Race Reports 2012

Date / Link to details	Circuit / Link to circuit website	Qual	Race
April 14/15th	Silverstone GP	---	---
May 13th	Cadwell Park	---	---
June 16/17th	Spa Endurance	---	---
June 16/17th	Spa Endurance	---	---
July 1st	Donnginton	---	---
July 21/22nd	Snetterton	---	---
July 28/29th	Thruxton endurance	---	---
August 18th	Oulton Park International	---	---
August 25/26th	Snetterton endurance	---	---
September 15/16th	Brands GP endurance	---	---
September 21/22nd	Silverstone GP	---	---
October 27/28th	Brands Hatch Indy	---	---

2012 Plans

I will compete in the 2012 Sports 2000 Duratec championship and also the Sports 2000 Endurance championship.
Change to the car for 2012 include: • New front and rear top wishbones to allow the required camber without the tyres sticking out from the bodywork. • New billet front uprights that allow rapid camber changes. • Engine rebuilt following the oil pump belt being removed by the failing alternator bracket at Brands last year. • New alternator bracket. • New final drive in the gearbox – installed by the gearbox manufacturers so badly this was our major risk going into the first race. • New 20Kg ballast to allow weight distribution changes. • New set-up strategy following review of 2011 data and the realisation of where we went wrong.

Silverstone GP April 14/15th

Supporting the FIA Formula 2 series and televised on Motors TV.

Following a great test on the small National circuit on the 6th April we decided not to test on the Arena circuit on Friday before the race. This was a slight risk as I had struggled with a couple of the corners in the new complex, but we felt it better to finalise the changes to the car with a day in the garage instead.

Arrived at Silverstone for midday which left a lot of hanging around until qualifying at 5.30pm. I made it out near the front of the pack. 2 laps to warm up, 1 banker lap and then in for tyre pressure adjustments. Advised I was 2nd to Patrick in the MCR. Out into bad traffic but managed 1 more decent lap which was good enough for pole by 0.7s on a 2:08.7. I had managed to sort all the corners I was struggling with and our sector times showed that without traffic we would be a lot quicker.

Back home for the night but an early start. I did my best to warm up the tyres and did such a good job that my clutch warming procedure, driving up to the line before the start, overheated the clutch. When the lights went green a great launch quickly faded as the clutch slipped. Into second gear and more clutch slip. 3rd and eventually it stopped slipping. As we approached the first corner Patrick Sherrington had a clear lead and Matt Manderson (in the March) was on my inside. I left him some room turning in later than usual but came out a clear second. Into the first section of corners and I did not have the grip of the leader. Then entering the Loop Matt got up the inside and into 2nd. I managed to hold on to Matt and gradually over 3 laps we caught Patrick. I first tried to get past Matt out of Stowe but approaching Vale he conveniently ignored me. Once half the car was on the grass I had to back off and just regained control before the Vale gravel trap. Next lap both Patrick and Matt had a poor run onto the Hangar straight. We all arrived at Stowe side by side. I backed off and got a better run into Vale. Matt turned in first and I squeezed up the inside past Patrick and into second.
I was able to keep close to Matt and when he got sideways in the Maggots complex I got a better run onto Hangar straight and into the lead.

Head down and put in some quick laps quickly opening out 3 then 6 then 8 seconds, before starting to short shift to preserve the car. Eventually took the chequered flag 11 seconds ahead of Matt. My fastest lap on 11 of 14, at 2:08.3, was a new lap record. So a great win and the car was feeling better and better whilst everyone else complained of the tyres going off after 15 minutes. A great start to the year and we are very happy with our understanding of the tyres.

Notes; • We are having to rebuild our professionally re-built gearbox prior to Cadwell. • 18 hours after finishing the race and 2 weeks earlier than expected, Emma and I were blessed with a son, Otto Michael Jenvey.