This page is a short report about our run in the 1999 RAC AXA Classic
Well folks with all the talk of BCW in the USA, I suppose I should report on what happened on the RAC AXA Sponsored Classic run this year which took place on May 30th (and the two days before for some) 1999. So here goes
We started from Cheltenham this year, and travelled the 100 or so miles the day before the event. 10 miles out of Cheltenham, having travelled hood down as usual we saw some big black clouds and the odd streak of lightning. We stopped and put up the hood for the first time in a year. When we arrived at the hotel it was really throwing it down, but the TR4 hood is OK so we only got wet when we got out of the car.
It rained on and off for the rest of the day. Next morning we left the hood up and drove to the signing on point. There was the usual array of Healeys, MGs, Lotuses, TRs (of course) and other cars, all of which looked in really good condition. There were around 300 starting from Cheltenham and the organisation was very slick, with scrutineering being over before I knew it had started ! We then drove to the start in the middle of Cheltenham which again was well organised, and actually managed to start within one minute of our intended start time !
I always think when I see the cars at the start, that I am going to be in trouble, after all most of the cars have bigger or better tuned engines than my TR4, but I guess people think that about mine because I have racing seats and a small steering wheel (they all seem to look at it anyway).
Well the first stop came after only ten miles, and this was Prescott Hill climb. I have never been up this hill climb before, it is quite twisty and is about 2/3 mile in length. I got one corner wrong but was otherwise OK, having had a clear run. When I got back to the bottom of the hill the steward said that I could have another go, so I did, and this time got the corner (paddock bend) right. Unfortunately they don't time the runs, and by the time I got back to the bottom there was quite a queue of cars waiting so we didn't have another try.
After leaving Prescott we then caught up with a black TR4, which was being driven by the owner's son on that particular leg, so he wasn't going too fast, but I noticed that he had the 'can't hear the direction indicator click' problem, as he was signalling well after taking turns. The next stop was a stately home. Not much interest there, so we had a drink and shot off. We caught up with a convoy of (from the front) an E Type Jaguar, a TR6, a Triumph Stag and another TR4. The E Type was not going very fast (remember the route is mostly along country lanes) and held the rest of us up. I asked Linda (my navigator) how many points I would get for overtaking the E Type, but she was not keen on me having a go at the others, so we stayed in convoy for about 10 miles until the next check point.
The next stop was the Lucas Proving ground, which is a test track mainly used for testing brakes. You can get quite a speed up on this track, but they put in a chicane to slow us down at the end of the main straight, so after overtaking a Beetle and an old Austin, I slowed down for the chicane and did the rest of the run quite slowly. At this point I had noticed that my exhaust (S/S) was blowing, probably at a joint (it turned out to be an internal baffle) so this was slowing me down just a little.
Next stop was another stately home, and they just stopped serving lunch as we arrived at the restaurant It was 1:55 p.m. We didn't stay there very long We left after finding out that we could not get in to the house for free (we were supposed to be able to get in free).
On the road again, we soon caught up with an Aston Martin DB6 which was following a Reliant Scimitar. Again we followed, but I got fed up with this, and after 'buzzing' the Aston, he let me go by. When we got to a main road, I soon went past the Reliant. Again I was amazed to catch up with another convoy. At the back was a TR3A, who saw me coming and pulled over, but the TR2 in front did not, and he was going quite well, so I didn't try to overtake. The convoy had about five cars in it, and we suddenly came across and old Austin van (not in the event) which held us up. Somehow, everyone else either stopped or took the wrong turn, and we were behind the van. This was not difficult to overtake when we got to a main road, because its top speed was about 75 mph.
Now all this time it had been raining on and off, and we had our hood up, but some intrepid souls didn't. I saw the occupants of a TR6 get well and truly wet because they did not want to put up their hood. However I was able to use this to my advantage when we caught up the an AC Cobra (or at least a lookalike) with the hood down, and it was raining. - My only chance to overtake was if he was travelling at the 'optimum' speed for staying dry (i.e. about 45 mph) and he was, so I sneaked up on him and went by at about 65 mph. My one and only chance to overtake a Cobra !
After the last leg which was about 76 miles, we arrived the the finish, which was the Millbrook proving ground (I think it belongs to General Motors ?) First there was a section for testing clutches and brakes, which was like going up and down a switchback in the car, then the finale was the 2 mile bowl which had about six lanes. We drove on to the bowl and did the first lap in the 3rd/4th lanes at about 70 mph, but then found we could do more laps, so I put my foot down to see what we could do - remember the exhaust leak was slowing me down ( as well as the fact that my timing is out) so we went into the second highest lane and managed to pull 3500 revs in top gear overdrive. As the speedo is unreliable (it needs recalibrating) I trust the rev counter more. 3500 revs is equivalent to 96 mph or thereabouts, (and it was legal) so I was fairly happy until an E Type Jaguar flew over my head in the highest lane, like I was standing still. He must have been going 120 -130 mph ! That was it - we came off the bowl and claimed our finishers awards.
All of the finishers from the various routes were arriving and leaving in the centre of the bowl, and it was quite an impressive sight. We took some photos and video and had a quick look around, but having seen the number of people waiting to go in to the restaurant, we left because we were very hungry at this point (it was now 5:00 p.m.) and we were still 60+ miles from home.
The distance for the whole trip was about 370 miles and would have been a lot better had it not been for the rain, as some of the scenery would have looked a lot better without the rain mists. Still the car performed well even though the exhaust had problems, even the wipers worked ! I have had experience of driving it in the wet when we did the first RAC event from Dublin, and I knew that it would handle well in the wet, so I guess that is why I kept catching up with people. I can't remember a car passing us on the road.... Maybe they all think I'm a maniac or something!
Next year I hope we can start from Edinburgh - now that's a three day run......
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