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AltoVyrus - 2nd Round - Snetterton - April 08
Pre Race:
We decided not to attend the practice day on Friday the 11th April as it would be better spent setting the new engine up on the Dyno and fitting the new Nitron Shock absorbers (see news on our website www.altoperformance.com).
Between the last meeting at Brands Hatch and round 2 we have:
- Split the engine and tuned the heads
- Added the specially designed Arrow conrods
- New forged pistons
- Balanced the crank
- Fitted the new close ratio gearbox
- Written a whole new set of maps
- Made a new exhaust system to our calculated measurements (Good fabrications - makers of F1 exhausts)
- Made and fitted new suspension units - Nitron performance
Plus fixed anything thrown up by the race at Brands. Needless to say once again everyone worked tirelessly and our sponsors fitted us in when they were already busy - Thank you.
All this added up to 11bhp more than we had at Brands Hatch and a fuel map that gives 3000 rpm of max horsepower. This is more than the spare engine we had in the sidelines so we stuck to plan A.
Out of time to develop further.... We went to Snetterton.
Saturday 12th:
The sun rose over the horizon (up at 4am) and turned the sky to some wonderful colours. Better still the ground was dry. Scrutineered and passed ready for action, everything was at double time as we were first on the card. First practice, first race, and so on.
Practice: We sent Phil out with his now measured fuel load (no excess weight this time) and watched as he rode safely but quickly on one of the countries fastest cicuits. Ok honesty time here...we are still a little down on power so this circuit is NOT where we wanted to come. Power equals results here. Nervously we checked the time sheets.....4th fastest. Result.
Grid is by where you are in the championship (we were 10th so 10th on the grid for race 1)
Race 1: Lined up on the grid the bike sounds a lot better than at Brands a definate bark now from the exhausts..and rattle from the new slipper clutch (Sigma performance). We had studied the data logging and made a few adjustments but Phil wanted it the same nearly for race one so he knew what he was riding. The track is dry and only a slight headwind up the straight to spoil the day.
Lights out and away....next time we see them Phil is in 5th...then 4th hard chased by a Moto Guzzi MGS01 pumping ...wait for it 40hp more! We weigh less so our power can not be so high.
He ended 5th with the Guzzi just out gunning him to the finish.
This is a great result.
Race 2: This time we are 5th on the grid. (for the rest of the weekend you start from the position you finshed in the previous race. Falling off or failing to finish is punished with a back row start. only at the next meeting will we use the championship positions again).
After looking at the data...we change the rear spring and adjust the rear damping. Lean off the middle of the fueling and change the gearing...he can pull less teeth on the Talon sprockets.
The bike and engine are running fine and the self adjusting electric water pump system we make is keeping the engine at optimum temperature.
Second row but on the outside. Lights out and ...they all dissappear. I hate the wait. This time he comes around in 4th. The large pack behind him not able to get any closer and Phil trying every trick in the book, but just not haveing enough grunt to get any further. Better than we ever expected and we have matched the Laverda times from 2007 with less power...this chassis works and is going to get a lot better.
Not far behind the leading 3 but only matching them for speed and too far back to make a dive Phil rides to 4th and the points.
We have lapped consistently just 0.3 - 05 second down. Impressive riding on a still new bike and package.
Sunday 13th:
We have worked on the bike over night. Done our best to decipher the data and move settings not a huge amount but hopefully enough to make the package better. I think we all agree that 4th is the best we can get given the track and the power deficit. We decide to get the power we have cleaner and handling better.
The weather is sunny if a little chilly first thing. As we line up to race...it is getting warmer.
Race 1: We start from position 4 front row. The bike is much smoother and looking at the lap board we cant believe the times....every lap is near or under the lap record from 2006. Including Phil. The Dunlop slicks are getting some serious stick as he can see 3rd place and the bike is being pushed very, very hard indeed. (See the photo with Phil trying to bury himself under the Powerbronze screen)
We are all shouting him on enthusiastically....how he goes so fast with 8 of us on it I shall never know.
A big moment going under the bridge into the esses (both ends letting go and some impressive dark lines) gives the rider in front the space he needs and we take another 4th. I take a Valium.
In the pits we study the data and change the fuel map a little for more smooth drivability.
Race 2: Same again only the 2nd placed rider in the championship (Honda CBR600) tussles with us and we end up fighting him for 4th. He gets 4th 100th of a second ahead of us as both riders clash at Russell's as they fight for the same piece of Tarmac. We get a small scratch and the points.
This is a better result than we reasonably expected for such a new project and bodes really well. We have more power to come, better suspension setup as we dial the new shocks in and a few other things up our sleeve. The guys at the front are on the limit - power to weight.
We now stand 5th in the championship on a brand new project improving fast.
Watch out there's a Vyrus comming.
Please Note : Brands GP in May has been cancelled as BRITISH SUPER BIKE have taken this slot after being snowed off a week ago. On the bonus side we have more time to develop. Next round France and Croix en Ternoix 14th - 15th June.
