Queen's Formula Racing

Queen's Formula Racing News

Mixed Fortunes on Day 1

The first official day of competition was to be a busy time for QFR after failing to get through scrutiny yesterday. Ordinarily the car could have gone straight to the front of the scrutiny queue for the 8.30 am start, but this year's event schedule had QFR in for design judging first thing in the morning and this had to take precedence. The judging seemed to go reasonably well, with useful feedback from the judges afterwards.

After design it was straight into scrutineering to have the car checked for safety and eligibility. This is a very thorough process, with the car receiving a very thorough check over. The whole process took around one-and-a-half hours but was very successful as the car passed first time - one of only a hand full of cars to do so this year. After technical scrutiny the car was moved to the tilt table and then the noise test for further checks. Again, these were completed first time, and everything was looking rosy going into the last check - the brake test.

In parallel with the varying stages of scrutiny, was the business presentation. This year being delivered by Ian and Bernie. A brief run though beforehand was well delivered and looked like the ideal content. The presentation was delivered and feedback received. It's now a long wait for the results on the final day.

While the presentation was taking place it was off to the brake test for the final part of the pre-competition inspection. This had never proved a problem in the past and hopes were high for a pass. The car, driven by Robert Erwin, completed a few circuits to get heat into the brakes before entering the braking area. The car must lock all four wheels to complete the test. The brake light came on but instead of pulling up in a straight line, the car spun to the right, clearly indicating some sort of brake problem. It quickly become apparent that the the front-left brake disk had shattered, hence the spin. There was no option but to return to the pits for a closer inspection.

Work to repair the damage was an ongoing process for the rest of the day with only one intermission to attend the cost event. Again it seemed to go well, but the results would tell he real story. As the end of Day 1 closes the car has been repaired and is ready for another attempt at the brake test tomorrow morning.

Geoff Cunningham
July 11, 2008 8:16 PM

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