Roger Clark Motorsport Start Gobstopper II. The Sequel!

RCM Start Gobstopper II… The Sequel!

As rolling shop windows go, Roger Clark Motorsport’s original GC8 Subaru Impreza has been something of a success. The ‘Gobstopper’, as it is affectionately known, has not only taken the Leicestershire-based tuner to multiple Time Attack and Ten Of The Best titles, but it has also starred in a multi-platform advertising campaign for sponsors Autoglym, capturing the hearts and minds of petrol heads around the globe in the process. It’s even available as a paint scheme in the popular ‘Forza Motorsport’ game!

Like all true superstars however, Roger’s sons, Matt and Olly Clark have decided to retire the old girl whilst she’s still at the top of her game. Although they’re not ruling out a few ‘demo’ runs at this year’s events, the 2010 season will be the Gobstoppers last official outing, as its replacement is already under construction.

The latest car is to be based on the MY2010 Impreza STi and promises to exploit many of the numerous tricks learned from the evolution of the first car, combined with several new cutting-edge developments that the team have been secretly trialling throughout the winter.

Matt Clark, the technical force behind RCM’s unrivalled success, had mixed feelings about the young upstart. ‘It’s very hard to retire a car that has been so reliable and so successful,’ he noted. ‘But you can’t move forward by standing still. We’ve really reached a pinnacle with the GC8 chassis, and it’s time to see what we can make the latest car do. We’ve already had a 14 month development programme on a road-going version, so that’s highlighted many of the areas we need to address. I love a new challenge and this will really give us something to sink our teeth into.’

With Time Attack achieving true motorsport credibility with its MSA accreditation this year, press, audiences and competitors look set to rise sharply, making the new car the perfect showcase for the team’s talents. ‘That’s a bonus for sure,’ smiles Matt. ‘But the main reason we go racing is to develop new road car products – particularly on the engine side. If we can’t break a 890 bhp 2.0 litre engine, I think it’s safe to say that our customers won’t!’

Follow the progress of the new car at www.rogerclarkmotorsport.co.uk

Santa Pod Saturday Night Special 20th February 2010

Santa Pod Raceway, the home of European drag racing has announced its first ‘Saturday Night Special’ (SNS) date for 2010. The 20th of February… and every kind of car and motorbike is invited!

As if drag racing your very own pride and joy wasn’t fun enough, Santa Pod’s SNS events let you race throughout the day, with the track firing up at 9am, and then on into the night, under the high output track lights in the most evocative atmosphere in motorsport. Think night racing is the exclusive reserve of professional Top-Fuellers, Le Mans stars and F1 legends? Think again!

For the usual fee of £10 admission plus your choice of sign-on fee, you’ll get the usual mix of ‘Run What You Brung’ goodness, with the freedom to exploit the ‘Pod’s ultra-grippy quarter-mile and FIA approved timing gear all day long. With the added advantage of passengers over the age of 17 now allowed to ride under race conditions, it’s the perfect day out for car clubs and enthusiasts.

As the light dims however, the action ramps up a gear, with Fireforce, the Pod’s own Jet Funny Car laying down some 270mph display runs and hard-charging racing continuing into the night. Then of course, it’s time to hit the on-site bar, enjoy an evening of free musical entertainment and sink a few beers. With free weekend camping for anyone purchasing a weekend admission ticket (£20 on the gate or just £15 in advance) you can really relax and enjoy yourself – and blow the froth of a couple in the process.

The gates open on Saturday at 8am. Signing on costs £30 per driver for unlimited runs from 9am to 9pm, £25 per driver for unlimited runs from 9am to 4pm, and £10 per driver for unlimited runs from 4pm to 9pm (weather and track conditions permitting). You’ll get full computerised timing slips on each run, measuring your reactions, terminal speed and total quarter mile time. Driving Licences required to run on the strip, but cars running under 110mph on the quarter mile don’t even require the driver to wear a helmet!

As one of life’s ‘must do’ automotive experiences, Drag racing at night rates right up there!. It’s cheap, it’s fun and it’s safe! And best of all you can swap heroic tales in the bar afterwards without worrying about your licence! See you there!

For more information, please visit www.santapod.com or call the team on 01234 782828.

Richbrook Dipstick Wiper

Don’t Be A Dipstick.. Check Your Oil With Richbrook

Richbrook’s somewhat self-explanatory Dipstick Wiper might just solve a perennial automotive problem. Every single year, literally millions of engines fail due to the wholly avoidable problem of lack of oil. We all know that we should check it, but faffing around looking for a rag to wipe the dipstick is often discouragement enough for us to wait until the oil light comes on to tell us that something’s wrong.

Keeping an oily rag in the car isn’t too pleasant either. Under the bonnet it might get sucked into the air intake or fan, or worse still get hot and catch fire. The best you can hope for is that it gets full of water and slowly rusts through the inner wing..

The Dipstick Wiper, as well as being the source of numerous double-entendres and ‘Only Fools and Horses’ gags around the Richbrook offices, offers a neatly self contained solution to this simple, but vitally important problem.

Simply turn the top to reveal an absorbent foam aperture. Slide the oily dipstick through to fully clean it and then take a clear and accurate reading from the sump. Simple as that. Turn the top to close and any oily residue is kept safely inside, meaning that it can reside anywhere, from your trouser pocket – to your glovebox or toolkit. True ergonomiscists can even use the enclosed 3M adhesive pad to affix the ‘Rodney’ (as he’s known) to a suitable place in the engine bay, meaning that a handy, clean wipe – and possibly a hilarious pun – is always within easy reach.

At £2.95 including VAT, postage and packing from www.richbrook.co.uk, it’s the cheapest way to ensure that your engine is in tip-top order. You’d be a plonker not to, Rodney!

For more information on the Richbrook range of high quality car accessories, please visit www.richbrook.co.uk or call the team on 01328 862387.