These are the voyages of the starship 'Newtrix'. Its multi-year mission: to compete in any rally within striking distance of Dubai, and to acquire shiny trophies. To boldly go wherever this quest may take us, as long as we can be home in time for tea.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Trophies all round
Friday, October 11, 2013
3rd place overall
Just a quick post to say I managed 3rd place overall in the first EMSF Desert Championship event. Dave Mabbs won and a Buggy was 2nd, so actually I was 2nd in the 4x4 category. But it was absolute hell, very rough and extremely hard work. Broke one of the new straps fitted to limit the suspension travel, and damaged a rear shock. And finished the race with one of the rear doors hanging open and banging around!
OK here's the long version. First we blew a trailer tyre on the way to the start, hardly an auspicious beginning. Then my trusty co-driver decided her gyppy tummy was going to get the better of her, and decided to dip out of navigating. So far, so bad.
I started 4th of the 4x4s, after the buggies had disappeared into the distance, a minute behind Mansour Al-Hili in car 83. Halfway through the first 20km lap, I overtook him - but some very loud, banging noises were emanating from my rear end. (of the car, all right? OF THE CAR!) I pitted at the end of the lap and Richard diagnised a loose jack, bolted it back into position and 50 seconds later I was on my way, without losing the place to Mansour. I passed various stationary buggies, got passed by a few buggies, passed 86 (who must have been on his first lap) and still I was plagued by 'noises off'.
Cut to lap 4, and suddenly Mansour came back past me, going like the clappers, so I decided I had to try and keep up with him - if I could keep within a minute of him, I'd maintain my one-place advantage. People kept waving wildly at me, which I though was very nice of them, so I waved back. On and on we chased, till finally I banged and crashed over the finish line, about 40 seconds behind him after 5 laps.
Only then did I discover that the rear door had been flanging about for half the race, the LH rear shock spring perch had broken off, leaving the coilover loose, the RH coilover had worked loose as well and the RH limit strap had broken. All of which pretty much explained the banging noise. And, of course, the waving...
Keeping that place I'd won from Mansour gave me third overall, which means a nice trophy. One of the buggies was 2nd and Dave Mabbs was first overall. So really I should be considered 2nd in the 4x4 category, but let's not quibble. All in all a good result, but there's work to do before the next event on 15th November.
Once again major thanks to Richard Bailey, spanner-man extraordinaire, for his tireless devotion to the cause of NewTrix Racing. And congratulations to him and his lovely wife Alix on the birth of baby Juliet last week!
OK here's the long version. First we blew a trailer tyre on the way to the start, hardly an auspicious beginning. Then my trusty co-driver decided her gyppy tummy was going to get the better of her, and decided to dip out of navigating. So far, so bad.
I started 4th of the 4x4s, after the buggies had disappeared into the distance, a minute behind Mansour Al-Hili in car 83. Halfway through the first 20km lap, I overtook him - but some very loud, banging noises were emanating from my rear end. (of the car, all right? OF THE CAR!) I pitted at the end of the lap and Richard diagnised a loose jack, bolted it back into position and 50 seconds later I was on my way, without losing the place to Mansour. I passed various stationary buggies, got passed by a few buggies, passed 86 (who must have been on his first lap) and still I was plagued by 'noises off'.
Cut to lap 4, and suddenly Mansour came back past me, going like the clappers, so I decided I had to try and keep up with him - if I could keep within a minute of him, I'd maintain my one-place advantage. People kept waving wildly at me, which I though was very nice of them, so I waved back. On and on we chased, till finally I banged and crashed over the finish line, about 40 seconds behind him after 5 laps.
Only then did I discover that the rear door had been flanging about for half the race, the LH rear shock spring perch had broken off, leaving the coilover loose, the RH coilover had worked loose as well and the RH limit strap had broken. All of which pretty much explained the banging noise. And, of course, the waving...
Keeping that place I'd won from Mansour gave me third overall, which means a nice trophy. One of the buggies was 2nd and Dave Mabbs was first overall. So really I should be considered 2nd in the 4x4 category, but let's not quibble. All in all a good result, but there's work to do before the next event on 15th November.
Once again major thanks to Richard Bailey, spanner-man extraordinaire, for his tireless devotion to the cause of NewTrix Racing. And congratulations to him and his lovely wife Alix on the birth of baby Juliet last week!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Good to go!
Passed scrutineering yesterday evening (hurrah!), paid the entry fees, picked up the transponder and found out where the event is happening.
You can get to it from the E77 Jebel Ali-Lihbab Rd, or (4x4 shortcut) from the Al Qudra Rd: head out from Arabian Ranches, across Emirates (By-pass) Rd., then left at the 2nd roundabout. Follow the road to the end, across about 20m of sand, onto the blacktop and go left.
Bikes and quads kick-off at 0900hrs (11-10-2013), cars and buggies 1430hrs. Each event lasts 2 hours.
See you there!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Tyred and Emotional (again)
So... the old fuel cell is in the Beast, suitably plumbed in. The brakes were knackered too, so a new set of pads went in as well. The power steering was leaking a bit, but that seemed to just need a union tightening up.....or maybe not.
Friday I came to pick up the trailer and the race car from work - and the trailer had a flat tyre. Bugger. Race back home, pick up the compressor, race back, blow up the tyre - and discover the tyre valve has failed. Bugger, bugger.
Saturday morning, and the tyre shop next door replaces the valve, hurrah. Saturday afternoon - quick shakedown just off Al Qudra Road - and the race car dumps all the power stering fluid in the desert. Bugger and more bugger. Back on the trailer.
Sunday morning - all set to take it back to Saluki on the trailer, to sort out the power steering - except that another trailer tyre has gone flat. Another valve failed. Bugger. OK, take off the wheel and get it fixed by our friendly neighbourhood tyre shop - but I can't shift the damn wheel nuts, they've been rattle-gunned to hell. Damn, blast, buggery and buggeration! So get on the phone to ZDegree, who allegedly do mobile tyre service. But do they answer the blasted phone? Customer service? NOT COMING IN DUBAI. Finally I drive round to their office and give them the benefit of some well chosen thoughts on the state of their customer service. But sir, they say, we arrange our schedule for the mobile service the previous day, so maybe not possible today, sir. So in future, I reply, should I give you 24 hours warning of an impending puncture? And how exactly would you like that message delivered, seeing as telephone is clearly not your thing? Carrier pigeon? Native bearer with forked stick?
Anyway, they must have taken the hint, and at 2.30 they called to say their mobile service would be there at 4.30, and the conversation went something like this.
'Sir, what type of car is it?' 'It's not a car, it's a trailer.'
'But that must be very big?' 'No, it's a car trailer, it has 12" rims.'
'What make is it?' ' It's an Ivor Williams'.
'Ivor....?' '...Williams, probably the largest trailer manufacturer in Wales, surely you've heard of them'.
'What tyre size is it?' 'It doesn't matter, you're only changing the valve.'
'But sir, I'm not sure if the mobile service can do that.' 'Well, you do that every time you put a new tyre on, so I'm guessing it's not a problem'.
'Well, I'll have to check......'
And, mirabile dictu, joy of joys, Mr Mobile Service turned up as promised. And he fixed it. And I beheld it, and saw that it was good, and I was so happy that I told him to keep the change.
By this time I'd pretty much forgotten why I wanted the trailer fixed. But by Monday morning I'd remembered, and by Tuesday evening Lerick at Saluki had sorted it - turned out the rigid pipe taking the return line to the reservoir had actually fractured.
Tomorrow we shall discover how lenient (or not) the scrutineers will be. Watch this space.
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