WEEK TWENTY ONE

Monday, 7th April

Last and final weeks (4 days) work to come with testing booked for Friday 12.00 noon at Pembrey, S. Wales prior to the first meeting on the Saturday and Sunday 12th & 13th April.

Early Monday AM and it's all hands on deck for the mountain of work that lies ahead. The cab is carried out of the painting shed next door and on the chassis in its new red livery by 7.00 AM. The new front panels are taped onto the cab by 9.00 AM to figure out her shape and make the face lifted front to the cab

By late Monday night the electrics are all going inside the cab

By Tuesday the exhaust is on, the shockers finished, the rear facing lights, the engine water system is being finished with the header tank on and the rest of the piping going on. Full steam ahead - onward! onward!! 2 days and 2 nights to go !!

Guess what was on Wednesday, my 3rd and final attempt at an MOT for my beautiful 20 year old antique, the Kenworth. So with all the things now working I was looking forward to my little run out to Bicester MOT station this morning for a British MOT test Certificate so when I go on Friday I will be legal to run on the British public highway.

While I'm away enjoying myself, the glass man has come with all my darkened windows for the cab and Dave the sticker man has begun my logo cab designs.

Our MOT preparation paid off because I nearly passed the MOT 1st time at 10.00 AM All the 20 year old parts with some added Horney special bits passed with flying colours on this 6 x 4 heavy tractor, so why did I fail you ask !! Because I expect too much I suppose 1st time ?? In 20 years running on the roads in England and at 19 MOT's it's been ok up to now. My two little front sidelights were orange and not white.

I bit my lip again and asked if they were having a laugh, but "no it's the law" they said. With no work allowed on the truck if you fail at the station, I sneaked the lenses off and displayed two lovely bulbs shining a white light forward. They promptly failed me again for not having white lenses to cover the bulbs …, "ok, ok" - I said, "may I please come back this afternoon for a re-test" with a big smile !!

Back to Enstone to the delight of the boys, to make me two white lenses that fitted, clearly showing the British Standard Kitemark for quality !!

By 3.30 PM I was issued with a genuine MOT certificate (stamped and sealed) for 12 months happy motoring.

Wednesday night Stuart, Ben, Pav and Jim worked right through the night.

By Thursday morning things had moved on full speed with the face lifted front on and red.

The electrics are nearly finished and were hoping to start her today. The air brake system is coming along, with the fuel tank going on next. The ATS tyre man has turned up to fit all the tyres we plan to use for testing, qualifying and racing onto the correct wheels, for speedy fitment. Dave the sticker man's back with the final ERF logos together with my last minute additions like my trademark Bulldogs, plus other sponsors and team member names. By Thursday dinner time all my team members are like Zombies in overalls.

I turned the key and Rolling Thunder roared into life with a vengeance, she sounded crisp as the oil pressure came up for the 1st time. She just purred away waiting. A touch of the throttle saw her reach max RPM in a split second, as even as a spirit level. Will the air pressure build next to release and then operate the brakes, yes all pipes and valves must be operating correctly as per plan, as all seems to be working ok. So I sent the boys to bed for a few hours before the next long haul through Thursday night. (The last night)

By 5.30 PM they're back on the job with Jim fitting mudguards, sideguards, wheel trims, body panels. Ben finishing off inside the cab securing bundles of wires and pipes, checking operation and labelling up what's what, with Gary helping where he can.

Pav's in behind the front grille manufacturing a key element of our hopeful success. Air flow management !! using 100 mph drafting to keep cool

1) Air intake to engine via filter
2) Air flow to cool front disc brakes
3) Air flow to cool radiator & intercooler
4) Air flow to diesel fuel + engine power steering and gearbox oil coolers.
5) And blocking up holes in cab to stop the driver getting draughty.

The construction of this air collector box system with water spray is highly secret but once again if you visit a race this year you can see it for yourself.

Everyone's just getting on with it in the time available. Adam and Ed have turned up again so they help me to start to load the trailer for the weekend after the rear ramps are bolted back on in their new position.

It's soon 9.30 PM and I'm off for the 3rd time this week in the car to the fish & chip shop for tea for the team to keep them fed.

By midnight the scales are back under the wheels to check axle weights with now nearly everything bolted on to her, all be it empty of fuel and brake water.

She's come out bang on the weight so no need for any ballast front or back, which was waiting patiently in case needed in the form of some 8mm steel plate.

I like taking things down to the wire and living on the edge, but 5 hours to go and it still has not come out of the workshop is something else - but what can I say, everyone has worked so hard this week to finish the project, and they're all asleep on their feet.

I stuck it out loading bits up, oiling the locker boxes etc. and touching up paint bits on the racer 'till I came in the office about 2 AM and fell head on desk asleep 'till I was awoken by the roar of her going by my office in the yard to the diesel and water station at 5.00 AM, with Ben at the wheel. Out of the night came this silhouette of a machine with LED lights beaming out from something a blur of red and silver.

By 5.30 AM she's on the trailer, the ramps go up and secure with 2 inches to spare.

I can't believe we are actually ready to go at long last.

The boys tell me she's not finished but we've run out of time so that's that - Bloody good Aye !!

If anyone ever tells me again truck racing is fun, they should have been here last week - the team has had a total of 3 hours sleep in the last 48 hours. But all in all we needed at least two more weeks to finish the project so on the trailer she goes, not finished to the 1st race meeting without turning a wheel over 20 MPH let alone Testing. !!