Malcolm's TR7 Blog

Back at Castle Combe for the annual Classic and Sportscar track action day. I love this event. There are always lots of cars to see around the circuit on club stands AND a chance to take a few laps round the circuit too.

So this year I organised the Retro Car Club’s first Classic and Sportscar track action day club stand and got hold of a few cheapo track passes as part of the deal And brought the V8 Scimitar for another day out on the track - still no better brakes or stiffer springs though. Still it was loud, fast and got a lot of attention!

Damn, but I missed the TR Register track day AGAIN due to work. But I did organise a track day for the Retro Car Club (http://www.retrocarclub.co.uk) and got a few cars along to Keevil airfield. This one was organised by the team at Motorsport Events (http://www.motorsport-events.co.uk/) so we knew we were in for a good day.

Attendees: Fulani (Benji) - 205 GTi, LabRat (Hugh) - Manta GT, Tigran - no car all broken!, John Weedon - TR5, Ant - Honda Integra. And of course me in my first track day with the V8 Scimitar. The verdict? Fast, but needs better brakes and stiffer suspension…

The Keevil aircraft circuit was well laid out with a fast straight, some challenging corners and an awesome ‘follow-through’. All had much fun and we will definately be back. Look on the site for the next one.

As usual there is a gallery from the day HERE http://malcolm-paris.fotopic.net/c1245725.html

Well I did make it to the Club Triumph Silverstone trackday in March, but only just. The V8 track car had developed a problem when it would refuse to start unless I got out and toggled the battery cut-off on/off then all would be fine.

Of course on the morning of the track day it got much worse. I reached Silverstone but the car kept cutting out and was increasingly difficult to re-start. I did not want to be stranded on the circuit! So spent all morning tinkering with the electrics to no avail. Then a comment from an MGB track car owner about battery cut-off switches ‘breaking down’ being quite a common problem gave me the idea.

I borrowed a jump lead from one of the CT crowd (thanks Dave) and shorted the terminals on the battery cut-off switch with it. Then BRRMMMM! - good as new

And if anyone tells you the Silverstone GP circuit is boring - too wide and only suitable for ultra-fast cars - they ARE wrong. It was great fun and I’d recommend giving it a go.

There is a gallery of pictures here http://malcolm-paris.fotopic.net/c1247066.html

OK. Been very quiet since Xmas, but this is all about to change

This is not ALL this year's events, just some of the more exciting ones:

March 12th: Club Triumph track day at Silverstone
March 22nd: TR Register track day at Mallory Park
April 2nd: Retro Car Club Spring track day at Keevil

May 5th: Club Triumph Historic Counties run (500 mile night rally) - need a co-driver tho
June 9th: Classic and Sportscar track action day at Castle Combe
July 7th: Retro Car Show at SantaPod drag strip
August 11/12th: Retro Rides show at Mallory Park
September 6th to 10th: Club Triumph 10 Countries run (2500 miles)

No too bad eh? As I say just watch this space for pictures and write-ups on the above, and the invitable repairs in-between

Malcolm.

I know, this is a TR7/8 blog - but I have to tell you about my latest aquisition. It *is* powered by a Rover SD1 V8 and it is rear wheel drive of course, but otherwise a very different car...

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The Retro car club were organising a rolling road 'shootout' day - so I couldn't give that a miss. Readers of the blog will know that OVR was rolling roaded a couple of years ago at Mallory Park, but it was a portable road with an in-experienced crew and I've since been told that the results are rather optimistic to say the least

So off to a proper accurate road run by the boys at Sussex Performance Centre.

An interesting array of cars was promised, and finally an accurate BHP. But would I like the result....

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I was thinking lately that the "Thing" is well overdue another day out on the track. So it was just a bit convenient when Victor from the Retro Car Club told me he was taking his 270bhp MG Maestro (!!) to a charity track day at Llandow on Saturday. It seems this event was under-subscribed, despite the quite reasonable £90 entry - all of which was to go to cancer charities. So not too surprisingly I tore his arm off and on Friday evening headed off with my no.1 son on the 3 1/2 hour journey to a nearby guesthouse

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