- 7,177
- Lisboa
- FLAT_TWELVE
Disclaimer: I guess my own amateur "motorsports" achievements are not as interesting or competitive as theCracker's or Christthedude's, but anyway, since I shared the previous ones with no complaints from you guys 
... I'll share this one too. 
So, the 2012 Edition of the "Espirito do Caramulo" hillclimb happened this last weekend and I submitted my entry once more, with my own totally stock Morgan Plus4. Here the event's poster:
This event, unlike the September MotorFestival, mainly meant for classics, is a ...
"low-cost-bring-whatever-outdated-sports-car-with-a-roll-bar-fitted-and-needing-a-bit-of-fresh-air-you-might-have-in-the-back-of-your-garage-and-race-it"
In the end, some true classic racers do show up but the "grid" is mostly filled up with old out-dated cup cars (hot hatches mostly) from one-make trophies long gone, like Citroen AX, R5 GT Turbo, Clio, Peugeot, Yaris, etc. And also some oddities, like a BRC (mountain climbing barchetta, old but fast) or a thing called MITJET, basically a tubular frame with a CBR1000 engine, 4 wheels, a seat and a wheel.
Or Morgans. 2 of them, one being mine.
This was the entry list. I was listed as #11 in it:
It was very hard to know where I would end up with such an odd list. Most cars, if in good condition and in the hands of competent drivers, should be faster than mine. However, many of the guys are total amateurs like me and many of the cars aren't exactly in their prime condition. All things considered, in the overall standings I was hoping for a spot somewhere in the middle of the overall classification.
My main objective has nothing to do with that, however. I had to beat my own "ghost" (in GT lingo), meaning, my own previous record at that climb, set last September at 1´48,099.
The Event was structured like this, we had 5 climbs, 2 practise (result irrelevant) and 3 race. The final classification would be the sum of all 3 race climbs.
The day turned out to be a rainy one, and that meant I would have my first experience at "racing in the wet". However, the weather was also very unstable (showers and sun in between) and that had some impact in my result.
Here a quick recap on what happened:
Practise 1 - Damp track, but almost dry already, rain had stopped maybe one hour before.
I was careful, but apparently everyone just went up in "track-checking" mode because, when I got down I had a friend frantically waving at me a hand with 4 stretched fingers. I didn't realize what he meant, but then, passing by the S/F line one of the marshalls shouts at me "You were going at it, man ... you did the 4th quickest time in that car!"
LOL, it was a good way to start the day, but I had no doubt that this wasn't my "real" position in the ladder. Especially because I wasn't even pushing.
Anyway, here the results for that practise 1 climb (you can check them all in
www.temposonline.net) :
The weather was nice for Practise 2, and the track, meanwhile, became dry. It was my first real go then. I had no hope of equaling the best climb from last September inm my (1'48,099) in my first proper attempt, because the temperature was now very cold (I suppose the track was also), and also because the track had absolutely no rubber. My "expert friend" had told me that my previous best would stand, even after all 5 climbs this May.
And well, he was wrong! And I was also, because in this first "proper" go I beat my previous record (barely, but did it), posting a 1'47,976! This time gave me 8th overall and now that was a pleasant surprise. Same track conditions for everybody, no excuses now and I still managed to be within the top ten. I had a good feeling about this now.
Here the Practise 2 climb times, where my new personal best got recorded!
Lunch break, Race climbs are next. The clouds got darker and darker but no rain and the first race climb starts.
After a while (cars would start more or less with 1 minute intervals) we hear that rain has started to fall up there close to the last section of the climb. People still down at the start get worried about not having the same track conditions as the first ones, but it's all a part of racing.
Sooo ... when my time comes (I'm penultimate) we only hear horror stories about pouring rain. Still, down at the start, we're dry.
Car before me starts the climb.
Rain starts. Heavily. When I place the car at the start line.
And ... I'm unlucky. Quoting Rubens Barrichelo in F1Slate .... "It's so unfair!"
The result? 24th overall
! Check it here:
I did record this climb, and it's almost funny at the start. Exactly when I'm placing my car in the start line you see the litle crowd there all opening their umbrellas. As you can guess I'm thinking "Oh I'm "
So ... after the first race climb I'm 24th in the standings, and I already lost at least 15 seconds to the guys I should be battling (for position) with. Isn't it nice?
(not to mention my car being soaked. leathers, carpets, LOL, what a disgrace)
No time to think much, we all come down and line up to a second climb. Still raining (a fellow competitor offered me a giant umbrella, one of those used by pit babes. Without a babe, I'm holding it in the car)
First 10 (or so) go up and then a guy in a ex-rally Escort RS2000 crashes. Race stopped. And rain stops too.
So I get lucky this time, I do my second climb in a very damp, almost wet track, but still better than what the first guys had. It evens things a bit because I do the ...
5TH BEST TIME OVERALL
with a decent (considering) 1'53,081 ... as can be seen here:
Between Race climb 2 and Race climb 3 we have again a lot of rain, so much in fact that the event is paused for a while (the need to remove to more safer areas two more crashed cars from climb 2 was also a factor in this delay).
Rain became light and we all figured it was time to go again. And this 3rd climb is, perhaps, the most "fair" of them all, we all got basically the same conditions and track wetness. That's why I'm glad I did again a top-ten time, even if slower (due to track conditions) than Climb 2. As can be seen here:
In the end, I guess that without the weather mixing things up, I would have ended this event in the top ten overall, but I won't complain with my final - 11th - position. It was fun, and I got out of my first wet experience in one piece, as did the car.
Here the final classification:
I did record my last "race climb", so you can see how wet it was:
(sorry for the lack of engine sound, I thought the GoPro would get it but it didn't. Next time I'll place my iPhone in my pocket again to record the sound )
And some pictures I found, taken by a photografer/fan that shared them on facebook. Basically, a "drive by" in pictures:
Thanks for reading!
... I'll share this one too. So, the 2012 Edition of the "Espirito do Caramulo" hillclimb happened this last weekend and I submitted my entry once more, with my own totally stock Morgan Plus4. Here the event's poster:
This event, unlike the September MotorFestival, mainly meant for classics, is a ...
"low-cost-bring-whatever-outdated-sports-car-with-a-roll-bar-fitted-and-needing-a-bit-of-fresh-air-you-might-have-in-the-back-of-your-garage-and-race-it"
In the end, some true classic racers do show up but the "grid" is mostly filled up with old out-dated cup cars (hot hatches mostly) from one-make trophies long gone, like Citroen AX, R5 GT Turbo, Clio, Peugeot, Yaris, etc. And also some oddities, like a BRC (mountain climbing barchetta, old but fast) or a thing called MITJET, basically a tubular frame with a CBR1000 engine, 4 wheels, a seat and a wheel.
Or Morgans. 2 of them, one being mine.
This was the entry list. I was listed as #11 in it:
It was very hard to know where I would end up with such an odd list. Most cars, if in good condition and in the hands of competent drivers, should be faster than mine. However, many of the guys are total amateurs like me and many of the cars aren't exactly in their prime condition. All things considered, in the overall standings I was hoping for a spot somewhere in the middle of the overall classification.
My main objective has nothing to do with that, however. I had to beat my own "ghost" (in GT lingo), meaning, my own previous record at that climb, set last September at 1´48,099.
The Event was structured like this, we had 5 climbs, 2 practise (result irrelevant) and 3 race. The final classification would be the sum of all 3 race climbs.
The day turned out to be a rainy one, and that meant I would have my first experience at "racing in the wet". However, the weather was also very unstable (showers and sun in between) and that had some impact in my result.
Here a quick recap on what happened:
Practise 1 - Damp track, but almost dry already, rain had stopped maybe one hour before.
I was careful, but apparently everyone just went up in "track-checking" mode because, when I got down I had a friend frantically waving at me a hand with 4 stretched fingers. I didn't realize what he meant, but then, passing by the S/F line one of the marshalls shouts at me "You were going at it, man ... you did the 4th quickest time in that car!"
LOL, it was a good way to start the day, but I had no doubt that this wasn't my "real" position in the ladder. Especially because I wasn't even pushing.
Anyway, here the results for that practise 1 climb (you can check them all in
www.temposonline.net) :
PRACTISE 1 TIMES
The weather was nice for Practise 2, and the track, meanwhile, became dry. It was my first real go then. I had no hope of equaling the best climb from last September inm my (1'48,099) in my first proper attempt, because the temperature was now very cold (I suppose the track was also), and also because the track had absolutely no rubber. My "expert friend" had told me that my previous best would stand, even after all 5 climbs this May.
And well, he was wrong! And I was also, because in this first "proper" go I beat my previous record (barely, but did it), posting a 1'47,976! This time gave me 8th overall and now that was a pleasant surprise. Same track conditions for everybody, no excuses now and I still managed to be within the top ten. I had a good feeling about this now.
Here the Practise 2 climb times, where my new personal best got recorded!
PRACTISE 2 TIMES
(source: www.temposonline.net )
Lunch break, Race climbs are next. The clouds got darker and darker but no rain and the first race climb starts.
After a while (cars would start more or less with 1 minute intervals) we hear that rain has started to fall up there close to the last section of the climb. People still down at the start get worried about not having the same track conditions as the first ones, but it's all a part of racing.
Sooo ... when my time comes (I'm penultimate) we only hear horror stories about pouring rain. Still, down at the start, we're dry.
Car before me starts the climb.
Rain starts. Heavily. When I place the car at the start line.
And ... I'm unlucky. Quoting Rubens Barrichelo in F1Slate .... "It's so unfair!"
The result? 24th overall
! Check it here:RACE 1 TIMES
(source: www.temposonline.net )
I did record this climb, and it's almost funny at the start. Exactly when I'm placing my car in the start line you see the litle crowd there all opening their umbrellas. As you can guess I'm thinking "Oh I'm "
So ... after the first race climb I'm 24th in the standings, and I already lost at least 15 seconds to the guys I should be battling (for position) with. Isn't it nice?
(not to mention my car being soaked. leathers, carpets, LOL, what a disgrace)
No time to think much, we all come down and line up to a second climb. Still raining (a fellow competitor offered me a giant umbrella, one of those used by pit babes. Without a babe, I'm holding it in the car)
First 10 (or so) go up and then a guy in a ex-rally Escort RS2000 crashes. Race stopped. And rain stops too.
So I get lucky this time, I do my second climb in a very damp, almost wet track, but still better than what the first guys had. It evens things a bit because I do the ...
5TH BEST TIME OVERALL
with a decent (considering) 1'53,081 ... as can be seen here:
RACE 2 TIMES
(source: www.temposonline.net )
Between Race climb 2 and Race climb 3 we have again a lot of rain, so much in fact that the event is paused for a while (the need to remove to more safer areas two more crashed cars from climb 2 was also a factor in this delay).
Rain became light and we all figured it was time to go again. And this 3rd climb is, perhaps, the most "fair" of them all, we all got basically the same conditions and track wetness. That's why I'm glad I did again a top-ten time, even if slower (due to track conditions) than Climb 2. As can be seen here:
RACE 3 TIMES
(source: www.temposonline.net )
In the end, I guess that without the weather mixing things up, I would have ended this event in the top ten overall, but I won't complain with my final - 11th - position. It was fun, and I got out of my first wet experience in one piece, as did the car.
Here the final classification:
FINAL OVERALL CLASSIFICATION
(source: www.temposonline.net )
I did record my last "race climb", so you can see how wet it was:
(sorry for the lack of engine sound, I thought the GoPro would get it but it didn't. Next time I'll place my iPhone in my pocket again to record the sound
)And some pictures I found, taken by a photografer/fan that shared them on facebook. Basically, a "drive by" in pictures:
Thanks for reading!
