Alas the Team Thicko stickers didn't arrive until after I left for
the HICR at Bathurst.
It wouldn't have helped much anyhow because the scrutineers were
busy making everyone remove any stickers or advertising from the car!
In fact, despite this being the most daunting track in the country, fast
as hell, and a full international event, the scrutineers spent about 10
times
as long on stickers as they did on safety. We had scrutineering every
morning
and I think my brakes were checked once, engine bay got 1 cursory glance
steering/suspension once. Only brake lights, underwear and balaclava,
and stickers were checked with any care!
My car is a little rough. Wiring all over the place, ratty paint etc. Good
mechanically though. I was expecting a hard time as most of the field
had cars that could have won a local concours! (At least at the start of
the week!).
The racing was truly magnificent. In the first race I had a great dice with
a 1293cc sprite for 4 laps before getting away and catching and passing
a big healey across the top into skyline.
In the second race, I was in a 5 way dice that saw 50 or 60 individual
passes over 5 laps! Inside, outside, under brakes, in impossible
places - everywhere. I finished at the front of that group, having gone
slower than I might otherwise have done but having had more fun
than you could imagine!
I had a 1310cc motor that put out about 115 BHP. Not bad but not good
enough to stay with the fastest 3 sprites who had about 130BHP. Man is
that mountain steep! One corner (BP Cutting) is a 2nd gear uphill corner
(concrete walls inside and outside) that has a 1 in 6 grade after the exit!
>From that corner you accelerate all the way through a series of corners
that end up at the flat out in top through the sweeper at MacPhillemy Park
and then start the blind, steep downhill run the the esses and dipper.
I was hitting and then holding 7800 rpm in top about 1/3 down the
downhill straight. I wasn't game to hold it any higher than that, though
in the last lap of race 1 I pulled 8000 to try and hold off one of the
faster cars (it didn't work but I ended up close enough this time to
get him back under brakes)
On combined points, I finshed 1st sprite overall after the two races. I
finished 1st in class and 3rd in class respectively which corresponded
to 13th and 11th outright. I should have done better but I had lousy starts
in both races. Oh well. I need more HP too!!! And less driver weight to
drag up that bloody big hill.
14 of 15 sprites that started the week finished. A couple of engine changes,
clutch change, lots of brake repairs, head gaskets etc. No panel damage
to sprites which was amazing.
There was a lone silverstone (no roll cage, no harnesss!!!), and the rest
were big Healeys. A few of the big Healeys ended up worse for wear
after get togethers with other cars or concrete walls.
This was the best racing on the greatest and most challenging track. It
was truly magnificent!
In addition to the 41 Healeys on the grid, there would have been another 50
or 60 there on display. They were used in the street parade to carry the
purdy young things and on the track to carry the drivers on the parade lap.
Even the truly magnificent Healey SR (Le Mans '68 special) was there and
carried one of the drivers on the parade lap!
For non-thicko interest, Dennis Welch from the UK won both races, but
it was a very close thing in the second before oil took out the contender
Peter Hopwood. Welch's car is an absolute weapon and his driving
style is very spectacular.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Wm. Severin Thompson <wsthompson@thicko.com>
To: Mike Gigante <mikeg@vicnet.net.au>
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: TT Stickers
>To all my esteemed Thicko colleagues...
>
>Thursday of this week, I will be making a short run of Team Thicko vinyl
>stickers... old English White with black drop shadow, and black with old
>English drop shadow.
>
>All of you who've been waiting for these, please reply ASAP with your
>address, as I'll get them in the mail on Friday. Your cost, a beer
>someday.
>
>Priority will be given to the Australian brethren racing in early Oct.,
>but there should be enough to go around.
>
>Personally, I'm going to try to make the race here at IRP... we'll see.
>
>I remain,
>
>The Flounder
>
>Mike Gigante wrote:
>>
>> Hey WST,
>>
>> How can I get some Thicko gear in time for the HICR? At a minimum
>> I'd like to run the sticker.
>>
>> Do you have a list of stuff and prices?
>>
>> It is a shame you can't make it, I'd have liked to meet up in person
>> and I'm sure you would have loved the event. Steve Pike tells me that
>> you are pretty much flat out with business. I hope that, at least, is
good
>> news rather than bad news.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Wm. Severin Thompson <wsthompson@thicko.com>
>> To: Team Thicko List <team-thicko@autox.team.net>
>> Date: Sunday, March 08, 1998 1:02 PM
>> Subject: TT Sportswear
>>
>> >To all my TT Comrades...
>> >
>> >I'm putting together the Team Thicko sportswear program for 1998. We'll
>> >have the usual killer stuff at the usual reasonable pricing.
>> >
>> >Some new items will include...
>> >
>> >Team Thicko embroidered driver's gear bag. Plenty of room for helmet,
>> >driver's suit, shoe compartment, etc. Works well as a large overnight
>> >bag as well. Other sizes available.
>> >
>> >Wool & leather Team Thicko deluxe jacket. 24 oz. Melton wool body, top
>> >grain cowhide leather sleeves and collar, embroidered with the TT logo
>> >on the left chest, sizes up to 3XL.
>> >
>> >Super heavyweight TT embroidered T shirts.
>> >
>> >What else? What do you want? What is there a need for? Rain gear?
>> >Business casual items? You tell me...
>> >
>> >I'm going to try to scan examples for the TT web site over the next few
>> >days.
>> >
>> >WST
>> >Flounder
>> >Fashion Magnate
>> >
>> >
>
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