Near one in Maestro

55CC Autocross Nov 2003
by the Maestro
Photo courtesy AML Photography

Six 55CC autocrosses throughout the year. Six terrific days (weather-wise, I mean). I bet we’ll never see that again. A gorgeous day in November, a flat stubble field within sight of Errol. Very easy access from the A90.

I acquired yet another MG Maestro from Alec Kydd a couple of years ago. It had been giving him trouble, and he had got fed up with it, so he offered it to me, thinking I would probably have the bits to fix it. I had to change both fuel and ignition ECUs to make it run properly, and then it was left in a corner for two years because I had other cars I wanted to try out. But this time I decided to dig it out and give it an airing.

Once again I had Gavin Tulloch sharing the car. He stays about 8 miles from me, and I pass his road end anyway, so it is very easy for me to pick him up. He also secured his place on the “team” by helping with the car the week before. He changed wheels, did a bit more lightening (including removing big chunks of Perthshire from the underside) and getting wipers and washers working, etc. Such helpers are always welcome to come back, and to get shots in my cars.

The entry was fairly healthy compared to some events earlier in the year. I have a big list of potential newcomers to share my cars, but none of the others had managed to come this time, other than Gavin. But next year I expect a few more people to get the bug. Some of them were out to watch or marshal.

The course was big enough to allow 2 pairs of cars on the track together (half a lap apart), and it seemed to work well. It also ensured that we all got our three runs before dark. This is rather important when most of the cars have no lights. Indeed, they have little apart from a seat, an engine and four wheels.

In the process of changing cars I had forgotten to put my seat belt in the Maestro. Luckily Mike Stewart, who competes in a Pinto-engined RWD Special, has a garage just half a mile away, and he went and got me a spare belt. He ended up doing several trips to the garage. Alec Kydd, this time in an XR2, broke his front pipe at the manifold flange, and he got a group of us to lift the car on to its side, took the pipe off, went to Mike’s place and got another pipe, modified it to fit with a hacksaw and a hammer, and carried on with the fun.

Well done, Mike. But his car suffered a rear strut failure, so yet another trip was needed, this time for his own benefit, after the recovery crew had really had to work for their fee (assuming they actually got one!). He got it back on its wheels to make it easier to tow home, but he had already had enough runs to get a finish (this happened on his third run) so he didn’t need to go back out.

I had another near one. The tightest corner was a left-hander, and it started cutting up a bit. On my second run I must have got into one of the ruts and got up on to two wheels. The car seemed to stay there for ages. I heard opinions ranging from 10 to 50 yards. I’ll find out for sure when I see the video that Colin Wallace took. It felt as if it could have gone either way, and more by good luck than good judgement it came back down the right way and I carried on, grinning even more. My only conscious memory of what I did was that I kept my foot on the floor. Never having been in that exact situation before, my slow brain offered no constructive input to the steering wheel, or the throttle. I shudder to think what revs the engine might have reached if it hadn’t had a limiter built into the ignition ECU (I think!).

Later, somebody else succeeded in doing what I had failed to do. Without the benefit of detailed entry lists, I don’t know who it was, but the car was a white Charade. The guy was O.K. but the car probably won’t come out again – front end of roof dented, bonnet bent, wheels buckled, screen cracked I think. I didn’t see it happen, but it may be on the video too. This may be an interesting video.

On Gavin’s first event he was well behind me in times. This time he was much closer, averaging about a second a lap down, so he is learning the techniques. If he learns much more he will soon be faster than me, and then his place on the team will not be so assured. He may then be told to go and find a car of his own!

But seriously, anybody is welcome to use one of my many cars, subject to a few conditions. I don’t have enough tyres, belts and extinguishers to go round, and none of them has a cage. I may start to think more seriously about this last aspect in view of my attempt to test the structural integrity of this car. But anybody wanting to use one of them may have to help in making a cage.

One other thing that Gavin and I both noticed was the traction this car had, compared to the 214. And I can compare it favourably with previous Maestros. It must be down to the 195 Colways. A good example was the way I got off the line before Drew Barker in a Cavalier SRi, although he caught me on the first straight with a power advantage. This was fortunate, because it put him ahead of me when I tried my Russ Swift impression. If he had been right up my exhaust pipe it could have turned out differently.

So, in summary, another good weekend of fun, despite a non-finish in the Early Winter.
Full Results :- http://www.55cc.org.uk/November_2003.htm

Updated 17 December 2003
Webmaster - Jim Paterson