70 replies to this topic

[simonlewisbooks]

Races 3 & 4 due at Combe this Sunday (24 July)
Absolutely no idea who has entered, I regret I'm not getting any information through at all.

I have a few tickets available however. Worth £25.50 for the weekend inc paddock - but yours for a special TNF rate of £5 each.
Just send me a PM if you want any (first come, first served)

It's the BRITCAR endurance race on Sunday with the Moslers, Nigel Mustill's Aquila, Michael Millard's Rapier, Ferraris, a TVR , a Viper, several Porsches and so forth.
I'm not going to be there on this occasion, unfortunately I'm working elsewhere on Sunday, but Art Tidesco is going along and has offered to send me photos.
It'll be interesting to see what appears.

Nadine Geary's Honda is in one piece again - but still waiting on the engine.
She trailered it to a charity day at Combe recently so it has made it's first acquaintance with the track, albeit from at altitude of around 2 feet...


(photo. Nadine Geary)

Not often you see a modern F1 car on an open trailer!

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 19 July 2011 - 11:32.

[arttidesco]

There was no sign of the Honda on the trailer above or a rumoured Trojan at last weekends rounds of The Simon Lewis Transport Books Free Single Series but there were a couple of entertaining opening laps by Monoposto 1000 Champion Arty Cameron and Roger Orgee which I mentioned on another thread.



There were more than ten starters on each of the two grids and a couple of DNS's showed signs of growing interest in Simon's series.



Arty Camerons opening lap in the 1000cc #46 Jedi left a lasting impression on me as he blitzed 3 Formula 3 cars from a third row start.



Before the race started I saw Arty beefing up the support for one of the two diffusers on the back of his Jedi with nothing more than a cable tie, but it was his engine that eventually let him down. I hope Arty comes back for more on August 13th, if he can't afford to get his motor back together someone ought to give him a drive as I am sure he will not disappoint.



Roger Orgee in his #6 Van Diemen RF 00 was the star Formula Ford runner having briefly held 2nd in race two is seen lapping Stephen Bracegirdle and Alex Drabble who regularly traded places in both races at the back of the field.



Stuart Wiltshire, Dallara Renault F302, was the winner of both races in fact after everyone had sorted themselves from poor starts, the top four in both races was the same with Jim Blockley, Ralt Vauxhall RT3, and Ray Rowan, Dallara Vauxhall F398, claiming the remaining podium places ahead of the aforementioned Roger Orgee.

Thanks to Simon for supporting the series and getting me in to see the action.

Here is hoping the Series continues to grow at the next round on Saturday August 13th.

[simon drabble]

the bike engined car was highly entertaining but the engine self grenading had a certain air of inevitablility to it given he left a load of oil on the track in the morning resulting in many spinners my son included (bent corner being the result).

Roger Orgee's FF was indeed the quickest but as a Zetec or possibly Duratec engined car against 1600 Kent engined FF's it should be!!

It was my son's first FF race weekend and he had a lot of fun - despite coming at the back of a 10 car race (although not last on the grid) was battling all the way with the blue FF and in the proper FF race came lower mid field which is where we had hoped so a successful weekend and 2 signatures!

Simon as your name was not on the race I presumed you had stopped sponsoring it...

Edited by simon drabble, 28 July 2011 - 08:15.

[arttidesco]

Unfortunately I missed the practice sessions Simon thanks for the back ground to Arty Cameron's car grenading.



Congrats to Alex getting his 2 signatures, here is the only photo I have of Alex ahead of the #84 being driven by Stephen Bracegirdle which was taken in the second of The SLTBFSS Series races.

There is a Simon Lewis Transport Books ad on the relevant page of the programme so I presume he is continuing to support the Series ?

[simonlewisbooks]

Simon as your name was not on the race I presumed you had stopped sponsoring it...

You presume correctly - at present. The saga of this series rumbles on...

After the first race I sent a number of observations to Castle Combe about what needed to be done to make it work for competitors and for me as a sponsor. They admitted that they couldn't offer me value for money as a sponsor this season. So by mutual agreement my name has come off it for the remaining races of 2011 but with the intention of regrouping and making a much more consolidated effort for 2012.

At the time this was offered they weren't even sure there WOULD BE any more races - I'm glad that there have been and I'm heartened to see some more F3 cars appear on Sunday. (Many thanks to Art Tidesco for the photos and his blog on the event - Glad you enjoyed the meeting Ralph. )

This years series was announced very late in the day when most competitors already had their entire season mapped out and arranged - and really it hasn't been given enough attention or promotion, for one reason and another. Perhaps someone had watched "Field of Dreams" and put too much faith in the theory "if you build it they will come"? Well they have, but not in the numbers envisaged I imagine!

OCTANE is apparently running a piece on the series in this month's magazine, which might help the entry for the final race of this season (or will it be two races, like last time?) in August.

I should be at that event and it would be great if the grid can nudge towards 20 cars. I'm certainly looking to be involved in 2012 but it does all need to be put on a proper footing, as I am sure the organisers are only too aware. As with so many things in life, it's a learning curve!

Edited by simonlewisbooks, 28 July 2011 - 09:52.

[arttidesco]

You presume correctly - at present. The saga of this series rumbles on...

...by mutual agreement my name has come off it for the remaining races of 2011 but with the intention of regrouping and making a much more consolidated effort for 2012.

Stand corrected

[Stephen W]

Nadine Geary's Honda is in one piece again - but still waiting on the engine.
She trailered it to a charity day at Combe recently so it has made it's first acquaintance with the track, albeit from at altitude of around 2 feet...


(photo. Nadine Geary)

Not often you see a modern F1 car on an open trailer!

Or being towed by a Dodge Viper!

[simonlewisbooks]

Steve,
Is this THE Ray Rowen, ex British Hillclimb Champion, ex F3 team owner, at the wheel of a Dallara in Sundays race? Thats the name on the entry list....


photo borrowed from Art Tidesco's blog, hope thats OK Art?

Or maybe it's Ray jr - joining the assorted other sons-of currently populating the grids at Combe?

[Stephen W]

Steve,
Is this THE Ray Rowen, ex British Hillclimb Champion, ex F3 team owner, at the wheel of a Dallara in Sundays race? Thats the name on the entry list....

Or maybe it's Ray jr - joining the assorted other sons-of currently populating the grids at Combe?

Hard to tell if it is Ray Rowan, ex BH Champion.

[timf5000]

"There was no sign of the Honda on the trailer above or a rumoured Trojan at last weekends rounds of The Simon Lewis Transport Books Free Single Series but there were a couple of entertaining opening laps by Monoposto 1000 Champion Arty Cameron and Roger Orgee which I mentioned on another thread".

Artidesco, the rumoured Trojan is my T102 but unfortunately another engine failue at the Brands Superprix prevented us entering. We are desperately trying to resolve the latterly developed problem of the car continually running bearings after running so strongly! BUT, I promised Simon and we WILL make it at some point!

Tim Barry

[David McKinney]

Hard to tell if it is Ray Rowan, ex BH Champion.

Steve, I know you're a hillclimb and sprint man, but BH to the rest of us means Brands Hatch

[arttidesco]

"There was no sign of the Honda on the trailer above or a rumoured Trojan at last weekends rounds of The Simon Lewis Transport Books Free Single Series but there were a couple of entertaining opening laps by Monoposto 1000 Champion Arty Cameron and Roger Orgee which I mentioned on another thread".

Artidesco, the rumoured Trojan is my T102 but unfortunately another engine failue at the Brands Superprix prevented us entering. We are desperately trying to resolve the latterly developed problem of the car continually running bearings after running so strongly! BUT, I promised Simon and we WILL make it at some point!

Tim Barry

It's only been 37 years since Keith Holland DNS the 1974 Race of Champions at Brands in a T102(/1?) and I missed it the first time round.

I hope to be at Castle Combe when your ready to roll, fingers crossed for getting the bearings sorted Tim, thanks for the update

[simonlewisbooks]

"There was no sign of the Honda on the trailer above or a rumoured Trojan at last weekends rounds of The Simon Lewis Transport Books Free Single Series but there were a couple of entertaining opening laps by Monoposto 1000 Champion Arty Cameron and Roger Orgee which I mentioned on another thread".

Artidesco, the rumoured Trojan is my T102 but unfortunately another engine failue at the Brands Superprix prevented us entering. We are desperately trying to resolve the latterly developed problem of the car continually running bearings after running so strongly! BUT, I promised Simon and we WILL make it at some point!

Tim Barry

Sorry to hear that Tim. Some things never change with Chevy's it seems. They still play up just like they did in the '70s!

Really hope you can get back on track soon. We'd love to see the Trojan at Combe.

[timf5000]

It's only been 37 years since Keith Holland DNS the 1974 Race of Champions at Brands in a T102(/1?) and I missed it the first time round.

I hope to be at Castle Combe when your ready to roll, fingers crossed for getting the bearings sorted Tim, thanks for the update

Yes it is that same car as Trojan only ever built the one T102 and it is chassis T102/001. My brother and I were 14- and 12-year old "gofers" for the Ian Ward team so you would have thought that seeing the year long every race problems that this successful team had we would have steered away from the car instead of welcoming it home with open arms! The car was "fast but fragile" according to the comics of the time and caused the closure of the team when Keith decided he had had enough of the continual problems. We have always had one-off or strange racing cars so guess you cannot teach old dogs new tricks!

[arttidesco]

Yes it is that same car as Trojan only ever built the one T102 and it is chassis T102/001. My brother and I were 14- and 12-year old "gofers" for the Ian Ward team so you would have thought that seeing the year long every race problems that this successful team had we would have steered away from the car instead of welcoming it home with open arms! The car was "fast but fragile" according to the comics of the time and caused the closure of the team when Keith decided he had had enough of the continual problems. We have always had one-off or strange racing cars so guess you cannot teach old dogs new tricks!

If I could own any single seater it would be a one off with extremely weak suspension, I know where it is but unfortunately I don't have a shekel to my name and even if I had a gazillion shekels I suspect the designer, builder and owner would not let it go even though it no longer has an engine, gearbox let alone any of the 4 wheels attached. I take my hat off to you for keeping T102/001 dream alive Tim

[simonlewisbooks]

I have some tickets available for the Aug 13/14 event. TNF special offer price £5 each (saves you £20.50 !)

If anyone would like any please let me know today as I am not in the office next week so won't be able to mail anything out after tomorrow....

Two races for the Single Seaters on the Sunday. If anyone is going along I'd welcome any photos for the series. This is the last round of the series and between myself and Arttidesco we have photos of all the entries that have appeared so for, it would be great to get a 'full-house'.

Any chance of the Trojan being back together in time Tim?

[timf5000]

I have some tickets available for the Aug 13/14 event. TNF special offer price £5 each (saves you £20.50 !)

If anyone would like any please let me know today as I am not in the office next week so won't be able to mail anything out after tomorrow....

Two races for the Single Seaters on the Sunday. If anyone is going along I'd welcome any photos for the series. This is the last round of the series and between myself and Arttidesco we have photos of all the entries that have appeared so for, it would be great to get a 'full-house'.

Any chance of the Trojan being back together in time Tim?

Simon

We are working on the car (again!) this weekend and trying to discover the problem. Engine apart and oil system is completely stripped and now trying to decide what may be causing the problem. Altho' it might be easier to guess tonight's lottery numbers! Will know tomorrow if next weekend is on...fingers and toes crossed!!

Tim

[arttidesco]

Simon

We are working on the car (again!) this weekend and trying to discover the problem. Engine apart and oil system is completely stripped and now trying to decide what may be causing the problem. Altho' it might be easier to guess tonight's lottery numbers! Will know tomorrow if next weekend is on...fingers and toes crossed!!

Tim

Fingers & Toes crossed for you here too !

[timf5000]

Fingers & Toes crossed for you here too !

Well, we didn't win the lottery nor have we finished the Trojan! Sorry, guys, we won't make it next weekend; have to order some new parts from the States to enable us to re-route the oil system and also need to polish the badly-marked mains crank journals, if that's even possible!

Tim

[simonlewisbooks]

Well, we didn't win the lottery nor have we finished the Trojan! Sorry, guys, we won't make it next weekend; have to order some new parts from the States to enable us to re-route the oil system and also need to polish the badly-marked mains crank journals, if that's even possible!

Tim

Sorry to hear that Tim.
Fingers crossed the series will be back in 2012 and we can see the car in action at Combe.

[arttidesco]

Well, we didn't win the lottery nor have we finished the Trojan! Sorry, guys, we won't make it next weekend; have to order some new parts from the States to enable us to re-route the oil system and also need to polish the badly-marked mains crank journals, if that's even possible!

Tim

Fingers crossed it all comes together in the new year Tim