| Race Reports 2010 |
| Date / Link to details | Circuit / Link to circuit website | Qual | Race |
| April 25th | Snetterton | 3rd | 3rd |
| May 23rd | Brands Hatch GP | 3rd | rtd |
| June 5/6th | Cadwell Park | 3rd | 2nd |
| June 26th | Silverstone | 3rd | rtd |
| July 4th | Spa - Sports 2000 European | dns | dns |
| July 31th | Oulton Park International | 2nd | 2nd |
| July 31th | Oulton - Open Sports Cars | 3rd | 3rd |
| July 31th | Oulton - Open Sports Cars | 12th | 2nd |
| August 29th | Rockingham | 1st | 2nd |
| August 29th | Rockingham OSS | 1st | 1st |
| October 2/3rd | Silverstone GP - Sports 2000 | tbd | tbd |
| October 1/3rd | Silverstone GP - Britcar 24 | tbd | tbd |
| October 16/17th | Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival | tbd | tbd |
A fruitful day’s testing on Friday put us in good hopes for the weekend although it was clear all Sports 2000 runners had made significant improvements over the winter and resurfacing of the track had reduced lap time by 1.5 seconds.
Brands GP – Disappointing retirement but high potential
A good day’s dry testing on Friday highlighted significant improvements with a new development splitter providing significantly more downforce.
Qualified in 3rd place 2 second behind the pole setting Gunn of Neil Burrough's with Miles Giffiths in 2nd
Due to differing objectives March and I have decided to part company. I wish them all the best for the future and have enjoyed and learnt much from the challenge.
I was back in the Jenvey-Gunn for round 5 at Oulton Park. My sisters wedding the week prior to Oulton (congratulations Liv and Tom) gave us only 2 nights to de-winterise the car. Both were late nights and I arrived for testing at Oulton on Friday already knackered.
Pole position for Sports 2000 and Itchey Feet Open Sportscars. 2nd to Neil in Sport 2000 and victory in the Open Sportcar race.
Qualifying Friday 1st October 15:10Snetterton, Sunday April 25th
A very early start on Sunday but a big relief that qualifying had been put back from 9 to 9.40am. The team had done a huge amount of work since Friday and we were able to spend time checking over the car. Scrutineering went without a hitch as expected (but still nerve-wracking especially with a new car).
Qualifying was slightly compromised by trying to bed in a new set of tyres gently. I did 4 slow laps then came in to check tyre pressures. Back out again and managed to get a good tow down the back straight to get down to a 1:08.25. Thereafter I was frustrated by traffic and a slow puncture in the right rear tyre.
3rd on the grid! – an excellent result on the cars competitive debut. Pole went to Neil Burroughs in the new Gunn TS11 an impressive 0.8 seconds quicker with Patrick Sherrington taking 2nd spot.
Heavy rain was the order of the next few hours but as we lined up for the start it was looking fully dry. In an effort to claw back 0.8 seconds we had made a lot of changes after qualifying a gamble worth taking at this stage of development.
I got a good start and slipped into 2nd when Patrick ran wide at the first corner. Crossed the line at the end of lap one and already the Gunn was pulling away. I barrelled into the first corner with just a lift but got a large amount of understeer as I got back on the power. By the time I had collected it I was off the circuit rejoining in 4th. Another few big moments, dropping back to 6th, with Robert Oldershaw (having had one big spin) just ahead. This became 4th when Harry Chapman and Rupert Russel clashed and I started closing in on Robert. Just as I caught him up he had a huge spin right in front of me out of the first corner. Just scraped by into 3rd.
Thereafter it was a lonely race. Unfortunately with all the action Patrick in 2nd had escaped too far up the road to catch. With the Gunn pulling away in the lead.
So an excellent 3rd place. So competitive is the car straight away it was easy to forget that this was the very first outing for both the car and the new Team. Congratulations must go to them for an excellent result and for providing a highly tuned racing car that is strong enough to survive crossing the rough ground outside the first corner at 100mph.
That said 3rd is not enough for us. Kieron, the cars designer from KW Motorsport, and John are already working flat out on the car in preparation for the next race at Brand Hatch on Sunday 23rd May.
Brands Hatch GP, Sunday May 23rd
Testing on Friday the 21st at Brands Indy offered an opportunity to try a number of major upgrades. A new front bulkhead, updated wiring loom and lightened rear bulkhead offered a very significant weight reduction and we are now on the weight limit.
The first session highlighted significant understeer, a minor victory, which over the course of the day we were able to dial out for both low and high speed.
With only 15 minutes qualifying on Sunday morning we made sure we were near the front of the queue. Unfortunately an oil pressure warning meant I had to pull over. Quick discussion with the team and we decided it was a faulty signal. So out of the pits at the back of the queue.
Gradually warmed up. Lap 4 was the first fast lap and at that time put me first on the grid. Thereafter I never had another free lap so very relieved to end up 3rd on the grid behind the usual pretenders Neil and Patrick with a resurgent Miles alongside me. But this was a great result. We were only 0.6 seconds off pole despite being held up and competing the session with no rev counter.
Only a 1.5 hour gap before the race. An okay start maintaining 3rd, but I was slow down the back straight and unable to get full throttle. Miles got alongside on the run into Westfield and as I braked the throttle momentarily hung-up. This put me onto the gravel, as I switched off on the master switch. Rejoined the track but I could not get the key back in the switch. By the time it was back in I was down in 11th A couple of gentle laps to ensure there was no repeat and started pushing again.
The next 20 minutes were flat out. I was still not getting full throttle so had to rely on outbraking and huge corner speed advantage to get past people. Chris Yarwood proved to be the biggest challenge getting back past down the straight after I had got by the first time. But managed to outbraking him again into Surtees. I caught 2 seconds up to Robert Oldershaw in 5th within a lap. Unfortunately entering Clearways I had a repeat of the first lap issue. This time it was a big trip through the gravel and with the risk of serious engine damage I pulled over into retirement.
So disappointing, but my best lap, only 1.2 seconds off the Gunn was set with way less than full throttle available. So our pace has definitely improved. The throttle problem was permanently fixed within 2 minutes of returning to the paddock.
With more upgrades planned on the car for Cadwell we are going to be close!
Cadwell Park - A great 2nd place
But Sunday morning was very wet! Having never driven the car before in the wet we decided to keep the changes to a minimum. We softened the rear roll bar slightly to ensure good traction out of the corners and put on slightly more rear wing to keep the back in check through the fast corners.
The car felt good straight away. 5 laps and into the pit to lower tyre pressures. I was 2nd at that time, but as I left the pits my visor misted up. Try as I might I could not clear my visor for more than ½ lap before it misted up again. Cadwell is definitely not a good place for this to happen and I was unable to improve significantly on my time. So qualified a frustrated 3rd again!
The track was dry 30 mins before the race but light rain was falling. I took an early decision to stay on wets. Thankfully everyone else took the wrong decision and put wets on also. As we left the assembly area it was obviously slick conditions on the track.
The lights were held for an age. Unlike Brands Patrick and I (2nd and 3rd) stayed still whilst Neil on pole started creeping. I got a good launch when the lights changed and managed to stick so close to Neil that I kept Patrick on the outside into the first corner and moved into 2nd.
Neil opened up a small gap, taking bigger risks than me over the first few laps but it was becoming obvious his wet tyres were struggling. I pushed harder and started to catch. Then, of course my tyres started to go off. With a good gap to Patrick in 3rd I decided to keep pushing and not worry about the tyres.
I managed to close the 4 second gap right down before meeting the first of the backmarkers. Unfortunately for the next 20 minutes of the race I kept catching backmarkers in the single file twisty section, whilst Neil seemed to catch them on the straights.
The gap between us gradually grew until it was 8 seconds at the chequered flag.
So 2nd. A great result for the cars 3rd ever race, but once again we are left wanting for more and looking forward to Silverstone and some more development parts in 3 weeks time.
Silverstone - Sunday 27th June
I got alongside Miles at the start but was outdragged in to the 2nd corner. Managed to keep with him until engine failure halfway through the race.
Back in the Jenvey-Gunn
For the rest of the year I will concentrate on defending my Sports 2000 title in my car. Whilst near impossible due to Neils lead it gives me a focus.
Oulton Park - July 31st
The days testing was slightly frustrating with lots of red flags. It took a while to get used to the layout of the car after the March although the basic handling traits were very similar. Once I was used to the car we dialled out the mechanical and aero understeer managing to get some reasonable laps times in although still 1 second off our best round Oulton.
For the race day I had decided to complete in the Itchy Feet Open Sports Car races. The OSS qualifying was first I was used to bed in new tyres nicely. Unfortunately I had misread the finals and after 2 pit stops for tyre pressures the session ended before I got the chance for my 3 planned fast laps. My times put me 3rd on the grid for the 1st race and 12th for the second race.
Duratec qualifying was more successful ending up 2nd on the grid but only 0.3 second behind the Gunn TS11 of Neil Burroughs and 2 seconds ahead of Patrick Sherrington in the new MCR. It was good to see Matt Manderson up in 4th in the March.
The first OSS race was a lonely affair. From the rolling start the leaders opened up a 300yrd gap by the first corner with their extra 200+ BHP. I tried my hardest to hold onto them for the first 5 laps but then backed off not wanting to wreak my tyres for the Duratec event. So 3rd it was, although I was delighted to receive £100 prize money.
Fatigue was getting to me by the Duratec race, nodding off in the assembly area during the long wait. Still my first standing start in the car for 10 months was awesome pulling straight across Neil and round the first corner in the lead. Down the back straight I was shocked at the rate Neil reeled me in, and up Clay Hill he caught me and surprised me by going up the inside into Druids. With oil on the circuit I took too cautious an approach over the first 4 laps and dropped back from Neil by 4 seconds but pulling well clear of the following battle. A safety car reset the field and after initially dropping back a few seconds I started to reel Neil in. It was all going great. Neil’s tyres were going off effecting his braking especially into the Shell Oils Hairpin. Then another safety car. Damn. This time when it came in I managed to stick with Neil and knowing his tyres should only be good for a lap or so was just starting to build myself up when the chequered flag came out.
So second it was. Whilst disappointed I have to remember this is the first race the car has done for 10 months and we know where we are loosing out. There will be a trip to the rolling road to confirm engine performance and evaluate a new exhaust and a more thorough set-up before Rockingham.
The final race of the day was the OSS race 2. We had to complete some emergency bodywork repairs and rushed to the assemble area. To be 12th on the grid was a surprise (I thought positions were based on race 1 results) but added to the challenge. Was up to 9th into the first corner. Round the outside of a Radical into 8th. Past another down the straight and one into Cascades. 6th. A good run out and into 5th down the straight and 4th up the inside into the flat out kink. Nearly went for the inside to get past Gaius Ghinn’s Norma into Shell Oils Hairpin but had to wait to out fumble him into the 3rd part of Knickerbrook chicane. Then set off again after the 2 very powerful lead cars, but they were gone. A fire on one of the lead cars brought out the safety car. On the restart I managed to hold onto the leader and my excitement built as it started to rain. Here was my chance to get at least one win from the day. And then after only 16 minutes the chequered flag came out. I am not sure what happened to the final 4 minutes but very pleased with 2nd and another class win.
All in all a good return for the car, although lots to do in the next 3 weeks to catch up with Neil.
Rockingham - August 29th
Silverstone - October 1st and 2nd
Race Saturday 2nd October 15:00