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HELEN FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT

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MEGAN - SEASON OPENER.

 

SNETTERTON

Snetterton 1 2009

 

There are two major changes to Megan for 2009, a new exhaust, and wider rubber.

 

Sporting a new exhaust from Zero Exhausts, a full tubular manifold and big-bore stainless system, it required me to remove and remake the boot floor. Not lightened like many, just rearranged, it's still steel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We knew from the Brands trackday that the exhaust had made a huge difference, but not exactly how she'd fare at a power track.

 

So to Snett, and first round of the season and the first competetive challenge for Megan. She has about an extra 20-30% power than before, I think, and I'm now running on the wider 235/45/17 tyres that are permitted by my class, where better to see what she can do than at the number one power track in the UK.

 

With the new modifications to the car and the fact that I'm a little rusty from the break, testing is a must. The morning sessions went without a hitch but I wasn't exactly trying to throw it off the track at every corner, that comes later on when I've remembered where the corners are and I'm happy that the car is behaving itself.

 

All I will say though is that she definitely goes a lot better in a straight line when you press the loud pedal and she can easily swat a standard saloon or XJS without breaking a sweat.

 

The afternoon sessions started and almost instantly I developed a misfire, the ignition light was on very faintly and wouldn't go out when I revved the engine so I returned to base, quick look around the car on my own (rest of team very busy as blue car was sat there with no engine in it), found the battery was flat. Quick swap for the spare and then I had to wait for the next session to begin so I could try again.

 

Next session arrived and out I went, no problems at all, the car was fast and I was ready to start the madness of trying to find the limits when on lap three a hiccup and the misfire was back. I decided to continue and see if it would clear itself, the car had moments of full power followed by complete loss of power for a second or two followed by full power again. It was a bit like fuel starvation but without the warning signs of stuttering etc. This was more like the car was being turned off and back on, there was no middle ground, it had to be electrical. The problem began to get worse all of a sudden and before I knew it the car suddenly died going into a braking zone, locked its rear wheels and span. I knew it was time to go back in and get more help.

 

Back in the paddock the battery was flat again, the car was definitely not charging. I swapped the battery again whilst the ignition light was bypassed for another lamp to see if it was the cause of the problem. The car was fired up and the light went out, my last session of testing was now over so I could only drive it around the paddock again to test, no problems like last time were found and fingers and toes were crossed that the problem was over as the next time on track was qual.

 

Qualifying time and I followed Andrew to assemble with Stewert behind me, when we got there we found only one car ahead of us in the line up. A standard car and only a 3.6 at that so I never looked at him at being a problem for me. I was right, Andrew tried to pass him into turn one and forced his way past by two and I just followed him through leaving the other car no option. I was still right behind Andrew with the intention of following him for a lap or two to watch his lines when I realised that I was catching him really quickly down the straght.

 

I had two options, pass or back off and follow. You guessed it, I swatted him like he was standing still and Stewert followed me through. I was now the lead car in qual and started my first timed lap with Stewert right behind me, I knew that he would pass me down the straight but what I didn't think was that it would take him the whole length of the straight for him to do so, that was a shock and the first time I really realised that I was driving a quick car. The rest of qual was me trying to hold onto the back of Stewert to see if I could hold on but no, he slowly pulled away until ten minutes in when the misfire returned and I had to retire from qual.

 

I had managed to put the car fourth on the grid and second in class, not too bad to say the car isn't behaving. All I could do is swap the battery again and hope that it would run long enough to finish the race.

 

Race time and on the grid in front of me is Merritt and to my right is Coppock with Stewert ahaid of him, this is the closest to the front that I've ever started. I got a good start and Coppock also but Stewert didn't which forced Coppock to rub his car across my front bumper to avoid him. This caused me to lift or take to the grass and in the process I was passed by Palmer who started behind me, I have now lost a place by turn one and worst of all a place in class. I did my best to keep with the now front four and they weren't really getting away. At the end of lap two Coppock broke down and I was back up to fourth with Palmer just ahead and Stewert a little ahead of him harassing Merritt, who was starting to look a little ragged.

 

On lap three Merritt ran wide on the exit of turn two, lost control and hit Stewert, they both ended up on the grass and Palmer took the lead. Somehow Stewert managed to power it down the grass and came back on the track in front of me half way down the straight, when he got to the end all the dust he collected off the grass came out and I almost forgot to brake watching him.

 

Looks like a Jag can still stop when you brake a hundred yards too late. I was now right behind Stewert and then disaster, a misfire, I continued as it's the race and I'm in third place with a huge lead on fourth. The safety car came out to aid in the recovery of Merritt and to remove Andrew who had stopped on the corner around the Bomb hole. I knew I was in trouble but it's a safety car and theres no overtaking so I continued in case the race ended early.

 

The misfire got worse and worse and when the safety car went in I pressed the pedal and nothing, by the time the power came back I had lost three places. I was sixth by turn one, by turn two I was dead last and by the time I had made it to the end of the lap to retire I was actually looking in the mirror for the leaders to make sure that I didn't get in the way.

 

End of my race.

 

Meetings one finishes zero.

 

That's gloomy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Remaking the boot floor. Note the pristine working conditions and the very safe trailing of electrical cables through the mud.

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