Another double header weekend down at Brands. I had fingers crossed for a mechanically trouble free weekend - my record here is not good for breakages and general cock ups, but I was feeling optimistic.
We had the biggest turn out I've ever experienced - 29 cars on the grid for RGB, and 11 in class A. Just to get my excuses in early, the class A field is now dominated by mid engined, purpose built race cars. Certainly the top 5, so my chances of a cup in this company are very limited. Mind you - my esteemed competitors do have a habit of taking each other off now and again so all is not lost yet!
Anyway, I can always have a good race with Austen, Paul R and the other class B/C front runners if i'm lucky.
Qualifying was a bit busy to say the least. I never really had a chance at a really quick lap, and I was finding clearways really understeery which was throwing me a bit. I ended up doing a 54.1, which in this company got me 20th on the grid. And the same position for the second race under the 2nd best time rule.
Saturday's race was eventful to say the least. I had an absolute stormer of a start, getting past at least 4 cars on the line. I had Colin in front of me and I was so tempted to sneak onto the grass to nip round him, but thought better of it given that grass tends not to have quite the same level of grip as the black stuff. So I was following Colin round Paddock only to witness a three car squeeze resulting in Colin spinning straight into the gravel and requiring avoiding action from me.
I go on to have a great battle with Austen and Matt Rowe. Further avoiding action required with Tony spinning, not to mention various other 'offs' that I didn't see happening, which got me thinking that my finishing position may not be too bad.
The last few laps were frustrating. I started to get fuel starvation coming out of Clearways, just where my power advantage would get me past Matt and Austen. Without that there was no way I was getting past them. So I finished 12th in the end. 4th in class. Shame not to end up in the top 10, but it wouldn't have made any difference to my class finish anyway.
My best time was a 53.3. Exactly the same as last year! That lap was obviously before the fuel problem so it is a fair comparison.
So despite my tweaking of the set up, I have not managed to improve at Brands. I need to do some testing here and play with the set up for this track really to get the best out of this car, although I still think I have scope to gain a few tenths at Paddock and at Clearways.
The grid is so competitive here. If I could get my times consistently 1 second a lap quicker I would be running in the top 3. But 1 second is a lot!
Anyway, I managed to trace the fuel problem to the venting valve which was sticking and causing a vacuum in the tank.
Sunday's race looked like it might be wet, but it dried up by the time we were out. Nicola and Kristin came to watch - no pressure!
My start was foiled this time by a stalled car in front which I had to avoid and let a few cars past. I managed to get past Ben in the other Westfield and was then chasing Paul Rickers. We had a good battle, but whilst I can just about match Paul's times, there was no way I was getting past him. Then he span on some oil and let me through. It was a lonely race from there as the gap to Colin was way too far. Mind you, Colin had a spin as well which allowed me to catch up a bit momentarily, but he found a quick line through what was a treacherously oily Clearways and easily pulled away from me.
So I finished a lonely 14th in Sunday's race, 5th in class.
No silverware this time.
Must try harder!
I'm going to go and see if I can find some money down the back of the sofa to go testing again!
By the way, this weekend will be on Motors TV and they are doing a special feature on us. I'll post the dates that it's on.
There's a big gap now until the next race a Brands in June (19th & 20th). I'm suffering withdrawl symptoms already!
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Monday 5 April 2010
A Slight Diversion - Palmer Sports Day 25th March
I'm writing this on Easter Monday having got back from Copenhagen on Saturday. Sadly missed the Mallory race - I simply did not have the time over the last couple of weeks to get myself organised for it having had the most stressful week at work ever and a minor matter of our passports needing renewing with 5 days to go! Anyway, that's another story.
Work in the week before my holiday was particularly hectic because I had a day out on a jolly. I was invited to a Palmer Sports day with some work colleagues (someone else was paying!). I have done this day before and it is a not-to-be-missed opportunity.
We get to drive (and I mean drive properly on the limit) 9 different cars on various different circuits. The cars were a BMW M3, Renault Clio Sport, Porsche 911, Caterham 7 (twice), off roading in a Land Rover defender and karts - and the main event - the Palmer Sport JP1 sports prototype and the Formula Jaguar single seater.
The was all timed so was competitive - really competitive as it happens. The problem was it was raining on and off all day so some of us got to drive in the dry and sometimes in the wet so an overall comparison was fairly meaningless. However, and I'm sorry to blow my own trumpet here but it doesn't happen very often, whenever i had a dry circuit, my times were the quickest of the day - except -rather ironically- with the Caterham pursuit- where you had to negotiate a tight circuit and do a power slide and a doughnut. I say ironically because this is the closest car to the Westy - but not the sort of driving I am used to.
Anyway - the Porsche was great fun. The instructor was getting very excited about my driving. It was a tremendous ego boost that he was shouting encouragement as we got quicker and quicker and ended up doing a time that he said was amongst the quickest they have ever had. (I'm sure he was just massaging my ego but it felt really good!). I really enjoyed the way you can throw the weight of that car around to set you up for a corner and then just drift through it on full power. It was truly addictive - I might have to get one!
I was also the quickest of the day with the Renault (again nothing like what I am used to) and the single seater which was much closer to the sort of power to weight that I am used to. Also it was dry when I started the session, and then it rained but the tyres were hot and the car had plently of aero so I hardly noticed any loss of grip. It was a great feeling to be nailing it in the wet - something I simply can't do in the Westy.
I realise that the company I was in was not quite as experienced as me but they were some pretty good drivers there and the competitive spirit was very strong. I came away with a very massaged ego and prizes (they would only let me have one even though I'd won three of the events just to be fair to everyone else - not at all fair if you ask me!)
Anyway, if you ever get a chance to do that event - especially if someone else is paying - it must not be missed I promise.
So- next time out is Brands on 24th April. Watch this space...
Work in the week before my holiday was particularly hectic because I had a day out on a jolly. I was invited to a Palmer Sports day with some work colleagues (someone else was paying!). I have done this day before and it is a not-to-be-missed opportunity.
We get to drive (and I mean drive properly on the limit) 9 different cars on various different circuits. The cars were a BMW M3, Renault Clio Sport, Porsche 911, Caterham 7 (twice), off roading in a Land Rover defender and karts - and the main event - the Palmer Sport JP1 sports prototype and the Formula Jaguar single seater.
The was all timed so was competitive - really competitive as it happens. The problem was it was raining on and off all day so some of us got to drive in the dry and sometimes in the wet so an overall comparison was fairly meaningless. However, and I'm sorry to blow my own trumpet here but it doesn't happen very often, whenever i had a dry circuit, my times were the quickest of the day - except -rather ironically- with the Caterham pursuit- where you had to negotiate a tight circuit and do a power slide and a doughnut. I say ironically because this is the closest car to the Westy - but not the sort of driving I am used to.
Anyway - the Porsche was great fun. The instructor was getting very excited about my driving. It was a tremendous ego boost that he was shouting encouragement as we got quicker and quicker and ended up doing a time that he said was amongst the quickest they have ever had. (I'm sure he was just massaging my ego but it felt really good!). I really enjoyed the way you can throw the weight of that car around to set you up for a corner and then just drift through it on full power. It was truly addictive - I might have to get one!
I was also the quickest of the day with the Renault (again nothing like what I am used to) and the single seater which was much closer to the sort of power to weight that I am used to. Also it was dry when I started the session, and then it rained but the tyres were hot and the car had plently of aero so I hardly noticed any loss of grip. It was a great feeling to be nailing it in the wet - something I simply can't do in the Westy.
I realise that the company I was in was not quite as experienced as me but they were some pretty good drivers there and the competitive spirit was very strong. I came away with a very massaged ego and prizes (they would only let me have one even though I'd won three of the events just to be fair to everyone else - not at all fair if you ask me!)
Anyway, if you ever get a chance to do that event - especially if someone else is paying - it must not be missed I promise.
So- next time out is Brands on 24th April. Watch this space...
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