Ginetta Challenge, my ambition for next year is finally decided. Huge thanks to Matt Kelly, and all the guys at Optimum Motorsport.
Monday, yesterday, I spent the morning with Optimum Motorsport, getting instruction in one of thier Ginetta Challenge G40s. Words can hardly explain the sensation of awesomeness I felt behind the wheel. Slicks are fantastic fun, and the sequential gearbox is just a pleasure to use. Turn in was direct, and the car can be driven on the throttle. The Caterham is a great, fun little car, but in Academy form, it doesn't so much dance around the track, as it jumps and bucks around the track. The G40 though, dances, glides and drives beautifully, smoothness is everything, and staying relaxed brings the lap times down ten fold. I clocked 25-30 laps around the Silverstone GP circuit, in the morning, sharing with a couple other guys. The instructors, and support team, are all great guys, they all know their stuff and it was awesome talking with them about the cars, and the series. It was a fantastic day I intend to repeat in the future.
After my short time in the car, I managed to get the lap time down to a reasonably quick time, a 2:38, considering I had an instructor in the car, and traffic, I was told it was pretty quick. For a first time out in the car, and my first time driving on slicks, I'm thrilled, and excited. I am really enthusiastic about the car and series, and now have the drive and ambition to race in the Challenge series next season. With 21 races in the season, all televised, it's a huge step in the right direction for me, and will lead to more opportunities in the future. I had my fun in the Academy, I have loved every second, but it's time to focus on moving forward in motorsport. It's time to get serious.
Video from my last session, a little spin at the end, just wasn't quite looking far enough ahead, and didn't find the apex of Village Corner.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
A bit of a smash...
Just a small crash, minor skyward view, minor slam into the ground, and amazingly, minor damage.
Friday was testing at Snetterton, everything went to plan in the first session, I spent it finding my sights, figuring out where the car wanted to be on the track, and gaining confidence and speed. In the second session my gearbox finally gave out. 3rd gear has been crunching, and it was obviously the end of it, sadly it didn't make it to the end of the year like I had hoped it would. The Caterham guys worked magic and had a brand new gearbox in the car in 2 hours flat. Afternoon testing showed great pace, running in 1:28s, with a low 1:27 thrown in with some drafting. This should have put me right where I needed for qualifying, pole.
Saturday morning I went and marshaled, as part of the novice license you can marshal for a day to gain a signature on your upgrade license. Saturday afternoon was qualifying. I made a poor choice, and ended up choosing the wrong "fast" person to follow. With my fastest lap being the one after I left the pack at the front, I realized I didn't have the banker I thought I did. Oh well, 12th is fine, at Donington I drove from 12th to 5th in half a lap, without a safety car I was positive I could make it from 12th to 1st at Snetterton.
Sunday morning I was marshaling again, this time at the Montreal Hairpin. Out of the 6 races in the morning, there were 2 crashes or incidents at my corner. This did not bode well for the Academy. I left marshaling knowing without a doubt that there would be a crash in my race, I just didn't know who would be in it.
3:43 and I'm sitting on the grid waiting for the green flag lap, 100% focused on my start plan, and where I was going to put the car to move up the grid. 3:45 I was waiting for the lights, those red lights that start the race... they're out, I get a good start in first, but miss 2nd because the new box isn't run in yet, that's ok, focus on the corner and how to block passers. 3rd gear and I've taken 2 cars, right stick it on the inside, don't collect that car, hold wide, got him. #39 is the 3rd car I pass heading towards turn 2, the Montreal hairpin. I move to the inside of the track to make use of the space, and gain at least 2 more positions through braking for the hairpin. Hang on, people are locked, tire smoke filling my sights, nobody has spun yet though, I can continue attacking and gain places in the mayhem. Then smash! Someone span, just a second after I had made the decision to continue overtaking. With cars behind to the left and right, and 4 cars in front, I saw no way out, and decided to scrub speed as much as possible before impact.
The car has a bent A arm, 2 bent ball joints, and a few bent bolts, but that's it, and will be fixed by the end of the week. As you see, I failed to fasten my HANS device, a stupid mistake, one that will never happen again for as long as I am racing. However, luck played a huge part, and I have no injuries, no pains, and am fit and well, ready to race another day. Here is a series of photos, taken by Rachel, one graphically showing how high the front of my car went off the ground: http://www.rachelhorganphotography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=10109#image=111482
Here's a view from behind me, showing just how few options I had open to me.
I will be spending a lot of time prepping for Rockingham, with the same fire and determination to win. There are also 2 more races I am intending to enter after that, non-championship, but my main goal is to upgrade my racing license, from National B to National A.
The next race is just a month away, there's work to be done, things to fix, no time at all to hang about and mope about not finishing a race.
Friday was testing at Snetterton, everything went to plan in the first session, I spent it finding my sights, figuring out where the car wanted to be on the track, and gaining confidence and speed. In the second session my gearbox finally gave out. 3rd gear has been crunching, and it was obviously the end of it, sadly it didn't make it to the end of the year like I had hoped it would. The Caterham guys worked magic and had a brand new gearbox in the car in 2 hours flat. Afternoon testing showed great pace, running in 1:28s, with a low 1:27 thrown in with some drafting. This should have put me right where I needed for qualifying, pole.
Saturday morning I went and marshaled, as part of the novice license you can marshal for a day to gain a signature on your upgrade license. Saturday afternoon was qualifying. I made a poor choice, and ended up choosing the wrong "fast" person to follow. With my fastest lap being the one after I left the pack at the front, I realized I didn't have the banker I thought I did. Oh well, 12th is fine, at Donington I drove from 12th to 5th in half a lap, without a safety car I was positive I could make it from 12th to 1st at Snetterton.
Sunday morning I was marshaling again, this time at the Montreal Hairpin. Out of the 6 races in the morning, there were 2 crashes or incidents at my corner. This did not bode well for the Academy. I left marshaling knowing without a doubt that there would be a crash in my race, I just didn't know who would be in it.
3:43 and I'm sitting on the grid waiting for the green flag lap, 100% focused on my start plan, and where I was going to put the car to move up the grid. 3:45 I was waiting for the lights, those red lights that start the race... they're out, I get a good start in first, but miss 2nd because the new box isn't run in yet, that's ok, focus on the corner and how to block passers. 3rd gear and I've taken 2 cars, right stick it on the inside, don't collect that car, hold wide, got him. #39 is the 3rd car I pass heading towards turn 2, the Montreal hairpin. I move to the inside of the track to make use of the space, and gain at least 2 more positions through braking for the hairpin. Hang on, people are locked, tire smoke filling my sights, nobody has spun yet though, I can continue attacking and gain places in the mayhem. Then smash! Someone span, just a second after I had made the decision to continue overtaking. With cars behind to the left and right, and 4 cars in front, I saw no way out, and decided to scrub speed as much as possible before impact.
The car has a bent A arm, 2 bent ball joints, and a few bent bolts, but that's it, and will be fixed by the end of the week. As you see, I failed to fasten my HANS device, a stupid mistake, one that will never happen again for as long as I am racing. However, luck played a huge part, and I have no injuries, no pains, and am fit and well, ready to race another day. Here is a series of photos, taken by Rachel, one graphically showing how high the front of my car went off the ground: http://www.rachelhorganphotography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=10109#image=111482
Here's a view from behind me, showing just how few options I had open to me.
I will be spending a lot of time prepping for Rockingham, with the same fire and determination to win. There are also 2 more races I am intending to enter after that, non-championship, but my main goal is to upgrade my racing license, from National B to National A.
The next race is just a month away, there's work to be done, things to fix, no time at all to hang about and mope about not finishing a race.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Prep for Snetterton
Snetterton, the penultimate race, is this coming weekend. With a whopping 9100 miles on the car, I decided to go through and bleed the brakes, and the clutch, and do a general bolt tighten. Everything was still tight, no diff cage issues, and the clutch stills bites as hard as ever, no sign of the crank seal failing. Ripley (name of my car, taken from the Alien quadrilogy) has by far and away the highest milage, and therefore is the happiest, Caterham in the Academy.
I start the weekend with the MSV testing day on Friday, get my eye in and find the grip. Then on to marshalling Saturday morning, followed closely by qualifying in the afternoon, then finishing off with marshalling on Sunday, and the race Sunday afternoon.
It's going to be a big weekend, lots of Caterhams, lots of excitement, and a big smile on my face at the end of it.
I start the weekend with the MSV testing day on Friday, get my eye in and find the grip. Then on to marshalling Saturday morning, followed closely by qualifying in the afternoon, then finishing off with marshalling on Sunday, and the race Sunday afternoon.
It's going to be a big weekend, lots of Caterhams, lots of excitement, and a big smile on my face at the end of it.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Three worst words in Motorsport, Did. Not. Finish.
This DNF was due to a fuel issues, so the car isn't damaged and I'm perfectly alright, apart from a badly bruised hand...
With another questionable qualifying, I ended up 1.5 seconds off the pole lap speed, in 15th place. The crazy thing is 5th to 17th was covered by less than a second, so a tenth or two at any given corner made a huge difference. I now know it's extremely difficult to turn up at a brand new track, and drive it as fast as it can be driven. Another flying start on my part, 3 cars before the end of the pit straight, it could have been more, but I honestly did not see the hole in traffic behind the yellow car in front to my left. The yellow flag came out at Paddock Hill on lap two, hence me slowing down, I think i was the only one who saw it judging by the way the other guys shot off... Maybe we all need to go on a course that teaches us all how to look for yellow flags! I did miss the green flag being held out at the bottom of Paddock though. I manage to put in a 57.000 on lap 7, two laps before my fuel cut out, being the 5th fastest time of the race, with only 20 minutes of track driving by that point, I am very pleased.
Thankfully this DNF doesn't mean the end of my championship podium fight, after everyone drops their worst score, I am only 4 points off the podium in 5th, so 100% in the zone.
Zolli, fantastic clean racing, you did some nice blocking, I couldn't find a way past for a long time! It's a shame it didn't go on for all 16 laps, it would have been fun to try and make it past that group.
Great race to all, shame about the contact Chris and David, congrats on another win Alex, and a big hearty congrats to Scott, never saw it coming!
Snetterton in a month, and I will be going to that event ready for a fight, without any fuel issues.
With another questionable qualifying, I ended up 1.5 seconds off the pole lap speed, in 15th place. The crazy thing is 5th to 17th was covered by less than a second, so a tenth or two at any given corner made a huge difference. I now know it's extremely difficult to turn up at a brand new track, and drive it as fast as it can be driven. Another flying start on my part, 3 cars before the end of the pit straight, it could have been more, but I honestly did not see the hole in traffic behind the yellow car in front to my left. The yellow flag came out at Paddock Hill on lap two, hence me slowing down, I think i was the only one who saw it judging by the way the other guys shot off... Maybe we all need to go on a course that teaches us all how to look for yellow flags! I did miss the green flag being held out at the bottom of Paddock though. I manage to put in a 57.000 on lap 7, two laps before my fuel cut out, being the 5th fastest time of the race, with only 20 minutes of track driving by that point, I am very pleased.
Thankfully this DNF doesn't mean the end of my championship podium fight, after everyone drops their worst score, I am only 4 points off the podium in 5th, so 100% in the zone.
Zolli, fantastic clean racing, you did some nice blocking, I couldn't find a way past for a long time! It's a shame it didn't go on for all 16 laps, it would have been fun to try and make it past that group.
Great race to all, shame about the contact Chris and David, congrats on another win Alex, and a big hearty congrats to Scott, never saw it coming!
Snetterton in a month, and I will be going to that event ready for a fight, without any fuel issues.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Donington, one track, one race.
My first race, my first wheel to wheel dose of fantastic chaos, and I loved very second. Calm, collected, and focused, I set off to take my 11th place position on the grid for the green flag lap. A few minutes later, again, head clear, nerves calm, I lined up in my spot, looking down the grid to the lights... nothing... lights are on, revs up, in 1st gear, lights ou-GO!
With a great start, I take 3 cars on the pit straight, and a fourth through the 1st corner, a 5th going through McLeans, who I could have taken earlier, but as it was the first lap, of the first race, I decided to give him the space to move around. Nigel, in the white car, fires up my inside through Coppice, and gets a little lead down the straight. Then everything unravels, Double Six, car # 78, spins in the esses, and sets off a chain reaction going down the grid. Nigel, # 28, goes off into the gravel just in front of me, and 4 cars end up crashed and damaged in the mid-pack. Michael gets hit by Ian, and Tristan gets hit head on by Michael, both passengers in the whole event. (for this crash video go here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LwHKlKejWk&feature=g-hist ). The Safety Car boards and yellow flags are out as soon as the first car span, before I pass through the craziness. We then have 3 laps of following the safety car, to allow the marshals to clear the track, and to calm us all down. Then we're off again, and I take my 6th car, #78, going into the Melbourne Hairpin. With open track at last, I focus on the lead four, and just drive to catch them... then the checkered flag comes out. In the 2 laps that I am fighting with Double Six for 5th, I close on the lead four cars by 2 seconds. Then in my last lap, I close over a second in clean air, sadly it wasn't enough to catch them in one lap!
7 laps, 3.5 of actual racing... it's not long enough. I think there was enough time for the organizers to allow us a bigger window, but the Le Mans guys had priority.
Just as a note, you guys who drove home with cars that need... operations... Seriously bad luck guys, I know, from the videos, how carefully each of you were driving in order to not crash. I hope to see you all on the grid at Brands, and believe it will be a lot less eventful.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Race 1!
Well, it was an epically insane day for all, and an eventful one for a few, and a good one for me.
I started 11th, and finished 5th, going from 11th to 6th in half the first lap. 5th was good enough to get me into 3rd in the championship, so since the start of the season I pull up from 5th, to 3rd, and with that I am very pleased.
A big post is coming in the next few days with my video of the race, I just happen to be having some crazy internet uploading issues at the moment. It wont be long!
I'll leave you with a picture of me sitting calm and collected in the assembly area before heading out for the green flag lap, video wont be long, I promise.
I started 11th, and finished 5th, going from 11th to 6th in half the first lap. 5th was good enough to get me into 3rd in the championship, so since the start of the season I pull up from 5th, to 3rd, and with that I am very pleased.
A big post is coming in the next few days with my video of the race, I just happen to be having some crazy internet uploading issues at the moment. It wont be long!
I'll leave you with a picture of me sitting calm and collected in the assembly area before heading out for the green flag lap, video wont be long, I promise.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
A grand day out!
Yesterday my dad, brother, and I went to Hullavington Airfield for a day of hooning around in the Caterham. They hadn't driven it before, and had only briefly sat in it for short trips to the shops. Now though, they got to DRIVE it! It started off dry, so I took the opportunity to test out the new uprated brake pads (installed 5 minutes previously), test out driving with my new HANS, and see if the suspension adjustment made a good or bad difference. With that out of the way, and the brand new pads "feeling funky" I took my brother for a blast, and had them bed in a bit more with extra weight in the car. After that, my dad took over the wheel, and took to the track... amazingly I stayed calm and took on a teaching role. He drove it quite successfully, no spins or major mistakes, it was the slowest I've ever been around a track, but it wasn't about speed, it was about driving the car.
My brother went a bit more mental with it. He used some more of the power range, going all the way to 6k rpm, yet still 750 rpm below the engines rev limiter. He took some more chances, but he did know the track a bit better having had a ride with me before his turn driving. Still not pushing the car, but I believe he enjoyed every single second of it!
With both of their main drives out of the way, I went out again by myself, it had now started to rain, fairly heavily, so the track became... stupendous fun! I took my dad out, this time he was passenger, in the serious rain, getting completely soaked, but having all the fun in the world! He has said a couple time "Tor goes as fast in the wet as I would comfortably go in the dry", so suitably entertained :-D.
One last drive for my brother, where he span, and a final drive for me, and the day was over. Completely soaked, an hour of rain sodden roads to drive home, I was left to drive the distance by myself... as you'd expect.
Pictures!
Taking my brother out,
New HANS!
My dad driving!
Brothers turn!
It was a little wet inside the car...
Strapped in and ready to go!
It was a fantastic day, I loved every minute, and I think they did too.
My brother went a bit more mental with it. He used some more of the power range, going all the way to 6k rpm, yet still 750 rpm below the engines rev limiter. He took some more chances, but he did know the track a bit better having had a ride with me before his turn driving. Still not pushing the car, but I believe he enjoyed every single second of it!
With both of their main drives out of the way, I went out again by myself, it had now started to rain, fairly heavily, so the track became... stupendous fun! I took my dad out, this time he was passenger, in the serious rain, getting completely soaked, but having all the fun in the world! He has said a couple time "Tor goes as fast in the wet as I would comfortably go in the dry", so suitably entertained :-D.
One last drive for my brother, where he span, and a final drive for me, and the day was over. Completely soaked, an hour of rain sodden roads to drive home, I was left to drive the distance by myself... as you'd expect.
Pictures!
Taking my brother out,
New HANS!
My dad driving!
Brothers turn!
It was a little wet inside the car...
Strapped in and ready to go!
It was a fantastic day, I loved every minute, and I think they did too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)