no other time to be afforded. Having only arrived on Thursday evening that put paid to any practice time for the Datti. It was also predicted well within the week that a 60% chance of rain was expected on race day and lo and behold it was on schedule as predicted.

Friday was pretty busy most of the day with minor checks and changes being made on the 140Z but more so in the lube department. It somehow felt it was taking forever but ever so frequently a head would pop in to say hello (pardon the pun), make some chit chat with even the odd youngster asking 'hallo unkle, can I take a pitsser of you ka', jusus is nice neh. You just have to love them!! (If Martin could have charged a rand for every photo taken this weekend it would have paid all the costs for his 2010 race season!!)

Among the visitors were none other than Sarel 'Supervan' vd Merwe who was mighty impressed with the 140Z but chose to rather donate the FWD sticker given to him to Terry Moss to put on his Citi Golf. Equally impressed and also somewhat taken aback at the effort to detail was Colin Clay who himself raced a Wesbank space frame version of the 140Z as well as the person who actually subsequently bought Colin's wesbank car (his name escapes me now). A mighty eventful day none the less. As for the 1400 Datti, well not much was required to be done other than a good wipe down (or so I thought). We were to officially qualify last of the day at 17h40 but due to some minor delays were only off at about 18h00. The light held up (just) enough to put in a quick lap or two. Not expecting too much given that no practice was afforded the 140Z got down to a 1:24.1 while the little Datti could only post a 1:34.0. Not exactly the greatest times by both cars but most certainly nothing to be ashamed about. It all comes down to delivering on race day. The subtle SMS's received during the week as to expect surprises from certain race quarters to trounce the 140Z was anxiously awaited.

Saturday, race day and the classic car guys were first up on the program and scheduled for 09h35. The 140Z managed to start from 3rd on the grid with the Rotary in 2nd spot and the Can-Am on pole. (Incidentally the Can-Am is officially the first classic car to break the 23:5 cut-off by more than 0.3 sec and therefore now falls into class X. His qualifying time was a blistering 1:22.8). A rolling start got the field off to a good start in somewhat cool weather conditions but the pace up front was everything BUT cool. Rolino was as usual all over the place with the power from the 'bucking bronco' Can-Am but hold on he did. The 140Z did manage to eventually squeeze into 2nd place but Carolin in the Rotary held on for dear life. The dual upfront was hot on every conceivable lap. Further down field the Datti was in a brilliant dice again with the class D guys (Jaco & Jonathan) and the pace was brisk. The Datti was unfortunately sliding all over the show which was somewhat unusual. This time the track could not be blamed for dirt, or lack of rubber and I had to take all the blame myself. As the weather continued to cool I guess I simply miscalculated for the cooler track conditions than usual and over inflated the tyres explaining the lack of heat & grip. In a tussle with Jaco (Anglia) I did manage to get down to a 1:33.6 but only on the 6th lap. The brakes were also playing up which we corrected for the 2nd heat. By then it was too late, Jaco had got passed me going through T3 and managed to hold on for the win. Me now being in class C and out of the points contention made it fruitless to try and over drive the car and settled for 2nd in class C with only Dave being ahead who beat me by 4.3 seconds to the finish. Meanwhile the battle up front continued unabated and finally resulted in Rolino taking the win from Carolin then Martin and then Rose and posting times of 1:23.7, 1:23.5, 1:23.93 and 1:23.96 respectively. It was later heard to be rated as one of the best (if not the best) races of the day.


Race 2 was then last of the day again and was off at 17h45. This time however the weather had changed and rain was the rule of the race resulting in full wet weather tyres being required. Unfortunately not everyone had a set available and the field was reduced to 16. This time as a result of Rolino (Can-Am) not starting along with Carolin (Mazda Rotary) and Momberg (Capri) it was the 140Z who found himself on pole with Rose (Porsche 911 RS) second and the likes of the 2 FWD Sirocco's in 3 & 4 spots on the grid. The Datti found himself in 6th spot on the grid alongside Alhadeff (Alfa GT) in 5th place. Again it was a rolling start after initially having formed up on the start finish line grid with the 140Z blistering off as if it was a dry & glorious sunshine day. The rest of the field tried as best to keep on the wet black stuff. The Datti managed to pass Dave coming out of T2 and through the kink albeit somewhat hair raising moments but the Datti performed above expectation. This time around I learned from the first race, when cooler, go lower. And by midway through the race I was out on my own, however not until the unexpected Meisner Y151 tried to out do the 1400 Datti. I allowed him through with full knowledge that this was a class A car after all and stuck behind him. It was soon evident going through T2 that the car was in control and not actually the driver and then later on the main straight again almost collecting the wall. I decided this was not the best place to be and managed to out drag the Class A Escort from T2 as my wets were now at there best and I never saw him again. With all due respect to Louis, 'marie biscuit' intermediates just didn't cut it in those weather conditions and he finally managed finishing in 9th place. It was during the 6th lap when believe it or not mister 140Z actually LAPPED me coming out of T5 and I was then in lonely 5th place. What can I say!! When you're good, you're brilliant. The supposed onslaught from the German FWD brigade never even materialized and they were finally trounced to a 56 second hiding in the WET!!

THADULPHUKEM or like someone else said, 'DATTILPHUKEM'.

Having beaten Dave (who finished a most respectable 8th) by 15.5 seconds during the 2nd heat it thereby afforded me in my very first outing, an overall class C win. They say that in racing you need luck. I just had GOOD luck. (In Yiddish its called 'glick')

Well done to all the drivers who took part as I don't either recall any unfortunate offs or oopses. We now have a long wait again until the last and final race of the season only in November. Till then, stay well!!


Thanks 'boet'.

C, I told you!

Can you believe it, our last race was 2 month ago thereby most certainly making my arms somewhat rusty and lethargic. Well it finally came about and now it was time to to again don the race overalls, helmet and boots. In the interim the 1400 Datti again underwent surgery as you may recall it ran a bearing at the last race meeting on practice day. While at it we thought we may as well sort the vibration out and again try and fix the gearbox. So I went happy hunting for synchro's as none were locally available in Cape Town. Indeed they were and still are scarce but I did manage to locate first 3 and later another 1 from a JHB dealer. So I sent that down to CT by courier and had those installed and setup. The prop shaft universal joints were also replaced as a matter of precaution and again had the prop balanced. The engine was stripped, had the necessary done to it, fitted a new set of bearings (some tweaks) and was finished during the last week of August. Martin took it out on the Saturday of 29 August and did the necessary engine break in and proudly reported a vibration free Datti with a smooth gearbox and a motor that packed a serious punch. Proof of that was that he managed to beat my personal best of a 1:32.5 set in February this year and now stood at a 1:32.2.

In the meanwhile the 140Z only had some minor cosmetics done and didn't require any major needs or requirements. Now that's how I like it. So it was off to the track on Friday afternoon for a few laps of practice.

The 140Z only required a new set of brakes and only needed to be bed in prior to race day. Therefore no heroics were needed to be accomplished. I on the other hand need plenty track time to get back into it and get back into the groove. My 1st outing was very rusty and times were proof of that knowing that 32's had been achieved only last week. Given that the track was slow and dirty it did offer some comfort in being 1 second or so off normal pace posting a 1:34.4 at best. The second outing was more like it and with some more practice I manged to get down to a 1:33.8 which gave me a bit more confidence for race day. The maestro once again reminded me of some race lines to keep to. Your wish is my command, sir.

The evening was rounded off with a much welcomed and deserved 'braai' and was washed down with a few milos. 22h30 and we were out of there heading for some rest as 'boet' was still not 100's after the recent bought of flu.



Well race day arrived and it was up & adam early only to be greeted with a sopping wet track from light overnight rain. Qualifying was instead done from the current points table due to our session being red flagged. That meant the 140Z started 6th on the grid among the class A guys while the 1400 Datti was 3rd in class D and in 15th spot out of a field of only 27 starters. The usual rolling start was done and I found myself tucked up behind the silver tank of Andre Mouton in the V8 Studabaker Lark. I got off to a good start and found myself ahead of all the class D cars by turn 1. I held the lead in class D for about 3 laps when Jaco driving in dads class D Anglia eventually passed me on the back straight. Eventually the class B Mazda Rotary also managed to pass on the back straight and eventually took Jaco as well. I was now in a duel with the Anglia and the Mazda which was clearly off song and hounded both of them like a hungry wolf making up big time going through T4. I pushed Jaco as hard as I could eventually clocking a 1:32.9 before the Anglia finally cried enough and retired to the infield of the oval. The Mazda too came to a halt. As for the rest of the race I was out on my own with not a sole around or near me. Meanwhile the 140Z climbed his way into 3rd place after a nail biting duel with Chris Carolin in the Mazda Rotary who managed to pip him by 0.02sec to the finish line.

In race 2 the 140Z was now 3rd on the grid but with Rolino out 2nd place was now open while Rose still held pole with the Porsche. As for the 1400 Datti, I found myself in pole for class D and 11th on the grid with only Jonathan Bernstein now an outside threat as Jaco switched back to the Class C Escort. However next to me was the brand new BMW CSL of Derek Hulse who was in class X. Again I got off to a reasonable start and lead class D with Derek behind me through the tight back section. On the back straight he passed me half way down and was simply too strong against the Datti. I however stuck with him as best as possible as by now the closest was Jonathan who was way back by now (12 sec) anyway. I hounded the CSL through T1, T2, T3 and T4 on every conceivable lap finally breaking out on lap 4 by posting a 1:32.153. (The dangling carrot of 1:32.2 posted by my boet last Saturday was just too big not to take a grab at.) Eventually on lap 6 and after the CSL posted its fastest time on lap 6 of 1:32.287 I managed to pull alongside Derek in T5 but decided to let him go again as I had no threat from a class X competitor and in any case I had already done the time and paid the fine. He duly acknowledged such by waiving an apologetic hand coming out of T5 which was not even necessary. Lo and behold at the next corner T1, the CSL gave its last puff and finally pulled off with engine failure. So too did the Madza of Alan Dike and the V6 Capri that of Greg Sinden. And so the day ended on a high for the Datti. Meanwhile the 140Z held on and finished 2nd but not after having taken the lead from Rose and then being bumped going into T2 but also having to take evasive action when the Porsche missed a gear causing the 140Z to swerve so as to avoid hitting the back end of the Porsche and wiping out 2 cars. Instead, frontal damage to the spoiler resulted with it eventually being torn completely off. Another subject for another day.

So with the seasons end fast approaching we've now established that a 1400 can get down to class C times which gives us confidence for our plans next season. Meanwhile I'll try my best to be as competitive as possible in class C but will accept that the odds are now stacked heavily against me. Don't forget, other than for a modified engine, everything else from suspension the brakes to the gearbox to the diff is 'stock' standard and has really taken some extra effort on my part to get there. (If only I had more track time available to me!!)
I can only once again thank my 'boet' for the careful thought planning and efforts made in the engine department all while seriously suffering a bad bout of swine flu which literally put him out of action for more than a week and from which he has not yet fully recovered from. How he does it all I will never know but you can bet your bottom dollar, there's still more to come from BOTH Datsuns. In the meantime, class C here I come. Class A, watch out!!

THADULPHUKEM

Thanks 'Boet'