TC3 gets reprieve at South West Series Round 4 - 20 / 12 / 05

After a somewhat disappointing last outing 2 weeks ago I left the Xray on the self until a couple days before the next meeting, which was South West Series Round 4, held at the Acorn Centre last Sunday. When I did get round to prepping the car though the reason for the slightly dodgy handling at the last meeting became apparent as the front right upright was cracked allowing the front right wheel to move around a great deal. So with no time to order a spare the TC3 was dug out and hastily prepared for its first meeting in a few months, meanwhile yet another TC3 was being prepared, this one for Dad! Watch out marshals! ;-)

...the christmas raffle prizes were also on show, cells, bodyshells and chocolates, but who would get the lucky ticket??? Into the first qualifier and I'd swapped the front diff for a spool which seems to be working for everyone else. Suffice to say this made the car 'exciting' and I was up and down the order right through the race as I had a couple decent laps followed by an awful lap as I tried unsuccessfully to learn how to drive with a spool. Due to everyone elses problems though I did come out on top, although everyone knew we'd be going a good lap or two faster later on in the day.

Dads first run meanwhile had been cut short as a screw dropped out of the bottom of the front hub, up until that point though I've got to say he wasn't doing too badly. Into the second qualifier and it seems everyone was doing their best to let me have pole as I led away and a seemingly never ending series of crashes took place behind. I still wasn't completely comfortable with the spool set-up but my visits to the barriers were becoming less frequent and I was starting to get to grips with it a little more. I let Justin through when he caught me but I was still in second until the front right wheel decided to part company with the car in the final laps, how embaressing!

Dad repairs his car after race 1 whilst trying to convey some kind of message to cameraman... ;-)

Next up was round 3 and i'd changed the set-up again for this one going for Gold springs all round, the result was a slightly happier car and once i'd overtaken Sean I was able to get some steady laps in...until I caught a barrier and broke yet another driveshaft, I can see why Mike has retired from so many races this year now, you touch one thing with a spool in and it's broke, game over! Quick if you can get it right though...

With just the one qualifier left and the 'B' Final beckoning with another DNF I decided to take the safe option and revert back to a diff for the final qualifier. My first few laps were a bit ragged but once i'd settled into it I made it past Sean and put in a steady run to take third on the grid with 18 laps in 309 seconds. Mike did an amazing job to outqualify Justin to take the pole, this ending Justins 11 consecutive TQ's at the South West Series. Behind me on the grid I had Mark, Sean and Tim who had moved up into the 'A's, relegating Wayne to pole in the 'B's, Dad meanwhile posted his fastest run in this round too, 12 laps in 316 seconds, and no breakages this round! ;-)

Finals

Into the finals and it was a very close but clean first lap, I had a couple looks up the inside of Justin and probably should have threw it down the inside but thought better of it. After a few laps Mike and Justin had a small gap ahead of me and Mark who were fighting for third. Mark was getting incredibly close to the back of my car and I was just waiting for the contact but it never came and eventually he just made it past, the cars were so even though that I was now behind him looking for a way past and found it a few laps later. Up front Justin had taken the lead from Mike who was having problems with his spool and another blip let me move past him into second although I could do nothing as he went straight back past again on the next lap, well except gently roll it as I just rubbed a barrier coming onto the straight as I was paying too much attention trying to work out how Mikes car was so much faster round that particular corner, d'oh! This let Mark back though but I could soon close the small gap and we spent the last couple minutes of the race seperated by only a few car lengths but unfortunately I didn't have the pace left to make a pass, Mike however had pulled out with problems so it was third place at the line behind Mark and Justin and well clear of Tim and Sean. A fantastic race all round! :-)

With it being christmas day next sunday and new years day the week after we have 3 weeks until our next meeting which will be a club round at the Acorn centre on January the 8th.

Have a merry xmas and good new year everyone :-)

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