Clio 172 Cup, track car to race car

[Timster]

At Snett on Weds this week testing the Clio.

So... have you actually bought the car Paul, or is it pending Snetterton ?

[sonny]

We are on the bar having a drink talking shitz.... Willupdate tomorrow on Pauls clio status

[PJC]

At Snett on Weds this week testing the Clio.

So... have you actually bought the car Paul, or is it pending Snetterton ?

Yep Clio has been purchased. Will be doing five races this year with a full season next year.

[sonny]

UPDATE: June 2014

Again, due to work and other commitments not a lot has happened with the Clio, I manage to replace the crank sensor this week with the newer style (blue) sensor, it actually makes a real difference, my old one must have been proper shagged! Looking at rolling the car out tomorrow/Friday for a clean/wash and replacing the brake pads and bleeding the front lines only.

2 weeks ago I put an order through for some AST II's, these should be here by Julys race as Snetterton.

Looking at cleaning the tyres up a little, need to DIY shave the feathering/marbles


Got fed up of using a spirit level and ruler for adjusting camber so ordered one of these.....I'v used this model before and was impressed, so decided to order one.





So, I am nearly all set for this weekends race at Donny, round 3 of the Tricolore Trophy

Times as follows

Sign on: 0715

Scrute: 0730

Quali: 0915

Race 1: 1505

Race 2: 1640

I'm arriving Sat evening, might see some of you guys there Tim, tickets have been posted

[HYFR]

This Sunday?

[sonny]

Yes mate

[sonny]

Few pics from Round 3 at Donington.

[sonny]

This evening I changed out the inner tie rods, need to do an alignment next week to finish it off.

I made my own alignment smart string set up with 4 axle stands, 2 aluminium 6ft tubes and weighted plum lines.

Also received a phone call today from AST suspension to tell me that my AST sportlines 2's (5100 series) with adjustable solid top mounts are ready for dispatch. Unfortunately I wont have time to fit, corner weight and test the set up before the next race.

Talking of which, the next race, Rounds 7 and 8 takes place next Saturday (12th July) at Snetterton 200 circuit.

Timings

Race one 1410

Race two 1720

Paulrs4 will also be racing in the production Clio series too

Roll on next weekend

[PJC]

Indeed, my first race, can't wait.

[Timster]

Going to try to make this one too, boys. (missus-grief depending)

[PJC]

Be good to see you Tim

[sonny]

RACE REPORT: Snetterton 2014

Had a week off work, so had plenty of time to prep the car for the race at Snett. Went for a new set of front tyres (R888 195/5015s) New HC front brake discs and new Ferodo DS1.11 pads (Thanks George), Fitted all this alone with a new Skoda front splitter as my OEM one had seen better days.

Did a full break bleed with help from the girlfriend (put her to use pumping that pedal) along with a full smart string geo and reduced camber by -0.4 deg

Arrived at the circuit and set up, did the usual car checks, and also another quick string geo check, done some pre pad bedding in at the circuit prior to Quali.

Quali

Last time I did Snet was in 2012 and having never done the 200 layout I managed a 1.33 which put me 14th on the grid (out of 34).

Race 1:

Race 1 went well, the car handled perfectly and everything was great, the brake pads was fantastic, however I still had to brake early, due to the wilwoods locking up. Its time I should really fit a brake bias valve to compensate this, but im used to applying the correct brake modulation to threashhold brake. I am going to run my OEM set up at the next race to see if it eliminates the problem.
My Vbox failed to record the first race, again I have had a few probs now which I need to sort out as this has happened twice now.

best time 1.31 finished 14th 2ic

Race 2

After the first race I de-glazed the pads (they was showing a very light glaze, but no juddering) with some emery paper, this proved to be worth it as it made the breaking even better. I really do rate those DS1.11s, prob the best Ferodo pad I have used, My friend rates them from his rally days. Had a good race, improved in lap times, managed a 1.30 lap finished 13th 2ic

This time the Vbox managed to record something.

Race 2 vid http://youtu.be/gAWLlpqXvUY

On the way home from Snetterton, driving along the M11, I came across an RTA that had just happened, car had spun and crash, the occupants was standing by there car bleeding pretty bad, so I pulled over and assisted first aid (being a FPOSI trained), made a pressure dressing out of some workshop towels. So stayed with the casualties until the emergency services arrived, while waiting the heavens decided to open and got absolutely soaked....after 30 min I left the scene (after handing the casualties over to the fire service) arrived home at nearly 10pm...what a day!

Well, had a really good weekend and am looking forward to Silverstone next month. I am now half way through my 1st season racing, and am so happy I started what I have always dreamed of doing. The car, mechanically has been sound, no engine problems, no lights on dash, nothing, only problems have been down to chassis related incidents, such as the handing, suspension, brakes and the gear box selector being hit.

In regards to further mods to the car, I am still waiting on the AST suspension hahahahaha (even though it was suppose to be sent out over a week ago), so hopefully I shall have that fitted for Silverstone, along with my standard brakes. Maybe after silverstone, go for a remap refresh.

PaulRS4 also had his first race in his production series Clio, he did very well, taking home a 1st in class and 2nd in class win. I will let him tell more...he did have a little "fight" with an MRS though.

Also thanks to Timster for popping along to say hi

Thanks for reading

Sonny

[sonny]

Few pics from the day











Pauls Clio being attended to by one of the Prize motorsports guys (Paul doesn't like to get his hands dirty)

[sonny]

UPDATE

After 8 weeks of waiting, my AST Sportline 2's (5100) finally arrived, these was specked with uprated springs and solid top mounts that are castor and camber adjustable.



My old Spax units served me well....




Fitted the AST's last week, just need to redo the camber and front toe out. The castor is set to maximum. Car is booked in for a corner weight session with Mark Fish in 2 weeks ahead of the Silverstone race in August (more to follow soon).

Thanks for reading

Sonny

[sonny]

RACE REPORT SILVERSTONE NATIONAL AUGUST 2014-08-10

TRICOLORE TROPHY

PRE RACE PREP


Popped the car in to Mark Fish to get the car corner weighted prior to the Silverstone race at the weekend, the car was weighed and checked, it appeared my corners weight was off massively, so re balanced at a 49.5% cross weight.

Checked front camber and toe, no changes needed as my adjustments were spot on (using strings and a shimmed garage floor).


Reminder, I fitted the new ASTs 2’s with custom spring rates, AST top mounts set to maximum positive castor and replaced the Wilwoods with the OEM callipers and Ferodo pads.

TESTING

So with that done I loaded up the car and set out for the test day at Silverstone. I missed the first session due to travel and prepping the car in the paddocks as I needed to do a quick spanner check, I manage 3 sessions and was out for around 15-20 min per session as I didn’t want to cook my brakes and tyres before the race.

My check list for the test day was

Check bump rates for the ASTs and adjust
Check hot and ambient tyre pressures (before and post race)
Bed new brake pads in (DS1.11) on standard set up with HC discs.
Maybe adjust ride height (was not needed)
Get used to the car on the new set up
Put in some fast lasp of the circuit, having never driven there before

Overall testing was fairly straight forward and I must say the car feels totally different, esp with the 45% increase in spring rates. I was expecting it to be very hard to drive; this was actually the complete opposites. Car felt so planted and once again, for the first time this season I have 100% confidence in the car.

I was hoping to achieve a 01:09 lap but best lap was a 01m11s....so in the hotel that evening I set about studying my laps on the racelogic software on my laptop while scoffing a macdees in the Travelodge...living the high life lol


RACE DAY

QUALI

Quali was a combined grid with the Nippons, so again was hard to put a fast lap in with the traffic, my fastest lap was a 01.12, not overly happy as this was slower that practice the day previous. This put me in 10th place on the grid, just in front of Tom in his Clio and behind the Pug 205.

RACE 1 (Stand alone)

Race 1 started with a stalled car on the grid 2 places in front, this messed with my plan, but again worked in my favour as the cars in front split....foot to the pedal I planted it through Copse Corner, a train formed within the first few laps and saw a few of us exchanging positions, being the rear marker of the “train” I was struggling to get past, so was trying to conventional lines to pick up speed to under/overtake, this would have worked if I had more power, but was only shredding tyres. Pete spun in front this gave me the upper hand and moved up a place. This was a very exciting race, the best of the season so far...as it seemed all cars was equal in power/weight ratio. I missed selected a gear, 5th instead of 3rd going into Luffeild this gave the impression that the engine died, my heart sank for a plit second, but all was good.

The car felt so balanced im totally in love with my car again, the only weakness now is the tyres, so this will be getting addressed very soon. Dunlops or Advans it is.

I finished 7th and won 3rd in class, fastest lap was 01.10m So very happy with that.

RACE 1 ON BOARD FOOTAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnGQ4ZQgwjA





RACE 2 (combined)

Due to combined race our grid positions reflected our morning quail times, this saw me 12th on the grid, in front of the red Scooby and behind the blue 106 (same as Snetterton). Race was going well until I was having a tussle with the pesky 106, that thing was hard to shrug off, Pete saw this and gained a place, then it was all over, no way was I going to gain that place. I actually got in front of the 106 before the final lap and finished 11th and best lap was slower than race 1 at a 1.12m

Memory card on the camera was full so only half a race recorded (currently uploading)

RACE 2 ON BOARD FOOTAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBhkhYnGVjw

So overall was a very good days racing for me, mainly due to having confidence in the car and not having any car problems. I am looking forward to Cadwell as this is a circuit I know very well, but never having raced there.