Oulton Park at last

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I’ve finally got round to visiting Oulton Park, the race circuit ‘on my doorstep’ (or at least a very pretty forty minute drive away). Not being particularly interested in motorsport, & knowing that the Oulton circuit is very unforgiving to novice trackday drivers, I have stayed away from this place for years. However, when one of the Forum members, Aviator, mentioned that the race team he helps out on, Top Cats, was up there with a couple of Marcos Mantis for a round of the Britcar chamionship I decided it was now or never! Saturday morning saw me load up with my lodger, & set off for a late morning meet with my Le Mans compadres Caz & Debbie (alas in their PT cruiser as the LM500 was away awaiting a re-spray) & Johnny in his splendid black 3L at The Smoker pub on the A556. We headed off to the circuit & arrived to be met at the entrance gates by Aviator in his yellow LM400, who had some complimentary tickets from Top Cats supremo Warren – what a thoroughly nice chap! Aviator guided us to the pits area where we parked up & were met by Warren & his (rather foxy I have to say) wife Charlotte. Things were relatively quiet, qualifying having recently finished, so we visitors had the opportunity to peer round the alarmingly stripped-down Mantis which was quite enlightening for the likes of me! Sadly there was only one Mantis as the other driver had buggered off to a wedding, meaning no second Marcos, but I was still content to watch that one race. Having swipped some stonking nosh from the Top Cats heaving hospitality table we were recommended Druids Corner has a superior vantage point for the race, so off we trotted where I then proceeded to sit on an ant hill. I didn’t notice for a minute or two but bugger me there were a lot of them on my trousers when I did! Everyone was suitably impressed at how fast I moved…

It then seemed prudent to watch the race standing up! Things got off to a good start with the Mantis chugging round (always sounding like it was about 3000 RPM lower than all the other cars & not really trying yet!), & making decent progress but unfortunately half way through the race the diff packed in, leaving the second driver without a drive at all. Bummer. Although Top Cats TVR was still running, it was the Marcos Mantis I’d been there to watch, so we wandered back to the bar area & had a couple of beers as it had got quite warm by this stage! We bobbed back to the Top Cats garage to give our commiserations & thank anyone who would listen for their awesome hospitaility, then headed back home, where I had a thirsty hockey team awaiting their annual post-season bash! Overall a nice introduction to my local circuit.

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Rallying to the cause

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A long weekend of frenzied Marcos activity, starting with a trip down to Marcos Heritage Spares on Thursday afternoon, where my cracked windscreen was due to be replaced (Insurance job thank God). I left the car with them at 1500 hours having been informed that they’d need the car a full twenty four hours (I’d thought it was just overnight) & set off in their courtesy car – a Land Rover (LM90?) which brought back some memories of the Army! I got as far as Semington (about a mile away!) before I pulled up outside the Somerset Arms, booked myself into a wonderful B&B next door (16th C manor house, lovely hostess) & settled down with a book & a pint(s) in the sun. And on a workday! Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. Highly recommended to anyone who needs to leave their vehicle at MHS.

Friday morning I drove into Trowbridge, picked up a paper & then drove past MHS to find an out-of-the-way pub by the canal to have lunch at & continue reading in the sun. God it made a nice change from work I can tell you. Anyway finally it was 1600 hours & I returned to MHS where I picked up the Mantis with its pukka new screen. The fit was much better than the previous one (also fitted by MHS, & last of the original Finnish screens) & sat nicely flush against the surround. I was delighted. MHS had also cleaned the car as I’d mentioned I was going straight to the CMI rally near Coventry, & duely charged me their standard £40/hour rate(!). The owner, Rory, mentioned that I should be careful with the amount of stone chips I had on the fornt of the car when jet washing it. However, I did not fully appreciate the implications of his comment until I was at the hotel that evening, where I noticed that two areas of paint had been removed on the front spoiler & one on the nearside front wheelarch – while they had been cleaning the car! I was (& still am) extremely unimpressed with the fact that this was not pointed out to me properly at the time. Having spoken to MHS on the phone about this since, they have offered to ‘sort it out’ but hey, I’m 250 miles away so what does that tell you? Who the hell jet washes a fibreglass car at that pressure anyway? MHS should know better than anyone about looking after Marcos… Anyway, that rather took the edge of the nice couple of days I’d had.

Saturday saw the (empty) threat of rain but the Club Marcos International 2005 Annual Rally started with a seemingly random tour of Cotswold roads. Apparently there was actually a planned route but as I didn’t have a passenger (therefore no navigator) I was just following the various flavours of Marcos that appeared in front of me, & was quite happy that way. It was a great (and dry) day & lots of fun, followed by a couple of drinks back at the hotel & a nice meal with about thirty other Marcos owners. Sunday saw a soggy convoy head off for the rally venue, the Heritage Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire. I managed to stick it out with the hood down until we actually got to the museum, but by this time it was belting down & the hood was quickly put up. Predicably I never made it into the museum as I spent time catching up with various people as they arrived in their cars, with my location of choice for chattering not suprisingly being… the Cafe! Bone dry, & with an infinite supply of cakes! Mid afternoon two things became obvious; firstly that no other cars were going to turn up & secondly than the rain was only going to get heavier! I reluctantly set off home with fellow Cheshirite Johnny (black 3L – sweet!) but of course we only stuck together for a few miles before he failed to see my desperate headlight flashing as we approached the first Services, & while I peeled off for some sorely needed petrol, Johnny roared off into the spray oblivious to my plight! I don’t know what the law is called, but there is a Murphy’s law-type thing which says that Marcos cannot travel in convoy for more than about 20 feet before getting split up… An hour late I pulled onto a roundabout in deepest, darkest Stoke only to see Johnny appear from my right from a completely different direction – bizarre! Anyway I took the opportunity to drop the hood again as the rain had eased off a bit, & had a splendid if slightly moist last hour driving through glistening Cheshire countryside along the A34 with Johnny pounding along behind. All in all a fun rally despite the monsoon conditions on the second day, & I’m looking forward to the joint CMI/MOC rally next year already!

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Tatton frenzy

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A triumphant return from the Tatton Park Classic Car Show for yours truely, and indeed everyone who turned up for the Marcos stand! Having rashly decided to clean my car when it stopped raining yesterday (it didn’t!), I had to stir my bones at 0600 hours this morning & make some kind of last ditch effort. Fortunately it wasn’t raining & a ninety minute stint left the car looking clean (no time for polish) – clean enough to get 2nd place for “Best two seater of Show”… I am quite chuffed about that! There were seven Marcos in total at the show (two Mantis Spyders, two LMs, three GTs), and we were awarded first place in the “Highly Commended Club Stand” category (ninety club stands in all, three “Best Club Stand” trophies so that means fourth out of ninety – not bad eh?).

 

It really was that grey…

Prepping for Le Mans

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I’m hoping to guarantee a faultless trip to & from Le Mans by getting the car serviced, so it was off down to Mr Chivers for some TLC for the Mantis. Apart from the service, Dave also fitted the new stone chip guards which look the dogs danglies, but I didn’t half wince when he wrenched the old ones off (taking half the paint with them!) – I am far too scared to treat the car like that! We examined the roll-bar positioning to see if there was any way we could counter the slightly off-center positioning caused by the chassis location, but it would have been a lot of work for a little gain; I have decided to live with the hood frame rubbing the nearside section of the rollbar. Chassis also liberally doused with waxoyl. Tried to fit the accessory built sent by MHS (discovered a spare in the boot as well – Doh!) to replace the squeaky one but however we strained it was just too short. Gave up eventually. The main achievement was the windscreen however! Dave removed the T-piece & scraped the windscreen surround down, revealing numerous holes in the seal where you could put your finger through to the inside of the car! Amazing the car didn’t leak more than it actually did really, but still pretty poor work by MHS when they fitted it a couple of years ago. Anyway sealant was duely reapplied then allowed to go off overnight, which seemed like a good excuse to stay over & go to the pub! T-piece re-fitted Sunday morning & looked sweeeeet. On the way home I called in at Redline Sportscar where Jeremy, the factory salesman, now operates the numero uno Marcos showroom. Despite just having locked & alarmed the building, when Dave C & I turned up in the two Mantis, JK opened everything up again so I could look round, & even responded to a casual enquiry about stock by taking the dust covers off each car & talking me through them. What a tremendous chap, and dammit, if I hadn’t already got one I would’ve bought another! I soon had the opportunity to test how successful we had been in resealing the windscreen, as the heavens truely opened as I drove back up north from Wiltshire. I must admit I was a little too stubborn about getting the hood up this time, & only stopped to reluctantly erect it when I realised that I had left the motorway & gone up a sliproad without realising, at which point I had to admit that I couldn’t see a bloody thing! Touchingly several people risked pneumonia themselves by winding down their windows to jeer at me as they shot past – fair enough!

Back to Rockingham for ‘Thunder Sunday’

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Yesterday was Thunder Sunday at Rockingham (oval banked circuit). As per last year’s visit, the line-up was mainly Mantis, but Debbie & Darren were there in their uber-shiny LM500 again. Apart from showing the cars, we got another opportunity to do a couple of laps around the track in front of the crowd, which saw the usual hooning with the exception of myself, as I demonstrated the more sophisticated side of the Marcos Mantis. (There may have been a teeny wheel spin but personally I put that down to poor clutch control… ) The organisers also used Marcos to parade the race drivers for the primary event up & down in front of the crowd. I happen to be at the front of the line of Marcos so got to take the current champion (Steve someone?) – a thoroughly unpleasant fellow who was clearly bored by the proceedings & lacked even the manners to greet the person whose car he then proceeded to put his feet all over. (The other drivers were quite chatty apparently). I also succumbed to a Road Angel 2 (Speed Camera thingy) as they were fifty quid off. Bugger knows why I bought one as I don’t exactly thrash the car, on the other hand I’m a sucker for a gadget with a discount! I was gutted when I discovered that I couldn’t get at the 12V socket under the dash because the Stereo Amp is in the way, so it became a very expensive box…

Today continued on to the National Kit Car Show at Stoneleigh with some of the remnants from Rockingham. There were a good few Marcos there already when we bowled up. Mike McCullough (probably spelt that wrong!) seems to have powder-coated anything he hasn’t already chromed, his Mantis engine look stunning but I bet he doesn’t drive it when it’s wet! Weather stayed reasonable until mid-afternoon by which time I had my find-of-the-day, a collapsible bucket! Woohoo! God I need a life… Anyway drove back with the hood down & stayed dry enough except for the odd set of traffic lights & standing traffic. As usual after two days of ‘car stuff’ my head hurts & I am knackered!

A chip off the old block

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I’ve just got back from dragging the Old Man off to Tyntesfield for his birthday, with a visit to MHS cunningly thrown in on the return journey! The original carbon fibre stone chip guards over the rear wheel arches are almost translucent now, so it was time for some new ones. Although predictably extortionate, the MHS guards are pre-moulded & top quality pieces of kit. I know it’s possible to get adhesive carbon fibre sheets then stick it over over the existing guards, but frankly… my car’s just far too goddamn gorgeous to compromise like that, so I got the real thing! The Old Man also gave the thumbs up to the rollbar, which he hasn’t seen before. Phew! I get to stay in his will then… The classic tiny squeak, which once noticed becomes the dominant noise when driving (which is impressive considering my exhaust!) has been traced to my accessory belt (also referred to as the alternator belt or ploy-V belt). The current one has become glazed & it’s doing my nut!!

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Marcos Forum – North West meet

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As many of the other areas have owners meets outside of the car show/annual rally cycle, I thought I’d have a go getting everyone together for a social drink. The Tatton Park regulars who make up the North West contingent actually come from all over the place so I picked Knutsford as a ‘halfway house’ i.e. everyone was inconvenienced! In the end only myself, Chris Message & Caz made it but as you can see it made for a very exclusive car park!

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Killer Bees v Lymm

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“My day out with the Bees” (or “How that bd Chris Gawne stitched me up”)

Confidence was high in the Braithwaite camp. The start of another hockey season, and following his meteoric rise through the teams, Braithwaite was looking forward to another great performance. The magician even condescended to join the little people and turn out for the Bees.

The trip to Lytham started well, the traditional random wander around the Fylde coast was sadly absent and the Bees arrived with only one minor detour. It couldn’t last….

Having arrived the Bees finally ended up in the world smallest changing room and the traditional who’s playing in goal debate started. Now, you would have thought that Braithwaite would be given an exemption, after all seeing him in action gives a thrill to hockey lovers everywhere. Step forward Mr Gawne, who given the choice of 8 players, chose the one person who had no business going in goal… (       Gawne)

The heroic Braithwaite donned the keepers kit, and even though it left a lot a flesh exposed, stepped in to the breach and the Bees took to the pitch. Now, normally the keeper gets a bit of a knock up to get his eye in, but this week was a little different! Rather than help their unlucky colleague in goal, the Bees proceeded to arse around practicing (what a was lead to believe were) short corners. I’m sure the push to the half way routine has a place, but I have to admit that I’ve never seen it work….

I think the first half can be best described by paraphrasing the great Gordon Strachan:

“In which areas did Lytham dominate the game?”

“The f**king big green one for a start…”

 

The Bees decided to try the little seen “star burst” formation, everyone running away from the ball leaving ball carrier stranded. Braithwaite in goal was used for target practice by the Lytham forwards and despite his valiant efforts they finished the half a mere 8 ahead.

At this point the Bee’s fearless leader, the newly pregnant Hawkins, made a number of changes. Braithwaite’s skill was finally recognised and he was allowed out of goal being replaced by Trigger. Also, Lytham gave us their star winger as they felt sorry for the Bees. Newly invigorated the Bees started the second half.

The words “Hockey Legend” are bandied around all to often, but in this case they are entirely justified. Braithwaite was quite simply superb. He dominated the defence, bossed the midfield and provided the sort of quality ball that even Yokker couldn’t miss. The Bees attempted the biggest come back since Lazarus, but ultimately the gap was too big and the Bees went down 9-7.

The second half of the game was pretty enjoyable with the Bees playing some good hockey and everyone playing well. I say everyone, Gawne was rubbish, but I may be biased by his earlier stitching up.

Andrew “Hockey God” Braithwaite

An inauspicious start to the season, as was apparent from the generally atrocious individual skills on display from the Bees in the first half. Quoting Strachan seems appropriate somehow, as we kicked the ball more often than we hit it, and the numerical advantage that Lytham had wreaked havoc. After a very generous gesture on their part (ie giving us their best player!) our game picked up as well and the second half allowed a little self-repect to return (not that Braithwaite lost any in the first half you’ll have noticed – it takes more than letting in eight goals to let that happen, eh?). A nice hatrick from Yokker (jug noted…) Sandwiches afterwards which we polished off as if we were a full side…

 

Rocking up to Rockingham

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I went down to ‘Thunder Sunday’ at Rockingham circuit to meet up with some other Marcos Mantis. I think we ended up with nine all told, which I am sure is the most I’ve ever seen together – certainly more than I’ve counted at any of the club rallies. We were allowed two (which turned into three!) laps of the circuit in front of the adoring crowd (as I perceived them!). Driving on a banked track is quite a novelty, & everyone got the most out of it, with a couple of near misses adding to the overall excitement of the Marcos owners!