Motorstv coverage from a few of the rounds this year! Slowly but surely they're all being put up, so I'll update as they come. Some great bits of racing, and had some really good tv time in a few of the weekends. Still working on next year, sponsors are hard to come by but I'm confident!
Donington, round 7
Silverstone, round 3
Snetterton, round 4
Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Donington Park, a return to where it all began a year ago.
Last year my first ever Ginetta Challenge races took place at Donington, I loved the experience and instantly knew it was where I needed to be to launch into something special.
This year started with the union of myself and MOMO. It's been a fantastic partnership, getting them on board was a huge inspiration. Joining forces with them motivated me to new levels of professionalism both in and out of the car. I look forward to many more years with them.
The two weeks leading up to the event I managed to get two test sessions, both of which opened my eyes to the cars handling and my own driving. I learned more about driving the G40 fast in those two days than I have in most of this year.
Qualifying was saturday afternoon, so for once I got to sleep in on a race weekend! I rocked up to the track at around noon, and made sure everything was ready. I went out and put some really solid laps together, extremely consistent but due to yellow flags and an unpredictable track surface I couldn't get a good groove. I threw the car into p12 on the grid for both race 1 and 2, with just a couple of tenths separating the times. P12, that's fine, I've worked miracles from there before, no worries, I'll keep it clean in the race and work my way up like I always do!
The first race of what was to be an extremely eventful weekend started at 9:30am SHARP, so I was at the track for 8:30. Focus exercises prepped me for the race as I sat waiting in the assembly area... and boy did I need it. I won't spill the beans for what happens in race 1 seeing as there's video for it, so watch and enjoy!
Race 2... well, the race 2 that started when race 2 was supposed to start was red flagged before we even made it one lap because of this incident... video curtesy of Jon Greenwood. The driver of the damaged car was bashed about a bit, but is getting better.
Race 2 was rescheduled to the race 3 slot, so just like a year ago we only got 2 races for the final round.
Now... that was a crazy race... unfortunately due to the unique G40 reg. stating that cars are only allowed 1 gopro camera in the car, and the required use of the judicial sd cards, I don't have footage of any of it. You'll just have to let me paint a video with words.
Race 2! It all started well, from p12 again, but on the first lap there was a crash going into the Old Hairpin at the bottom of the Craner Curves. I managed to take advantage and picked up a number of spots, as we came round to end the lap and collect the safety car I was in 6th place! A couple of laps later, the safety car left and we went racing again... I was stuck on the tail of the leaders, and as we all turned into the Old Hairpin we found the fluid on the track, sending as all spinning! There was no oil flag out and no cement dust to dry the track, so we all assumed it was safe for race pace. G40s went everywhere, I managed to control my spin to stay on the track rather than flying off into the gravel, which meant that my trick of going down the gears while spinning paid off! A full 360 later I dropped the clutch in 1st and chased after the car in front, passed him, and just happened to get myself into 5th place. Though, it didn't matter as the race was red flagged that lap... at this point all drivers were told to get out of their cars and go listen to the clark of the course. During this time a new grid was sorted out for the restart, the talking to was to calm us down... apparently half the pack shouldn't go spinning off the track on the first lap after safety car...
With the new grid, I started p6, what a result! I got a winner start, I picked up 2 places before the first corner and attacked the first lap in 4th place! I was actually being slowed down by 2nd and 3rd, I wanted to break free and chase p1, but also didn't want to chuck it off so stayed calm and drove behind waiting for the opportunity to pass. Coming round on lap 2, about half way through the lap p5 took a dive, and got his car to the apex. I of course gave him room, he caught the curb and bounced into me, just enough to put me on the dirt and junk off the racing line. He stayed close to me holding me wide, through this fast corner I just couldn't hold it and touched the grass, which dragged me quickly off the track and into the gravel trap. I couldn't believe it... I believe that this year if I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have had any luck at all!
Well, unlike Silverstone where I was running p3/p4 and span out, I didn't run out talent this time. This was all luck, and it just happened to be against me. Similar to Snetterton where I started p4 but was collected in a first corner incident I had nothing to do with.
You know, I think I've had the most overtaking practice of anyone in the Challenge field! I've started from the back on multiple occasions, not that I've wanted to of course... but I can't complain at gaining experience! I'll have to do a count and see how many passing maneuvers I've done in each race, add them up and see!
This was my first full year racing, I've loved every minute and can not see myself doing anything else. Through some very solid top 5 finishes this year, I managed to finish the championship in 10th place. We are ecstatic about this result! With no karting experience, barely any racing last year in the Caterham, and yet on several occasions this year I ran with the much more experienced leaders. 2013 was a year to learn from, 2014 will be a year to remember. Be a part of that!
Now the Future is here... 2014 is on the books and I'm in the hunt for sponsor partners to push me onto the -so far- elusive podium. Donington proved that I have the potential to be up front winning races, this makes me more determined than ever to have a full budget for next year, to build on my experiences from this year, and further grow a motorsports career.
Thank you, all my readers, for continuing to view my blog and follow this young, crazy, determined dreamer! I've really enjoyed writing these blogs knowing they do get read, by quite a few people too!
Stay tuned on this blog for updates on my sponsorship hunt, video highlights from the year (the good parts, and the not so good), and perhaps other stories about what I get up to in the off-season.
I'll be back.
If you've kept up with my story and want to be a part of the future, send me an email - tor(at)torminator.com
Thursday, August 22, 2013
A final word from Spa Francorchamps - pit lane start to 13th race video.
Well, in my race report I said that I had to leave before I could pick up the video footage from my 3rd race... I asked at Brands Hatch, and the cards hadn't been wiped yet! Woohoo! So here we have it ladies and gents - pit lane start to 13th in 7 laps.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Brands Hatch - clearing the mind and exploring the soul
Brands Hatch was an interesting event for me.... it was full of mind games and realization, epiphanies and exercises that made me grow as a driver and person.
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
The two weeks prior to Brands Hatch, I had cut milk out of my diet as it inhibited my ability to think, clogging my head. Unfortunately, by doing this I accidentally cut out my breakfast as I normally had cereal. You can see where this is heading right? Yes, come the Friday testing I was feeling quite weak, and the normally easy act of driving the car caused me massive pain and exhaustion. So in order to get myself back in working order ASAP, I ate pretty much non-stop in-between testing sessions, and had two suppers that night! With a few changes to the car that day, I did find some reasonable pace, though I wasn't where I normally was after the testing... I was quite disappointed, and didn't make the connection as to why until after race 1 on the next day... read on my friend.
Saturday morning was an early start, 7 o'clock sign on and qualifying at a dizzying 9am. Feeling better, but still not quite myself, I had a large breakfast, and continued to eat fruit and energy bars when I got to the track. While Qualifying didn't go particularly well, pace was found, and a few faults with the cars set up were mended. Throughout Friday and qualifying I couldn't quite pinpoint why I wasn't driving as hard, why I wasn't trying to push and find the fast lines and limits... something was broken in my head, and I didn't know what.
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
For race 1 I was positive in getting my normal quick start, and managed to pick up 5 places in the opening laps. Then something strange occurred, something I'd never experienced before; I simply could not drive the car. I was looking the mirrors way too much, driving in them almost... I was watching the cars behind get closer, while the cars in front got lost in the distance. To conclude the race, I lost two places on the second to last lap and nearly lost a 3rd on the final lap. I managed to hold on comfortably to 12th place though. Afterwards I did my best to figure out how it'd happened... what in my brain had suddenly snapped in-between Spa Francorchamps and Brands Hatch.
That's where Linda Keen came in. I met Linda last year when she was recommended to me for helping with motorsports drivers. She is a sports psychotherapist, and specializes in getting people to focus and use their minds to reach their goal. She is bloody brilliant at it to say the least, she helped me massively last year, and without a doubt made me realize just what had caused my problems this fateful Saturday. We spent a while discussing what my brain was thinking during the race, and what I'd been doing for the 4 weeks prior to the race. She lead me to see that I had been suffocating my brain with work, thoughts, and fears about the 2014 racing season, it had completely stopped me from being able to focus on my racing. Even with what I had learned last year, it was impossible to think and believe positive outcomes when my brain was stuck like a rusted gearbox. She helped me psyche myself up again, boosted my positivity, which in turn allowed me to free my mind of the clogging thoughts about 2014.
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
Race 2 was hectic, from my position at 16th on the grid (I mentioned qualifying didn't go well), I narrowly avoided some turn one crashes and moved up a couple of positions before the safety car boards came out. With the restart, I lost some distance to the cars in front, but then pulled it back in the following 3 corners. Fighting hard for the next place, I put in a 1:42.8 which ended up being my fastest lap of the weekend. Following that was the biggest move for position I've ever done - something I can't describe with words, you'll have to watch the video!
Race 3, as a result of race 2, was yet another race that I'd be working my way from the back in. 25th on the grid, man am I tired of being there... Next year I will have a budget worthy of my pace, and I will be up the front. For now though I'll look at the positives, and take all the overtaking practice I can get!
(©Aron Vickers http://www.flickr.com/photos/93040207@N06/)
From the start I picked up 3 places on the first straight followed by a further 3 in the second corner. All through the race I just worked my way up the pack, to where I was 11th on the road. My goal when I got in the car was to make it to the top ten. I was so determined, I moved my interior mirror so I was blind to cars behind on lap 3 (I used it way too much) and focused on taking the car in front. Lap after lap ticked by, and I was closing at almost a second per lap, putting in the most consistent lap times of my career, every one separated by less than 2 tenths of a second. 5 laps and I was up behind him, ready to find a way past... it's in the video, so you'll have to watch it to see how I got on ;).
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
8th place after penalties for track limits were given to cars in front in race 3. I got to my goal in spades! All the way to the top ten from 25th, in just 20 minutes of racing. Not bad, but clearly I and my car belong at the pointy end. I crave being up the front, I want it more than anything I own, more than anyone I know... Money plays such a huge part of something that brings me such joy, it's saddening. Donington is coming up, and I've managed to scrounge enough money to do a test day before the Friday testing, and will be fighting because my life depends on it come race day.
(©Aron Vickers http://www.flickr.com/photos/93040207@N06/)
Racing is my passion, my one true calling, I can't get enough of it... driving is more than just fun for me, it's more than a pass time or a hobby, it is my all, my everything.
My life is wrapped into this choice to follow my dream more than anyone could know. I tirelessly work to make sure this passion can be continued into 2014, sponsorship partners will be in my future, this much passion has to go somewhere, right?
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
The two weeks prior to Brands Hatch, I had cut milk out of my diet as it inhibited my ability to think, clogging my head. Unfortunately, by doing this I accidentally cut out my breakfast as I normally had cereal. You can see where this is heading right? Yes, come the Friday testing I was feeling quite weak, and the normally easy act of driving the car caused me massive pain and exhaustion. So in order to get myself back in working order ASAP, I ate pretty much non-stop in-between testing sessions, and had two suppers that night! With a few changes to the car that day, I did find some reasonable pace, though I wasn't where I normally was after the testing... I was quite disappointed, and didn't make the connection as to why until after race 1 on the next day... read on my friend.
Saturday morning was an early start, 7 o'clock sign on and qualifying at a dizzying 9am. Feeling better, but still not quite myself, I had a large breakfast, and continued to eat fruit and energy bars when I got to the track. While Qualifying didn't go particularly well, pace was found, and a few faults with the cars set up were mended. Throughout Friday and qualifying I couldn't quite pinpoint why I wasn't driving as hard, why I wasn't trying to push and find the fast lines and limits... something was broken in my head, and I didn't know what.
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
For race 1 I was positive in getting my normal quick start, and managed to pick up 5 places in the opening laps. Then something strange occurred, something I'd never experienced before; I simply could not drive the car. I was looking the mirrors way too much, driving in them almost... I was watching the cars behind get closer, while the cars in front got lost in the distance. To conclude the race, I lost two places on the second to last lap and nearly lost a 3rd on the final lap. I managed to hold on comfortably to 12th place though. Afterwards I did my best to figure out how it'd happened... what in my brain had suddenly snapped in-between Spa Francorchamps and Brands Hatch.
That's where Linda Keen came in. I met Linda last year when she was recommended to me for helping with motorsports drivers. She is a sports psychotherapist, and specializes in getting people to focus and use their minds to reach their goal. She is bloody brilliant at it to say the least, she helped me massively last year, and without a doubt made me realize just what had caused my problems this fateful Saturday. We spent a while discussing what my brain was thinking during the race, and what I'd been doing for the 4 weeks prior to the race. She lead me to see that I had been suffocating my brain with work, thoughts, and fears about the 2014 racing season, it had completely stopped me from being able to focus on my racing. Even with what I had learned last year, it was impossible to think and believe positive outcomes when my brain was stuck like a rusted gearbox. She helped me psyche myself up again, boosted my positivity, which in turn allowed me to free my mind of the clogging thoughts about 2014.
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
Race 2 was hectic, from my position at 16th on the grid (I mentioned qualifying didn't go well), I narrowly avoided some turn one crashes and moved up a couple of positions before the safety car boards came out. With the restart, I lost some distance to the cars in front, but then pulled it back in the following 3 corners. Fighting hard for the next place, I put in a 1:42.8 which ended up being my fastest lap of the weekend. Following that was the biggest move for position I've ever done - something I can't describe with words, you'll have to watch the video!
Race 3, as a result of race 2, was yet another race that I'd be working my way from the back in. 25th on the grid, man am I tired of being there... Next year I will have a budget worthy of my pace, and I will be up the front. For now though I'll look at the positives, and take all the overtaking practice I can get!
From the start I picked up 3 places on the first straight followed by a further 3 in the second corner. All through the race I just worked my way up the pack, to where I was 11th on the road. My goal when I got in the car was to make it to the top ten. I was so determined, I moved my interior mirror so I was blind to cars behind on lap 3 (I used it way too much) and focused on taking the car in front. Lap after lap ticked by, and I was closing at almost a second per lap, putting in the most consistent lap times of my career, every one separated by less than 2 tenths of a second. 5 laps and I was up behind him, ready to find a way past... it's in the video, so you'll have to watch it to see how I got on ;).
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
8th place after penalties for track limits were given to cars in front in race 3. I got to my goal in spades! All the way to the top ten from 25th, in just 20 minutes of racing. Not bad, but clearly I and my car belong at the pointy end. I crave being up the front, I want it more than anything I own, more than anyone I know... Money plays such a huge part of something that brings me such joy, it's saddening. Donington is coming up, and I've managed to scrounge enough money to do a test day before the Friday testing, and will be fighting because my life depends on it come race day.
Racing is my passion, my one true calling, I can't get enough of it... driving is more than just fun for me, it's more than a pass time or a hobby, it is my all, my everything.
My life is wrapped into this choice to follow my dream more than anyone could know. I tirelessly work to make sure this passion can be continued into 2014, sponsorship partners will be in my future, this much passion has to go somewhere, right?
(© Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Spa 2013 footage from the grand stands near Eau Rouge
Just found this footage by Megaracer100, and it's pretty awesome!
For this race, I started from the pitlane, and it's clear, in the shot of the pack going through Eau Rouge for the first time, I'm not even in it! The Medic car goes through the shot before I do! It just puts into perspective what I put in words, and shows how much time I had to claw back on that first lap to come through 2nd from last, then pull myself up to 13th!
For this race, I started from the pitlane, and it's clear, in the shot of the pack going through Eau Rouge for the first time, I'm not even in it! The Medic car goes through the shot before I do! It just puts into perspective what I put in words, and shows how much time I had to claw back on that first lap to come through 2nd from last, then pull myself up to 13th!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Summer MOMO news
The latest from MOMO UK.
http://www.momo-uk.co.uk/News%202013%20on%20-/23.07.13%20MOMO%20UK%20Summer%20update.pdf
Great writeup about my exploits at Spa Francorchamps. Brands hatch coming soon, and really looking forward to it! I have spent quite a bit of time on the indy circuit, but this will be my first experience on the GP track, it should be a successful weekend!
http://www.momo-uk.co.uk/News%202013%20on%20-/23.07.13%20MOMO%20UK%20Summer%20update.pdf
Great writeup about my exploits at Spa Francorchamps. Brands hatch coming soon, and really looking forward to it! I have spent quite a bit of time on the indy circuit, but this will be my first experience on the GP track, it should be a successful weekend!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Spa Francorchamps - Simply stunning. P4!
That piece of tarmac, that winding ribbon of black heaven, is quite frankly, my favourite place on this blue-green planet of ours.
Lets start with a picture. Here I am looking dashing, this is a great pic, Jakob did a great job on this one. The suit, undershirt, and everything else MOMO makes can be had through the MOMO links round this blog.
(all pictures ©Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
All of the week before the races I was watching the weather, hoping beyond hopes that the notoriously unpredictable Spa rain would hold off for my journey to the epic historic circuit. The day of departure the forecast still said fantastic sunny skies with warm temps - perfect. It's not that I don't like racing in the rain, I actually love it, but a place of such awesomeness just had to be driven in the dry.
For testing we had two 30 minute sessions, which for a lot of people wasn't enough, so a large number of the front running drivers went and did more testing beforehand. I did not, though I knew how the track moved and which way the corners went through religious study of onboard videos and Grand Tourismo 5. This, however, did not prepare me for the sheer elevation of the track, there isn't a single corner or straight on the entire 4.5 mile track that lacked a few meters of change. Never the less, in the first half hour session out on track I had knocked my laptime down to a very respectable 2:56, compared to one of the other drivers who had been there much much longer, they were running 2:50. Six seconds off in my first ever half hour session driving the track is something to be extremely proud of.
I'm working my way back up the field here, after some problems.
Sadly the second session was full of red flags and problems, so out of the full half hour we got just two flying laps in. These were both 2:56, so at least I was consistent and could work on finding time in qualifying the next day.
For qualifying I knew that I just had to push to get the speed up, as I knew it was a chance to find pace and lap time before the races. I qualified 13th with a 2:52.1, 4 seconds off pole position 2:48.4. As this meant I had found 2 seconds of pace against the fastest drivers overnight, with no practice, I was pretty pleased!
Fighting for position through Eau Rouge
Race 1 went brilliantly! I started p13 and made quite a good start, not really moving forwards but not losing position either. Through Eau Rouge for the time, a big chunk of the leaders span and crashed, leapfrogging me from 14th to 7th. With the remaining 4 laps, I fought heavily with a few other cars, and made it to P4! Top 5! I was, and still am, ecstatic! First top 5 of the year... so fantastic. The safety car came out, and under that P1 blew his engine up, covering the track in oil. P4 slid off into the barrier, allowing me to move from 5th to 4th, however because I almost followed him into the barrier on the oil, the race was red flagged. Had it not been, P1 would have received a DNF and I could have been on the podium. It is pointless to think of what could have been, as focusing on how to make it happen properly is far more important.
Here is the race 1 video, from start to safety car. It's really exciting!
I work hard every day to make the podium my place, where I belong. In every race, every test session it gets closer and closer.
Race 2 was hectic, I started p13 just like before and got a pretty good start, but coming out of the first corner and continuing down the hill to Eau Rouge I was side by side with 2 other cars. Eau Rouge is hard enough as a single car. Spinning at 115mph is quite scary with 20 cars breathing down your neck. Luckily I stopped the car before ending up in the barrier, but it was a close thing. I rejoined at the very back of the 35 car grid. Throughout race 2 the car was just, unhappy. Unresponsive steering, no grip, lots of understeer, then oversteer, just a really unhappy handling car. Really I should have headed the warnings going into Eau Rouge for the first time, and not attempted to take the corner flat out like I had in race 1. As a racing driver though, with cars close behind and just ahead, I wanted the run, I wanted the positions, I needed to gain. It's just a shame the car was having some issues and couldn't hold the track.
I fought back up to somewhere around 20th position in the following couple of laps. I then came across three g40s in heavy battle, slowing each other down. I knew I was quicker than them, but on lap 4, I was in heavy battle and the grip was just... gone. Here's the video
As you can see, I catch the initial slide but the following snap of grip and reinstated slide just throws me off the track and into the tires. Damage to the car, but no damage to me thankfully.
Full race 2 video will fill this space soon.
Race 3!
Well, because I crashed out of race 2, my grid position was the 2nd to last row. The Optimum guys did a fantastic job getting the car out on time for the grid formation lap. The car wasn't in happy condition after my crash, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. These Ginettas are fantastically tough machines!
While out on the formation lap the throttle got gradually more and more stuck open, to the extent I was on full throttle with my foot no where near it. I tried lining up on the grid to be ready for the green flag lap, but it was just boiling and destroying the clutch. I got pushed off the grid into the pits after the green flag lap started, the guys were there, ready and waiting to fix it. A quick troubleshoot later and the throttle was fixed. Somehow the clutch wasn't destroyed, so I was able to move to the end of the pit lane and start the race from there. What an experience that was! The lights go out on the grid, however I'm not allowed to leave pit lane until -after- the last car has passed the pit exit. This meant I started the race with stone cold slick tires, about 10 seconds down the road from 33rd in 34th position. This was my race though, it was time to work and find the pace.
Things went swimmingly; the car was better than race two but still not as happy as race 1. I managed to turn similar lap times, in the low 2:50s, with traffic and low grip. It wasn't there to improve my times as I knew I could. By the end of lap one I had gained one place; through lap 2 I gained 8 more. Lap 3 saw another 5 fall; lap 4 another 2. By lap 5 I was up with the G40s and continued to gain another 2 positions, even chasing down my own teammate. Lap 6 saw a further 2 positions, and coming round on the last lap, I moved up passed my team mate and took 15th place. 24 places in just 7 laps, just 20 minutes of racing. There's no better racing than that!
Unfortunately, due to the train schedule and getting a lift home, I did not have time to grab my race 3 footage, I may get lucky and have it at Brand Hatch, but it is unlikely.
Making my way through turn 1
Spa has left me wanting more. I love the track and the amazing hilly countryside in which it's set. It really made me see just how much I love driving, no matter where I am on the grid. I love to drive, I can't stop, it brings sheer joy to my heart...
Because of this, I'm always hunting partners to join me in my racing exploits, sponsors are what they're traditionally called, but as I only deal in mutually beneficial terms, it's a partnership. Don't hesitate to contact me, I'm more than happy to about talk what is available to you.
Till next time!
Lets start with a picture. Here I am looking dashing, this is a great pic, Jakob did a great job on this one. The suit, undershirt, and everything else MOMO makes can be had through the MOMO links round this blog.
(all pictures ©Jakob Ebrey www.jakobebrey.com)
All of the week before the races I was watching the weather, hoping beyond hopes that the notoriously unpredictable Spa rain would hold off for my journey to the epic historic circuit. The day of departure the forecast still said fantastic sunny skies with warm temps - perfect. It's not that I don't like racing in the rain, I actually love it, but a place of such awesomeness just had to be driven in the dry.
For testing we had two 30 minute sessions, which for a lot of people wasn't enough, so a large number of the front running drivers went and did more testing beforehand. I did not, though I knew how the track moved and which way the corners went through religious study of onboard videos and Grand Tourismo 5. This, however, did not prepare me for the sheer elevation of the track, there isn't a single corner or straight on the entire 4.5 mile track that lacked a few meters of change. Never the less, in the first half hour session out on track I had knocked my laptime down to a very respectable 2:56, compared to one of the other drivers who had been there much much longer, they were running 2:50. Six seconds off in my first ever half hour session driving the track is something to be extremely proud of.
I'm working my way back up the field here, after some problems.
Sadly the second session was full of red flags and problems, so out of the full half hour we got just two flying laps in. These were both 2:56, so at least I was consistent and could work on finding time in qualifying the next day.
For qualifying I knew that I just had to push to get the speed up, as I knew it was a chance to find pace and lap time before the races. I qualified 13th with a 2:52.1, 4 seconds off pole position 2:48.4. As this meant I had found 2 seconds of pace against the fastest drivers overnight, with no practice, I was pretty pleased!
Fighting for position through Eau Rouge
Race 1 went brilliantly! I started p13 and made quite a good start, not really moving forwards but not losing position either. Through Eau Rouge for the time, a big chunk of the leaders span and crashed, leapfrogging me from 14th to 7th. With the remaining 4 laps, I fought heavily with a few other cars, and made it to P4! Top 5! I was, and still am, ecstatic! First top 5 of the year... so fantastic. The safety car came out, and under that P1 blew his engine up, covering the track in oil. P4 slid off into the barrier, allowing me to move from 5th to 4th, however because I almost followed him into the barrier on the oil, the race was red flagged. Had it not been, P1 would have received a DNF and I could have been on the podium. It is pointless to think of what could have been, as focusing on how to make it happen properly is far more important.
Here is the race 1 video, from start to safety car. It's really exciting!
I work hard every day to make the podium my place, where I belong. In every race, every test session it gets closer and closer.
Race 2 was hectic, I started p13 just like before and got a pretty good start, but coming out of the first corner and continuing down the hill to Eau Rouge I was side by side with 2 other cars. Eau Rouge is hard enough as a single car. Spinning at 115mph is quite scary with 20 cars breathing down your neck. Luckily I stopped the car before ending up in the barrier, but it was a close thing. I rejoined at the very back of the 35 car grid. Throughout race 2 the car was just, unhappy. Unresponsive steering, no grip, lots of understeer, then oversteer, just a really unhappy handling car. Really I should have headed the warnings going into Eau Rouge for the first time, and not attempted to take the corner flat out like I had in race 1. As a racing driver though, with cars close behind and just ahead, I wanted the run, I wanted the positions, I needed to gain. It's just a shame the car was having some issues and couldn't hold the track.
I fought back up to somewhere around 20th position in the following couple of laps. I then came across three g40s in heavy battle, slowing each other down. I knew I was quicker than them, but on lap 4, I was in heavy battle and the grip was just... gone. Here's the video
As you can see, I catch the initial slide but the following snap of grip and reinstated slide just throws me off the track and into the tires. Damage to the car, but no damage to me thankfully.
Full race 2 video will fill this space soon.
Race 3!
Well, because I crashed out of race 2, my grid position was the 2nd to last row. The Optimum guys did a fantastic job getting the car out on time for the grid formation lap. The car wasn't in happy condition after my crash, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. These Ginettas are fantastically tough machines!
While out on the formation lap the throttle got gradually more and more stuck open, to the extent I was on full throttle with my foot no where near it. I tried lining up on the grid to be ready for the green flag lap, but it was just boiling and destroying the clutch. I got pushed off the grid into the pits after the green flag lap started, the guys were there, ready and waiting to fix it. A quick troubleshoot later and the throttle was fixed. Somehow the clutch wasn't destroyed, so I was able to move to the end of the pit lane and start the race from there. What an experience that was! The lights go out on the grid, however I'm not allowed to leave pit lane until -after- the last car has passed the pit exit. This meant I started the race with stone cold slick tires, about 10 seconds down the road from 33rd in 34th position. This was my race though, it was time to work and find the pace.
Things went swimmingly; the car was better than race two but still not as happy as race 1. I managed to turn similar lap times, in the low 2:50s, with traffic and low grip. It wasn't there to improve my times as I knew I could. By the end of lap one I had gained one place; through lap 2 I gained 8 more. Lap 3 saw another 5 fall; lap 4 another 2. By lap 5 I was up with the G40s and continued to gain another 2 positions, even chasing down my own teammate. Lap 6 saw a further 2 positions, and coming round on the last lap, I moved up passed my team mate and took 15th place. 24 places in just 7 laps, just 20 minutes of racing. There's no better racing than that!
Unfortunately, due to the train schedule and getting a lift home, I did not have time to grab my race 3 footage, I may get lucky and have it at Brand Hatch, but it is unlikely.
Making my way through turn 1
Spa has left me wanting more. I love the track and the amazing hilly countryside in which it's set. It really made me see just how much I love driving, no matter where I am on the grid. I love to drive, I can't stop, it brings sheer joy to my heart...
Because of this, I'm always hunting partners to join me in my racing exploits, sponsors are what they're traditionally called, but as I only deal in mutually beneficial terms, it's a partnership. Don't hesitate to contact me, I'm more than happy to about talk what is available to you.
Till next time!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Snetterton 2013, found race pace, ran out of luck.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Bad luck is what I had at Snetterton.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Qualifying went really well, with rain just before we hit the track, the field was bound to be mixed up. As the track dried out, luck said that the car destined for the checkered flag span on the last corner allowing me to slip by and pick up that one last flying lap that slid me happily into P4, my best qualifying of my rather short racing career. P7 was my second fastest time, and my second best outright qualifying position of all time, brilliant, two solid starting points for both races, right on.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Race 1... P4 on the grid, 2nd row, just 2 cars in front of me, just two... Calm and collected we entered turn 1 3 wide. 2 G40s and one G20, as the 20s get ripper starts, he was up there fighting for position. Now, it could be argued that he had no right to be there, as he's in a different slower car, and fighting for position with 40s just screws everybody over... but it's not always there in black and white. P2 span going through turn 1, causing the 20 to smash into the side of me, damaging my rear wheel alignment, and sending me right to the back of the back... Like I said, luck. Both the 20, and the car that span from P2 didn't finish the race due to damage. I however, did. I went into the pits on the first lap to make sure I hadn't picked up a puncture, and that any hanging body work could be ripped off, left the pits and continued the race, now 1 minute and 40 seconds behind the lead car. My car was crabbing really badly, to the extent I was driving down the straights with my steering wheel turned 90* to the right. Through the corners the car was even worse, unstable and unpredictable. Somehow I wrestled it around for 7 laps, putting in a clean 2:13.5, matching my best testing time of the day before... something inside me had clicked... something just seemed to be working now... I was driving quickly, after 3 months of trying to figure out how, I had cracked the code, and everything just fell into place!
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Race 2, P7, I surely couldn't get the same bad luck as race 1, I knew I could work my way up the pack and fight for that podium with my new found speed. Guess what, bad luck struck again... You know, race 2 is so exciting to watch, I'm not going to tell you any information, you'll just have to watch it! It's my opening lap, and my fastest lap back to back. 2:11.7, 0.8 off the lead cars pace. I defintely had the pace, just not the luck. Absolutely insane.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Race 3 I was ready for, really wanted to show that pace and pick off the places to the top. Again turn 1 I had an incident, not sure but it felt like I had a little help with my spin, but considering I was out on the rubber tire marbles from the GT race just before, it's entirely plausible that the car just lost grip. Again I had work to do... I enjoy overtaking, and racing up the pack, but it's not what I want, I WANT that podium, I need it... By the time we crossed the line for the end of lap 2, I had picked up 8 places and gone from 26th to 18th. By lap 4 I had moved up to 14th place. From lap 2 onwards, I was on the speed, through the traffic and slower G20s, I was well into the 2:13 lap times, and for the remaining laps, with minimal traffic, I put in another set of 3 2:12.0 lap times, just like race 2. I finished that race p14
Unfortunately I don't have race 3 video, or footage of the crash in race 1. The crash I really didn't feel like watching at the time, and I just wanted to ignore it and move on, remember the mood and zone I had just found to keep the pace.
Race 3s file format is incorrect, and I haven't figured out how to change it and make it work.
Here's a great comparison video between my fastest race lap (top) and my fastest test lap (bottom).
Spa is next, and with my new found confidence, speed, and calmness... Well, I'd say that to have my first podium, even my first win, be at Spa, I would be lost for words, and simply ecstatic. SIM time for learning Spa, and some time in the car at Silverstone will just cement my new driving style, and improve that first podium chance.
My MOMO gear was flawless as always, kept me cool and comfortable in every race. click on the MOMO logos here on the site to go look at getting your own great gear.
The guys also did a great job fixing the car up after the incidents, making sure it was race ready well in time. Fantastic work by the Optimum Motorsport boys as usual.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
My MOMO gear was flawless as always, kept me cool and comfortable in every race. click on the MOMO logos here on the site to go look at getting your own great gear.
The guys also did a great job fixing the car up after the incidents, making sure it was race ready well in time. Fantastic work by the Optimum Motorsport boys as usual.
(©Jakob Ebrey - www.jakobebrey.com)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Almost felt the podium under my feet... Silverstone - round 3, races 7, 8, & 9
Well, the title give a little bit away, really it's just to get you interested. And interested you should be... Round 3 was on the magnificent Silverstone Grand Prix track, a dream venue for many, my personal favorite, and my "local" being just 40 minutes away.
For Friday testing it was raining, heavily at one point, to the extent visibility went down to what hit the windscreen. Earlier in the day however, the track was dry enough to be running pretty quick on wet tyres, not quite dry enough for slicks though. A few select corners stayed slippery, and if you went in just a little too fast they turned round and bit your head off! Because of that, I had a spin going through Stow, a fast right hander at the "bottom" of the track.
Qualifying went really well, I went out at the start of the session with my heart already running 150bpm because there had been a wiring fault it was running on just a couple cylinders. We found this just 20 minutes before needing to head out for qually, and because of the shear awesomeness of the team (Steve and Dom mainly) I arrived in assembly with about 5 minutes to spare, didn't miss a thing! Really great job by the guys to get the car out, brilliant. Began the session and put two banker laps in, then popped into the pits to take a break and check tyre pressures. Shot back out and manage one last flying lap that put me 9th on the grid for race 1, with a time 2 seconds faster than earlier, 2:29.5. 2:31 put me 12th on the grid for race 2.
(©Jakob Ebrey - http://jakobebrey.com/)
I do have to praise MOMO yet again, as the whole weekend it was sunny and warm, yet in the car driving I stayed the coolest I ever have. The suit, gloves and gear in general just breathes better than anything I've experienced. Highly recommended and great quality. Check out their website through the links here, and give them a follow on twitter! - @MOMOUK1
Race 1, a glimpse at what is to come. 9th was my second highest starting to date, and I managed to capitalize on that moving up to 6th in the first few laps. On lap four, going into "the loop" some marbles or oil or something had found its way onto my tyres when making the pass for 6th 2 corners earlier. This span me round while trail braking to make the apex... All cars behind made it passed without contact or issue, however after I got restarted I was 13th, 3 seconds behind 12th place.
I had work to do.
A few quick maneuvers and my weekends fastest lap, 2:28.5, meant I was hot on the exhaust of P7 with 1 corner left in the last lap... I'll let you watch the video to see what happens!
Race 2, p12, not an abnormal starting position for me... not something I'm proud about, but it does mean I've had lots of practice passing people! With the G20s right behind, I knew one or two would get ahead of me on the start, they always do, so I just focused forward, knowing they'd soon drop behind. I managed to pick up 2 spot on the start, and then over the next couple of laps moved my way forward place by place, taking a total of 3 positions on the first lap. now p9 I settled in and focused on catching the group I had lost while gaining the previous places. It was a very clean race, and on the final lap I had a great scrap with Ben Hyland, where we each left each other millimeters of racing space while fighting for that 6th spot. Check the video out!
Race 3... starting p6 for race 3, just like Rockingham. But unlike Rockingham I was determined not to go backwards the whole race... not through lack of pace anyhow. The red light went out and p2 bogged the start, but I managed a clean quick start and stormed 5th into the battle for 2nd with 3 other drivers. Through turn 1, p5, front wheels inline with the rear of p4 coming up to maggotts and becketts, a left kink followed by a slower right hander, which I was perfectly set up to take the inside line for. Woohoo! Through turn two and in 3rd! Took 4th under braking and with my car on the apex p3 had to stay wide. Ben Hyland had followed me through and was hot on my tail, with Oliver Basey-fisher breathing down our necks wanting his p2 back from the start. Through lap 1 I held my ground, and kept pace well with the top 2, while defending heavily from the two behind, losing out and sliding into 4th at the last corner. P4 was now in need of serious defending, Hyland wanted that spot. I held it for another lap and a half, until a snap oversteer threw me out of the fight and nearly into the wall. Returning to the track in 10th, 2 seconds behind my teammate Thiago Calvet, I again found myself with work to do after running in the top 3... Unfortunate. Well, I knuckled down and threw down the times, working my way up and passed competitors, working my way into 8th place, a mere .7 seconds of 7th.
This video is the most exciting by far... P3 by turn two from 6th on the grid.
I am over the moon with my progress, very little testing, and when you consider this is my first real full season racing, and I didn't kart when I was younger... The future's bright and exciting, follow it all here, or be a part of that future and contact me for info!
Speed, pace, and race craft are definitely coming on strong, bit more time in the car and I'm sure I'll be giving the seasoned drivers a good run for their money.
(©Jakob Ebrey - http://jakobebrey.com/)
My hope is to get testing in immanently, make my feet feel that podium, with the cold glorious trophy in my hand!
For Friday testing it was raining, heavily at one point, to the extent visibility went down to what hit the windscreen. Earlier in the day however, the track was dry enough to be running pretty quick on wet tyres, not quite dry enough for slicks though. A few select corners stayed slippery, and if you went in just a little too fast they turned round and bit your head off! Because of that, I had a spin going through Stow, a fast right hander at the "bottom" of the track.
Qualifying went really well, I went out at the start of the session with my heart already running 150bpm because there had been a wiring fault it was running on just a couple cylinders. We found this just 20 minutes before needing to head out for qually, and because of the shear awesomeness of the team (Steve and Dom mainly) I arrived in assembly with about 5 minutes to spare, didn't miss a thing! Really great job by the guys to get the car out, brilliant. Began the session and put two banker laps in, then popped into the pits to take a break and check tyre pressures. Shot back out and manage one last flying lap that put me 9th on the grid for race 1, with a time 2 seconds faster than earlier, 2:29.5. 2:31 put me 12th on the grid for race 2.
(©Jakob Ebrey - http://jakobebrey.com/)
I do have to praise MOMO yet again, as the whole weekend it was sunny and warm, yet in the car driving I stayed the coolest I ever have. The suit, gloves and gear in general just breathes better than anything I've experienced. Highly recommended and great quality. Check out their website through the links here, and give them a follow on twitter! - @MOMOUK1
Race 1, a glimpse at what is to come. 9th was my second highest starting to date, and I managed to capitalize on that moving up to 6th in the first few laps. On lap four, going into "the loop" some marbles or oil or something had found its way onto my tyres when making the pass for 6th 2 corners earlier. This span me round while trail braking to make the apex... All cars behind made it passed without contact or issue, however after I got restarted I was 13th, 3 seconds behind 12th place.
I had work to do.
A few quick maneuvers and my weekends fastest lap, 2:28.5, meant I was hot on the exhaust of P7 with 1 corner left in the last lap... I'll let you watch the video to see what happens!
Race 2, p12, not an abnormal starting position for me... not something I'm proud about, but it does mean I've had lots of practice passing people! With the G20s right behind, I knew one or two would get ahead of me on the start, they always do, so I just focused forward, knowing they'd soon drop behind. I managed to pick up 2 spot on the start, and then over the next couple of laps moved my way forward place by place, taking a total of 3 positions on the first lap. now p9 I settled in and focused on catching the group I had lost while gaining the previous places. It was a very clean race, and on the final lap I had a great scrap with Ben Hyland, where we each left each other millimeters of racing space while fighting for that 6th spot. Check the video out!
Race 3... starting p6 for race 3, just like Rockingham. But unlike Rockingham I was determined not to go backwards the whole race... not through lack of pace anyhow. The red light went out and p2 bogged the start, but I managed a clean quick start and stormed 5th into the battle for 2nd with 3 other drivers. Through turn 1, p5, front wheels inline with the rear of p4 coming up to maggotts and becketts, a left kink followed by a slower right hander, which I was perfectly set up to take the inside line for. Woohoo! Through turn two and in 3rd! Took 4th under braking and with my car on the apex p3 had to stay wide. Ben Hyland had followed me through and was hot on my tail, with Oliver Basey-fisher breathing down our necks wanting his p2 back from the start. Through lap 1 I held my ground, and kept pace well with the top 2, while defending heavily from the two behind, losing out and sliding into 4th at the last corner. P4 was now in need of serious defending, Hyland wanted that spot. I held it for another lap and a half, until a snap oversteer threw me out of the fight and nearly into the wall. Returning to the track in 10th, 2 seconds behind my teammate Thiago Calvet, I again found myself with work to do after running in the top 3... Unfortunate. Well, I knuckled down and threw down the times, working my way up and passed competitors, working my way into 8th place, a mere .7 seconds of 7th.
This video is the most exciting by far... P3 by turn two from 6th on the grid.
I am over the moon with my progress, very little testing, and when you consider this is my first real full season racing, and I didn't kart when I was younger... The future's bright and exciting, follow it all here, or be a part of that future and contact me for info!
Speed, pace, and race craft are definitely coming on strong, bit more time in the car and I'm sure I'll be giving the seasoned drivers a good run for their money.
(©Jakob Ebrey - http://jakobebrey.com/)
My hope is to get testing in immanently, make my feet feel that podium, with the cold glorious trophy in my hand!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Ginetta Challenge round 2, Rockingham races 1-3 and best result of 2013!
Wow, just, wow. The weekend started out great with a full 2 hours of track time Saturday, bring the lap times down and getting ready for the seriousness of the weekend. Rain in one session meant I had some quality time in car learning how the thing handled, throwing it into drifts and slides around the corners, and investigating the way it understeered or oversteered depending on the throttle.
Sunday morning was met with blue skies and balmy 16* weather, and a long free practice meant hot hot temps in the car, getting on for 40*+. Lots of water of course, hydration is very important, and I got ready to deal with the heat. That morning I had put on my new MOMO racing suit, and my god, the difference in comfort levels between it and my old Alpinestars suit was immense. I'm honestly hand on heart not saying this for any other reason other than it's true, but the MOMO line of gear is ridiculously immensely comfortable! In the car I noticed that the MOMO gear got rid of heat really well, and seemed to keep me a lot cooler, even though it was hotter than the last race. The suit, boots, and gloves are the most comfortable pieces of racing gear I've ever worn, or tried, go and check out their site to get your own! www.momo-uk.co.uk
(©Jakob Ebrey - Jakobebrey.com)
I of course used all the time I could during free practice. Lap times stayed consistent, not quite picking up the pace I would have liked, but in during the video I noticed something I hadn't in the car, I was thinking about the money. I was thinking about how on earth I'd fix the car if I smashed into the wall, or got collected by another car... this wasn't good for my speed.
A quick relaxation and focus session later, I was ready for qualifying. Bam, 2 seconds dropped and I was running 1:40s, no more negative thoughts, and I was driving the car as fast as I could figure out how. This put me 13th on the grid, about 2 seconds off 2nd place pace. Between qualifying and race 1, I spent considerable time studying data and looking at my videos to see where my time was, and it all seemed to be in the braking zones for corners, hmm something to work on during the race!
Race 1 was eventful, a slightly slow start for me lead to one or two places dropped, then I got stuck in the traffic heading down the inside of turn 2. Turn 2 is a sharp hairpin left, and when 15 cars are defending or trying to overtake down the inside, it get tight, quick. Lesson learned? Yeah, for race 2 go round the outside! During the rest of lap 1 of race 1, I climbed my way to 10th place, an accidental bit of contact between myself and teammate Jason Kenny left a tyre mark on the side of my car. A very solid race, with lap times almost identical to qualifying, meant I was a happy man at the end of day 1. Another top 10 finish, brilliant!
RACE 1 video
(©Jakob Ebrey - Jakobebrey.com)
Monday, day 2 of the event, and boy was it a good one. Early morning warm up, and on the old test tyres used for practice the day before, and magically a solid second had been dropped from my time! Having a clear head, being focused and not thinking about money is the easiest way to drive fast.
Race 2, again, started 13th, this was because in qualifying my fastest and second fastest times were just .15 of a second from each other. It's just as well the new MOMO suit is so comfortable and keeps body temps down, race two was even hotter than race 1, and I had to work even harder. Through turn 2, the hair pin, I stuck the car out wide and used the space to take a number of cars, and pushed my way into the top ten. Gradually working my way through a couple more cars, I picked my way to 5th, ready for a top 5 result! On laps 6, 7, and 8, I put in my fastest race laps of the weekend, 1:40.8, 1:40.4 and 1:40.6 respectively. On lap 8, my front sway bar link snapped, and about a second dropped out of my lap time, two laps and a lot of oversteer later, I lost out and moved into 6th place. I managed to hold onto 6th, over my team mate Thiago Calvet in 7th, for the remaining few laps, and took my best racing result of 2013, a fantastic 6th place!
RACE 2 video
(©Jakob Ebrey - Jakobebrey.com)
Race 3 was eventful. It will sound like racing drivers excuses, but I'll tell the story exactly how it happened. Between races 2 and 3, we discovered the front anti roll bar link had broken, but before I knew, I had said we should swap the tyres from front to rear, to counteract the oversteer I was having throughout the last half of race 2 (broken link). Just before heading out of the assembly area, the judicial camera decided not to work, and nearly made me miss the parade lap. However, all this lead to my best start of the weekend, picking up a place through turn 1, and fighting 3 abreast for 3rd going through turn 2, I get pushed very wide onto the grass and have to back off or lose more than just that battle. Through the first lap, I move from 6th into 7th, as I can't get the car to turn on and work for me, something didn't feel the same as race 2, it didn't want to work. Then during lap 2 the shift lights stopped working, and when momentum is everything, and hitting the limiter stops the cars acceleration dead in its tracks does serious damage for straight speed and getting out of corners quickly, it was a huge hit to pace. Throughout the race though I never gave up and tried as many different styles, turn ins, exits, and tricks as I could think of to bring the car back up to pace. I gradually lost places down to 10th, never letting a single one by without a fight though, the car may not be working, but I can make it defend!
I did manage, on the second to last lap of the race, get the pace back to 1:40.4, but by then all it did was make sure that a top 10 finish was in the bag, keeping 11th place at bay for the final lap.
(©Peter - motorsportpete flickr)
With two 10th, and one 6th place finish, pace and potential is showing up in spades, and it's only a matter of time before I'm standing on the steps of the podium. With the solid results from the weekend, I have also jumped into 9th in the championship, just 2 points behind 8th, and just 106 points behind 1st. With 15 races left in the year, anything can happen, and I will be working just as hard to smash my way into the top 5, which is currently occupied by 5 two year + veterans of G40 racing.
The MOMO GT3 BMW Z4 was running well until a mechanical failure took it out of the race.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Ginetta Challenge round 1, races 1-3
-Race videos are uploading, be patient and they'll come in and be part of the blog page, and the videos page-
Oulton Park, what can be said about that track... It's fast, flowing, and intimidating, and quite frankly, fantastic. It's one of the best, and most technical track I've driven, and up there with Laguna Seca as the most fun I've had driving a track. Friday 29th was the test day, and allowed me to get out on track for the first time, and what a track it is. By session two I was working purely on bringing the lap times down, eventually getting to a 1:59. However, the slicks I was running wouldn't allow for anything less than that. They were quite old, and just weren't capable of the grip needed to go faster.
Friday afternoon I was presented with the gloves and boots of my MOMOUK deal. MOMO know what they're doing, honestly, what beautiful gear. The gloves are comfortable and fit like... gloves... good clean craftsmanship. The boots are comfortable, and fit my wide feet well, plus the look awesome in black and red! Through the in-car videos, you can see the fitment for the gloves, and how well they grip the wheel and gear knob.
Saturday-
-Qualifying-
This was the first piece of competitive driving I've done since last October, and it was stacking up to go pretty well. a 1:59 or 58, very doable with the times I was posting the day before, would have put me within the top 12 on the grid, a solid starting point to work from. However, I had forgotten that the day before I was running almost full rear brake bias to deal with the old tyres. This combined with relatively cold tyres sent me into the gravel on lap 3. The rear wheels locked as I braked for Cascades, a fast left hander that goes down hill. The braking point is a crest in the road, and due to the brake bias the rear wheels locked, and sent the car into a spin faster than you can imagine. Thankfully I had completed enough laps to race, and gained a p19 start for race 1 (2:02 lap time) and a p23 start for race 2 (2:08 lap time). Race 3 grid positions would be the results of race 2.
-Race 1-
I wasn't particularly happy with my qualifying results, who would be, but I put it behind me and focused on the race. Something I was always good at in Caterhams was starting, though the G40s are a new car, and require a very different technique for getting them off the line. As this was the first race of the year, and only the 3rd time I had done a race start in a G40, my usual ability to take 4 cars on the pit straight may not happen. It did turn out to be a rather good start, the G20s behind had a little jump due to their lighter chassis, but I gained a G40 on the start, and went into the first corner ready to take the G20s between T1 and T2. Round T1 and there are spinning Ginettas everywhere, with lots of traffic, no time to think about overtaking, just avoid, get through clean and take the positions during the rest of the lap. I made it through the mayhem, and continued the race. With some clean overtakes, and one place lost to another G40, I finished in a comfortable and successful 10th place, 9 places up.
Throughout the race my lap times had been getting faster as my time on the track had gone up, and my confidence in the car had improved. I made it into the low 1:58s by the end of race 1, a good time considering how little track time I had. I gained 11 championship points for 10th.
Race 1 video:
-Race 2-
After the crazy start to race 1, surely race 2 would be a bit calmer, and there would be fewer crashes and issues. Nope, not at all! A major crash stopped race 2 before a full lap had been completed. Several front runner G40s span and collided, but the major crash was between a G20 and a G40. Amazingly, I managed to thread the needle through spinning Ginettas and avoid incident... well, except for a graze down the drivers side!
For the restart, the cars were re-gridded in our original positions, so I was still way down in 23rd, and the spinners from upfront were back safe and sound in grid. Lots of work to do then. Brilliant! My restart was not quite as good as the first, but was still quick and pulled the time back as we got to the first corner. I was up 2 positions by the end of T2, and ready to gain more as the race went on. My team mate Jason Kenny was my closest rival for race 2, with him finishing just in front of me in 13th. In race two I realized I needed more time in the car to gain the confidence to make passes and defend. I lost 1 or 2 places because I couldn't adequately defend my position, which was frustrating. With work, simulator time, and a couple test days at Rockingham to sort out, round 2 with race 1, 2, and 3 will be ones to watch. Through race 2 I had brought my lap times even closer to the 1:57 mark, a 1:58.1. 7 champ points earned for 14th.
Race 2 mayhem 1st start:
Race 2 restart video:
-Race 3-
I was starting very very close to the top 10 this time, in 14th place! I was ready for whatever this race would bring, even alien intervention. After avoiding the mayhem of both races 1 and 2, I was confident in being able to handle whatever came my way. Jason Kenny, in 13th, and I both got solid starts keeping our car on the black stuff, allowing us pull up to 9th and 10th by the end of T2. After a number of 1st lap dives trying to get past Kenny, I had a couple very bad lock ups going into the 2nd chicane, leading to a gap forming. However, I was running faster lap times, well into the 1:57s and low 1:58s, I would gain, then lock, lose out, gain lock, lose out. After the 3rd straightline I remembered my brake bias, and adjusted one full turn backwards. This fixed the locking and I started gaining on P9 and 10 again. Two yellow flag zones, on the second to last lap meant I was right on the tail of 10th place Pointon. Not quite being able to make the move for the last lap, I got a fantastic run out of the last corner, but couldn't quite make the pass before the finish line. Fastest lap a 1:57:7, just 4 seconds off the fastest lap of the day, by someone who knew the track and cars better than I. I know the potential for myself to set fastest laps is there, time in the car at Rockingham and the remaining tracks will prove as such. 10 champ. points for 11th.
Race 3 video:
All 3 races were fantastic, I loved driving every single minute of them. For Rockingham I will be putting in some much needed seat time at test days and in the sim. I can't deal with not having the confidence to drive to my full potential any more. The media day let me see how fast I can be in that car, right down the throats of podium finishes, I'll only get there with seat time. I'm working harder than ever to make this happen, as it is ever more important to me to show my pace.
After all that happened this weekend, I ended up 10th in the championship! Room for improvement, but a good solid base to start a charge for the top 3.
That's all folks, tune in for blogs throughout this off-month, as I'll still be doing track bits!
Rockingham is on the 5th and 6th of May, come say hello, check out the car, and see how awesome the Ginetta series atmosphere is.
I know you like the look of the new MOMO gear, so use the link here on the site to go check their gear out! Get your own sexy Italian racing gear, steering wheels, and more.
www.momo-uk.co.uk
Oulton Park, what can be said about that track... It's fast, flowing, and intimidating, and quite frankly, fantastic. It's one of the best, and most technical track I've driven, and up there with Laguna Seca as the most fun I've had driving a track. Friday 29th was the test day, and allowed me to get out on track for the first time, and what a track it is. By session two I was working purely on bringing the lap times down, eventually getting to a 1:59. However, the slicks I was running wouldn't allow for anything less than that. They were quite old, and just weren't capable of the grip needed to go faster.
Friday afternoon I was presented with the gloves and boots of my MOMOUK deal. MOMO know what they're doing, honestly, what beautiful gear. The gloves are comfortable and fit like... gloves... good clean craftsmanship. The boots are comfortable, and fit my wide feet well, plus the look awesome in black and red! Through the in-car videos, you can see the fitment for the gloves, and how well they grip the wheel and gear knob.
Saturday-
-Qualifying-
This was the first piece of competitive driving I've done since last October, and it was stacking up to go pretty well. a 1:59 or 58, very doable with the times I was posting the day before, would have put me within the top 12 on the grid, a solid starting point to work from. However, I had forgotten that the day before I was running almost full rear brake bias to deal with the old tyres. This combined with relatively cold tyres sent me into the gravel on lap 3. The rear wheels locked as I braked for Cascades, a fast left hander that goes down hill. The braking point is a crest in the road, and due to the brake bias the rear wheels locked, and sent the car into a spin faster than you can imagine. Thankfully I had completed enough laps to race, and gained a p19 start for race 1 (2:02 lap time) and a p23 start for race 2 (2:08 lap time). Race 3 grid positions would be the results of race 2.
-Race 1-
I wasn't particularly happy with my qualifying results, who would be, but I put it behind me and focused on the race. Something I was always good at in Caterhams was starting, though the G40s are a new car, and require a very different technique for getting them off the line. As this was the first race of the year, and only the 3rd time I had done a race start in a G40, my usual ability to take 4 cars on the pit straight may not happen. It did turn out to be a rather good start, the G20s behind had a little jump due to their lighter chassis, but I gained a G40 on the start, and went into the first corner ready to take the G20s between T1 and T2. Round T1 and there are spinning Ginettas everywhere, with lots of traffic, no time to think about overtaking, just avoid, get through clean and take the positions during the rest of the lap. I made it through the mayhem, and continued the race. With some clean overtakes, and one place lost to another G40, I finished in a comfortable and successful 10th place, 9 places up.
Throughout the race my lap times had been getting faster as my time on the track had gone up, and my confidence in the car had improved. I made it into the low 1:58s by the end of race 1, a good time considering how little track time I had. I gained 11 championship points for 10th.
Race 1 video:
-Race 2-
After the crazy start to race 1, surely race 2 would be a bit calmer, and there would be fewer crashes and issues. Nope, not at all! A major crash stopped race 2 before a full lap had been completed. Several front runner G40s span and collided, but the major crash was between a G20 and a G40. Amazingly, I managed to thread the needle through spinning Ginettas and avoid incident... well, except for a graze down the drivers side!
For the restart, the cars were re-gridded in our original positions, so I was still way down in 23rd, and the spinners from upfront were back safe and sound in grid. Lots of work to do then. Brilliant! My restart was not quite as good as the first, but was still quick and pulled the time back as we got to the first corner. I was up 2 positions by the end of T2, and ready to gain more as the race went on. My team mate Jason Kenny was my closest rival for race 2, with him finishing just in front of me in 13th. In race two I realized I needed more time in the car to gain the confidence to make passes and defend. I lost 1 or 2 places because I couldn't adequately defend my position, which was frustrating. With work, simulator time, and a couple test days at Rockingham to sort out, round 2 with race 1, 2, and 3 will be ones to watch. Through race 2 I had brought my lap times even closer to the 1:57 mark, a 1:58.1. 7 champ points earned for 14th.
Race 2 mayhem 1st start:
Race 2 restart video:
-Race 3-
I was starting very very close to the top 10 this time, in 14th place! I was ready for whatever this race would bring, even alien intervention. After avoiding the mayhem of both races 1 and 2, I was confident in being able to handle whatever came my way. Jason Kenny, in 13th, and I both got solid starts keeping our car on the black stuff, allowing us pull up to 9th and 10th by the end of T2. After a number of 1st lap dives trying to get past Kenny, I had a couple very bad lock ups going into the 2nd chicane, leading to a gap forming. However, I was running faster lap times, well into the 1:57s and low 1:58s, I would gain, then lock, lose out, gain lock, lose out. After the 3rd straightline I remembered my brake bias, and adjusted one full turn backwards. This fixed the locking and I started gaining on P9 and 10 again. Two yellow flag zones, on the second to last lap meant I was right on the tail of 10th place Pointon. Not quite being able to make the move for the last lap, I got a fantastic run out of the last corner, but couldn't quite make the pass before the finish line. Fastest lap a 1:57:7, just 4 seconds off the fastest lap of the day, by someone who knew the track and cars better than I. I know the potential for myself to set fastest laps is there, time in the car at Rockingham and the remaining tracks will prove as such. 10 champ. points for 11th.
Race 3 video:
All 3 races were fantastic, I loved driving every single minute of them. For Rockingham I will be putting in some much needed seat time at test days and in the sim. I can't deal with not having the confidence to drive to my full potential any more. The media day let me see how fast I can be in that car, right down the throats of podium finishes, I'll only get there with seat time. I'm working harder than ever to make this happen, as it is ever more important to me to show my pace.
After all that happened this weekend, I ended up 10th in the championship! Room for improvement, but a good solid base to start a charge for the top 3.
That's all folks, tune in for blogs throughout this off-month, as I'll still be doing track bits!
Rockingham is on the 5th and 6th of May, come say hello, check out the car, and see how awesome the Ginetta series atmosphere is.
I know you like the look of the new MOMO gear, so use the link here on the site to go check their gear out! Get your own sexy Italian racing gear, steering wheels, and more.
www.momo-uk.co.uk
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Biggest news! MOMO UK partnership!
You will notice I have added a MOMO image to the right of my blog, this is a direct link to MOMO UK's website, click on it and check them out! There's a huge range of product available, seats, steering wheels, wheels, and of course their fantastic range of racing gear. Some more changes to my site will be made through the remainder of this week, nothing major but you will notice them.
MOMO UK is doing some spectacular work this year by supporting a select number of drivers, from grass roots to British GT. There's just one driver (myself) in the Ginetta Challenge, 2 cars in British GT, the 888Optimum Motorsport GT3 BMW of Daniel Brown and Steve Tandy, and the Readgate Consulting/Lifetime Racing GT4 Ginetta G50 entry of Dan Eagling and Matt Smith, Radical SR3 racer Bradley Smith, and grass roots BMW drivers Stuart Voyce and Mike Tovey
I'll be competing throughout the year in brand new MOMO racing suit, boots, and gloves, something I'm eagerly looking forward to! It's going to be Christmas in March when the box of goodies arrives. I will of course be taking pictures as I unpack, and will take a full length for those interested ;-). This is certainly the beginning of something great.
This is a very exciting major step forward in the journey towards professional Motorsport, I'm sure it will lead to great things.
Something tells me this is going to be a spectacular year!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Ginetta Media Day - best day testing in ages!
Ginetta really know how to put on a day! They must have booked the sun months ago, because it ws a beautiful day out, bright skies and warm tarmac. Optimum, as always, handled the day brilliantly, everything ran smoothly, and the car was in peak physical and mechanical condition. All bodes well.
I spent the morning sessions blowing the cobwebs out, and just making sure I was still putting down consistent times, to random "lucky" laps, or any one lap slow one lap fast shenanigans. After the first 20 minutes, it was clear that, yeah, I was still rocking the consistency side of things. That meant I could do nothing but bash the lap times for the rest of the day. Second session, lap times down to a solid base for the afternoon, about 1.5 seconds behind the current pace.
After the lunch break, I jumped back in the beast (named Ripley, I think all my racing cars will carry that name...), and started kicking the times down. 10 out of the 15 or so laps in session 3 were well over a second faster, with the remaining 5 or so about the same as session 2. Fantastic! Current fastest lap after session 3 was under a second off the pace, now that's workable!
Session 4 went amazingly well, lap 3 saw a spin going into Maggotts. An error on my part sent the rear round faster than I could blink. I simply didn't blip the downshift from 3rd into 2nd enough, the rear wheels locked and it just rotated. No worries, threw it into first half way through the spin, got it the rest of the way round, dropped the clutch and continued on for the rest of the lap, and session. Turns out I ran about 5 or 6 seconds slower on that lap... and it had a full 360 in it!
By the end of session 4, and indeed the day, I was sitting a comfortable ~.5 off the pace! The best part being, for 90% of the session, my times were within a few tenths of themselves.
Considering that I haven't touched a track, or car, since October last year, that's brilliant headway for this season. Last year I struggled to put fast laps down outside of a race, and for practice and qually, this meant I was behind the pace by too much to be able to pull the places needed for podiums.
This year though... Well, here's the video of my last two runs, and see why I'm so stoked for the 2013 Ginetta Challenge!
And, for your viewing pleasure, the spin during the last session.
I spent the morning sessions blowing the cobwebs out, and just making sure I was still putting down consistent times, to random "lucky" laps, or any one lap slow one lap fast shenanigans. After the first 20 minutes, it was clear that, yeah, I was still rocking the consistency side of things. That meant I could do nothing but bash the lap times for the rest of the day. Second session, lap times down to a solid base for the afternoon, about 1.5 seconds behind the current pace.
After the lunch break, I jumped back in the beast (named Ripley, I think all my racing cars will carry that name...), and started kicking the times down. 10 out of the 15 or so laps in session 3 were well over a second faster, with the remaining 5 or so about the same as session 2. Fantastic! Current fastest lap after session 3 was under a second off the pace, now that's workable!
Session 4 went amazingly well, lap 3 saw a spin going into Maggotts. An error on my part sent the rear round faster than I could blink. I simply didn't blip the downshift from 3rd into 2nd enough, the rear wheels locked and it just rotated. No worries, threw it into first half way through the spin, got it the rest of the way round, dropped the clutch and continued on for the rest of the lap, and session. Turns out I ran about 5 or 6 seconds slower on that lap... and it had a full 360 in it!
By the end of session 4, and indeed the day, I was sitting a comfortable ~.5 off the pace! The best part being, for 90% of the session, my times were within a few tenths of themselves.
Considering that I haven't touched a track, or car, since October last year, that's brilliant headway for this season. Last year I struggled to put fast laps down outside of a race, and for practice and qually, this meant I was behind the pace by too much to be able to pull the places needed for podiums.
This year though... Well, here's the video of my last two runs, and see why I'm so stoked for the 2013 Ginetta Challenge!
And, for your viewing pleasure, the spin during the last session.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
My first press release
Well, this just made my day!
http://www.ginetta.com/news_article?id=1041
It somehow make it all more official, having written up and released to the world by someone else.
The first race is way too far away!
http://www.ginetta.com/news_article?id=1041
It somehow make it all more official, having written up and released to the world by someone else.
The first race is way too far away!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Passion
Well, over the weekend all has been pretty much confirmed for my years drive in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge. Still getting the last little bits finalized, so a full release of details such as team, is coming shortly.
It has been really hard work up to this point, and it's only going to get harder. With 2014 a complete no-go unless I find some sponsorship this year! I relish the challenge though, I am determined to win, and even more determined to continue racing for many years to come.
Racing is a passion many of us share, but few get to experience, and fewer get to get paid to experience. Just the other day it was announced that Timo Glock, a fantastically talented driver, had been dumped from the Marussia F1 team in favor of a driver with less talent, but more money. What if all talent and passion for something had to be followed closely by money? We would have no Xgames, no surfing competitions, frankly, no passion driven sports championships or competitions of any kind.
Well, that's not quite true, we would, but it would be rich against rich, and where's the fun in that? The speed of the sport, and quite possibly, the innovations and passion for the sport would diminish greatly. Who wants to watch a bunch of rich people show off the fact that they can do what they want? The true meaning of sport is to follow a dream no matter the cost, through thick and thin, to overcome fears, comfortzones, and blast down walls and doors that are put in place to stop that dream coming true.
That's why our passion for motorsports should grow, sharing it world wide, and allowing those with talent to compete, over those with money.
I am training myself physically and mentally for the racing season ahead, so that I can do everything in my power to win every race and the championship. Why? Because I love to race. Which brings me on to the fact that I'm spending every waking hour hunting anything remotely related to sponsorship. Talking with the best in the business, cold calling, emailing, calling in favors with friends and family. Passion drives many things in life, relationships, work, care for a pet... in me it drives a want, no a need to improve myself and the world I'm a part of.
It has been really hard work up to this point, and it's only going to get harder. With 2014 a complete no-go unless I find some sponsorship this year! I relish the challenge though, I am determined to win, and even more determined to continue racing for many years to come.
Racing is a passion many of us share, but few get to experience, and fewer get to get paid to experience. Just the other day it was announced that Timo Glock, a fantastically talented driver, had been dumped from the Marussia F1 team in favor of a driver with less talent, but more money. What if all talent and passion for something had to be followed closely by money? We would have no Xgames, no surfing competitions, frankly, no passion driven sports championships or competitions of any kind.
Well, that's not quite true, we would, but it would be rich against rich, and where's the fun in that? The speed of the sport, and quite possibly, the innovations and passion for the sport would diminish greatly. Who wants to watch a bunch of rich people show off the fact that they can do what they want? The true meaning of sport is to follow a dream no matter the cost, through thick and thin, to overcome fears, comfortzones, and blast down walls and doors that are put in place to stop that dream coming true.
That's why our passion for motorsports should grow, sharing it world wide, and allowing those with talent to compete, over those with money.
I am training myself physically and mentally for the racing season ahead, so that I can do everything in my power to win every race and the championship. Why? Because I love to race. Which brings me on to the fact that I'm spending every waking hour hunting anything remotely related to sponsorship. Talking with the best in the business, cold calling, emailing, calling in favors with friends and family. Passion drives many things in life, relationships, work, care for a pet... in me it drives a want, no a need to improve myself and the world I'm a part of.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
My support page, and coming back to blogging!
While I have been away for some time, I will be coming back to regular blog posts about my racing endeavors, and even the adventure it has been... sorry still currently is, to find the money to race.
I may have been away, but I certainly wasn't sitting idle! I have been working hard day, and most nights, trying to get the upcoming racing season off the ground. I have spent a lot of time making powerpoint proposals, sending them off all over the world, and getting zero responses. I have spent even longer making personalized, individual powerpoint proposals designed around one company, only to get zero feedback, not even a "don't bother us any more". This has all been very disheartening, surely money shouldn't stop the pursuit of dreams and passions so violently. Surely a small racing budget can be found somehow.
Forever the optimist, I scoured the web trying to find anything that could help me reach my dream, and race in 2013. Finally, a crowd sourcing website called gofundme turned up, and through it I came up with a very fun way for people to join in. My support page has just been revamped, modernized, and is all new and exciting! My gofundme webpage, http://www.gofundme.com/TorMcIlroyRacing2013 has everything you need to know about me, and my forthcoming year. But, I will share anyway, as I just love talking about racing, and cars.
I will be competing in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, a extremely exciting, riviting, popular, and busy one-make racing series, based around the Ginetta G40 racing car. One-make means that all the cars in the field are the exact same model, like Nascar but smaller and can turn right. Because all the cars are identical, the drivers make the difference between winning or losing, which makes the racing very close, hot blooded, and nail biting! However, I am struggling to find the money to compete in this fantastic series... It's out of my work budget, and selling the Caterham wont cover the cost either. I have spent the last 2 months feverishly hunting sponsorship, hence my absence from this blog, and haven't managed to stir even a finger in response.
That's why I started the gofundme page, http://www.gofundme.com/TorMcIlroyRacing2013, because I came to the realization that if people stuffed their arm into their sofa, they'd probably pull out £10 worth of coins. If 2000 people did that, and entered into our enormous sponsorship family through gofundme, half the budget for the racing season would be found. With 7 square meters of coverable space on the G40, there's more than enough space for 5000 people, and that would healthily cover the racing budget for this year.
Space you ask? Why does he need space if people are giving him money? Ah, well, that's where it changes, you get to send a picture of your choice (nothing explicit or rude), that would get placed on the car, for the whole entire season. You would also receive a standard A4 sized professionally printed picture of the car in race trim, and on the track. Autographed as well of course.
That's £10 that would have sat in the sofa for the next decade, going towards helping someone live a dream, while getting yourself something in return.
You see, it's not a one way street, it's not give and take, it's give and give. Also available are many higher levels, including season tickets to race weekends, and track days with tuition.
As I say in my support page, you can also contact me if you want more... more? More means exclusive opportunities and experiences what only racing sponsors can get, the "money-can't-buy" scene that everyone longs to be a part of.
Feel free to E-mail (sponsorship -at- torminator.com), and we can have a chat about what you can provide, but more importantly, what I can provide you in return.
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