Now that was strange... first time for me - I posted the following yet
didn't see it show up on the list (apologies if it did). I did however
see my 'correction' - which looked a little strange without the original
mail. So, delete now if you read this before :-)
-----
I have never been a Sprite/Spridget enthusiast (hey, I am new enough to
MGs) but I got to see some seriously nice little cars on Friday
(practice day, Sprite National Meet) from all over Australia. Yes, they
should have called it Spridget Nat. Meet as there were some nice Midgets
holding their own on the track. A smattering of 'other' cars went
around, too - like my 'B. It seems most of the cars were done up for
circuit work rather than being 'street' cars put onto the track. Maybe
(and I didn't ask) this was simply because the other/concourse cars
etc., didn't come to the track.
It is really difficult to judge the cars against each other in Sprint
situations and with a lot of people who have never driven this track
before, but my times were where I thought they might be, about mid-way
in the field. Of course in the top of the field (fastest) there were a
lot of 'racecars' running on slicks and a few of them with definitely
non British engines, like the local speed-king, Dean King, in his
ever-so-seriously fast rotary bugeye racecar that blitzed everything
(can you say TWENTY SECONDS faster than me - 1:16 compared to 1:36).
(Late note - he pulled of a 1:13 - which is really getting seriously
close to what V8 SuperCars do around that track. Just take of 6/7
seconds more).
On the way to the track I passed a few cruising Healeys, including an
(corrected) 3000 I have seen in a number of State and National rallies.
This one went very nicely around the circuit.
And I got to meet, and follow out onto the track once, list member Mike
Gigante who was running well all day, holding the MG flag high from what
I saw but who this one time, unfortunately, suffered some electrical
problems and had to pull off the track.
During a 'driver training' session, as a local who knows the track, I
got to take one of the interstate driver's fiancee out in his car (first
I drove to show her the lines, then I went around as passenger). At
least I can now say that I got to drive a Mk IV Sprite racecar - wow, I
didn't rev it out at all (remember, it wasn't my car and the guy's
fiancee was beside me :-) but it was a VERY nice, fast little machine -
what a buzz. I want to drive it again - and it made my 'street car'
feel soooo sloppy out there!
(late note - someone else now reckons it was a Mk V - sheesh)
Saturday (in a few hours time... ooops) is Sprint Day - but as I say, I
have no idea how fast I *should have* be going against these little
cars, so I guess I just went out and had fun. My 'offs' seemed to amuse
the visitors :-) and a few others did the same thing when their
confidence was up a little more on Saturday. I thought I may have been
able to pull a few laps in practice, but today (Saturday) I was a
spectator and part-time flag marshall for the cause :-)
Nice way to spend a couple of days.
Eric
'68MGB MkII
Adelaide, South Australia
///
/// mgs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// (If they are dupes, this trailer may also catch them.)
|