Time to nail your Hillclimb Prediction Colours to the mast..

[b1ackcr0w]

Okie Dokie, let's see just how wrong we can all be .....

Time to make your predictions for who you think will win the 2005 Nicholson Mclaren British Speed Hillclimb Championship!

Me, well I think it's going to be too close to call, but I think Graeme Wight Junior will just clip it. But what do you reckon?

I've put the most likely chances up there but you can vote for somebody else if not listed.

[blackx]

I think it will be Adam again next year...
The combination of a proven car along with experience in the car will give him the edge I think but...

Hold onto your hats cause the wee Scotsman will be snapping at his heels and places like SW will provide epic battles this year IMHO..

[mcb666]

Does anyone know what is the current state of progress of the GWJ Predator. Are the shark nose graphics in place? If I know how ready the car is then I can make a prediction.

Happy New Year to all.

[mcb666]

http://www.joyrainey.net/GWJ%20Sept%...car1090467.htm

With this many wings on the car it will up the game on the corners and I don't think it will lack power with a V10 engine for the straights.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by mcb666

Does anyone know what is the current state of progress of the GWJ Predator. Are the shark nose graphics in place? If I know how ready the car is then I can make a prediction.

Happy New Year to all.

I know...



It not only depends on the wings........It also depends on the tyres and how warm they are...
Loads of wings and stone cold tyres do not a happy corner taker make..

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by mcb666

Does anyone know what is the current state of progress of the GWJ Predator. Are the shark nose graphics in place? If I know how ready the car is then I can make a prediction.

Happy New Year to all.

The last time I spoke to him in September, he said that by Loton, the car will have been tested to destruction. As long as the engine hasn't caused unexpected problems, that car will have a lot of miles on it by the start of next season!

[Woolley]

I suspect it will be close. I'll go for Adam, but by less than 5 points. Graham should be in there, teething problems aside, Roger and Scott will be quick but may need a couple of rounds to get fully up to speed, and I expect Martin will spring more than a couple of surprises. Finally, Willem will be thereabouts subject to finance/car sharing. I really can't believe nobody's taken that option up yet.

[FLoads]

As Woolley suggests it should, hopefully, be close. I do not think Adam Fleetwood will win it and think that Junior will ?????????????? So I will go for Martin Groves. We look like having at three very close single seater competitions and make it very difficult to know when to go for a pint or a bacon 'sarnie' especially at SW.

[b1ackcr0w]

Martin Groves in a competitive car getting votes, a dark horse but a credible proposition nonetheless. I wonder if he's the most naturally talented driver never to win the championship?

Must admit that watching Grover from Crossing or Ess Approach is one of the greates thrills in British Motorsport.

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by b1ackcr0w

Must admit that watching Grover from Crossing or Ess Approach is one of the greates thrills in British Motorsport.

Especially when he drove the Atol

Dave

[blackx]

Originally Posted by DaveK

Especially when he drove the Atol

Dave

That was one pig of a car to drive quicly by all accounts

[kelvinjouhar]

My vote goes to Martin Groves - I am looking forward to seeing all the new cars this season, and I hope to get to grips with Martin's old car (which incidentally, we are having re-painted, as we were not keen on the pale blue and orange)

Happy New Year to all !!
Regards
Kelvin

[rbs]

Rob Turnbull could be a dark horse. He is having an ex DTM engine built by Dick Langford in Wellingborough.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by rbs

Rob Turnbull could be a dark horse. He is having an ex DTM engine built by Dick Langford in Wellingborough.

I think Junior and The Morans have shown that although the DTM engine is a good performer it lacks the punch of a V8....

[b1ackcr0w]

Kelvin,

With Karl Davison concentrating on the nationals and Pete on good form, things are looking rosey for you to have a good shot at the Gurston Title this year, who do you see as your main competition?

PS what colour scheme are you thinking of for the car, the usual Metallic Navy & Silver, or something different?

PPS what's happening to the Pilbeam?

Originally Posted by kelvinjouhar

My vote goes to Martin Groves - I am looking forward to seeing all the new cars this season, and I hope to get to grips with Martin's old car (which incidentally, we are having re-painted, as we were not keen on the pale blue and orange)

Happy New Year to all !!
Regards
Kelvin

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by blackx

I think Junior and The Morans have shown that although the DTM engine is a good performer it lacks the punch of a V8....

I was very surprised to learn that Jnr had won two championships without ever changing the ratios. It did a hell of a job proving emphatically that pure grunt doesn't totally rule the roust. Drivability also is key. I think Steve might be right to say it's time has passed, but it does leave an interesting trade off for anyone thinking of buying a car for a serious attempt at a number.

1. You need 600BHP+ from around a 3L block. a 2.6 is going to be too pushed to do it. The V6 effectively sealed its own fate, it proved that the engine had to be compact installation that allowed a low c of g, a 3l V6 would now be too tall, making a V8 or V10 more attractive.

2. The GR51 & 55 proved itself superior to the GR37, why? Well I suspect there are three reasons. Torsional rigidity, shorter wheelbase (and turning circle) and weight. Which lands us right back in Graham Chapmans territory of using the engine as a structural component of the car, or at very least, being a big influence on how the the chassis is balanced and how well it reacts. Too long an engine will increase wheelbase and weight and may even reduce torsional stiffness of the car.

3. Driveability is becoming key. I have wondered if the major advantage of the V6 in it's hey day was smaller rotating mass inside the engine, while it had less overall power, it could be used more flexably because the driver was less concerned about having to match the output of the engine to the speed of the car and the gear he was in, making a more forgiving drive? Technology moving on suggests that V8s and V10s are now catching up making them more attractive again.

All this is leading me to suspect that before the season starts, Adam has the better engine, and Junior has the better chassis. making the fight pretty even. I think the thing that will seperate them as the season goes on will be that Junior has done his homework right, as the season wears on, and looks for more spped from the car, he will have more options on where to take the car next, the Gould however (as somebody has already pointed out) is tried and tested, but in my opinion, is as good as it's ever going to get. The big thing in favour of the Gould is that in terms of aero and chassis settings, the ideal setups are going to be in the book already, where as the Wights are going to have to take 11 educated guesses as to what to do. I shaded it in favour of Junior because I think he's done his sums right and will learn enough in testing. I won't be too surprised if I'm prooved worng though.

[blackx]

Your mention of the 2.6 being a little stressed to produce the 600 bhp mark sounds pretty good which is why I am suprised to read that Simon durling is using a 2.6 V8 in his new car....

I would have thought he would go the same way as The Fleetwoods and had it bored to 3.2/3.3 ish....

Time will tell if is a good choice or not....

I voted for Adam purely because as you state Al.......He has set-ups for all venues and can dial it in from a book almost and I think by the time Junior gets on top of things Adam will have scored enough points to perhaps play the percentage game.....I know thats not his style but he is maturing all the time..

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by blackx

Your mention of the 2.6 being a little stressed to produce the 600 bhp mark sounds pretty good which is why I am suprised to read that Simon durling is using a 2.6 V8 in his new car....

I would have thought he would go the same way as The Fleetwoods and had it bored to 3.2/3.3 ish....

Time will tell if is a good choice or not....

..

Simon already has a 3.5xb that he has retained out of his GR37 so i think you will find that it is a conscious decision to go with a 2.65xb to make the car a little easier to drive ( a bit like a more powerful v6 ).

Current spec V10 though are now the same size as the XB v8 and lighter so how long before one of these hits the hills ?

[kelvinjouhar]

B1ackr0w - the bodywork is with the paint man at the moment - it is going to be a bright red with a graphite colour for the wings...we might liven it up a bit further with some vinyl patterns slapped here and there - still to be decided on that..

As far as the Gurston Championship - I don't suppose Karl and Chris will do many of the rounds, so I think it will be a battle between Peter Smith and Basil Pitt...I know John Forsyth will be there as well, but realistically, I don't think his car is quite a match for the Goulds.....Maybe Tony Marsh will be there or thereabouts also - I hope there will be some other V8's in the class....I will probably take the first run of the year on practice day (as I usually do) to check whether Peter has tightened up all the nuts and bolts properly !!

The Pilbeam was sold to Richard and Amanda George (who used to compete in an MP62) I expect to see them out in it at Gurston...

Regards
Kelvin

[Neil1982]

Get the feeling that GWJ new car won't work straight out of the box.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by DaveK

Simon already has a 3.5xb that he has retained out of his GR37 so i think you will find that it is a conscious decision to go with a 2.65xb to make the car a little easier to drive ( a bit like a more powerful v6 ).

Current spec V10 though are now the same size as the XB v8 and lighter so how long before one of these hits the hills ?

Thats why I am a little puzzled with his engine choice....
Surely Adam has proved that the 3.5 is a perfectly driveable engine and also Simon will have experience with that engine...
Were the 2.65 units not origionaly turbo charged??......If so I suspect Simon will be removing the turbo charging because I think that Barry and Jos Goodyear have shown that a smaller turbo engine while producing good power can be a little tempramental(sp?).....

I have it on good authority that the GWJ V10 is not very big at all and while it is obviously not a current spec front line F1 V10 there is not much to choose between it and the XBV8..

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by blackx

Thats why I am a little puzzled with his engine choice....
Surely Adam has proved that the 3.5 is a perfectly driveable engine and also Simon will have experience with that engine...
Were the 2.65 units not origionaly turbo charged??......If so I suspect Simon will be removing the turbo charging because I think that Barry and Jos Goodyear have shown that a smaller turbo engine while producing good power can be a little tempramental(sp?).....

I have it on good authority that the GWJ V10 is not very big at all and while it is obviously not a current spec front line F1 V10 there is not much to choose between it and the XBV8..

Wasn't Adams 3.5 originally turbo as well?

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by kelvinjouhar

B1ackr0w - the bodywork is with the paint man at the moment - it is going to be a bright red with a graphite colour for the wings...we might liven it up a bit further with some vinyl patterns slapped here and there - still to be decided on that..

As far as the Gurston Championship - I don't suppose Karl and Chris will do many of the rounds, so I think it will be a battle between Peter Smith and Basil Pitt...

The Pilbeam was sold to Richard and Amanda George (who used to compete in an MP62) I expect to see them out in it at Gurston...

Sounds a nice colour

I think that FTD last year totally changed the way Pete views his potential, espeicially if it comes down to battling with Basil. His speech at the end of the day was one I'll remember for quite some time.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by b1ackcr0w

Wasn't Adams 3.5 originally turbo as well?

Yep...........

It was a 2.65 turbo which was de-turbo'ed and bored out IIRC

[Arty B]

More correctly the current 3.5 used in Hillclimbs is an evolution of the LMP 2 engine used in ACO Le Mans and LMP 675. That engine is 3297cc which itself was a normally aspirated evolution of the Indy engine. I may be wrong but I think that the first year Adam had the engine it was a straight LMP 2 at 3.3 litre.

Take a look at the NM website. It has a lot of information on these engines.