Well last weekend I had the opportunity to drive a VLBC (Very
Little British Car). On weekends I have worked for a guy whose
business is maintaining race cars. This winter we have been
working on putting computers in race cars. Well as partial payment
for the hours we have been putting in on that, he paid my entry,
and provided a car or a local sports car clubs driving school.
I got a free day in a Winkelman WDF2 formula ford. Man what a blast!
Motor Sports Engineering had just finished restoring it and wanted
to have some track time on it, before delivering it to the new
owner, to be sure all the bugs were ironed out.
I have raced a small production car (Rabbit) in NW club racing off and
on for the last 4 years (as funding allowed). The last 2 years more
off than on, funding my entry fees by working for MSE during
weekends I didn't race.
I have read Scott Fisher's accounts of his adventures with great
interest. I concluded that he has the bug worse than I do, as his
stories seem so much more religious than my experiences. Don't
get me wrong, there is nothing more heady or satisfying as speed
and/or driving at the limit, but I've never been able to relate it
as well as Scott can. Maybe is just more of a Wordsmith than I.
Bob Winkelman sold formula cars in the states in the 60's. By his
account of matters he had a lot to do with the design of Winkelman
cars. But the cars were made by Palliser Racing Cars in England.
A few hundred of these cars were sold here in the late 60's.
So, thanks to an El Nino, we had a bright sunny day in March in
Oregon. I had a car with a 1600cc Ford engine, 105 hp, and it
weighes 1100 pounds with me in it! The school had only 6 cars in
the competition cars group, I virtually had the track to myself.
What a scream, lying on my back and going faster than I have ever
gone before. These were wild sensations, wind whistling around my
visor, my helmet being pushed backward by the force of the wind,
my helmet wanting to lift from my head.
I have never driven anything with this sort of power to weight
ratio, when you put the power down, it was a "oh my god" hang on type
of feeling. I loved it.
On up shifts I couldn't make my clutch foot react fast enough, to
the point where I gave up using the clutch on upshifts, and I
didn't really need it, it was a dream to shift without the clutch.
Super short throws, it was just snick, snick, snick. The box was so
close ratio I was only in each gear a few seconds.
I guess I'm carrying some production car prejudges, my mind had a
tough time with the short throws on the shift lever and the
pedals. You really didn't have to depress the clutch down that
far, it was more of just putting my foot on it and resting it
heavily during downshifts.
The steering really took some getting use to also, in fact, I had
a little lateral movement when ever I took my hand off the wheel to
shift, it was so darn quick responding.
Anyone want to take a lap around Portland International Raceway?
Out of the hot pits and onto the front straight, petal to the
floor and thru the gears at 6500 snick ... snick ...snick...
driving along the edge of the track (man do those posts in the
chain link fence fly by) over the slight rise as you enter the
braking area for turn 1 (90 degree right hander), probably doing
115-120 mph). Press firmly and confidently on the brakes, (feel your
body pressing against the harness) blip the throttle as you depress
the clutch slightly, move the lever from 4th to 2nd (this really took
some internalization, but on a box that is this close ratio, no biggie).
Engage the clutch and apply the power, clip both curbs in turn one as you
drift back to the left edge of the track, and you are ready to turn in
for Turn 2 (an other right hander, a little more than 90 degrees) late
apex on the power, drifting out not quite to the edge accelerating down
the short shute to turn 3 (left hander tighter than 90 and tighter than
1 or 2). Brake and down shift from 2nd to 1st. Drive the turn as a big
arc apexing late. Accelerate down another short shute to turn 4 (right
hander tighter than 90 degrees, but not as tight as 3) still in first gear.
Power down as early as you can as you are now basically on the
back straight, bang 2nd as you reach the slight left-right kink
that is turn 5/6. Through 3rd and 4th as you go down the banana
shaped back straight (in a Rabbit you don't the curve, but you
sure do in a formula car). Again driving along the wall on the
straight but this time at the right edge of the track to set up
turn 7/8 a short left-right esse. Into the braking area, down
shift to third turn in to the left, up high on the low bank
curbing to use all the track, turn right for the second half of
the esse, clip the end of the curbing. Drift out to left on to the
asphalt that is the pit exit, get the car going straight and
settled, brake blip the throttle, depress the clutch move lever
from 3rd to 1st. Engage the clutch and turn in for trun 9 (90 degree
right hander). Try and get the power down as early as you can
because you are opening up on to the front straight again, and
earlier than you feel like to, as the tire wall looks menacing.
Pedal to the floor, here we go again!!!! I love this!!!!
Thank you for flying Winkelman Airlines.
I guess driving a little 1500cc in a 1900 pound car wasn't the same
as it use to be. This brought my excitement level back!
greg_meythaler@ccm.hf.intel.com
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