Well we have returned from Rotorua a little disappointed as we didn’t qualify.

There is no need for excuses but this is what happened over the weekend anyway.

I did a couple of practice laps on the Friday and the car had a big push going into both turns and would not drive out of the corners like it normally did. So we reset the timing and altered the suspension. (We had set the car up the same as last year when it had handled quite well.)

In the first race the car was like driving a Ford Ltd no handling and losing power in every corner, so bad that I changed gear twice to get out of the turns. The car still had a big push.
In the pits we rechecked the timing and it had altered, it was then noticed that the dizzy had popped up we where running approx 45deg advance far more than normal. This was fixed and we decided to change diff gears to help get out of the corners. We also made a major adjustment in the suspension on the right front to get rid of the push. 10th

In the second race the car was quite loose but driveable but it still felt that it was under powered. However at least we had improved the handling and drive we where getting off the turns.
Back in the pits and we made some small adjustments to the suspension and rechecked the timing which this time was correct.

The third race and the car was handling OK but still not powering out of the corners as I have come to know what the car does. We where now running 4th more by good fortune than anything else. We could have qualified if I had finished here but I got tagged on the last lap and lost places. This is what happens when you are not having any luck at all. Then one of the crew mentions that the car doesn’t sound like it normally does.

On the Saturday repercharge we tossed for position on the front row against Kyle Frazer, at the start the car again would not handle and where was the power, about half way through the race the car did start to handle again but it was all far to late.

In the first consolation race we finished second and the car handled Ok after more adjustments.

By the time the last race came around I was trying different lines and ways of getting around the turns as the handling had gone again. The oil light came on twice driving hard into the first corner and when I half spun I called it a day.

We still enjoyed the weekend even though it was a tough couple of nights especially when what you expect to work doesn’t.

We have already started looking at the lack of power issue and it appears that the cam timing may be out. How does this happen?????

There are three weeks to the nationals and enough time to get it sorted, as we will be disappointed not to qualify for the finals at our home track.