Tiff started racing in a 1971 Lotus Formula Ford that he won in an Autosport competition. He did pretty well in it, and went on to become a proffessional racing driver before doing the tele stuff.....
Anyway, he has recently bought the same car back, had it restored, and is entered in the HSCC Historic Formula Ford event at Thruxton over the Easter weekend. Some of you know I did the HFF championship as a novice in 2005. Tiff did a test there last week and was a second off the top pace, according to Autosport. My guess is the top pace would have been set by Nelson Rowe who was in it when I was, and was lightning quick.
My qualifying time (set without testing, on my 8th ever lap of the circuit) was 2.8 seconds off. Tiff suspects his engine might be down on power because he clearly didn't expect to be that far off. My excuse was I had the wrong gearing, and my car was 20 kilos overweight! The truth was I wasn't up to tackling the three big corners at the back of the circuit flat, as the top boys apparently do. I tried a teeny lift into the first one once, lost it on a bump, and came out backwards, on the grass! Not nice at over a ton in a 1971 single seater let me tell you.
Anyway, if anyone is nearby Thruxton (Hampshire) that weekend it would be well worth a watch. The meets are really friendly, competitors are happy to chat, and there are some wonderful historic cars - sports cars, saloons and single seaters. There are always some nice Lotuses, including Elans and Cortinas as well as Tiff's of course.
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Tiff Needell Racing A Lotus (Quite Interesting)
Started by DeanB, Mar 02 2013 06:13 PM
Thruxton at Easter
9 replies to this topic
#1
DeanB
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Posted 02 March 2013 - 06:13 PM
#2
TheRon
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Posted 02 March 2013 - 07:30 PM
So you do qualify several weeks before the race then?
#3
DeanB
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Posted 02 March 2013 - 11:28 PM
No, qually is on the day or the day before. There is usually a test beforehand, for those that can afford the time and money. I never could so had to learn the circuit and qualify in one 20 minute session. Hence my fastest lap time was usually in the race.
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scatty
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Posted 02 March 2013 - 11:50 PM
Just think, tiff could have been organising chatsworth and you could have been on the tele.....
Edited by scatty, 02 March 2013 - 11:51 PM.
Never argue with an idiot, they'll bring you down to their level and then batter you with experience!!!!!
#5
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Posted 03 March 2013 - 10:54 AM
There is a little article on this in the Sunday Times today, and a video on their website, driving.co.uk. Brings back happy memories! Shame they didn't keep the in car footage going for a full lap, so you can see how fast it is out the back. Thruxton is an awesome circuit - the fastest in the UK. Scared the shit out of me, but I still loved it, curiously.
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Posted 03 March 2013 - 11:38 AM
Thruxton is my favorite circuit, I did several FF races their some years ago and managed to lose it through church once at about 120 when a rear wheel bearing failed.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
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Posted 03 March 2013 - 12:04 PM
FJ1098, on 03 March 2013 - 11:38 AM, said:
Thruxton is my favorite circuit, I did several FF races their some years ago and managed to lose it through church once at about 120 when a rear wheel bearing failed.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
Nice first post and welcome to MLOC
Ready for some summer rumbling :-)
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Posted 03 March 2013 - 05:07 PM
FJ1098, on 03 March 2013 - 11:38 AM, said:
Thruxton is my favorite circuit, I did several FF races their some years ago and managed to lose it through church once at about 120 when a rear wheel bearing failed.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
I Always had my best races there including 1 year when the car broke down in qualifying so I started 25th out of 28.it was a wet race and an interesting choice of gear ratios helped me pass 13 cars on the first lap.
Great track.
Goodness me! Church! I bet that caught your attention.
Welcome to MLOC btw.
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FJ1098
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Posted 03 March 2013 - 07:09 PM
DeanB, on 03 March 2013 - 05:07 PM, said:
Goodness me! Church! I bet that caught your attention.
Welcome to MLOC btw.
Welcome to MLOC btw.
It certainly did, I just stood on the brakes as i did a 360 but the weird bit was seeing another car facing me in a tunnel of blue smoke - it was the car behind me but I was facing him while going backwards!
I didn't hit anything and even managed to keep it on track although it didn't do the tyres any good.
Thanks for the welcome by the way, I've been lurking here for a while but this caught my attention so thought I'd speak up.
See you at Chatsworth.
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Posted 04 March 2013 - 05:35 PM
Looking forward to it.
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