After the Snetterton weekend when my flywheel bolts failed I thought things could only get better but, this is racing… Just two corners into the practice session and strange noises started coming from the transmission which then turned into strange noises when throttling off and finally I lost drive altogether. I managed to coast into the pit lane and pushed the car back to the garage. Engine cover off, spin the starter and “OMG” another set of flywheel bolts have failed!

As we were at Rockingham for the whole weekend I decided to try and replace the bolts at the track. A few hours later I had the engine out but, I thought, I can’t just replace the bolts and hope it doesn’t happen again so after inspecting the clutch plate I decided the friction surface was probably a little too worn so I set about hunting down a new clutch plate. Luck would have it that Competition Supplies in Silverstone had a replacement so we packed up the camper and headed to Silverstone – oh yes, did I mention it was the F1 weekend – and another few hours later we returned with a new clutch plate (must pack a spare next time) and new bolts of a different rating.

I was feeling pretty confident that all would be good for the Sunday race as I’d checked all the major parts of the clutch (I thought) but before the race I had to go out with another Formula for a practice session and two corners in the clutch failed and I was stuck in 3rd gear. I completed the practice session in 3rd gear and only cruising around the wonderful Rockingham banking so as not to over rev the engine. I still had to push it back to the garage though.

Back in the garage and I set about bleeding the clutch but, I couldn’t get the air out of the line. Uh oh, what was the one thing I didn’t check before mating the engine and gearbox? The clutch fluid input to the release bearing which is totally inaccessible once the engine is in and this connection which has been fine for years, today of all days decided to spring a leak. Yet again, no racing.

Roll on Silverstone.