Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Jon Wolfe, 21-Oct-2006, 08:13am
We'll be there about 7pm on Friday...can't wait to get there.
Jon Wolfe
TR Register Race Champion and all round good egg (second part is under development).
Jon Wolfe
TR Register Race Champion and all round good egg (second part is under development).
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : David Thompson, 21-Oct-2006, 09:08am
I plan to get there late Friday afternoon to get the car scrutineered - I believe scrutineering is open 14:30 to 20:00. Does anyone have a list of the other teams?-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Davies, 23-Oct-2006, 05:08pm
All,
Looking forward!!!!!!
The Squadron will be arriving in stages.
Rather like a WW2 film, I may be sitting at Silverstone (itself an ex-airfield - what/who flew from there?) on Friday night/Saturday morning with anxious eyes on the horizon for my returning boys.
But I shall be rather more confident once I have them 'doing circuits'.
John
PS Quick Google:
RAF Silverstone was the base for No.17 Operational Training Unit, flying Wellington bombers, 1943-1946.
So, no live ops?
PPS There are 51 teams, David - which are you interested in?
Sad to say, the really historic stuff seems to have been retired from the Birkett.
No Bentlys, no Formula 750s etc. Ten teams with no car identity at all, complete fruit salad.
Ten teams of Lotus/CaterFields, three teams (!) of XK120s, two of Morgans, one of Cobras, one of Spridgets, one TVR and one of 2CVs (they are described as "2CV6"s - surely not?!).
Mallocks, some Locosts, the odd Capri, Cortina or TR6.
I won't presume to try and outguess the handicappers, but .....
J.
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : David Thompson, 25-Oct-2006, 10:25am
The Met office weather forecast for Saturday's Birkett meeting is predominantly light rain. With such a mixed field of cars (thanks John) it could make the handicapper's job interesting to say the least. Could give us minnows a better chance against the big boys and following Mr Davies' exploits at Nurburgring it's obvious that he has no fear when it comes to mixing it with the powerful cars in the rain but will that be enough to give the Spitfire Squadron the edge over the Sports Six Pack?
Fielding 2 open Spits in a wet race as we are may seem like savage amusement for the pilots but at least they won't suffer from the visibility issues we cocooned competitors suffer from. Could this be the Sports Six Pack's joker? That said, Simon Congdon has proved himself to be no slouch in the rain showing everyone the way home at Donington this year so that's another plus for the Spifire Squadron. However with 2 current champions and one ex champion in the Sports Six Pack it would be hard to have a better pedigree. Any one like to chance their hand at the odds?
Just off to the rolling road to try and pin down that annoying electrical glitch that seems to have dogged me for the last few races. NiG has just had his new engine set up and reports are of rude good health (the car that is - can't comment on NiG). Stacky's all buffed up and ready to go (the paintwork that is, again not the driver) whilst Mr Wolfe is playing it cool (literally I would think) on the Welsh Riviera. Andy and Steve have invested in a value pack of Rainex and Steve was asking if there would be a brolly dolly for him in the pit lane.
Roll on Saturday - come on the Sports Six Pack!-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Andy Vowell, 25-Oct-2006, 07:54pm
2 reigning champions and 2 ex champions in the Sports six pack actually, don't forget Stacky's newcomers championship in 2004.
No pressure on the Spitfire Squadron then
Andy-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 29-Oct-2006, 09:15pm
Great race, but a pity about the Six Pack reliability !
I had a great time getting some photographs.
You can find the entire collection here http://kevin-rochfort.fotopic.net/c1123176.html
If anyone wants a copy of the high res file, send me a message with the reference number.
Please DO NOT try and buy prints from the fotopic.net website, the quality is very poor as the resolution I've uploaded is very poor. The master files are each about 5MB JPGs, and I uploaded files that are about 50KB each !!!!!!!-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 30-Oct-2006, 08:58am
Hot news from the Birkett track!!
John Team Manager FALLS ASLEEP as Jonathan (pit manager) Binnington explains that "a gt6 looks a lot like a spitfire!!!!"
after sending one of the Spitfire Squadron cars out after a DIFFERENT teams car comes in!
(picture courtesy of Kevin Rochfort on his link)
Birkett Relay Race 2006-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Simon Congdon, 30-Oct-2006, 09:22am
That made me laugh Vin......
Thanks to everyone in the team, great job, and what a laugh! And why are there so many photos of a dark blue GT6?!
And yes, we beat you....
but well done to the Sports Six Pack too,
especially Dave's "Mighty" GT6, guess you slept well! Hope the party in garage 8c went well, see yopu all at the dinner in
feb?
Simon -
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Simon Congdon, 30-Oct-2006, 09:23am
That made me laugh Vin......
Thanks to everyone in the team, great job, and what a laugh! And why are there so many photos of a dark blue GT6?!
And yes, we beat you.... but well done to the Sports Six Pack too,
especially Dave's "Mighty" GT6, guess you slept well! Hope the party in garage 8c went well, see yopu all at the dinner in
feb?
Simon-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Ian Smythe, 30-Oct-2006, 01:26pm
awesome day many thanks to both teams for laying on the entertainment.and if anybody from carlsberg is reading this,sponsor dave thompson gt6,the best gt6 in the world ? probably
have a nice winter
ian-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Mark Hadfield, 30-Oct-2006, 01:50pm
Hi,
Well done to both teams. Had a great day
more photos on this site www.isadorapoggi.co.uk/2006/750/birkett/index.htm
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Andy Vowell, 30-Oct-2006, 05:56pm
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Kevin Rochfort, 30-Oct-2006, 06:39pm
Nice video !!!
Clean underpants please .... -
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Davies, 30-Oct-2006, 11:56pm
Andy,
Exactly where did the half shaft part company with itself, Andy?
Was it like below?
Mallory, this year.
That bent the wheel arch, filleted the rear outrigger, broke the radiator (rear, remember) upper mount and bent the diff front plate.
Wheel was okay!
"Heavy Duty" half shaft too.
John
Birkett Relay Race 2006-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Andy Vowell, 31-Oct-2006, 00:05am
Thats the beastie, same break point with about the same damage but the wheelarch is VERY bent and the boot floor mullered. GRP wing and rear valance will need some work too. Not taken a good look under at the chassis and exhaust yet (though I suspect it was the exhaust that gave off most of the sparks in the video).
Seen a couple of Dolomite live axles on ebay, think I can squeeze the rules to slip one in?
Andy-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 31-Oct-2006, 07:23am
if I might be allowed an external comment?
Might it be that tyre technology has now exceeded the capability of the suspension systems?
Is it now time to allow either sompleteley reengineered rear axles like the super sprites - or specify 175.13 road tyres to avoid stressing halfshafts beyond their strenght?
let the stoning begin
jonath
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Davies, 30-Oct-2006, 05:56pm
I think that captions are called for:
How about,
"Do you know you're falling asleep on the job?" "No, but hum it to me and I'll zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz""-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Yarnell, 30-Oct-2006, 06:23pm
"...I want that one!"
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 30-Oct-2006, 07:56pm
ooops, thank you Vin - I cocked up and mistook a dark blue GT6 for a balck spitfire with a hard top
I would like the world to know that I cocked up, cost the Spifire Squadron one lap and never expect to be allowed to live it down!
I did enjoy the day though
bin-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Yarnell, 30-Oct-2006, 08:20pm
Mighty Dave Thompson's reliability secret is out...He was spotted putting the finishing touches to his engine on Friday. Looks like valve clearances but not sure.
Birkett Relay Race 2006-
Birkett Relay Race 2006 bigger than vinny's
Posted By : Jonathan Binnington, 30-Oct-2006, 08:38pm
makes Vinny's tiny tool pale into insignificance-
Birkett Relay Race 2006 bigger than vinny's
Posted By : Vin Poonwassie, 31-Oct-2006, 00:15am
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : John Davies, 31-Oct-2006, 00:11am
"No pressure on the Spitfire Squadron then"?
None at all, actually old bean.
Completely relaxed all day.
Like a proper manager, I could have slept in a chair throughout the race and let my finely honed team do their stuff.
Which they did, rather well.
Yes, indeedy, Mighty Dave, with the aid of his Mighty GT6, kept the Six Pack afloat (as it were).
And they needed him. Despite frantic workshop action, with the other five cars U/S by half way through, between them they drove that poor beast for 3 and a half hours.
On the Spitfire Squadron, their manager, his mind poisoned by bitter experience, just couldn't believe that Triumph racers would stand more than 20 minutes of track time without falling apart. So the strategy was to run 20 minute stints, and lengthen them as cars dropped out. In fact, no cars dropped out, and the workshop tasks were largely confined to refuelling (bitter experience again!). That strategy could only continue if drivers foregoed there second or third stints, which I would not impose, so we continued in the 20 minute way.
So in one manner, we won, 6-1 (cars left).
The final, final results are out later this week, but I understand that the Six Pack did more laps, but the Spitfire Squadron had slightly more on handicap.
An honourable draw, I feel.
John
However, and in the spirit of friendly competition:
All together now!
To the tune, "Amazing Grace".
6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1,
6-1, 6-1, 6-1!
6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1,
6-1, 6-1, 6-1!
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Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : David Thompson, 31-Oct-2006, 12:37pm
Well done Spitfire Squadron. It seems that despite the best efforts of the Sports Six Pack Pit Wall Babes, lady luck was not with us on Saturday. We may have lost on handicap and been left with one car but we still covered more distance. It just goes to prove that a GT6 on the track is worth six in the garage.
Well done all and thanks to all the supporters who came along and chatted with us on the day.
I guess we'll have to have a re-match next year.
Birkett Relay Race 2006-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Andy Vowell, 31-Oct-2006, 06:15pm
Jon and I did discuss the 2007 event and concluded that we should leave the high speed, highly tuned, high maintenence and highly probable of breaking down Triumph race cars at home next year and run a team of our every day commuter hacks in their place. My 1.1 Fiat and Jon's 1.4 Polo do hundreds of miles of frustrated race driver thrashing every week on zero maintenence, so the Birkett will be a doddle. And going by the speed differential between the Triumphs and the 2CV team then we'd not be the slowest either!
I think even my Yokos would fit
Andy-
Birkett Relay Race 2006
Posted By : Colin Wake, 01-Nov-2006, 12:42pm
Andy
Saw your comment about the dolomite axles.
Not sure how the rules and regs are worded, but weren't some of the Indian Heralds fitted with live axles, could you not work that to your advantage and run an Indian car next year???
And you would be a lot less likely to loose a wheel!
Colin-
Birkett Relay Race 2006 - The Spitfire Squadron goes TransAtlantic!
Posted By : John Davies, 06-Dec-2006, 06:51pm
All,
I had an excess of RAF style roundels, that I had bought for the SS team, but which were superceded by Clive's superb stickers and signs.
I offered them here and elsewhere, as Triumph did use them to embellish the Spitfire name at one time (These are about ten times bigger!)
Still have a few left.
A spare sign, bearing the team signatures, honours my garage wall
Another is on a wall in SoCal, put there by Jeff McNeal of the TTN.
See: http://www.totallytriumph.net/dcforum/DCForumID2/3...
Superfamous Spitfire Squadron!
John
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