Busa Turbo two class wins…..
18/19 June saw me take on Gurston Down Speed Hillclimb. The event is about 1100m of tarmac not much wider than a car with a steep and tight mid section and fast start and finish (not quite straight!).
Weather was unpredictable with wind, rain and sun in various orders but no standing water.
This is the first time here with the busa turbo and no guide to setup. I took off more than half the clicks on shocks and tyres set at 15psi.
I figured I’d give full boost a go on my first practice run… off the line eventually and quickly up through gears but she is trying to kill me, I wrestled her into some sort of straight line and just could not plant throttle as traction was lost instantly and back end stepped out on picking up 5th gear at 90 mph, not fun. Into technical bit and just a beast struggling to get power down as I was trying to wind on throttle, out of tight left of Ashes and eager to get back on throttle I was spinning wheels through all gears and fifth! Whilst just hanging on to her and avoiding an off or swapping of ends! OMG not fun. You just could not press throttle much at all. She needed wider rear tyres! Think it was 40.32 seconds placing me second in class.
I knew where I lost time!! And turned boost down to mid which is about 280 at the wheels. I put the P1 time out of my head and focussed on getting good entry into the long left hander from straightish start. Better start and quickly on throttle getting to 5th before first corner and back to 4th and 5th after it… why did I do that?? Better through technical mid bit and pushed on nicely through wiggly finish… felt better straight away, more drivable but just on the edge of having me off, she just seems to be waiting to kill me all the time… 37.79. Much better and about a second ahead of 2nd place now, the caterham r500!
Over lunch I talked my self into trying to hold 5th into and out of the first left hander (there is no run off). I had about 10mph better speed than nearest car in my class and was using that / keeping that advantage gained in first half of the runs.
Rained a bit at lunch and surface damp/dry
So having produced a good time in Practice we start the ones that count ….. off the line better and did hold 5th round first corner although cautious… and through middle technical bit ok. Last tight left and onto the curved fast run to finish…. Desperately trying to get up into fifth I pulled a false neutral on 3 to 4 and took ages to get 4th. The time 37.72…. And into fist place with a busa fury in second at 39.61…
Sadly a competitor had a heart attack and passed away at the top holding paddock and the rest of the event was cancelled which was the best thing to do. Very sad and somber feeling really.
With no T2 run, T1 times were final and I took a class win by 2 seconds.
Day 2, I just dropped tyres down to 13psi and dialled in 7 clicks from soft on front shocks and 6 on rear.
Practice runs on day two saw me turn in a 38.89 followed by 37.47. Which led the class again by over a second. Again this was practice and only the timed 2 runs in afternoon count… just got to be braver… T1 off the line gently and up into 5th at 94mph and back on power early for corner and taking a bit of kerb/grass… scrabbled around the technical bit in the middle and got good launch into last bit, clocked 99.8mph at finish which was in fifth, it needed sixth really! The time 36.93 and took the class win on day two.
So my musings are she is lethal but tameable and if I want to use the full boost it will need so wider stickier tyres as on 205/60r13 she just wants to light them up!!! Full boost in 6th is not too bad but still spins them if you bury the throttle - what a learning experience!!!
The little MK Indy Classic taking it to the competition nicely.. lydden hill next on 16th July… still just love the handling of the MK and feels really good on the hills too…
Simon