WHAT A DIFFERENCE AYEAR MAKES
In theory, the late-model (1996) low (race) mileage Honda Accord super tourer Nigel Arkell acquired from Florida to contest the Archibalds Historic Touring Car Series was one of those ‘pinch me’ buys.
The sales blurb said it had just been “freshened up”. That should have meant something but Arkell when entered the Archibalds series for the first time in the 2018–’19 series, it turned out not to mean much at all.
PERSISTENT FRUSTRATIONS
The potential was there; you could see that. It’s just that thoroughbred racing machinery has to be just right for it to perform at its peak. And despite scrubbing up remarkably well after its enforced 20-year lay-up, issues associated with the HR012/HART001 sitting around raised their heads, and persisted.
“Gunk in the oil system was the main one,” says Nigel. “Not a biggie in the scheme of things but enough to frustrate the hell out of you, particularly when you think you’ve finally got on top of it only for it to raise its head again and again.”
