Silverstone 26th March 2005 – Britcar round 1

Arrived on Friday, from London, for testing. Minor trip across the gravel in the first session but the car was running well and there were no issues. We made some major shock absorber changes before the 2nd session which improved the handling, and stopped the vicious hopping over the bumpier sections of the track.

Friday night was spent in Shropshire packing up the Vee for Sundays 750 meeting.

Saturday morning and John went out for qualifying first. On the 3rd lap a Marcos spread oil over the racing line a Copse. John ran for 10 minutes, being one of the few non-spinners, despite a big moment on the oil. I completed the last 15 minutes of qualifying. I spent a number of laps behind one of the Ferraris trying to get used to circulating with cars of a similar pace, and managed to qualify with a lap of 93.2s.

I was happy with the result. This put us 14th overall, but more importantly 2nd in class. The 1.5 second gap to 1st in class was not representative since their lap was set before the oil was spilt. It also showed that further suspension changes were heading in the right direction.

As fastest qualifier I started the race. The rolling start went much better than my previous attempt at Thruxton last year, and made up 3 places to position myself behind the class leader. The demolition of the rear end of a Ferrari F40 (ouch) bought the safety car out around lap 4. 6 laps later and we were off again. The car was feeling good except that I was struggling with the brakes, and sure enough got myself into trouble. 4 of us were running very close and caught a slower car down into Abbey hairpin. With the other 3 braking to the maximum, I decided that I would not stop in time to avoid the class leading BMW, so jinked to the left and onto the grass. This time my trip across the gravel trap was not harmless, digging-in and ripping off the left half of the front spoiler. One trip past the pits and I was requested to come in. Quick thinking by the team, in pulling the rest of the spoiler off, and changing driver (just past the regulatory 0.5 hour mark) and John set off. All this lost us about 3 laps, but worse was to come with suspected rear suspension failure pitching John into another competitor and into retirement.

Still. The pace of the car is proven, being 0.3 seconds off the class best. Both John and I are feeling comfortable with the handling and believe there is more to come, and with some slight improvements to the brakes there are no more excuses for a return to the gravel. Looking good for Brands Indy on the 16th of April.

Snetterton March 27th & 28th 2005 – Vee Rounds 1 & 2

Quick blast from Silverstone on Saturday evening over to Swafham, near Snetterton, to stay at our traditional luxury B&B (thanks again Jim and Jo). Arrived early Sunday morning and joined the Dowson team in their pit (Also in the pit was Eamon Matheson, an Irish gent who must personally keep Red Bull and B&H in profit – quite a character!). I took the first few laps of qualifying carefully in the damp conditions, but as I tried to pick up the pace it was obvious all was not right. The car seemed well down on power, handling was strange and I was struggling with the brakes. When Martyn Donn lapped me it was obviously time to come in and unfortunately that was the end of what seemed a very short session. Pulling into the pits with the front brakes smoking confirmed the problem. It appears, due to corrosion, the front brake master cylinder had seized. During the brake rebuild the results came out. 26th overall and starting Sunday's heat from 12th and Monday heat from 13th. Brakes all appeared to be good until the final bleed just before the heat and the front master cylinder again semi-seized at the bottom of it's travel. The brakes were working but the pedal was further back than usual and not inspiring confidence. Aim was to win the heat and all went to plan. In the very slippery conditions I finished just ahead of Warren Smith to claim 15th on the grid for the final.
This time the brakes were perfect. Suffered a small misfire (now solved) off the line but with some heavy slipstreaming and late braking into the Essess got up to 4th by the 3rd lap. The leaders were having a huge dice which allowed me to catch up and then pass without them really noticing. Slight scare near the end of the race when a backmarker held me up through the first corner allowing Martyn Donn to slipstream past down the back straight but I got by the next lap and was preparing to take the first 2 corners at full attack, to break Martyn's tow, when the chequered flag came out. Absolutely delighted with the win!

Slightly more relaxed on Monday morning. Put the battery on charge for an hour, fuelled up and made some minor changes to suit the full dry conditions. Again we had problems. Started the car just before the heat and it was misfiring. Problem was eventually traced down to a loose progression jet (?), but the delayed start was a slight anti-climax after the panic fix. Restarted heat all went to plan and I won, again ahead of Warren Smith. It was when I tried to restart the car on the grid for the final that I realised the battery was flat. Managed to get a jumper battery and start the car, but knew I was on borrowed time. The red flag and subsequent restart did nothing to help and sure enough 4 laps in the engine cut completely and I coasted to a halt just past the pits. Data logger shows that battery had been decaying over the weekend despite charging, and if I had just checked the voltage……as listed on my pre-race checklist…….then………

Overall - encouraging results. A final win from 16th, two heat wins from 12th (for which you now get trophies) and a super write up in Autosport – can't complain!

Snetterton 5hr Britcar race

Qualifying revealed other issues in the handling. The rear of the car did not give any confidence and in hindsight I was still not braking as hard as I could have (leg strengthening required for next race!). We managed a 79.4s lap which qualified us 19th and 4th in class.

I started Saturdays 1.5 hour race, which would decide the grid positions for the 5hour on Sunday. The drizzle started as we made our way to the grid. Slight confidence breaker when I had a huge slide in the first corner on the green flag lap, and general confusion when we ran 2 green flag laps. Still started reasonably with caution, making up some places but I then lost them as the rain got heavier. It was only raining on one half of the circuit to start, but as soon as the whole circuit was wet I came into the pits to change from slicks to wet. The stop took slightly longer than our competitors, since we knew removing the anti-roll bars was essential for any wet weather handling. Once again the lack of confidence in the rear was a problem, so with the aim being to qualify for Sunday’s race I ran a cautious stint with John taking over mid way, finishing 17th and ??in class.

Excellent job by the team in making a raft of changes on Saturday evening.

Dave Streather our 3rd driver ran the whole of Sunday qualifying running 2 seconds quicker than we had managed on Saturday, which gave everyone a much needed boost. Still we were all hoping for a dry race.

In the dry, Dave made a solid start running moving up a number of places and taking the class lead when the Mini (with a BMW M3 engine!) pitted early. He handed over to me after 1hour 20 minutes. Although in my excitement at the pit stop I managed to cover the refuelers with fire extinguisher foam. My pit stop role was to hold the extinguisher whilst they put the fuel in. In my nervous excitement I had squeezed the lever setting it off, much to everyone's amusement!

I actually rejoined just in front of the Mini keeping him behind for a few laps but eventually he got by. My lap times were looking good running 2.5 seconds quicker than Saturday qualifying. A tricky restart following a safety car period lost me time to the Mini but I had a good and enjoyable 1 hour 10 minute stint, before coming in and handing over to John.

I relaxed thinking job done until someone reminded me we were only half way through the race. Plan was for Dave to take over from John and then me to finish.

With Dave back in the car we were still running comfortably in 2nd in class. An awkward pit stop to change a puncture dropped us out of contention with the Mini, but still second until a rocker on number one inlet failed. Dave bought the car in, we refuelled and I got in anyway but to no avail. With no spare it could not be repaired to take the chequered flag.

Gutting to retire after 4 hours solid running, but we made some big steps forward, especially on tyres and hope Brands, on the Grand Prix circuit will see the good result we are ready for.

Thanks again to all who helped.

Oulton Park 3hr Britcar race 6th August 2005

Mallory Park Vee

Silverstone Vee

Brands Hatch 10th September 2005

I really wanted a good result from Brands. Following 3 scrappy races at Mallory and Silverstone I wanted a clean win. I arrived hours before Mum and Dad with the car. Gave me time to catch-up with all present, walk the track and admire the new Storm cars. With the car unpacked Em (don’t I just treat her to the finest accommodation) and myself settled down to a rain interrupted night in the Van. Woke up raring to go at 5.30. Damn. Lightly dozed until a more sensible 7.30 and set about checking the car over. Scrunineered fine and for the first time this year made a big effort to get near the front of qualifying. A few laps in and red flags came out. We had time in the pits to make some minor mods, and set off again with the car handling beautifully but the engine misfiring slightly. I had a good clean 5 laps and with the pit board showing 52.7, I was reasonably confident this would put me on the front row. It was pole position, but only 0.01 seconds ahead of Jake, with Patrick 3rd and main championship contender Martyn in 4th.

During the massive wait until the final, we found the piece of tyre rubber blocking the progression jet air bleed (exactly the same issue that caused problems in the Silverstone race) and made some minor adjustments to the car.

Following the missed 2nd gear debacle, I made a solid getaway off the start. Jake got past on the outside and Patrick, with another blinding start sneaked up the inside. Got back past Pat then got past Jake on the inside at the exit of Paddock, then the red flags came out (again!!!!!).

2nd start was better. Jake was slightly ahead into Paddock but on the outside, so I held the inside up to Druids and slipped into the lead. A reasonably cautious first lap and entering Druids for the second time Pat got ahead of Jake. Over the next few laps I managed to pull out a 2 second lead, but I was flat out. When Jake got 2nd back off Patrick I was slightly concerned, but since I was flat out there was nothing I could do. Jake seemed to catch slightly but I managed to hold a 1 – 1.5 second lead and win the 13 lap race. Magic. This was exactly what I needed. The commentator suggested it had looked easy, but I was at maximum for all except the last corner, and very chuffed with the extra 5 points I had gained over Martyn who came in 3rd.

Now just the long wait for the Cadwell double header in 10 days and 23 hours time – not that I’m counting.

Cadwell Park 24th - 25th September

Champion again

In an attempt to put the thought of being able to clinch the championship at Cadwell out of my mind the focus was on trying to claim my first double. If this happened then the championship was mine by default.

8 hours of driving, with a brief pause to visit the Britcar Porsche 911 engine on the dyno, and arrived at Cadwell at 10pm on Friday evening. Quickly set up the gazebo and off to the B&B for a much needed sleep.

I was very fired up for qualifying. Like Cadwell last year I figured maximum attack in qualifying would set me up for the weekend. Tried very hard. On the grass for the 3rd, 4th and 5th time this year. The car was oversteering badly especially around the longer, constant throttle corners, but knowing there was plenty of run-off this was okay.

The times indicated why the car had been so leery. My best time was 1.4 seconds quicker than any one else, in fact my best 4 laps were quicker than anyone else managed all weekend – including myself from this point on.

It was a very long wait until the final at 4.50pm. Nerves fully kicked in requiring 4 trips to the urinals in the 20minutes before getting in the car, much to the amusement of championship rival Marytn Donn. Following the missed 2nd gear at Silverstone my starts have become gentlemanly, and this was no exception. Luckily I just managed to get to the first corner alongside Jake, and hold the inside into the lead. Crossed the line at the end of the first lap with a healthy lead, and then the red flags came out. Only the first 3 had gone across the line, so we had to complete the rest of the lap. Thankfully Paul Moden was okay after a nasty crash at the corner after the mountain.

Temperature then became the worry. After the 2nd green flag lap whilst waiting on the grid my cylinder head temperature gauge was reading 220 degrees C. We later confirmed that this was wrong but at the time it was a worry. Can’t remember what happen at the start. But the race was flat out. I held a 2 second lead throughout, although extended slightly after a big effort to get fastest lap on lap 6, and then the red flags came out again. Whilst everyone pulled into the Paddock I was ushered past the accident to get to the pits for interview, and very please to see that Paul Smith was okay after a similarly nasty accident to Paul M in the same place.

A win and fastest lap meant that to win the championship I just had to beat Marytn on Sunday. He knew that and made a super start giving me no choice but to yield into the first corner. I tucked up behind him and got a tow down the back straight, passing on the outside where he left me a Vee’s width minus half a tyre (as I would have!), braked late and turned into Park in the lead. Again I managed to pull out a small lead, with Jake in second and Marytn just behind.

Then small spots of rain started to appear on my visor. I was very aware that Jake would throw caution to the wind and Martyn had to. But I couldn’t. Jake caught me and somehow got by up the mountain. I decided to stay behind, but could see Martyn catching so it was back to maximum attack and risk taking. Jake took too much curb out of the hairpin, allowing me to catch into Barn corner. A good run out and managed to slipstream by, although taking the first corner flat leaving a cars width on the inside in case Jake didn’t back off was heart in mouth. 2 laps later I took the chequered flag for a win and the championship. It had been another flat out race the whole way.

Until the championship has sunk in fully, which will probably be whilst on holiday in Italy later this week, I am very pleased to get a double win for the first time. All that remains is to win the team challenge which our team ‘Sheane about the results’ of myself, Tim Probert and Tony Dowson currently lead.

So, like this time last year, what next. I have proved myself in Vee, but cannot find anything as competitive and well publicised for less than 5 times the cost. The series I am looking at are mainly sportcars i.e. Britcar, Britsports, Mid engined sports cars, Ginetta, etc., and at the very least will aim to take part in one of the 24 hour races next year.

Snetterton October 8th 2005

2nd by a whisker.

Saturday morning started grey at Snetterton. I had won the championship already so was feeling much more relaxed than the previous few races. I was out to qualify in the second session. We were trying a small carburation mod that we had not risked for the last few races and whilst we suspected it would be good, fingers were crossed.

Tried very hard in qualifying. A few big moments, but with the mod working the engine felt very strong. Very surprised when I saw 79.2 on the board (lap record is mine at 78.4), even more surprised by 78.6 and completely put off my driving when I saw 78.2seconds.

I was expecting this to be pole by quite a margin and very surprised to only get pole by 0.2 from Jake Oliveira. We both agreed that the track was very fast, both being able to take the Bombhole flat although the fact Jake said he was on the rev limiter should have told me something about how quick he was in that part of the circuit.

I made another leisurely start and we ran down to the first corner 3 abreast; Jake on the outside, Martyn Donne in the middle and me on the inside. Martyn had to back off and, because of the acute angle, I had to brake so Jake swept round the outside into the lead. Into the Esses Jake ran wide and I followed, allowing Martyn to get a run past me into second.

Got past Martyn starting the 2nd lap and then passed Jake down the back straight. I managed to eke out a small gap but a mistake on lap 6 allowed Jake to get past into the bombhole. The next 3 laps were an awesome race with Jake. Slipstreaming, outfumbling, but just as I felt I was opening up a gap the red flags came out.

The race was declared over, but no one knew who had won. We were both interviewed (out of microphone range I later found out) but it was hard to know what to say when the result wasn’t clear.

Unfortunately when they came out I was second. Never mind. It had been a super race and good to see Jake at the top.

And the championship victory finally sunk in, helped by a soaking from 2nd and 3rd placed championship drivers Martyn and Patrick Sherrington on the Podium and an embarrassing photo shoot. Still enjoying the feeling.

So to next year……

Season review 2005

Not as planned, but great.

2005 plan was to do Britcar, but keep racing the Vee to ensure good publicity. Unfortunately the Britcar plan did not work, but Vee went just fine.

The first drive of the year was a morning Vee testing at a very cold Mallory. This was just a check over of the winter’s development. The mods were small compared to the chassis changes the year before and we sold the spare engine to pay for the Vee racing. So reliability was to be key.

The first race was Silverstone in John Clonis’s Britcar Porsche. I started 14th and was in the lead pack, 6th ish, when I misjudged the brake pressure and went through a deep gravel trap. The resulting damage caused John to retire completely after 45 mins of the 2 hour race.
We left Silverstone and travelled straight to Snet for the first 2 Vee rounds. Despite testing, the front brakes somehow managed to lock on for qualifying. Result - 26th fastest for both races.
Still a heat win, final win, heat win and then retirement in the second final was a very pleasing result. Winner of the second final was Martyn Donn who would become the major rival.
Then to Brands. Oil surge this time, although qualified 2nd. The engine somehow held up during the race to finish second.

Then the race of my life so far, Donnington! Misassembly of the flywheel oil seal late the night before after running in the mainly new engine, meant I qualified 26th on the grid for the heat. Got into first with a lap to go. 15th on the final grid, was 22nd into the first corner, but came back to take the lead with a lap to go and win.

Next up was the 5hr Snetterton Britcar race.
Only managed 2 laps testing on Friday. Ran most of the race 2nd in class looking good for a trophy, but an engine failure put paid to that, and as it turns out the rest of the season for the car.

The next Vee round was a double header at Mondello, but I was closer to Snet, honoured to be on best man duties for my very good friends Jim and Jo Collins.

Pembrey was a slightly dull affair this year with only one race. A very tough race was made slightly easier to win when 2nd, 3rd and 4th all collided although this let Martyn through to 2nd and he maintained a 25 point lead in the championship.

As the plan to do the Silverstone 24hr Britcar race in the Porsche had failed, I hired a drive in the same series in a TVR at Oulton Park. 1 hour 20 minutes of arm wrenching action. Much fun and my first Britcar trophy to boot. 2nd in class.

Then the races that changed the championship. 1st and 2nd against Martyn’s double retirement in the Mallory double header put me in a 25 point lead.

Silverstone has been good for me for the last 2 years, but I ruined this one by missing 2nd gear from pole position, dropped back to 20ish and could only get back to 5th, with Martyn taking the win. The frustration showed as I had my only Vee incident of the year – very slight nose cone contact with Paul Smith’s rear wheel.

Brand made amends though. In my most solid race of the year so far, I held a 1 second lead over a re-improving Jake Oliveria to take the win.

So to Cadwell double header. If I beat Martyn in both races the championship was mine. I focused on taking my first double. It worked, and I was delighted to take my second championship, although it did not really sink in until…….

Snetteton, the final round of the year. A huge battle with Jake, and a confusion when red flags (again) stopped the race early. In the end I was second, but with champagne on the podium the title finally sank in. Lovely.

Thanks again must go to Dad for all his assistance, and tenacity in the face of adversity (reshaping a conrod with a lump hammer at Brands). Also thanks to all the others who played a part in another super year. Emma (now my fiancé), Mum, Liv, Tom, Jim and Jo, Carol and Robin (in-laws to be and emergency mechanics), the Topcats TVR team and John Clonis.

Thanks for a great year.

Next year’s plans are still in the melting pot, although requiring a Vee championship position to do a planned race at Thruxton means I’ll be out in Vee at least twice next year.