Well I have started on the list of things to do in order to get ready for the racing, which has involved
- Putting the seven in front of the grille in the nose cone
- adding the Fuel Tap to the fuel line
- checked that there is yellow tape on the black battery leads
- Putting tape between windscreen and Roll cage to stop rain
- Fitting the second Mirror i purchased from DEmon Tweeks in the week
- Changing the nose cone Seven to be in front of the Grille (I also painted the seven red)
- Starting the breather kit installation... which i will say is extremely hard....
***** once I have completed the installation of the breather kit (I am waiting for some hose from caterham) I will put up how it was done as it is not a simple installation, and involves getting the wife (or someone with small hands to help).
Even with all of the above there is still plenty to do....
Yesterday we went to the Bedford Autodrome. Paul and I arranged a track day at Bedford in celebration of Paul's first track day in his new car.
And low and behold there were a few of us at the track, in total 5 academy drivers were there in our caterham's and one in a Arial Atom.
It was a great day out, and full of camoradery and "non competative" rivalry with a little bit of seeing who had the stronger engine and an open sharing of tools, oils and experiences.
Having spent the day in the company of a few academy entrants yesterday i am mor and more enthused about the year ahead.
I expect to see lots of friendships and plenty of friendly rivalry on the track.
Whilst I have not had a car i have had a look at the 2012 Regulations and made some notes on what i need to do in order to get compliant and ready to race.... and let’s just say there is a fair bit of work to do.
Add more things
- I need to add the Vinyl protection to the sides of the newly painted car
- I will need to add the Fuel Tap to the fuel line
- I need to fit the Oil breather kit
- Fit the wrist restraints to the car (and add tape to identify one arm from the other
- Fit the roll cage padding
- Add yellow tape to the black battery leads
- get the HANS Device fitted
- Fill the void behind the Tillet seat with expandable foam
- Put tape between windscreen and Roll cage to stop rain
- Tape up doors
- Fit the second Mirror
- Checklists
* Create a checklist for pre-race preparation
* create a list for track day
* create a list for cockpit
* create a post-race day check list
- Fit T200 Lap timer to the car
- Fit competition numbers and decals when received
- Fit Timing strut for first sprint race
Change some things
- Fit the upgraded front brake Pads
- Fit the racing brake fluid cap
- check the fittings of the harnesses
- adjust the drivers seat
- put the seven in front of the grille in the nose cone
- Seal the boot floor
Remove some things
- I need to remove the extra rubber from the car (all the SVA stuff) so that it cannot come off the car
- remove the excess bolts from under the car (in case they scrape on a kerb)
- remove the passenger seat
Buy some things
- Car setup needs to be done, balance all needs to be completed
* Ride height to 145mm
* Camber
* Weight of car and driver to be checked
* Pedal set up
* etc
- HANS device and setup .. need to still do this
- I am looking at a second mirror to fit to the driver’s side (convex) to allow racing without doors if i want to)
- buy the silicone and aluminium tape required to seal the boot from fire
- I am thinking of buying a cigarettes lighter socket to fit in to the boot for the Tyre air compressor I have purchased.
- I need to get another Jerry Can for the track meets
- there is the dilemma about new tyres and wheels... do I or don’t I?
- buy some electrical tape for the fitting of the roll cage padding
- Duct tape for general use (but specifically for use between roll cage and windscreen)
- Buy T200 track timer
Some things to Learn
- The rules
- The light sequences
- Heel and toe
- Smooth driving
Considerations
- consider if going to use half doors - probably not
- consider under tray for protection of car - probably not
- consider usage of heat diffusing kit (30P242A) - probably not
- movement of the inertia cut out switch into the cockpit ---- possibly, but not sure where it is
- think about marshalling and how that is arranged
Well i have been reading the "blue book" and looking at the flags in preperation for next weeks ARDS test.
I have also been looking at what else I need for the car, so looking at the blogs and recomendations i have purchased some racing front pads, and a "race" cap for the brake fluid so that it hopefully will not throw out all over the car.
The next thing has to be tyres... everything i have seen seems to indicate that there is a need for more than the "one set" caterham tell you that you need for a race season. so i am on the hunt, i may have missed a couple of bargains earlier in the year as i was in the hope that i could only need one set of tyres, so I am now probabily going to have to look at a good set of tyres and hopefully wheels what ever the cost (hopefuly not new ones)
Once I get the car back i am also hoping that i will be able to fit the "oil breather kit" that is manditory for the academy, so that will be the next thing to do with the car (it does seem never ending).
If there is one thing I would recommend if you are thinking of entering the academy and going to build the car yourself, is get your car as early as you can, and be prepared to spend a long time getting the car to the IVA, and then even more time getting the car race ready.
(but having said that... it is great fun ! ! ! ! !)
Today i have sent the car back to caterham for the 1000 mile service and to have the paint work which was damaged by the brake fluid leak fixed.
Because of the issue with the build manual Caterham are doing the paint under warranty, and thankfully they are also looking at the powder coating of the chassis to make sure that is not damaged too.
In the mean time i have received my MSA pack and am busy studying for my ARDS test, so at least i have a distraction whilst teh car is in for repairs.
I also need to look at the Race class rules and familiarise myself with those too.
| 2012_caterham_academy_championship_regulations_draft_300112.pdf |
| File Size: | 363 kb |
| File Type: | pdf |
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