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.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Unexpected Bonus!
Got a text message yesterday from Aly Hunter asking if I was free to race at the Classic Speedfair this weekend - I assume something has dropped off the schedule and the slots have been replaced with two ten lap races, one each on the Saturday and Sunday! I can't make it in time for the familiarisation session in the morning on the Saturday because of work but Aly reckons that wont be a problem as it's all at such short notice.
So, if you're wandering along to the Speedfair this weekend, feel free to say hello.
So, if you're wandering along to the Speedfair this weekend, feel free to say hello.
Monday, June 25, 2007
A day not short on happenings....
I doubt there will be a stranger day for me in the legends this year! First things first, got to the track first thing to find everything sodden, it had been raining all night and was still going.
The new engine had been installed (nice and shiny looking) and was having a few bits and pieces done to it when I arrived. Indeed, with a couple of other things being discovered later in the day I've never seen it having more work done.
Went out for the familiarisation session with the rain easing a bit but the track still awash. This was my first fully wet go at the track coupled with me not wanting to thrash the new engine too hard until the races so I kept it steady and got a feel for the conditions. Times.
When the time came for the first race, I was glad to have decided to not go into the main draw for the race start positions as the rain was back and the track was even worse than before. Starting from the back was an experience in conditions like that, the ball of spray ahead of you is just immense. A couple of cars touched on the first lap with one of them going off while a few laps later Jason (who drew the front row with fellow rookie Gordon - rather them than me!) spun at the chicane and I also passed him. At this point something strange happened - I seemed to discover that I LOVE conditions like this. Right ahead of me Gordon (who had also had a spin) and Ali Thom were clearly having problems with the conditions while I could see the two cars behind me gaining a little but not by much. It was looking like I was on for what to me would have been a mega result until the last lap when I completely noobed it up into the very last corner, snatched second gear at too high revs and spun it on the entry... Thankfully the cars behind me managed to get by without hitting the car but I lost about 40 seconds and what would probably have been the result of my career. (granted only 13th at best but that would have been big news for me!) Couldn't help but be disappointed at throwing it away like that but had the time of my life up to that point. Add to that, I was only about 2.5 seconds a lap off the quickest guys and on the same pace as the lower midfield - more monsoons in future, please! Race 1 result.
Race 2 was a tough one with the track not as wet as before and entering the dreaded category of "greasy". The car went out sounding like a bit of a tractor but didn't seem to lose much pace, started at the back again with Gordon and pretty much shadowed him all the way to the end. He was suffering with monster understeer and went off the track a few times but he had usually pulled a small gap to me every time he did it so the best I could do was to latch onto the back of him. Had a couple of goes at the hairpin to get by but the inside line at the corner was obviously far wetter and the second time I tried I got a bit sideways under braking, got no gear and half spun it. Got going again pretty quickly but ended up six seconds behind him at the end. Race 2 result.
The final was a disaster from the off for me. Wondered if I was going to get out at all when Aly and the team traced the tractor noises to the fact the exhaust had blown and they did what they could to patch it up temporarily in the small time between the second and final races. The track was at it's driest so far, but it was the worst sort of condition - half wet, half dry, all slidy. The race started with Gordon back on pole again and he was helped into a spin at the top of the hill, taking three other cars off with him. One of them (Ali Thom) came back on beside me and I stupidly tried to stay with him through the chicane, touched the wet stuff on acceleration and spun it into the bog on the inside of the track. Thinking everyone was by I tried to keep it rolling backwards with the clutch in so I didn't get stuck and managed to regain the track, Gordon screaming by having got going again. By the time I got going again I was a mile behind and the car was really twitchy so I just concentrated on finishing, getting lapped by the top three at the end. Final result.
So the final result is three 17th places. Results probably should have been better but I've continued my 100% finishing record at least which is my main goal for the season - maximum track time. Still beating myself up about the race 1 spin a little but the day was a lot of fun and has confirmed to me that I really like very wet conditions! Many thanks have to go to Aly and all his guys for putting so much work into this backmarkers car over the weekend and making it raceworthy for all three races even given the mechanical issues it had!
Quick mention also to Rory Bryant - one of my fellow scholarship drivers. He finished fifth in two of the races along with setting the fastest lap in race 1 so was given the Driver Of The Day trophy - amazing stuff.
The new engine had been installed (nice and shiny looking) and was having a few bits and pieces done to it when I arrived. Indeed, with a couple of other things being discovered later in the day I've never seen it having more work done.
Went out for the familiarisation session with the rain easing a bit but the track still awash. This was my first fully wet go at the track coupled with me not wanting to thrash the new engine too hard until the races so I kept it steady and got a feel for the conditions. Times.
When the time came for the first race, I was glad to have decided to not go into the main draw for the race start positions as the rain was back and the track was even worse than before. Starting from the back was an experience in conditions like that, the ball of spray ahead of you is just immense. A couple of cars touched on the first lap with one of them going off while a few laps later Jason (who drew the front row with fellow rookie Gordon - rather them than me!) spun at the chicane and I also passed him. At this point something strange happened - I seemed to discover that I LOVE conditions like this. Right ahead of me Gordon (who had also had a spin) and Ali Thom were clearly having problems with the conditions while I could see the two cars behind me gaining a little but not by much. It was looking like I was on for what to me would have been a mega result until the last lap when I completely noobed it up into the very last corner, snatched second gear at too high revs and spun it on the entry... Thankfully the cars behind me managed to get by without hitting the car but I lost about 40 seconds and what would probably have been the result of my career. (granted only 13th at best but that would have been big news for me!) Couldn't help but be disappointed at throwing it away like that but had the time of my life up to that point. Add to that, I was only about 2.5 seconds a lap off the quickest guys and on the same pace as the lower midfield - more monsoons in future, please! Race 1 result.
Race 2 was a tough one with the track not as wet as before and entering the dreaded category of "greasy". The car went out sounding like a bit of a tractor but didn't seem to lose much pace, started at the back again with Gordon and pretty much shadowed him all the way to the end. He was suffering with monster understeer and went off the track a few times but he had usually pulled a small gap to me every time he did it so the best I could do was to latch onto the back of him. Had a couple of goes at the hairpin to get by but the inside line at the corner was obviously far wetter and the second time I tried I got a bit sideways under braking, got no gear and half spun it. Got going again pretty quickly but ended up six seconds behind him at the end. Race 2 result.
The final was a disaster from the off for me. Wondered if I was going to get out at all when Aly and the team traced the tractor noises to the fact the exhaust had blown and they did what they could to patch it up temporarily in the small time between the second and final races. The track was at it's driest so far, but it was the worst sort of condition - half wet, half dry, all slidy. The race started with Gordon back on pole again and he was helped into a spin at the top of the hill, taking three other cars off with him. One of them (Ali Thom) came back on beside me and I stupidly tried to stay with him through the chicane, touched the wet stuff on acceleration and spun it into the bog on the inside of the track. Thinking everyone was by I tried to keep it rolling backwards with the clutch in so I didn't get stuck and managed to regain the track, Gordon screaming by having got going again. By the time I got going again I was a mile behind and the car was really twitchy so I just concentrated on finishing, getting lapped by the top three at the end. Final result.
So the final result is three 17th places. Results probably should have been better but I've continued my 100% finishing record at least which is my main goal for the season - maximum track time. Still beating myself up about the race 1 spin a little but the day was a lot of fun and has confirmed to me that I really like very wet conditions! Many thanks have to go to Aly and all his guys for putting so much work into this backmarkers car over the weekend and making it raceworthy for all three races even given the mechanical issues it had!
Quick mention also to Rory Bryant - one of my fellow scholarship drivers. He finished fifth in two of the races along with setting the fastest lap in race 1 so was given the Driver Of The Day trophy - amazing stuff.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Disaster Strikes
Only got a handful of laps at the test day earlier on - long story short, my car (being one of the hire cars) was used in a corporate thing yesterday and was off track a few times, eventually leading to the gearbox going a bit funny. Aly and Co replaced a couple of bits but they weren't 100% sure how sorted the car was so Carol Brown took it out for a couple of laps in the first of the afternoon sessions (there were three today but I couldn't make it down in time for the first one because of work) to see what the story was. Seemed ok but she wasn't happy with the second gear, seemed to be jumping. I went out for a few laps and after a stop to have the right side bonnet catch secured (flappy things in your view arent great!) went back out and set a couple of ok feeling laps. Track was a little greasy after earlier rain and the kerbs were slippy but all seemed to be ok until I came down to the hairpin at the end of the session and just couldn't get second at all, spinning on the way out of the corner.
Aly had a look but it wasn't great news - an engine change is required to get to the bottom of this, seems more damage was done than originally thought. So, disappointed at losing the second session of the afternoon (felt weird spectating again) but not too upset - much rather we discovered all this today rather than have something catastrophic happen tomorrow and possibly not get any races in. Plus with the "team building" bunch doing the damage I at least don't end up with a big bill!
All the rookies are now eligible to go into the draw for the main field but I decided to just start from the back for the three races as even in the dry I'm at least 4 seconds off the quickest guys and if I was up at the front it's just asking for early trouble and a gravel bath or damage if someone was to get impatient around me. With the forecast tomorrow being utterly dire in any case (there was a MASSIVE rainstorm right after the last practice session) I just want to see the chequered flag three times and pick up a few points anyway, last or not.
So when I left the track, the #60 was as below - ready for a heart transplant.
Looking for a bit of luck with the car working as required and seeing the finish if the weather plays up!
Aly had a look but it wasn't great news - an engine change is required to get to the bottom of this, seems more damage was done than originally thought. So, disappointed at losing the second session of the afternoon (felt weird spectating again) but not too upset - much rather we discovered all this today rather than have something catastrophic happen tomorrow and possibly not get any races in. Plus with the "team building" bunch doing the damage I at least don't end up with a big bill!
All the rookies are now eligible to go into the draw for the main field but I decided to just start from the back for the three races as even in the dry I'm at least 4 seconds off the quickest guys and if I was up at the front it's just asking for early trouble and a gravel bath or damage if someone was to get impatient around me. With the forecast tomorrow being utterly dire in any case (there was a MASSIVE rainstorm right after the last practice session) I just want to see the chequered flag three times and pick up a few points anyway, last or not.
So when I left the track, the #60 was as below - ready for a heart transplant.
Looking for a bit of luck with the car working as required and seeing the finish if the weather plays up!
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