Frustrating times for Obsession......

 

Class sponsors Tina and Terry Gibbs, of Obsession Motorsports have been in touch to report on a frustrating meeting for the team, not least pilot Craig Gibbs...........

"Having arrived early at the Pod we set everything up, John Atkinson arrived and started working on the electrics on the car, finding a few faults which he made good. Saturday loomed and we all hoped that the car would perform, how wrong could we have been even after John’s best efforts? Come Saturday night there was a small congregation under our awning, Kev Perkins, Graham Ellis, Rob, and Jeff Bull all giving their valid years of experience to try and find out why we continued to have the nitrous burps, this continued until the early hours of the next morning and thanks to all of them for their advice and help. We had decided not to contest the two qualifiers and eliminations on the following day but due to pressure from others, common sense prevailed. When re-running video footage of the runs from Saturday, it showed the car was hitting the deck hard off the line so on the Sunday morning it was agreed to adjust the four link and shocks."

"We made our way down to the pairing lanes for the first qualifier of the day, we had qualified the day previous with an 8.52 well off the pace. Luck was still against us as our nitrous purge line blew and it was decided to make our way back to the pits, it didn’t make any sense to put in a normally aspirated pass. On the second qualifying pass we again had a nitrous burp, Craig stated he had had enough of seeing flames through the windscreen and that we had been lucky so far that there had been no damage to the engine though the bonnet and scoop looked very sorry for itself."

"In the first round we were paired with Andy Kirk, Graham Ellis was on hand to give us help and we made our way down to the pairing lanes we held back waiting for Andy, only to be told by the girl in the pairing lanes, Andy wouldn’t make it due to gearbox problems. While sitting there we were told a VW had oiled the ¼ mile so we sat there waiting for the all clear from the track crew (they had done a great job all weekend). This of course gave time for Andy to get the car together and Barbara did a stirling job moving VWs out of the way in the fire up road so Andy could get to the head of the pairing lanes."

We didn’t expect to beat Andy with the car performing as it was, Craig reacted better off the lights but we again had cough backs through the exhaust and by the finishing line Craig was on the brakes. Andy of course went on to win the meeting. We would like to say well done to him and everyone at Kirk Motorsport and to Andy Hone for runner up."

"By the time you read this report, the car will be down at Andy Robinson’s having some work done, Andy and John Atkinson feel that it is something so simple on the electrical side we hope they are right otherwise Terry’s is threatening to put a blown motor in it and go Pro Mod."

"We will be testing on the Friday of the Summer Nationals and fingers crossed the car will show its true potential."

"Again a big thank you to John, Kev, Graham, Rob, Jeff and to everyone who was there on hand to help and lastly but no means least Tim Garlck who phoned on the Saturday night and went through the MSD with Craig."

 

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