We are living through some very strange and testing times, who would have thought there would have been any racing at all this year but here we are so a very special thanks has to go to Santa Pod Raceway for putting on the events and to everyone on the site for keeping us "Covid Safe" ensuring more meetings this year. But hey! what an event this was? only four classes of race machines and RWYB cars, and it proved that you don't always need the big show cars to be able to pull in the fans and keep then entertained. We had the weather on our side the track was perfect and the PB's were coming at every other run. As usual The Wild Bunch put on stunning show.
B.T.E (Before The Event)
As most of you know Slimline Racing can not get to or attend a meeting without some sort of drama and this was no exception after the Nostalgia Drags and all the problems with fuel and fuel pumps we decided it would be a good idea to buy a new one a slightly bigger capacity one to future proof ourselves So I got hold of AlkyDigger and Steve and I went halves on a new pump, It was supposed to be delivered on the Thursday before the meeting but! due to a cock up with the contact numbers it got delayed by one day, luckily one of Steve's friends was coming up to the Pod Saturday morning so it was arranged that for him to pick the pump up Thursday evening. One problem solved. the other problem involved Steve's health a few days before the meeting an old injury flared up, his arm from his wrist to his shoulder started to hurt and began to swell up then just three days before the meeting while removing a gearbox from a vehicle Steve really hurt his back, then with just two days before the meeting he woke up in the middle of the night in agony he had a huge infection in his ear he ended going to A&E it's a wonder he managed to make it to the track let alone race. Steve was determined to make the meeting he's made of steel that boy.
Friday
Steve spent Thursday evening at his friends place just outside Luton so he could get to the car and trailer early, He met up with Dave in Bedford and dragged the car to the Pod.
Camp was set up and all the Covid Safe stuff put into effect then it started! at the last meeting Steve couldn't get the tick over down and therefore couldn't hold the car on the brakes so! first job of the day to sort out the tick over, well this ended up taking most of the day as no matter what Steve did it just didn't want to work. Having paid for the Friday Steve was not going to give in and eventually got the car about where he wanted it.
Around 4pm Steve towed down to the start line with Dave and Diana not expecting too much but just to shake the car down make sure everything was OK for the following two days. well!!!!! I don't think anyone was ready for what happened even Colin the commentator was surprised.
Video clips courtesy of Santa Pod TV stream (click here to view full vid)
What a run 8.33 at 158.04 mph a double PB incredible and still with the borrowed smaller fuel pump.....thanks Anthony. No time for another run as the lanes were closed. Steve spent some of the night in the trailer I say some because he was cold even with the sleeping bags etc.
Saturday
The Wild bunch were first on track I was sat in front of the PC watching the live feed but no Steve... I tried to phone him and Dave but no-one wanted to talk to me!! then it dawned on my, even though Steve had said he would keep the borrowed pump on the car as it seemed to be working so well I knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself fitting the new one and that is exactly what he had done he missed the first run setting up the new pump.
1st run: Netted a very wayward 9.5 at 151 mph but what a burnout must have been the best that car had ever done.
2nd Run: A bit better, no in fact a lot better 8.63 at 150.5mph Steve reckoned she was a bit on the fat side so some more fettling.
3rd Run: Getting there he ran 8.41 at 157.9mph getting a little excited now more fiddling required.
4th Run: Slowed up a bit to 8.66 at 156.8 mph it was getting dark and Steve was having trouble seeing where he was going and the throttle was playing up again , wouldn't come down to idle. But all in all not a bad days racing considering it was a new pump and a larger capacity than we have used before.
Video clips courtesy of Santa Pod TV stream (click here to view full vid)
Steve put everything away covered up the car and locked the trailer and like a real racer he is left the site and stayed at his friends place for the night because he didn't want to get cold again.!!
Sunday.
1st Run: Backed up for taking too long to get to the line but this was because the throttle stuck and Steve went too far on the burnout, eventually carded an 8.76 at 153.1 mph. bolt came out of the butterfly linkage on the run car stuck at over 4500 rpm after going through the lights.
2nd Run: With more fettling of pills still ran 8.76 this time at 155.7mph not getting full throttle due to butterfly's out of alignment and was warned over a leaking catch can that if he came to the line with it leaking again he would be taken off the track.
3rd Run: Catch can gasket had swollen up and no longer fitted correctly so Steve moved the pipe from the leaky catch can to the fuel catch can on top of the battery box, more fettling with pills and even slower only 9.03 and a slower speed much head scratching ensued.
4th and final run: Problem found! both the high speed lean off valve and main valve are side by side on our engine and...yes Steve got them muddled up and had been changing the wrong one, so back to an earlier setting and da da da!!! 8.73 at 160.19 mph well done Steve.
Video clips courtesy of Santa Pod TV stream (click here to view full vid)
All runs on this day were witnessed by his sister, my daughter KT ad family who took a trip up to the Pod for the day with both my grandsons who had a great time. and watched their Uncle Steve go over 160 mph which is a mystical barrier, a right of passage if you like for naturally aspirated small block Chevy's.
