That's the point of going to Castle Combe, you can only properly and safely test a newly tuned high revving engine on a fast open track. A track day is also brutal on the car, if it can survive that sort of punishment all day long you're doing well, and it'll certainly be reliable on the road.
The racetrack at Castle Combe is the perfect environment to reveal any issues, I already knew my top end tune needed work because it's impossible to take sufficient samples at 7,000rpm and above on the road, well not without risking one's life and licence. The belt thing also only revealed itself on the track because you can't really run sutained high revs on the road, however, in it's defence it was the original 14 year old belt.
I doubt Ford designed the tensioner with 8,400rpm in mind, so I'll definitely be carrying a spare from now on. Once I've fitted the new lambda sensor, I'll be ready to safely lay down a number at Surrey Rolling Road on the 20th June, if I'd gone before discovering it was rich at the top end and correcting it, the power number would have been laim.
After yesterday's propper all day session on the track I've been able to nail the top end fueling, so I'm now confident the number I record at the dyno will show Monty giving his best. Testing on the track was the only proper way to shake Monty down following all the tuning work, the fact it only revealed two small easy (and cheap) to fix issues is testiment to our project planning and careful prep work.... but mostly the general strength, reliabilty and tuneability of the amazing Duratec engine!
