A Different Kind of Oil Leak

Good grief...I swear, I know now ....“Oils aint oils”

There are bloody black oils, red transmission fluid, pink or red power steering oily shit

Purple differential fluid, coolant fluid which could be! green, yellowish or reddish with a faint, sweet smell

There is heavy light tan or black gear oil, brake fluid or as we have here shock absorber oil

& then there is ... Is it a drip, a seep or a leak or even a slow seepage,

I have heard it all, the whole debate

Yeah I know this conversation has come up before!

dripping oil wrapped in strips of torn cloth!!!

All I know is yes I have noticed it, darling !

I have noticed the smoke, smelt the burning odour caused by the oil seeping onto the hot engine or from coming into contact with hot exhaust parts, yes indeed & yes I have mentioned this before I know,

but this is my blog & I will rave as much as I see fit!

Why is it gaskets continue to leak oil?
All very frustrating if you don't find & correct the source of the problem

To date! We have had

Diff spewing oil @ 2 different times, one pinion seal, 2 diff axel seals
2 engine oil coolers
a leaking oil catch tank
a brake fluid reservoir leak

Now it’s the Koni Shocks turn @ $I000 each to replace, thankfully only 2 seals were needed $200 dollars!

Hmmm....what next??? me thinks!

ahhhhhhhhhh & now we have it dear readers, looks like we have a wee Engine sump oil leak????? Enough said

Historic Leyburn Sprints around the Houses, 15 & 16 August

Ahhhhhh....the beauty of a gorgeous Friday morning when one has a long weekend off to go historic racing.
Friday 14 August, 7.15am, promises to be bright & clear with the mist wafting in waves across the dams as we pass.

We are heading off to the 14th annual Leyburn Sprints to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the running of the Australian Grand Prix, which was run at the nearby Clifton airfield circuit.
We will help to swell Leyburn’s population of around 300 to become 2 of the 15,000 fans and competitors expected.
We never did make the trek down to the coast to the airport to stock up on the avgas, so we now have to make the detour to Ipswich to pick it up, $67.00 for 20 litres

We head out the Warrigal Hwy, turn off at Gatton & wend our way up & over a landscape dominated by rolling hills! covered by pastures of many different veg’s & grain crops, towards Ma Ma creek

Lord give me strength!

We dilly & dally our way to the top of the summit of the Great Dividing Range with its spectacular views

We brave the 3 metre bitchamin road, i.e. wide enough for one car in one direction, the one lane bridges, the side track ahead signs, to name but a few of thee delights that we encounted
Past herds of cattle, rusty old woolsheds & abandoned houses & other scattered remnants from a bygone era of early settlement

Tom tom, sat nav, really did do us proud this time, NOT!

But on a positive note, it was places we had never been to before, & this is what this is all abt, the “Feeding of Our Souls” before they float sky high & our worn out bodies are 6 foot under

OMG!!! HOLD ON....

Yes indeedy the brakes on the trailer do indeed work, as Bri makes a sudden stop!

They locked up as smoke belches from the tyres leaving behind beading!

F off all you meandering cattle!!!

...I am brave and strong and courageous....... breath in, exhale out!

Across to the New England Highway through Clifton we travel, at 11.10am we hit Leyburn, winch the Mustang off & unhitch the trailer & set up our spot for the weekend

1pm Bri takes the car off to scrutineering, where they find a missing weld in the roll cage! Between the top of the bar & the roof!
“Must get that welded mate”!
Yeah right!
Ahhhh how?

Still, I am sure my hero will find a way to rectify this matter in time; still it didn’t stop getting the baby out on the track, which was the main thing

We walked the track, darling a bit dubious when he saw the size of the stones in the road, “I’mmmm, I can see the paint tin will be getting a work out when we return home” he says Luckily darling had foreseen what these stones do & had previously adhered a thin layer of foam to the underside of the front mud guards to stop dents

Not so lucky were a lot of the other once pristine cars that on the Sunday arvo were peppered with dents & dings! to the top of their guards!

We then enjoyed a beer & a few rum & cokes in the sun at Leyburn's only pub owned by former Bronco Shane Webcke
Then off we drove to find the Cunningham highway to Warrick to our hotel

Saturday morning at 6.30am we leave Warrick & travelled the 45mins to Leyburn past frost laden fields which sparkled & glittered like crystals as the sun dawned, the Granite Belt indeed living up to its name of being one of the coolest parts of Queensland, breathe taking to see

As he drives, Darlings mind is always on the job & works out the plan for the day, “I’ll take it easy for the first 2 runs, until the road & tyres warm up“ should be ok after lunch to let loose”

Oh yeah that has so put me at ease!!

The car is still tucked up where we left it, luckily not a layer of ice on that baby, as so many others had that had been left in the open air

The 7.30am drivers briefing saw breathes of vapour & frozen lip gloss gasp as the Marshall said “stay away from the hay, each one weighs 600ks a piece, it’s like hitting a kangaroo,
Yea Gods & little fishes!

At 8.30am Leyburn sprints is off & running, 1100m closed street circuit winding its way around the houses

I’m off to rub noses with the Motor Racing greats, Dick & Steven Johnson, & yes indeed the aging autograph hunter, aka me, will again be armed with her paint pen, as these 2 men are yet to be hunted down & capture by my camera

Three!!! attempts later & the assurance I am not a stalker & I have a photo of Dick & I

Bri gets in 4 runs today
1.16.21 - 1.07.71 - 1.06.76 - 1.05.12
Big Boy, you are Smokin!

Sunday dawns & it's freakin' cold here, the scene was set for another nail-biting lap around “the houses” on this cold, zero Sunday morn!

We again attend the drivers briefing, again misty breaths are coming out of nostrils & mouths like smoke!

But like yesterday, again the day soon heats up & jackets, scarves & gloves are stripped off

Bri gets 3 runs today, each run knocking off seconds
1.05.73 - 1.04.77 - 1.03.96

Bloody hell!
Bri! 1.03.96 - Tricky Dicky!! 1.03. 87 & Steven! 1.05.26

But in their defence, Dick & Steven did do a bit of drifting at times, & left so much rubber on the road tyres had to be replaced!

Shhhhhhhh...don't tell him, but I did witness the Squeal of Bri’s tyres a few times in his search of the right grove! This just may have slowed him down!

The most sort after Leyburn rock trophy (second in his category) sits amongst the others in the shed, to be gazed upon lovingly at times

Well done sweetheart, you are indeed my Hero xx

Go Fast or be Passed!

First 2 Photos taken by: Troy King, Professional Production Photography

First they started with a warm up lap

Then lined up on the grid for a photo shoot for Shannon’s PR, then it was out for 20mins demonstration on the track from a rolling start

He & his comrade-in-arms, Peter Woods, in his Black VK Commodore Croup A Touring Car, both agreed that this was the high light of the weekend, being asked to run in the Lunch time track demonstration session with the big guns

Along, with Bri’s hero car, the ex-Dick Johnson’s No.17, Bryan Burt Falcon Hard Top, was

The late Ian 'Pete' Geoghegan, 1965 Mustang, which Pete drove to win 68 races from 74 starts, which was driven by, Shannon,s Queensland Business Development Manager, Phil Ross

The ex-John French Falcon XC Hard Top

The orange 1970, 302 Boss Mustang pace car & the ex-Bob Morris XD Falcon sedan driven by ex-V8 super car Driver Craig Harris, plus other racing muscle cars

Last but not by any means least, ex-V8 super car driver & with 7 Bathurst victories under his belt to name but a few, Jimmy Richards

A fellow Kiwi who Bri followed to Race meetings back in NZ in the late 60’s & early 70’s, who drove the Red & White Winfield racing Holden

This weekend was value for money, $185 early bird special, lots of track time & experience, with the beasty guzzling through 75 litres of fuel

“Another day of sprints for you & your car versus the timekeeper”

Sunday 28th June 2009
The start of day 2 of the Shannon’s shootout!

A beautiful sunny day dawns, we leave a bit later as we woke without the alarm, which is always a good feeling

The first 6 laps goes ahead without mishap... 2 hours later he’s off for the 2nd outing of the morning

The car feels great.... Power on down to turn 1.... up to turn 2 .....breaking hard then back on the gas... along the 600m back straight.... the car runs strong... ready to corner down through the dipper..... OH SHIT....

A mowing we will go!!!!

We really are so in sync; it is soooo true that many years together you grow oh so very alike!

I like to keep a tidy property, 1 1/4 acres mowed weekly & depending on how fast the grass grows, sometimes twice weekly!

He likes to keep track side well manicured also it seems

Along the 600m back straight a car is up his arse!

From where I was I could barely see daylight between them, I kid you not

I knew exactly what was going to happen from the onslaught of Bri not allowing him to pass him on Dick Johnson straight.

Just prior to the corner, I knew then the race was well & truly on!
There was no way in hell he was going to let him get passed him & while I’m at it!! Who in the hell had moved that witches hat which had become Bris breaking point after turn 2!

So my man decides, even when racing to take a wee detour,

He reckons some attention is needed at the dipper area so he makes a sideway manoeuvre to give it a quick slash on flight

I of course witnessed all this; all I can see is abt 2 inches of the roof of the car down in the dip.

I rejoiced at that as it could have been the wheels I was viewing

By this time I swear I could hardly breathe, but I was calm as I had an audience beside me

I was brought up old school; "never make a spectacle of yourself Pamela"

Breath, exhale, Breath, exhale,

FUCK that was my husband!! Mother would have been turning in her Grave at that point!

Thankfully after what seemed like an age the red flag comes out & Bri is pushed out of the mud & hostilities resume, he is off & racing once again

Now, after the mud slide incident, other wives might have been excited at this point, but no not me, I am the panicker or so my kids tell me, & in my mind what I see isn't my man gallantly riding into battle once again, I see a possibility of bumps & scrapes, crashes & risk, I am terrified once again

The Queensland Raceway site says "If your pride and joy, your passion, has wheels and horsepower its time you brought it out to play.

Cotton balls are all well and good but if you want to get the real deal you have to use it the way it was built to be & how right they are, you do not have to put your car at risk.

If half the roads were as safe as Queensland Raceway it would halve the road toll.

Your car was meant to be driven and you owe it to the people who designed it, and built it, to show what it can do – safely"

How right they are, day 2 & we only have a bit of mud & bits of grass hanging foul!

Qld raceway Shannon’s Sports & Muscle Car Showdown

Photo by
Professional Production Photography
Saturday 27th June 2009

As a hint of early morning light peeks through the wooden blinds, she slowly climbs out of her warm comfortable bed.
She can hear him outside on the patio, patting the dog, lighting his fag & slurping his coffee, over the idling engine of the mustang.
With a heavy heart & hesitant footsteps, she forces herself to make way to the shower, then dresses, wanders out into the still dark morning, & forces herself to face her fate for this weekend –
Two days of adrenalin at The Shannon’s Sports & Muscle Car Showdown.

He was thoughtful enough to say, do you want to stay home.
Thankyou darling, but no, there is no way in which I am going to take the chance of missing any moment of significance as I wait patiently, camera in hand … What were our Vows.. To death do us part

We are off, 5.55am & black as pitch, & a brisk 6 degrees, blinded by the glare from the headlights off the rain puddles on the road!
Then to top it off, further on down the track the fog rolls on in!

Saving Grace, NO wipers needed.
What was that I just said, 15mins away from the venue rain! Wipers on!

The weather discussion starts, slicks? yes, no, maybe, & then a glimmer of hope, as my Granny always said if you can see a handkerchief sized patch of blue in the sky, then the weather will be fine, & there it was, & yes indeed she was right

We unload the Mustang, the wet weather tyres in case needed, the fuel etc etc & took the car & trailer to the car park, in minutes we were all sorted & erected the cover amid the quagmire the ground had become overnight.

Bri then attended the drivers meeting, they stressed how slippery the track will be with all the water lying through the dipper area,
“keep off the green & stay on the black stuff! if you get on the green, grab your passport, as you will end up in some foreign country & in this weather you are likely to hit the wall”, yeah right, just what I wanted to hear!

Back to our paddock area where darling jacks the car up, he's now decided to run with the rear sway bar off, thankfully this was completed with no mishap & the sprint began

The new tyres are duly noted by Mr John English

Clubman Circuit 2.11 km
Practice - 1:13
Best time – 1:08

SPEED COSTS MONEY, HOW FAST DO YOU WANT TO GO?

Thank you MR Glen Seton & MR John English, NOT!!
As one really must buy new tyres particularly when the fact is mentioned that new ones are paramount by 2 Racing Drivers at 2 different times!

It’s a tuff call as to who’s advice to take when buying new slicks, & when this advice has been personally given, & even worse, when you will see them both again

One recommended,
Hoosiers “Tyres designed for champions”
& the other Pirelli Tyres “Mates rates”

Worn tyres or the wrong choice of tyre, means the difference between losing & winning
Or the staying on the track or the running out of control & off it,
ahh that would be into the mud! but that is another story!!
so this thought process is no mean feat

In dry weather, 'slicks' are used
Slick tyres have no tread, thus giving the tyres maximum surface area in contact with the road to grip most effectively on a dry road surface, so the man says

So you can imagine my deleimer when the courier arrived with the tyres & they had grooves!!!! in my mind grooves mean tread!!

In my defence the Dunlop’s we were running were a non grooved slick

My man just grins that indulgent grin, at me, which seems to appear when I have a blond moment

Lots of humming & haring & tooing & froing & the new bags are....

Hoosiers, size 275 45 16. A6
Got to be good as also run by the Pinepac 1 car & by the Biante drivers

Cost $1860
We have yet to see how well these babies’s perform

The climb-Up & Down the Mountain

I wake on Sunday & rushed to peek out of the window, the day was cloudless halleluiah was the catch cry!

Today’s adrenaline rush comes from day 3 up Mt Coot-tha
A bit of a bonus as we arrive, since we are soooo very early again 6.3Oam Bri was allowed to drive us into the Pit area via around the track.
I’mmm I was thinking, I wish he hadn’t done that, I am really much better being oblivious to a lot of this business!
Looked very daunting all these concrete barriers, & chicanes
& “shouldn’t there be lots more towers of tyres there at that corner Bri? “ How in the hell they get around this skinny road doing the speeds they do & not hit anything! Is beyond me

The first run of the day sees a car come back on the back of a truck, with its bonnet all smashed in!
I’mmm this reassures me a lot, not!!
Reality check too for man with avgas in his veins & he says “I might rethink my strategies & back this baby off abit” “I don’t really want to come back that way” Praise the Lord, thinks I

Jaime, Zoe & Josh arrive in time for his second run, & because there was another hold up on the track, they were able to make the trek up the hill to the start, with time to spare
Bri & I then walked up to meet them & enjoyed the racing, narrowly beating death I might add, by a red fly away bonnet, which thankfully flew city side, I kid you not!

The hunt was on & I found Jim Richards & got my photo & shirt signed, Bri then did the same & had a chat with him, as Jimmy remembered the Pinepac Mustang from early race meeting in NZ

Two runs today, the first 72.20 then 68.10
Shame I can’t get a 3rd in he says, still a bit slow on the uphill take off. Shame I can’t put a V8 in the Mustang
“why” I stupidly ask
“It takes horsepower to accelerate weight & to push a hole in the air” says he
"You're joking, surely!"
Then I remember he can’t, due to the fact it’s a historic race car & it has to be original.

Winning is overrated, the only time it is really important is in surgery & war. ~Al McGuire

Oh ball’s! Mr Al McGuire, only you would say that
The first prize Trophy in the Group A Touring car category stands happily next to the other in our shed

Saturday up the Mountain

I slowly scan the gray horizon, carefully sizing up the clouds & within minutes we are off to what promises to be an action packed Mt Coot-tha Hill Climb

To arrive with the camp all set up was an added bonus I must say
Before long I was relaxing awaiting the drivers briefing, whilst braving attacking funnel web spiders! & looming rain clouds, but we all know I am a woman of Faith & I knew the main man wouldn’t allow the torrential rain of the night before! & yes I was right

Speed Racer arrives back from the sighting run with smoke bellowing forth from under the hood. The cause! dripping brake fluid from the brake reservoir onto the exhaust. Daddy is not a happy man , loosing $I2O a litre liquid! no don’t reread, you did read right $I2O.OO.

Trusty son in law Stevie aka now newly elected head pit crew man, comes again to the rescue.

Quick tip - Reservoir wrapped in strips of rag works well.

I’m watching open mouthed, sadly, no amount of you’re joking, surely! they might burst into flames" was even acknowledged!

I’m not getting any better at this nerve-racking racing business, I waited with baited breath until he returned safely, it was a 15min walk uphill to watch the start. Luckily I was able to see part of the downhill track from our camp. First timed run was 72.27

The aging autograph hunter aka Me, did what she does best & hunted down John English, who had raced our car in 1986 at Surfers International raceway, due to the fact Wayne Anderson had the shits!!

No not really he had came down with food poisoning after a meal out prior to the race on the Sunday.

John said he was passing everything on the track UNTIL the car began overheating, he was told to press on & did so, until he decided the temp was too high & he would blow the engine if he didn’t pit.

This was a real thrill for us, he happily came over & signed the Mustangs bonnet for us, see photo above

The Coot-tha Classic Hill Climb

Friday 30-31 May- I.5 km

What a great weekend this turned out to be. Race cars, motorcycles, rally cars & speedway vehicles all present at the Cootha Classic. Some competed, some provided demonstrations & some were static displays, great to be part of something that was last held in 19I8

7am! Coffee darling? where is darling?
Don’t have to go far to find him, he’s in the shed
Car up on hoist boys are busy taking the sway bar off, only to be put straight back on, as the smaller one would not fit! Shit!
Lesson to be learnt from this!
When tweeking, please do at least 2 days prior to an event instead of hrs before we have take off or ideally at a test & tune day

Me thinks & says out loud! Should you really be tinkering with that anti-roll bar. Ahh haven’t you got the feel of the car already with the longer one on? Doesn’t shorter bar mean, a lot of extra body roll Bri?
Do you really want a loose tail" type of effect with the rear end being more prone to slide around corners tomorrow! with that hairpin looming in the very near future
NO sway bar adjustments today please Number I son & he spent half the day there & found a great spot just off the exit road, unloaded all the gear, erected the cover, had the Mustang scruteneered, walked the track & wrapped the baby soundly & left her there in the hands of the security guys & gals

Racing action begins at 8.3O am tomorrow

Show n Shine

4rd Annual Classic Speedway Association Queensland Car & Bike Show & Swap, Sunday 17th May 2009

All types of Speedway, Vintage, Classic & Modern vehicles, including bikes & all types of motoring clubs welcome says the flyer

Ohhh we know this show n shine only too well, the Cobra won a trophy at the inaugural, so now the Mustang will try her luck

Polished within an inch of its life

Up on the hoist, wheels off

Ahhhh Bri, why does it have to be soooo clean underneath, no one gets down to look under it

Ohh sorry I am forgetting myself, yes indeedy! You are right sweetheart, Mr Glen Seton does

I think we will have to get a couple of mirrors to slip under that sucker, so all that work & time doesn’t go unnoticed & unappreciated!

Touch up all the stone chips

Dam!! there’s another one, Weld paint brush in hand, gone!!

Well it seems this was a job well done

Home again with lucky spot prize of Armor All gift pack & hot little Trophy in his hand

Historic Mt Cotton Hill climb Sunday 3 May

5.30am we head for the hills, me with a sense of foreboding after yesterdays turn of events or should I say we head for the mountain & 946 metres of bitumen sealed up hill & down dale

The Mustang is off on its first Hill climbing jaunt & will try her luck at a standing start to a flying finish, along an uphill course against the clock!!

Ohhh I will love this NOT!

Hmmm... If you fancy some 4 wheeled action you might consider hill climbing, heart in mouth sort of stuff! Timed sprints

As he said to me, this is safe, it means you won't be bashing body work with some maniac

But darling, says I, remember there are trees, corners, & sheer drops to consider instead

Only one thing left behind this time, my thongs, as it’s so cold this time of the morning I have to put on my boots

Lots of laughs enroute as we reviewed the winch incident from yesterday

Boys & their toys, we are amazed at all the speed racers out there, they pass the pinepac car on the trailer & plant their foot on the throttle & roar off into the distance

We get the site he was after, the sole reason for arriving so early, set up camp & get the paper work over & receive the commemorative mug, take the car in & pass scruteneering & attend the drivers briefing, phew I’m exhausted already

Pit crew persons arrived a little late, I might add, I believe we rang & told them they must also attend the Drivers meeting at 7.30am, but this was meet with peals of laughter & a! "I don’t think so"!! but no Jody obviously kept her husband in bed!! & didn’t heed her parents

Oh the young generation of today, what happened to honor your Father & your Mother, I ask

All is forgiven when they arrive in time for the first run

Race suit, socks, shoes, gloves & Helmet are adorned & the car fired into life, then pep talk from wifey

"Take it relatively slow & easy & build up a good knowledge of the course, please remember you want to participate in Mt Cootha hill climb later in the month, in a car with good working condition

”

Young Son number 2 shows up with his mates, Jesse tells dad at the end of the day he was awesome he really made his Daddies day

He warms the tyres with a bit of a burnout trying to "put some heat" into them to improve their grip as he approached the start line, the light goes green & with the right amount of wheel spin to get a good "launch" he was off & racing, around the first corner, accelerating up to the first loop, which seemed to me to loom rapidly, aka “lovers loop” then he’s taking the downhill plunge to the hairpin at the bottom of the hill, then on & up to a very steep, sharp left hander, where I must add 2 cars had mishaps during the course of the day & had to be trucked off!!! Down the hill to the hairpin nut corner, back up the straight to lovers leap corner again & through to the finish line

His nemesis:

”The hairpin”!!!

he slides sideways across the track, which slowed his times down considerably on this run, his explanation of this sideways maneuver, when asked “I stood on gas pedal too hard, have to learn to ease the power, LOCK INTO BRAIN, one of many things one has to exsicute in under 60 seconds!”
4th run “Where did 1st gear go” on the run back up to lovers leap??

back at the pits ajusted the clutch & everything was hunky dory

By this time he was full of self doubt, as he had gone from a 62.66 to a 67.01, “I’m shit at this, he says, I should just be the team owner & get one of the boys to drive”

But his sheer bloody-minded determination kicks right in there again & he is once again the driver & loving it, his best time for the day was 57.11 as he says it can only get better from here

Praise the Lord we are back safe & sound from the hill climb

Really proud of you, sweetheart for living your dream & for taking me along for the ride xx

Winch? what winch

Saturday arvo, Bri needs me to help with the winching on of the car, he has spent several hours cleaning & polishing, I had to Shield my eyes from the brilliant sunlight reflecting off this highly polished car as I walked down the slope towards it

Disaster has already hit, the silage water had been running down onto the grass & part of the lawn is a quagmire, hence the cars spinning wheels & the slicks getting no traction!!

Finally he has the car in position, I operate the winch as he turns the wheel & guides it up & onto the trailer, horrid grinding noises are coming from the winch.

I beacon Bri to look, he says carry on.

I may as well pop in here he hasn’t got his reading glasses on! as he gazes at the winch

The wire I notice is winding beyond from the drum & into the area beyond

I call Bri again & as he come near, ping the knob flies off the winch drum & through the air

The look on Bri’s face, classic, I can just imagine mine looked equally horrified

I suggest we reverse the winch & let the car back down

It starts to roll slowly as I push the winch button, then snap the wire breaks while under the extreme tension, the wire is now flaying around with such force & the car rolls back off the trailer FAST

The car is heading backwards towards the dam!

Bri runs, I run, he thrusts his arm through the open window, wrenches the wheel around & turns the wheels!

Disaster is foiled & we stop the runaway car

Moral of the story, never dethrone car without windows down

Winch well & truly FUCKED

By this stage I am not feeling to confident abt this motor racing one little bit

Bri starts the beast & I guide Bri up onto the trailer

All very traumatic, we are both in need of a very stiff drink!

My Claim to Fame

All the FORD big boys were there, happy to stand & pose with this ageing autograph hunter, I can see them duck & weave trying to get away as I come close rattling my paint pen at them. No just kidding, they are always happy to oblige

Me Thinks ... Should you be facing this way?

Sunday 26th April, the day dawns bright & clear in this wide brown land, thankfully, the day of David Besnards fundraiser at Queensland Raceway

Please sit back, relax, put your feet up & enjoy the first installment of fundraiser at Queensland raceway

Car on Trailer “check”

Race gear bag “check”

Briefcase with licenses “check”

Ready to lock the house …. Che ..”

Dog, dog? ………… DOG?

Darling I call? Have you seen Judge?

F%&#!!!! Where’s the F$%^&N DOG

30 mins later my car returns with Dog trotting on beside!

By this stage, man with avgas in his veins is feeling & sounding a wee bit tetchy!
I throw him a fag & within minutes calm is restored

There is no doubt about it, the acorn doesn’t fall too far from the tree, this girl of ours has avgas in her veins, just like her Daddy, she & her gorgeous husband Stevie & little girlies come to egg Daddy on & don their Pit crew gear. You make us so very proud, sweetheart xx thankyou

What can I say? He drove well for two laps then started to get a bit lary & lost the tail end. Whoops, he does a 360 spin out!!

Note to self: First of all: Don't Panic. Second of all: Don't Panic.
Panicking pushing the heart rate up & causes stress!

Phew!!!! was close!!!

“Stevie can you smell that?” I ask, as Bri races past us

Vroom past he goes again “Stevie, it smells like gas”

By this time I am all but hanging out over the barrier beaconing him to come in

Vroom, he’s gone again & yet again, no amount of arm waving or beaconing is bringing this boy in

Speed Demon, Road hog, there was no way once he was out there, he was going bring this car into the pits

In our MINDS we hear over the loud speaker “Pinepac, pinepac, would you please vacate the track”

45 mins later he returns to the pits, smoke spewing out from under the hood

“Didn’t you see or smell that smoke” I ask in amazement, as I peer into the smoke hazed cockpit!!!!

“Yeah, but I checked & the gauges, they were all ok”

Ok, I’ll give you all a few moments to recover. Alright, time’s up!

Are you for real!! I think. This baby & you could have blown sky high!!! He just laughs & rolls his eyes

I have a pit stop, return to see lots of bods with heads down arses up under the bonnet. I hear “can I have a rag” Bri rushes off.

I see, nice tight arse encased in blue racing pants, stripe shirt,

Light bulb goes on in my brain, man looks up, I gasp “Oh my God”, he smiles

I rush over to Bri who is a rag hunting,

I lean close & pass him a rag & say “give Glen the rag darling”

“darling give Mr. Seton the rag”

“What” he says, too right, I have his attention now

“Give Glen Seton the rag love“

Yes you do read right, we had Glen Seton working on the car & chatting

Please note evidence photos

Darling if I died tonight, I die happy, I am so lucky, my Children, you & today, he tells me

Ching, ching, ching

Auto racing is all about speed, while that is true, there is an awful lot that goes on behind the scenes that is all but speed, take for example the getting of a few shirts for the pit crew, aka Me

This Baby will have all the works & the Jerks! Yes, I know I have mentioned this before in a previous occasion,

BUT, this Baby will have the whole package! The whole shooting box! The whole box and dice, you just ask my man

Ching, ching, ching, my wallet is blinding me, flashing before my eyes,

I can see this is going to be a very expensive & very time consuming exercise, for Mwah

After having been consumed almost every night & day for the past week, with scouring the net for suitable shirts/polos, I am feeling a little frayed, my colours are beginning to run, not to mention the brain fuddled with all the different styles, colours, & prices!!

“A Sponsor is what is needed” he states whilst gazing out surveying the property whilepartaking a coldy on the back patio

A brain way indeed, I say, phew that’s my boy, always thinking

Thinking caps are on, our minds are off & racing, His work, My work, who could we approach? to happily hand over their hard earned cash

As I said before God puts people in our path,

not ching, ching, ching

but ring, ring, ring

the phone rings & the Brother in law, Mr Triple A is on the line. The conversation gets on to the car & Brian mentions we are looking for a Sponcer & Praise the Lord; Triple A Shop fitting comes to the fore

Then the work really begins, the hours of trolling through web sites looking for the right shirt we can all agree upon, then finally the art work is decided & the shirts & caps are ordered

Hallelujah they have finally arrived, they have been paid for, they are ready to be picked up

Fickity, fackity, wuckity, oh blast it, it really doesn’t sound quite the same

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!!!!!!!!! THEY DON”T FIT !!!!

or rather My, & Zoe’s sizes are too small

What was he doing! I ask you, when he had his hands against my girls whilst measuring them!!!

How wrong can you get?

Hmmmmmmmm, Bri . . .shouldn't that make the car GO FASTER?

“We need to go to the airport” says the Petrol-in-the-veins enthusiast

Wow, a surprise romantic trip for two, I fleeting think, stupidly, it is after all only a few days to our Anniversary

“I need to go buy the Avgas & the nearest place is Coolangatta Airport”

Say what!!!! thinks I

“Don’t you listen to me when I talk to you”? he asks

“I have explained to you before that the Avgas Mark used to get me, is a high octane aviation fuel used to power many aircraft & racing cars & now since Mark isn’t there at the Airport I now need to source it from else where

He really is such a thoughtful man, he had read abt a craft show that was on down the coast at the same time, so thought he could drop me off first, but I declined

Off we go an hour & a half away, luckily for him, enroute stopping at the strawberry farm for the mandatory strawberry ice-cream

We have a 20mins wait whilst the guy fuels up a helicopter, then they carry the 5 20 litre containers to the truck to be taken away to be filled

Mounting fuel prices $2.30 a litre in NSW was only $1.70 in Qld

Up coming event

Home he comes, car magazine tucked under his arm. He reads out abt a charity event abt to happen 26th April at Queensland Raceway, Willowbank, run by David Besnard. Hot laps are on offer plus car show & shines, laps etc, Craig Lowndes, Steven Johnson, Alex Davison & Craig Baird all attending. All moneys raised going to help support the victims of the North Queensland Floods and Victorian Bushfires.

We peruse, “You’ll have to give this David a ring love”, says I & see if they want the car there. This apparently fell on deaf ears as 2 days later when I inquire, ahh no he hasn’t got around to it yet!!

Insert a wee pep talk here re networking, having the car out there being seen etc etc.

The phone is picked up & dialled, he puts his case forward, a favourable response received from the other end, & whom am I speaking too asks my man, no less than the Man himself David Besnard the V8 Supercar driver. I send him off a picture of the car & within minutes get a return email

Hi Brian,
Your car looks awesome and we would love to have you at our charity event.
I will be in contact with you in the next couple of weeks.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
Regards,
David Besnard

Excitement plus in our house hold

Maiden Voyage

Saturday morning, 22 February 2009 we loaded the Mustang on the trailer for her Maiden Voyage heading to Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick for the club, HCC, Triple "T" Day - Try, Train or Test
She towed like a dream, up & over the gorge, but on the way disaster #1 hits.

Ohhhh says I, Bri I think I have left my makeup at home, laugh not, I am a girl who since the day I was married at 16 has NEVER gone a day without applying my pancake makeup, yes indeedy! I had. Sensitive new age guy that I have knows this is indeed devastation, he screeches to a halt at the first chemist he sees & I return to the fold 20mins & $60 later.

The benefits of smokin’ again, he is happily standing surveying the world & his toy. All is right with the world once again

We book into our unit then head for the track to get our bearings, find a suitable area to unload the car from the trailer.

What’s this, my man is sprinting off into the undergrowth!!

ahhh someone!! Stop that run away car, a laps of the memory, ahhh that’s right, this car doesn’t have a hand brake!! Disaster # 2 is foiled, we then park the trailer in the appropriate area.

Then luckily we find out we can be scruteneered today, so armed with his cam’s license etc & baited breath, we complete scruteneering successfully. We find an area we both like to set up camp, so to speak, with a view of the track & park the car to be left overnight. We then realize just how hot it will be the next day without cover & make a dash for the nearest shops, luckily we just make closing time & purchase a you beaut Cover?? for $220, money well spent

Sunday we wake
“What time is it?” I inquire
“It’s racing time!!” he yells enthusiastically

Ahhh I don’t think soo
Its 3am!!
Thankfully we drift back to sleep

Disaster # 3 Phone call from the unit, “have you by chance left behind a little grey bag behind”!! My Man had said I will get that darling, no said I, I will bring it, yeah RIGHT

We get to the track at 7am, set up our new beaut cover next to the car, attend the driver briefing. Suit up ready & waiting. Thankfully just in the nick of time Bri remembers to mount the new in-car movie camera, centers it so we could see his hand. It’s really pretty helpful to be able to review video after an event & hear the gear changes & especially when you can see the steering action as well.
Disaster #4 foiled just in time, realization, once harnessed in!!! one cannot reach the camera to turn it on, frantic arm waving & beckoning by my man & I run to the rescue & do the deed

The car successfully passed Target scruteneering which lasts 5 race meetings, a pleasure to work on such a clean car he said! & why not says I with all the works & jerks this baby has, at last the hoist has come into its own

Ok on the track, first gear into 2nd gear a breeze, I’mmmm maybe a mistake here, as a crunching noise is heard all the way in the stands! I should have tried this before coming out, he thinks!

"can’t reach the gear lever to go into 3rd, can only use the finger tips" he says sheepishly when I enquire abt the noise, it’s not quite the same as being in the shed without the harness on!!!

Just as well this is a test day also

Lesson # 1 Men will find any excuse to handle their rod, ahhh sorry knob

He was a little nervous as he had never driven the car before other than around our dam a few times so in actual fact hadn't driven it on bitumen & didn’t know the circuit
First time out was behind the pace car, no passing this time out we were told at the drivers briefing, arh did everybody hear that! After 3 laps that went to the wall

"The car is making a strange knocking noise from the back corner so I'll need to investigate that"

Again bum up under the car, find nothing!!
Do you want a go out with me, he asks “say what!”

A strange knocking noise? & you haven't found it!
“There's absolutely no way in HELL I am going out on that track with you, I think, I would sooner jump off a boat and swim through sharp-toothed fish laden waters than get in there with you!
"So you don’t fancy me getting you a one day license then, there’s a few girls out there" he replies
"Are you out of your fucking mind?' I do say that, he just laughs

Second time out I could literally see the nerves flying out the window & the red mist start to roll on in!!! as he barrels past anyone within his eye sight. He was driving well, controlled the car well into the corners or rather the slicks stuck to the road, they had an awesome grip, stuck to the road like glue, as he moved up the field, my heart was in my mouth as he hammering into the corners,
I could see he was setting his sights on several cars, I could see him biding his time & then he barreled past them on the straight just before the chequered flag.

This was a fantastic day, we are novices, & found everyone took the time to patiently explain things.
It was a blast, we are racing & I love it, My man is living his dream & I am a part of it

The day after Boxing Day dawned bright & sunny as we continued to make our way to keep “she who must be obeyed!” happy, off on a jaunt to buy herself, I might add, a new unit for the lounge
This man of mine sure was keen!
I now know why
“Whilst we’re here shall we just whip into check out the race suits”
Luckily Revolution Racegear Springwood, was only a few blocks away
We looked, we tried on, we ordered, & just as well we did for 6 weeks later it is finally ready

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great when the man in your life likes to be budget conscious BUT budget should not in the vocabulary when one is talking race suits, there are some really very nasty looking models out there
As any good husband/wife team knows a compromise must be meet & it was!
Middle of the road was chosen NOT as I had wished the u beaut model but the next one down
The package in the black & yellow Driver Kit Bag
“big enough to keep your entire race gear together in one safe place.!!”
Not just a suit, oh no all the works & jerks, the puller inner a, the lifter upper a, the pusher outer a, Christ are we in bra’s & things! No just kidding
We are talking fabric that is fire resistant, excellent at removing perspiration leaving you comfortable while still retaining a vital insulating air gap for heat protection
And here we have it, double & triple layers of suit, underwear, Balaclava, gloves, socks, & boots all for the princely sum of $ 1,425.00

Ease on down the road

“We need a trial, a practice run”

Too bloody right, thinks I, you needn’t think I will be getting in there & driving off cold turkey!!!

“To see if all is right with towing”

This takes a good few hours of doing what!
Beats me.

Finally slowly Pinepac II is inching towards the ramps, he’s head down arse up, checking, rechecking, I feel I should be singing a rendition of old Mac Donald’s farm, “with a look, look, here & a look, look, there, here a look, there a look, everywhere a look, look!
Now run up to the front of the trailer, lowering the jockey wheel, hooking on winch & up she goes, now the tying down begins, a bit of a push to the front, a bit move to the rear, run down to the wood pile, grab wood, measure, run to the saw, wedge that wood in there, no need for a 14k run tonight sweetheart, you have already run a marathon today

& finally easing on down the road
Thankfully all is well with the world

Throw out bearing

" Did you hear THAT? "

"What?" says I

"That squealing, grinding sort of noise!
SHIT! what’s that noise when I push in the clutch"

What!! You are asking me? I think

"I better get that fixed, don’t want to be on a track somewhere & it goes, down the gurgler would go $150 for the motel & $100 track time to be let down by something that I knew in my mind was faulty"

Ahhh excuse me would that be such a wasted time!!! Motel room! meals out! visiting places new!!

That’s my boy, always thinking, light bulb goes on in his brain

"I bet it’s the throw out bearing"
this man of mine should really have been a mechanic

Hallelujah! the hoist has now come into its own, see it was a good investment after all says he.

He removes the bearing & takes it to the bearing shop & bought the appropriate bearing. Home he trots & installs the said part. Enters mate chriso he’s come around to help refit the gearbox as an hour has gone passed & the #$%^&* THING won’t go back, another 3 hrs later & they discover the internal diameter of the bearing was wrong. Bri takes the bearing back to the shop, “wrong bearing you have given me here mate!” They then discover it has been machined out! 3 shops later Bri’s finally told "they don’t make a bearing like that" he will have to get it machined. Lots of stress later, as at this time he is at week 5 of giving up smoking!! Another 4 days of ringing around trying to find a machine shop that could do the job, no luck. Chriso comes to the rescue once again & knows a guy that could do it, fingers crossed the ceramic cutting tip doesn’t shatter as that would be an extra $200.
All was done without any mishap & the insides of the bearing were machined out 3 mm, wait for the best part, it for free
Oh & Bri got a spare done at the same time, good thinking Watson

Hoist!!!

I need a hoist now!!
Lord give me strength, what? What now? how do you fathom this, this car is perfect in every way a complete rebuild back to original was done a few years ago in NZ, what exactly do you need to do to it!!

Huston we have lift off!

Trailer

Is the expense over yet, not likely, this new baby needs a Trailer to reside upon & the ute can’t really tow it so we need a 4x4 also!!

Shall we just get the basic tyres?? as the mags will cost another $500! asks he. Yeah right!!! we're spending this amount of money to NOT get mags, says I. Ohh that Man knows how to play me for sure. Well off you go then & get it organised!

The Change over

“Listen, my Son, be wise & keep your heart on the right path” Proverbs 28:19
It really is amazing the things, people & situations God puts in our path.
He really must have put the Pinepac II Mustang in Bri’s path at Eastern creek, where he saw it was for sale. The day of the swap came tuesday before Bathurst 2008, we girls thought that this swap over would be all very traumatic, which thankfully didn’t happen, perhaps because the Cobra went & the Mustang now stood in her place.