HELEN FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT

HELEN GETS GO-FASTER BITS.

Most-played in the garage this week - House.

Injury of the week - flayed back*.

Helper of the week - We're going to say Mr Dermott.

*pretty lady with own ointment required. Application forms available.

HELEN FTDS 10th March 2010

I've got 70 extra kilos to cart about, so I need to find the unfair advantage to get some pace back. Nothing I can do to the suspension, or the brakes, there's just no room in the regulations. Which only leaves power, or more efficient use of what power we have.

We know a friendly man with a beard who had a good exhaust already, and he's had an upgrade, so we can buy it off him. That takes care of power. Maybe. Really it wants a head, but then you can never get enough.

The restriction in the system remains the manifold. What can be done at the cast iron manifold is rather limited, and the regulations are a little vague about it, so a coat of what claims to be a miracle paint to reduce temperature and improve gasflow, that's about your lot.

The new exhaust is clearly bigger, and it removes the restriction in my old over-axle pipe - compare the narrow one with the enormous dent in it to the larger bore variety. It ought to be better, in theory.

Next question is whether the car can be made to go faster for free. Better use of what you have is the same as having more. She said.

We carry a rear spoiler already. 3kg of useless fibreglass. I've been paying attention to the streaks left by wet weather running, and it is entirely clear that it acts as neither a wing nor a spoiler, it does nothing.

I think that you can make a gain there within the regulations. You can't actually create downforce, it's a Jag for Christ's sake, but you might be able to spoil some of the lift, and there's at least a theory that there's a drag reduction into the mix.

No such thing as an off the shelf replacement, but you can make something. Which begs a question of what the rules say. No alterations to the silhouette of the car. So no. But rear spoilers are permitted. And we know from the Halfords special Stewert runs that it doesn't have to be a Jag spoiler. So yes.

Confused yet? Screw it, for the sake of some time I can make one. High tech construction, clearly. Some bits of an old caravan and some expansion foam.

It takes a while, but time is free on a day off.

Will it work? No idea. If it were in clean air, yes. But it's not. That dead zone behind the rear window is a prime holiday spot for turbulence, there is simply not enough clean airflow over it to do anything. Maybe.

It's the same dimensions as the old one, and it's a throwback to the Broadspeed Jags, but I give it about three minutes til the committee ban it.

Totally worth it.

The ally rad went in at Cadwell, and it was an on-site bodge. But it needs fixing more permanently, and it's an easy installation.

A change of brake pads all round and she's about ready to go.

4 new R1R tyres arrive, £510 of what turn out to be very, very soft rubber. The tyre fitter estimates their life at mere hours. I'll be testing them at Cadwell for the whole team. An improvement in laptime compared to a control test on the T1R will tell the others if they're the real deal or not.

No pressure then...

I am worried about the brakes, I can see there's more grip, and with more weight what exactly are the options? Drive slower, or risk killing the brakes and having the accident?

I think we all know which option I'm going to take. Probably best not take any passengers to Cadwell.

A quick check on the scales and with driver aboard and half a can of fuel she's 1585kg. Bang on the limit. I guess sometimes I can count after all. What's funny is that the balance is better than ever.

If the rear end is now settled it's possible the car might even now behave. If I can get her stopped. Bugger.