As previously posted our first outing was in June 2015 and we managed another two race meetings before I stupidly broke my leg and tore all the ankle ligaments - not racing, but repairing the trailer, which collapsed as I was welding it and it fell on me. That put us out for the rest of the season.
Today however saw the start of the 2016 season and we were back. The car had lived outside over the winter lay up, and had suffered a little from the weather with electrical gremlins affecting the brake light and causing a breakdown for Thomas in Juniors Heat 1. The car was also using rather more fuel than previously, so that merits some investigation before our next meeting - we had to purchase a few litres off a fellow competitor who had suffered a roll in his mini to make sure we had enough for the finals.
Thomas managed 2nd place in heat 2 after his DNF in heat 1, with a 4th and 6th place in heats three and four and a fifth place in the final.
For myself, I earned a 4th in heat 1, a well fought battle for 3rd in heat 2, fifth in heat 3, a disappointing 6th in heat four, and a sixth in the final.
The Micra was originally purple, it is now Screwfix Blue and adorned with stickers Thomas collected from various sources, including the Autosport International event at Birmingham in 2015. Our latest stickers are for the North Humberside motor Club, who we have been following at various Autotest events since January. It just so happens I have a Citroen Saxo sitting on the drive with no MOT, which just might find itself pushed into service for autotesting at some time soon.
Meanwhile we need to find out why the Micra is eating so much fuel (suspect brakes may be sticking a little as we seemed a little down on the pace), an oil and filter change might be in order along with a new air filter, and I'll probably reline the brakes and have new cables for the handbrake while I'm at it. Then there are the electrical gremlins that plagued us today - hopefully they have been sorted by remaking a few connections and liberal dousing of WD40, but only time will tell.
