Rother Valley II - 10/11th August 2002
The weekend was total fun, good company, loads of laughs, enjoyable racing. Shame about the visit to the Accident and Emergency ward of Banbury Hospital.............
Before I get into all that, I need to back track a bit and report on how the season had progressed prior to this final event of the year. To set the scene and give an insight into the teams dilemma concerning preparation for the final 4 races.
We have known for some time that the Rotax 809 fitted to the Mirage was not performing up to spec. We knew from the thrust blade angles/rotational speed that a further 10 percent plus was available with more careful setup of the engine and exhaust. We set this subject aside whilst we spent time developing the skirt to produce the stable, easy to handle and competitive craft that the K & M Mirage now is. By the time we were ready to tackle the exhaust problem the issue of exhaust noise was top of the scrutineers agenda and we had to put the subject on the back burner. Luckily the decision to defer some noise regulation enforcement till 2003 allowed us to have the option to tinker with the exhaust for the last event.
Despite our 19 point lead in the Championship, Team Pintail could win the Year (by one point) if they won all the races and we finished not higher than third. This scenario was well within possibilities and on a track with recent race results. We had partly earned our lead in the Championships through reliability (as it turned out all 30 starts had 30 finishes in the points), should we jeopardise this by tinkering with a known formula? How quick would Daniel Turnbull be racing in F1 for the first time (after dominating F3 for a number of years)?. Would Tony Goldney be fully recovered from the spill at Claydon? Would Pintail be saving their craft for the World Championship and using another Pintail on loan? Would the loan craft be quick with a 180 HP Polaris engine?
Since we had already secured a clear second we elected to take a risk and modify the exhaust by increasing the length of the "stinger" pipe. For those at the meeting perhaps you may have noticed that our craft had a harder edge to the exhaust note. Without any other (blade) changes the revs went up from 7950 to 8300 rpm!
Friday 9th
It turned out that Daniel Newton and Conrad Beale who make up Team Pintail had elected to reserve their crafts for the World Championships and had indeed arranged to borrow a Pintail craft fitted with an 180HP Polaris motor from Colin Horne. The craft had suffered a bit during storage and was in need of some TLC. Having stayed with Conrad and Lou on the Thursday night I helped Daniel get the beast started.
By the evening we (Daniel and I) were at my parents house and went to the local pub and bumped into friends. The ensuing party went on to 3am at our house. A walk in the early morning air set me up for the weekends racing.........
Saturday 10th
This course is the opposite of the last race meeting. Longer and mostly water and much faster with long sweeping corners with a little hop on to land the relatively slow part. The back straight transition to land has an odd angle (where the land slopes down to the water) and can get the craft unsettled unless taken with some caution. Surprisingly lap times at 43 seconds were only a little more than Black Ditch.
The increase in power did seem to give me more push in corners. At the last race meeting Robin's lap times in the Meteor (race number one) were a couple of seconds quicker. At this race meeting I was quite able to keep up although didn't quite have enough "grunt" to make a clean overtaking move.
For this race meeting Ken had also worked hard on modifying the lift motor frame, so we were back to a geared lift fan setup.
Race 1
Disaster, neither Daniel or Conrad made the grid for the first race. The grid at Rother Valley is wide, allowing five craft on the front row. As with every start at this meeting I was "out dragged" to the first corner but usually able to slot into 3 place by taking a tighter line at the first turn on water. The first lap omits the land section and the blast down the lake was a balancing act as the craft was heading into wind and wanting to lift.
Robin Brickles in the Meteor was in front, then me, followed by Sean O'Gallagher, Daniel Turnbull and then Tony Goldney. Daniel was playing himself in, driving in an F1 race for the first time (I think). This wasn't such a big deal for him as he has consistently had his F3 craft lapping at near F1 speeds for several seasons. Tony Goldney was also playing himself in, still not fully fit after the incident at Claydon. In addition, Tony was preparing/saving his Honda Fireblade engined craft for the worlds.
I chased Robin pretty much the entire race. At times I could tuck inside him on the turns but could not quite get a clean overtaking move going. At two thirds distance I finally got the momentum only to have the thrust engine lose power. Drat! This mysterious, intermittent power loss was to pop up at odd times all weekend. It wasn't until the final open race on the Sunday that a definite diagnosis was made.
Race 2
Daniel Turnbull had got the message now and slotted into second place behind Robin with me pushing both of them. I have nothing to say about this race other than I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was able to take a tighter line into the corners and nibble away at Daniel who in turn was trying to get on terms with Robin. The honours for the race went to Meteor then BBV and then the K&M Products Mirage.
We ended racing on the Saturday with the possibility of finishing joint first with Pintail Racing if they won both races and we failed to finish.
Despite our reputation, Daniel Newton and I were good boys on Saturday night. After playing football we arrived at my parents house in time for a clean up, supper and one drink only at the local pub. WE didn't have mud fights at an infamous 18th birthday party inside a replica medieval wickerwork hut!!. WE didn't get involved in a infamous Christmas party !! (held in August as this was the last time people would meet before next year). The UK Hoverclub has a really good social side at race meetings, but you have to be there to be part of it!!
I have just realised I haven't mention the rain. There wasn't any. BUT there had been lots during the week and the paddock was a mud bath.
Sunday 11th
Races 3 and 4
Both of these races were a re-run of race two. I wasn't able to push all the way because of the intermittent thrust engine power loss. The excitement of the day was in the paddock with the craft shedding a lift engine belt and a cracked exhaust after practice. Some urgent work was required to make good and reach the grid in time for race 3. Emma (Virgin Airways air hostess and her Father who were visiting Team Eagle for the day) kindly let us get on with race preparation and were happy to keep in the background whilst the crisis was dealt with. A big thank you for that.
The exhaust was welded in short order by Robin Brickles. Having spent some time finding urgently needed components (from K & M's stock that we take to race meetings) for other competitors, when in the middle of a crisis with our own craft, I now understand more fully how helpful and friendly Robin is when he sets aside his own craft to weld some broken part for a competitor, who as in my case, will spend the next race chasing him down. A dedicated hovercraft racer.
At the end of race three, when statistically Pintail could not catch Team Eagle for the Championship, Conrad Beale came over and shook my hand, from someone so experienced and competitive in Hovercraft Racing was mind blowing. Another dedicated racer.
The other member of the hall of fame was not present on the Sunday. Ken Rigley who designed and manufactured the Mirage and who had constantly worked on the craft all season to develop it had been called away. It is typical of Ken that he was more "wound up" that we should finish every race in the season than win the championship itself. It was this point of honour to get the craft to the grid for race three that spurred us on.
Final Open Race
I don't normally write about the open races as this web page would be bigger than it already is. However I just have to mention the shenanigans that went on. As I mentioned Ken was away so it fell to me to compete in the Open race series to maintain the teams position for the year.
The gremlin with the thrust engine power loss finally struck with a vengeance and I was left skidding across the water towards the spectator area. I dumped the craft on the shoreline, feet from the crowds whilst "Bully" the resident water safety/recovery expert waded over and frantically tried to restart the engine. Jody Beardall who had been with Team Eagle for the weekend and had heard the briefing from my Dad that if the thrust engine stopped again we should check the fuel filter and if empty re-prime the fuel pump, jumped into the water and got the fuel flowing again.
"Bully" got the engine started and I was at maximum power immediately as I blasted back into the race. The spectators, literally feet away, were directly in line of the thrust. Apparently several got a good spraying of water and "cheered to the echo" that they were involved at first hand. Another case of Hovercraft racing being far more spectator friendly than wheeled motor vehicle events that seem to become more and more remote.
Because I was packing the craft away in the transporter I was late in arriving for the prize giving ceremony. Sean O'Gallagher ever wanting to get one over on me accepted the trophy on my behalf. Fortunately I barged him out of the way before his antics with the trophy got too rude.
I wasn't able to deal with the posse of drivers who after the ceremony decided to emulate the Juniors tradition of chucking the Champion in the lake. I followed Katrina Polfrey into the water !!! I decided to fight back and in the end I think Robin Brickles was the only one to escape getting wet (so far!!!!). The look on my Dad's face when grabbed by Daniel Newton and he realised he was going for a wetting was brilliant!
Final words.
I have just typed loads and gone into detail about how we weren't the fastest but had the best package etc etc. I then deleted the lot. All I need to say is just a big thank you to everybody (especially Ken and my Parents) for a fun and exciting year. Which ever way you look at it, 30 starts, 30 finishes is real hovercraft enjoyment.
Ah!...... I haven't mentioned the visit to the Hospital.
Well it was like this...... On Sunday night I ended up back at Conrad and Lou's house as it is half way (ish) back to Southampton where I work. The evening turned into quite a party with Daniel and I staying along with Rob and Marie Trussler.
If you go and see the next James Bond Movie, to be released soon, the guy stunt driving the bigger Hovercraft in the chase scene is Rob.
Anyway, the evening progressed to playing "21" which involved a lot of drinking and running around. I won't say any more than that and that I stayed with Daniel Newton at the Hospital whilst his foot was set in plaster............. Like I have already said, a fun and exciting season. Thank you Ken.
Because of the 5 wide start grid a flag start instead of the usual lights was used. Here being waved by Clare Taylor A.K.A Zilla who "shopped" Daniel and I on the HCGB bulletin board
The run down to the first corner was always interesting........
As was the corner itself.
If it wasn't me snapping at Robin's heels it was Daniel in the similarly engined (to Robin) BBV
Some modifications to the exhaust meant much closer racing with the Meteor Team. I was able to tuck inside but the intermittent thrust engine power loss frustrated an overtaking manoeuvre.
This is a picture of John Spedding the other member of the Meteor Team at the controls during an Open Race.
To celebrate the end of the UK season and Team Eagle winning the F1 Championship, I got chucked in the Lake!
He thought that tying himself to a transporter would prevent a wetting............
He was wrong.
Apparently, blowing air down a fabric tube or trouser leg enables one to hover on water, Conrad seems to have perfected the trick.