JARAMA CLASSIC (Peter Auto)

[Mike Bell]

2nd time visit by Peter Auto to central Spain in late March. Don't get excited by thoughts of winter sun and warmth, in 2016 there was ice on the cars first thing, and trucks held up by snow en route.....

Great circuit and great event though!

In 2017 the event will host a race for Pre 1939 cars. Unfortunately for some it clashes with the Flying Scotsman Rally......

[Gerard C]

Provisional entry lists just published on their website.

[356sc]

I thought the entries looked low in all the series, hopefully more will sign up before we get there!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by 356sc

I thought the entries looked low in all the series, hopefully more will sign up before we get there!

Sure, its often the case. Not a piece of case to build a business plan in those circumstances though. You series (Sixties if I'm right) is still doing great. Let see how many will join the Iberian series.

[356sc]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Sure, its often the case. Not a piece of case to build a business plan in those circumstances though. You series (Sixties if I'm right) is still doing great. Let see how many will join the Iberian series.

I guess we have been spoilt over the last couple of years, as the 60s endurance grid has normally been sixty plus cars!

[Mike Bell]

Will be interesting to see the numbers in Masters grids at Barcelona the weekend after. PA have struggled before with the first meeting of the season- Vallelunga was not well supported in 2015, and Jarama was very cold last year!

[Gerard C]

During many years the VdeV season use to start at Jarama and end at Estoril. Jarama has always been successful whatever the weather forecast. Peter is experiencing new series and have a "clean up" inside some others such like the HTC (Group1 not really welcome which is easy to understand), chasing the ugly cheaters from their wonderful world. They probably represent one side of the "real" historic racing, preserving the future of yesterday. Thanks to them for that.

[john ruston]

Organising a Pre War Sports car race the same weekend as the years major Pre War rally ,Flying Scotsman,seems unfortunate.

Many of drivers who would have been in Madrid will be heading towards Gleneagles.

Should have left it at Dijon where they would have had a full grid it being a non LMC year.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Organising a Pre War Sports car race the same weekend as the years major Pre War rally ,Flying Scotsman,seems unfortunate.

Many of drivers who would have been in Madrid will be heading towards Gleneagles.

Should have left it at Dijon where they would have had a full grid it being a non LMC year.

Yes, certainly agree with that. The organiser does seem to be rather oblivious to other / clashing events, and on this occasion the alternative is both popular and well supported.....

[Gerard C]

Certainly right Mike but the Jarama grids are minimum at the level they reached last year if not higher. Impossible to see how many will join the Iberian series.
I never drove a pre-war car but knowing well Jarama I think its more demanding than Dijon for instance as far as brakes are concerned.

[Mike Bell]

For anyone not left UK yet- bring sun-screen!

Proper scorchio at the moment......

[Mike Bell]

Well, we're all on schedule for back to back 40min free practices this morning, followed by back to back qualifying sessions at the end of the day....

Some high cloud dropped the temp a bit yesterday but was still mid to high teens. Then I found out it was 21 C back home.... But instead of the local buzzards that fascinate me on occasions in Norfolk as they circle in the thermals, here there were Vultures! I'm trying not to read too much into it......

Cloud did turn to little rain during the (much warmer) night, but now that has gone we should be back to dry and sunny. Yippee!

[midgetman]

Sounds wonderful. Grey and miserable in Wiltshire ATM but it's promised to clear up. Keep us informed please sound like you're having a great weekend.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

[Gerard C]

Midget you have a live timing system through the website. Very nice to follow a race. The SLR looks already very fast during free practice 2'01"6. Best 911 2 litre did 1'58"8 which is just fantastic. The 356 did 2'02"8, very fast too. My friend with the pink 'Stang did only 2"14 meaning troubles as we made a bet during winter around 1"58/ 1'59. The battle in HTC series started on a high level, Ben Gill the best and Sean Brown 6th at the mo.

[Gerard C]

If i'm right best last year's lap times were: best 911: 2'00"3; 356: 2'02" and SLR 2'01"2. Cold track mostly dry. No MG B this year. No less than 43 cars listed in the Iberian endurance series.

[Mike Bell]

Only in PA meetings, a 917 actually (or at least getting ready to) racing. Good to see the Ford F3L out again as well

[Gerard C]

A pure gem. Is the 911 a 2.5 ST one? Your SLR boys are really fast, close to the best 911 (D Kholer may be?). Correction, the best 911 is 1'58"660 the SLR is 2'00"784. If my memory serves the best we did in qualy was 1'59"2 or 59"4 with a 911 and new Dunlop's.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

A pure gem. Is the 911 a 2.5 ST one? Your SLR boys are really fast, close to the best 911 (D Kholer may be?). Correction, the best 911 is 1'58"660 the SLR is 2'00"784. If my memory serves the best we did in qualy was 1'59"2 or 59"4 with a 911 and new Dunlop's.

Fastest porker has two pro drivers so should have a time penalty in the race.... I will be checking!

[Gerard C]

Have a look to the last additif, Mike, think they voided this part of their regulation. How was the scrutineering, they announced to be "féroces" months ago? so féroce or… féroce and a half?
May be you can sell some potatoes around !! I've been told they are rather chepo in Spain those days… Or try with strawberries!It looks like sand casting.

[Mike Bell]

Mmm, Addetif 1 is very grey on the subject. Phrases such as 'Elite drivers' and 'at the organisers discretion'........ Could still happen- depends on a few things!

Scrutineering for us was fine. Picked up on not having a tow strap loop attached to the front eye, but that is how the SLR has always run! 5 minutes work with an old tie down strap from the truck and sorted..... So scruffy it even looks period.

[356sc]

All going well so far...as Gerard has rightly suggested, they were being very thorough at scrutineering....a very good thing if you ask me!

In the cool of early morning free practice we managed to get the 356 down to a 2.02' but sadly could not repeat the feat in the heat of Quali...our little engine does go noticeably better in the cool!

Race tomorrow is likely to be hot again, 5-7pm,so we need to take some brave pills to keep some of the 911s honest!

The usual eclectic mix of race cars, 917, Bugattis, lotus, jags, alphas....a petrolheads dream!

Roll on race day!

[Gerard C]

Wish you all the best meaning good results of course and fun too.
Its not a secret to tell you the nickname of the respectable scrutineer in chief, we call him Jacques de Polyester (I call him Maître Jacques). This gentleman is a former teacher in mechanic school. He knows a lot about cheating. Him and his pupils built so perfect a FF Rondeau replica that he was granted a blank chassis plate by Rondeau himself! And he didn't use a 3D machine either half potato!!!

[Gerard C]

Mike may be you're in trouble with the colors there… Grey? No sir! Its written black on white. If you re-read the additif you'll see that it seems that no one have foreseen the case that 2 Elite drivers could share the same car… In this case they can't drive 100% of the race!

[356sc]

If it is ok with you Gerard, I won't use his nick name until after he has passed our car at scrutineering!!!

[Gerard C]

Will its fine, he has a lot of humor. And he does know about his nickname! If you meet him personally you can tell him from France that your 356 is not a Ghia model. From a guy deeply involved in 911 racing and currently entering a black Capri. At the end of 2015 he suspended for a while my HTP process because of a wing emblem.
I started racing in the mid '70s and I do know him an have a lot of respect for his person and knowledge. Did you have any trouble with your additional driver cooling system? You can check with him the FF Rondeau story too!