Hi Gang
Our brand new Oval track opened this Saturday at Rockingham (what a wonderful
experience to have a racing circuit only a 20 minute drive from home). Nigel
Mansell did a few demonstration laps and established a 163' 59 mph lap. He
says the oval circuit is fantastic and predicts that lap times of over 180
mph will be achieved when the CHAMP car world series comes to Rockingham in
September.
The COYS vintage events on Sunday were superb (besides the oval there are a
choice of 4 other circuits within the complex). There was a complete field of
vintage Grand prix and sports cars, including David Piper's 275 LM Ferrari
(he's been racing that same car since 1964). The car which always takes my eye
at these events (besides the ERA's of course) is the 1929 Napier Bentley. This
car has a 24 litre 'W' 12 Napier Lion engine. This is the aircraft engine as
used in our winning Sneider Trophy planes of that era. The cylinder
configuration consists of a vertical row of four with two more rows of four
forming a V on either side. The cylinder axis to the crank pins are all the
same on this engine as the con rods on the V banks are joined to the master
rods on the vertical bank (articulated). When the engine was started near the
media centre (or the car was driven by it) all the TV's changed channel!! The
engine develops just short of 600BHP at 2500RPM max torque is 1250 ft lbs.
I can't go to the circuit today, it's aunty Edie's 100th birthday party so
I've got to rush arround checking up on things - including making sure the
birthday card from her Majesty the Queen is safe ( I think my sister in law
has slept with it).
Best wishes
Paul
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