The date for TOTB 2011 has been set - 30th and 31st July, at Elvington in Yorkshire

I know I've said this before, but this time I really mean it - I won't be entering

However, I don't mind helping out with organisation, so here we go (again) with the call for SERIOUS intentions to compete

Let's make it clear from the start - just entering this event takes a lot of effort, a fair bit of cash and a decent amount of skill. To show up in the top half of the results tables is really going some and takes a massive effort over an extended period of time.

You WILL need:-

Trackday tyres
VERY good brakes
At least 400bhp, preferably closing on 500bhp
VERY stripped out
Very good suspension
Harnesses
Lots of practice


Right - now I've tried to put you off, here's the deal - you have to show the Coupe Club organiser PROOF of a 12.99 or better quarter mile time, achieved on a recognised UK drag strip this year

If I'm organising it (Begbie - are you OK with this?) I'll be happy to help as much as I can, but I need genuine, serious intent.

Previous years have been littered with well-intentioned statements that they "will definitely be there", only for them all to fall by the wayside in the months leading up to the event. IMHO, only Leighton had a good excuse for not turning up.

So - who is up for it?

I've got a good excuse* - my little un is due in late July





* and my car isn't powerful enough

Why are you not doing it this year nigel? You need to get 1st spot back in the handling class?

Not enough money to finish the engine, suspension is not good enough...

Good luck who ever goes for it!!!!

Would be an awful shame to not have a coupé in the comp this year. Time for somebody to step up and be a hero! If you all want to get a bit of cash together and make my coupé 400BHP and buy some sticky rubber, I'll be that man Oh and some instruction from Nigel, I'm cr@p at launching my coupé.

because I've done it for six consecutive years, and probably spent over £5k in the process

The effort involved is becoming tiresome (it takes an entire day to strip the car down, and then three days [at least] to put it all back together again)

Plus - the last time I launched the car in anger, I destroyed a gearbox and I simply cannot afford to do it again

Finally - I wouldn't mind actually watching some cars - I reckon in the last six years, I've watched less than a dozen quarter miles - I'm always parked in the queue or waiting around for scrutineering etc

Oh - another reason - I haven't got any trackday tyres or race seats now, so that would be another £1000+ onto the cost

I would lend you my seat and harness!!

Thanks, but I won't be swayed - I simply can't afford to break the car again, and I know that once I'm on the startline, I wouldn't hold back

i will do it as long as my car is running well..when you say you do not have good enough suspension does that mean if i bought osravs i would not have good enough either? at this stage i still have not bought any

It was Marco that said his suspension wasn't good enough

I reckon Osravs would be fine - I competed with them for three years

don't know what happened there! must have all blurred into one reading quickly ...anyway ...

i am serious and i will do it, i have a momo seat(though its tight and maybe swapped) and a couple of harnesses, a spare set of team dynamic 1.2 with dunlop max sport rb5's, i will have osrav front, avo rear , not sure about rest of the suspension set up but it will be 22ml rear arb ,seam welded sbframe if its a good idea? strut brace ,bottom brace,camber bolts,solid rears, polly bushed wishbone and drop links,along with having it properly set up..can you think of anything that may help?..as for power i should be good to run over 500 on track..what do you think?

would you be prepared to help me and teach me as much as i can absorb? i would be happy to pick you up and drive us to a trackday somewhere for some pointers ..i know you have an excellent track record (no pun intended) so i would think that a one on one would be more benificial than a million posts

you could also help me find the best settings etc for the car as i have no experience..i am sure you will notice anything that needs changing or adding to the set up

i hadn't added brakes to the above for now all i have is very good discs and pads on refurbed calipers..i am trying to sort out a set of either gta or porsche and hopefully will have them by summer

all this of course depends on the car running well and the mapping being able to release its potential (which i am confident will be good)

You certainly appear to have all the right kit - you will need to make sure it's set up properly

With a top & bottom brace, I don't believe there's any need for a welded subframe, but I don't suppose it can do any harm

In my opinion, for a true track weapon, you'll need a stiffer rear ARB - 22mm is fine for spirited road driving and modest track work, but you'll still get understeer. 24mm will make it much more pointy, but you will get lift-off oversteer if you push it really hard. Mine gives some lift off oversteer with a 23mm ARB, but its very controllable

As for tuition, I've never provided it on any basis other than guiding my son round Curborough in his Punto. However, I'm happy to help as best I can, including coming out on a trackday with you.

Note that for TOTB, you must have two seats fitted, but some entries have a ridiculously minimal seat, such as a plastic karting seat

As for your tyres - sorry, they won't be allowed. Any tyre at TOTB has to carry a DOT mark, so you're going to be restricted to the normal road legal trackday tyres from Toyo, Yokohama, Dunlop etc

thanks ...i'm already looking forward to learning a new set of skills!...
so it looks like i had better get on the group buy 24ml or try and do a trade of some sort..do you think with a 24ml a dedra front would be a good idea?
whats the score with the eibach kit? i think barbz finds it a little imbalanced for his driving style though i could be wrong and will ask him later..if you have any experience with it i would like to hear

as soon as the car is all done and ready then ..though i have the sub 13 to do which the car will have no issue with lets hope the driver wont

My recommendation would be to fit the 24mm rear ARB and leave the front standard - you can then play with the balance using camber and tyre pressures. If the rear is still too lively, you can fit a Dedra front ARB to even it up a bit

I've never driven a car with the Eibach kit

ok i'm on it

Fine by me, drop me a PM and I'll dig out the TOTB organisers email address

pm'd Nigel

No good for me then i'm on slicks now, damn!!!

Not that keen on the 1/4 mile stuff but i would like a bash at the handling circuit.

Your car has to be road legal anyway.

Mark's correct - the car must be taxed and MOT'd and running DOT-marked tyres

Was the gobstopper taxed and mot'd???

I rather doubt it - along with half the field at recent TOTB events, I think the organisers were just shown *any* logbook and MOT and they just turned a blind eye

annoying really - TOTB has lost its original mantra of "finding the fastest road-legal cars in the UK" and its moved heavily towards "finding the jap rally slag that's had the most money thrown at it"

then again, perhaps it actually is road-legal

What a car!

nigel just letting you know my intentions are still serious and i have now got a 24ml whiteline arb, osravs front and some as yet untried adjustable prototype rears that adjust via a dial so you can just reach under the rear arch! as i really can't be arsed taking them off everytime i want to go on a track (am keeping some koni rears though just in case i have to order the osrav rears and have to wait another 4 weeks as i have to for the fronts) anyway the car will be ready shortly so i take it my first objective will be to do a sub 13? do i need to enter? square anything with the club or anyone else?

If my car is running well and if I manage to make it lighter I may compete this year

Yes - your first requirement is to post a PROVEN 12.99 or better (a 13.00 is too slow)

Once you've done this, you will be allowed to enter - entry forms are usually made available in late Spring, so no need to worry just yet

Begbie has OK'd me to take over the arrangements this year, so I'll be acting as Club rep - anything that you need to know, ask me

Probably worthwhile registering for the Straightliners forum too - there's a TOTB section - go to http://www.straightliners-events.co.uk/forum/index.php

Actually - I stand corrected - entries are now open via the above website