Carpet Wars Round 4

 

I've not run my 12th for a little while now, what with Christmas and New Year etc so Sunday would be interesting at least :)

The flooring at Maritime Raceway has been re-laid and new carpet laid over it resulting in a MUCH MUCH flatter track surface.  This is good news for 12th scale :)

The practice and first couple of qualifiers I found that I could drive the car on the throttle but the car didn't feel punchy at all, it felt like I was flat out everywhere with no real change in speed.  My times didn't reflect this however as I was 4th overall in the qualifying behind Terry (albeit with a quicker lap)

I made a change in the 4th qualifier which was one step too far.  The car felt quick finally, but I had traction roll issues, so I backed off a little for the rest of the run, therefore not improving.  I knew the car had the speed though so was looking forward to the final.

For the final I applied additive a little later and used a softer spring on the shock.  The car was as quick and I had made up a place by the first corner, passing Terry on the sweeper at the end of the straight on Lap 1.

I was comfortably in 3rd place for the rest of the race with no threat from anyone behind me, but also making no gains on the guys in front.  The "guys in front" were Mark Green and Luke Burley, both excellent drivers, so there was no shame in me being behind them !

About halfway through the final, disaster struck and my motor shifted in the mount so I lost the mesh between the pinion and the spur.  This was the end of my race :(

I have since found the problem with the mount was in fact a bent pod plate, so that has been replaced with a view to running at Plymouth this weekend in my first ever National.  Terry and Steve Fuller are both attending on the weekend so it should be an experience in how to move out of people's way if nothing else :)