Oulton Disappointments (2)

Patrick was a bit disappointed at only having 7 laps at racing speed on Saturday. Perhaps the 12/16/18s should count ourselves lucky because David Tuck didn't get any. He tells his sad tale below.

Like all of you, I was looking forward to the Oulton round on the International circuit. As this is my local circuit I had made a big effort trying to sort various handling and misfire problems with my Magnum chassis. Much progress had been made in an intensive test program since Silverstone. I have carried out major aerodynamic revisions and refined the control systems on the car. A test session at Oulton in June saw me and the car at last setting very competitive times, hopes were high of springing a surprise result!

Following the last test the car was stripped and checked, a clutch fault rectified and much time was spent prepping the car. A lot of detail improvements saw the Magnum prepared to the best it has been since I finished its restoration in 2006. The Friday test session was arranged to shake the car down and confirm the pace shown in the previous test. All seemed to be going well for 3 laps, the car handling and engine response just how I wanted it.

Flat in third on the crest of Deer’s Leap there was a loud bang and the left front wheel folded up over the top of the car. A split second later I hit the barrier on the right hand side of the circuit (estimated impact speed around 90mph). The wheel had wedged between the top rocker arm and side pod effectively locking the steering and had also torn off the brake line so very little could be done to slow the car. As you all know there is very little run off area at this point on the circuit.

The car has suffered terminal damage to the monocoque and destroyed 3 corners, I have severely bruised ribs and I am still in pain over a week later.

The reason for this message is to remind everyone that these are serious bits of kit we are playing with. We have little or no control when things go wrong. I have been preparing racing cars since 1983 working with John Holmes on his March 772P, so I do have a fair degree of experience and knowledge. The cause of this accident was the breakage of the camber adjusting mechanism fitted in the lower front wishbone. A threaded alloy sleeve looks like it has stretched and become weakened, possibly when the lock nut had been tightened. Please check your cars thoroughly with a planned inspection routine, a surprise breakage is not a pleasant experience. Even with the combined experience of John and myself, we did not think this part needed to be replaced due to the relatively low mileage this part had covered.

This would have been my tenth ever motor race. I competed in 6 Mono Kent races in 1991/1992 plus the 3 races with the Magnum more recently. It looks unlikely that I will get into double figures any time soon. When I feel up to it I will see what is salvageable from the wreck, I am reluctant to say my racing exploits are over. Can’t think of any other pursuit that takes you through so many extreme highs and low’s as motor sport at any level! Good luck and safe racing to you all for the rest of the season. Apologies to anyone who I may have inadvertently held up at some point over the last couple of year’s whilst trying to make sense of understeer, oversteer and misfires of varying degrees of severity.

David Tuck

The Startline team wish David all the best for recovering something from the wreck. The Magnum was always an interesting car and the assistant ed in particular has a very soft spot for it, having seen the late great David Leslie plant a Magnum 833 on Silverstone F3 pole, and some years later having had the honour to share Damon Milnes' later 873 model at Curborough.

Happier days at Silverstone this year (pic Andrew Cliffe)

Oulton Paddock 2006