So, this weekend will probably be the biggest motorsport weekend of my life - on the British Touring Car support bill. There are supposedly around 26 entries for the round, in other words all the regulars will be out with a couple of extras. A journalist from the Scottish Sun was supposedly going to be driving one of Aly's cars as part of their coverage of the BTCC and there have been rumours of a celebrity car but I assume I'll find out about that tomorrow.
Testing at the end of the day on Friday, familiarisation session and first heat on Saturday and the second heat and the final book-ending all the day's activities on Sunday, so lots to look forward to in the coming days. Slightly tempered by the no-show of my circuit pass and parking pass from the BARC but with any luck I can pick up replacements at the track...
Friday testing report will follow tomorrow.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Great Day
Bit of a delay getting this online. Had a blast last weekend - easily my best races so far. After the rain on Saturday and the awful conditions first thing on Sunday morning, I was a bit worried about what we were going to find, but it was dry for the most part for all three of our races, though the familiarisation was wet and a little slippery.
First time in the draw for a championship round, drew 15th for the first race (which would be 2nd in the second heat) and it was a reasonably straight-forward race for the most part. Ended up behind stock-car racer Murray Ford who was making his Legends debut and chased him all the way, ending up ahead of Tony Caig who had a spin at the hairpin with a couple of laps to go. On the last lap, Tony got to the inside of me heading into McIntyre and I tried to hold on too hard, touched the left rear in the gravel and spun it. Stayed on the lead lap but finished a long way behind.
The second race was my first right up at the front and I started second behind Dave Newsham. Totally screwed the start and got mugged left and right, soon finding myself well towards the back. Murray got by me and I spent the rest of the race right with him, I was slightly quicker into the braking areas but he was quicker through the gears so we were much of a muchness... Finished right behind him.
The third race was probably the most fun I've ever had. Started third and for once got a decent start, got into Duffus right with the leaders. Lost a few spots around the lap but started the second lap in seventh. Just starting the third lap I was in a huge group of cars (picture below) and it was such a rush to draft up the pit straight in the pack. Through McIntyre I unfortunately repeated my mistake of the first race and bounced through the gravel. Kept it in a straight line but rejoined last just behind Murray. Decided to go for it and sure enough just beat my previous fastest lap by a fraction (66.216) so all in all I can't complain. Felt a bit more on the pace and hoping the improvement continues at the BTCC meeting... preview of that to follow!
Heat 1 Result
Heat 2 Result
Final Result
First time in the draw for a championship round, drew 15th for the first race (which would be 2nd in the second heat) and it was a reasonably straight-forward race for the most part. Ended up behind stock-car racer Murray Ford who was making his Legends debut and chased him all the way, ending up ahead of Tony Caig who had a spin at the hairpin with a couple of laps to go. On the last lap, Tony got to the inside of me heading into McIntyre and I tried to hold on too hard, touched the left rear in the gravel and spun it. Stayed on the lead lap but finished a long way behind.
The second race was my first right up at the front and I started second behind Dave Newsham. Totally screwed the start and got mugged left and right, soon finding myself well towards the back. Murray got by me and I spent the rest of the race right with him, I was slightly quicker into the braking areas but he was quicker through the gears so we were much of a muchness... Finished right behind him.
The third race was probably the most fun I've ever had. Started third and for once got a decent start, got into Duffus right with the leaders. Lost a few spots around the lap but started the second lap in seventh. Just starting the third lap I was in a huge group of cars (picture below) and it was such a rush to draft up the pit straight in the pack. Through McIntyre I unfortunately repeated my mistake of the first race and bounced through the gravel. Kept it in a straight line but rejoined last just behind Murray. Decided to go for it and sure enough just beat my previous fastest lap by a fraction (66.216) so all in all I can't complain. Felt a bit more on the pace and hoping the improvement continues at the BTCC meeting... preview of that to follow!
Heat 1 Result
Heat 2 Result
Final Result
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Knockhill? Nope - Delhi in the monsoon season...
Showed up at Knockhill to run the afternoon test sessions today - it had been raining increasingly heavily as the morning went on and it really started coming down as I left Perth to head to the track - when I got there it was VERY wet.
The first session was fully wet, it was pretty good fun and I spent the time testing what I could and couldn't do at certain corners - had one moment when two other cars came up behind me side by side into the hairpin and as I changed down to second gear I got nothing at all... tried again and second snatched too hard and threw me sideways - caught it but the two cars had to take avoiding action on either side of me through the turn!
The second session saw some really heavy rain get going just before we went out - it really hammered down. The session got wetter and wetter until eventually the red flag was requested by Aly Hunter and was duly thrown. What with the Minis testing on track at the same time and obviously handling the conditions better, it was difficult to do much more than keep out of the way and just make the most of testing in those conditions just in case it's like that tomorrow... should be "interesting" if it is!
The first session was fully wet, it was pretty good fun and I spent the time testing what I could and couldn't do at certain corners - had one moment when two other cars came up behind me side by side into the hairpin and as I changed down to second gear I got nothing at all... tried again and second snatched too hard and threw me sideways - caught it but the two cars had to take avoiding action on either side of me through the turn!
The second session saw some really heavy rain get going just before we went out - it really hammered down. The session got wetter and wetter until eventually the red flag was requested by Aly Hunter and was duly thrown. What with the Minis testing on track at the same time and obviously handling the conditions better, it was difficult to do much more than keep out of the way and just make the most of testing in those conditions just in case it's like that tomorrow... should be "interesting" if it is!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Speedfair Races
Forgot to update this... Speedfair races went okay, I ran with the main grid just to get a dry-run at having a go with having to deal with faster guys coming by me in time for the next Championship round next weekend. The Saturday race took place in really nasty, greasy conditions and I started third. Through the first few corners the car felt terrible, I don't think I warmed the brakes up properly before the start, indeed on the run up to Clark I lost the car under-braking and ploughed into the gravel. Marshalls pushed me out and I got going again but was now a lap down. The car continued to feel absolutely terrible for the rest of the race, I knew I was rattled after the off but under any kind of braking or accelaration I felt like I was going to go off track. Finished 15th of 15, two laps down.
On Sunday it was noticed I had a rear tyre going down which I'm sure must have played a part as when that was fixed the second race was much better. Started sixth and narrowly avoided a crash between Mark Lees and Carol Brown that almost swept me off track with them and settled into following Jason Ogg after he passed me. Was pretty happy with getting through two race starts in the field and finished 14th of 16.
Next up is the Championship round on August 12th - I'll be starting in the pack. Booked in to test on Saturday afternoon as well so it'll be a busy weekend.
On Sunday it was noticed I had a rear tyre going down which I'm sure must have played a part as when that was fixed the second race was much better. Started sixth and narrowly avoided a crash between Mark Lees and Carol Brown that almost swept me off track with them and settled into following Jason Ogg after he passed me. Was pretty happy with getting through two race starts in the field and finished 14th of 16.
Next up is the Championship round on August 12th - I'll be starting in the pack. Booked in to test on Saturday afternoon as well so it'll be a busy weekend.
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