Merlin's 4G Time Attack Lude

[Merlin]

Super Lap Scotland Round 3

I replaced my driver side driveshaft after I destroyed the previous one at the sprint event I did two weeks earlier. http://www.ludegeneration.co.uk/post208924.html#p208924

Click pics for bigger images


Round 2 was on the Saturday but I decided to skip it, use it as one of my 2 dropped rounds, and concentrate on round 3 on the Sunday.

It was tipping it down at Knockhill on Sunday morning and I went out for the practice session with my semi slicks on. The car felt good, at bit twitchy in the wet, but I had to be careful not to lock my front wheels up. I did lock up a few times, locking up at 90+mph is squeaky bump time My best lap was a 1:07.3 with my closest competitor just behind me.




Before qualifying the rain had stopped and the track dried out which allowed me to set a new PB (half a second faster than before) and post a time of just under 2 seconds faster than my competitors in class C. A sub 60 second lap is slowly coming into sight

[youtube]Nx9toIMbrFo[/youtube]



That M3 is a CSL as well

This really put one of my competitors nose out of joint who lodged an official complaint against my car on the grounds of the ineligibility of my cars inclusion in class E. My car was put in Parc fermé conditions and sealed up while the stewards and I discussed what was to happen. All my ECU and diagnostic ports were sealed plus my bonnet, I could not touch any of them or open my bonnet. I was allowed to race in the final with any result being subject to an investigation after the race.

As I have followed all of the protocols and procedures that SLS and the MSA demand and have shown no malice or in anyway attempted to defraud the competition the clerk of the course said that if the investigation does not go my way it would be possible for me to have any times recorded to be entered in the class above Ie I wont be disqualified outright (as I havent done anything wrong and am a victim of the SLS rules and procedures).

With all this floating round my head I wasn't in the best of mental places to drive in the final. Also the heavens opened once again and the track was soaking.

[youtube]FyEtEAdgC-8[/youtube]

I didnt feel that I had driven particularly well in the final but found out I had set the fastest time in my class. I didn't want to take my trophy as my 1st place award is provisional pending investigation, the downside of which is that my time from yesterday may be moved into the class above if the investigation does not go my way.

After that I found out that I had posted a faster time than all the cars in class D, so I took a 1st place trophy as I will either take 1st for class E or 1st for class D. I am totally gobsmacked that I beat all the class D cars in the wet. I beat a few of the cars in the upper classes too placing me 9th overall on the day out of 30 odd cars.



Beating all the cars in the class above in the wet gave me something to be pleased about in what would have otherwise been a crushing day.






https://www.facebook.com/FlatOutPhoto


https://www.facebook.com/EddieKellyMoto ... hotography

[wurlycorner]

go Al!

I don't get it, what is the technicality they're investigating the car for? I thought it was all straight forward - the class is just dictated on cars weight and power, as measured on their specified dyno, right? So what more is there to say???

[nucleustylzlude]

Fair play bud, that's quite the achievement!
Very impressive in the wet, I can only think that some of them in Class D were 'taking it easy' in the wet.

I'll have to check out the vids later.

[newkid]

Why cant your car be in class e? Its bhp/ton is meant to be were its at isnt it? Sounds to me that some just cant handle the fact the so called grandads car that is the prelude has knocked the total stuffing out there cars and all the money they have spent.

[wurlycorner]

I can only think that some of them in Class D were 'taking it easy' in the wet.

Aye - understandable for a RWD car, but there are several 4WD cars in that class?

[bennyboy]

I love that you're putting noses out of joint already!

Nice work man, very nice work.

[Merlin]

In the final it is a one lap deal. If you you go too fast and muck it up you get nothing. If you have the balls and go for it (and survive) you have chance of winning. The Prelude has always been good in the wet since it has good balance. Like I say I am surprised to have done well in the final as I was mentally all over the shop, and on semislicks Knowing I had new Rainsport 2's sitting there I wonder what I could have done with them on. There was no time to fit them as I was in the scrutineering bay for half the afternoon

I don't get it, what is the technicality they're investigating the car for? I thought it was all straight forward - the class is just dictated on cars weight and power, as measured on their specified dyno, right? So what more is there to say???

There are 4 or 5 designated dyno's for SLS certification. The crux of the complaint is that the dyno I used has not given a comparable whp figure which as give an artificial whp/T. I have done nothing wrong. All parties involved, me, the accuser, and the officials recognise this.

I will find out on Thursday what the score is and take it from there. While I am obviously disappointed with the way things have gone I am chuffed to bits to have beaten some of the machines that cost multiples of the value of my car

[Merlin]

For comparison here is the group 2 (classes C, B, A & Pro) final results:



I would have been 9th in this list. C is 226 - 300 whp per tonne, B is 301 - 375 whp per tonne, A is 376 - 450 whp per tonne while Pro is 450+ whp per tonne.

[BMCC]

Didn't you use a designated Dyno?

[Merlin]

Didn't you use a designated Dyno?

Yes I did which is the infuriating thing. The officials do not yet have all the facts, hence the investigation. They have to be vigilant to switchable maps etc... Which I don't have.