Weekend review - Silverstone 29 August 2010
Due to Pinky's ability to eat engines and thus cash, it was decided to end the first season of racing at Silverstone. With the addition of the "classic" hatch, non championship round added as a taster of a possible championship for 2011, there was a chance of qualifying and 3 races. Fingers and toes both crossed that the engine troubles would now be behind us.
Qualifying
With the weather forecast to be dry all day the car was set up for a dry race, swapping the part worn rears with the worn fronts. In typical english fashion while in the assembly area prior to qualifying it started to rain. Heading out on track it was definitely greasy and having never driven round the circuit the first 3 laps were used to gain familiarity. As the session went on the rain stopped and the track quickly began to dry out. My fastest lap of 1:17.66 was good enough for 4th in class in the session, only 0.1s behind Andy Philpotts. With the second session running in the dry, the adjusted timing put me 8th on the grid for the heat.
During the session though i felt that the car was possibly down on power based on the revs i was getting to down the long straights. I'd arrived on Saturday afternoon and chatted with a couple of other XR2 drivers about the gearing etc and felt I was down on this. So back in the pits, a quick compression test and timing check was carried out. The timing was at 0 deg which may explain some of the lack of speed but in retrospect the shear width of the track and effect that had on the perception of speed probably had more to do with the it than the cars actual performance, especially as i was comparing wet conditions to dry!
| Lap | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| Lap time | 1:20.61 |
1:22.89 |
1:25.11 |
1:25.29 |
1:25.49 |
1:25.4 |
1:24.33 |
1:31.56 |
1:27.92 |
1:21.37 |
1:17.66 |
Heat Race - It was a little slippy!
Following the changeable weather in qualifying I decided to reduce the rear tyre pressure a few psi for the heat race but left the front alone. This was perhaps a mistake as it absolutely threw it down while in the assembly area and without a pump i was only able to knock a few clicks off the rear suspension.
Knowing I was ending my first season after this weekend I wanted to make sure the car made it to the Classic race. That was going to be the main event, well for me anyway! As the lights went off I got a strong start and heading into Copse had got level with the rear quarter of Andy's XR2i. Unfortunately I was perhaps a touch too late on the brakes and just caught has rear corner. Backing off to prevent spinning him, I lost the back end of my car which then put me in the path of Dan Summers in his 106. Thankfully the impact was minor and even more fortunately put me facing the right way. Not quite the careful race I'd envisaged but only minor damage.
It was a difficult race to summerise due to the constant sideways action. A couple of larger moments lost me the majority of my places and some larger moments for others gained some back! It was great fun and i've never been sideways more often in any car. All the evidence is in the videos below. Enjoy!
I have split it into two parts so that its the full race rather than highlights this time.
| Lap | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| Position at lap end (Class B in race) | 8 (2) |
10 (2) |
17 (3) |
18 (3) |
16 (3) |
14 (3) |
15 (3) |
15 (3) |
15 (3) |
15 (3) |
15 (3) |
| Lap time | 1:33.98 |
1:28.05 |
1:30.49 |
1:26.98 |
1:26.38 |
1:28.57 |
1:26.51 |
1:24.46 |
1:24.61 |
1:24.73 |
1:27.65 |
Final
After finishing the heat race in 15th, leaving me 1st reserve in the final, part of me was saying that the car was in one piece and the important race of the day was the Classic so dont take the risk of damaging the car. Fortunately sense previaled and with chaos on the first lap, eliminating at least 3 cars I was in the race, 3rd from last!
At the restart I got off the line well and had made 3 places and moved up to 4th in class. A good exit out of Copse meant I was alongside (side by side) Jonathan Woolley heading into the left of maggots. Unfortunately he hadn't seen me (so he said in parc ferme after the race) and I was trying to brake on the curbs/ grass on the inside. Not very effective. Realising I had no chance of making the right hander, my priority switched to avoiding the gravel which i did by heading down the GP track. Unfortunately this wasn't the right direction and while turning round i had to cross some wet grass which, due to the fact i had more speed than i realised spun the car. Embarrassingly I stalled! Car restarted fine but it was all time lost. I crossed the line at the end of that lap (lap 2) 7.63s behind the back of the pack!
As that was my race effectively over, the clear track presented an opportunity to get some practice in time for the Classic race. I got my head down and started catching the guys in front while steadily improving my lap times. I caught and past my first target, Neil Trotters MGZR, on Lap 5, crossing the line 4.62s behind Colin Thorpe's XR2. It took till lap 9 to catch and past Colin and on the last lap (lap 10) i was able to nip past Paul Jarvis in his saxo to finish 32/35 with a best lap of 1:14.30s.
After the race it was a quick rush in the paddock to get refuelled and my new front tyres on ready for the Classic race for which I was starting 7th along side James Lawton.
Classic Hatch - The beginning (hopefully of a new championship)
Below are highlights from the first "Classic" hatch race. This race was put on by the 750mc to test the idea of a Classic Hatch Championship for 2011 for cars eligible for the current Stock Hatch Class B Championship. Race review to follow, but the video pretty much says it all!
| Lap | 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
| Position at lap end | 6 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
| Lap time | 1:22.45 |
1:15.4 |
1:14.03 |
1:14.88 |
1:14.06 |
1:14.86 |
1:14.45 |
1:14.41 |
1:15.08 |
1:14.46 |
1:15.18 |
1:15.83 |
Click for photos from the weekend here.