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Page 1 of 2 2010 Season Stock Hatch 1st Meeting 13th / 14th Match Snetterton 2010 competion will be in Stock Hatch, Ford Series and Guest Races 8 2010 meetings to be televised Autosport International Show 16th / 17th Jan 2009 Season June 2009 Competing at Brands Hatch in rounds 8 & 9 of the 750mc Stock Hatch Championship a season best finish of 6th finish was achieved a feat that Jenson Button could only match at the British Grand Prix. In Saturday’s race a great start moved me to 4th from 8th on the grid by the end of lap 2, however the race was red flagged due to a car rolling at the notorious Paddock Hill bend. On the restart a steady start saw consolidation of 8th position before performing a couple over taking manoeuvres at the down hill Graham Hill bend moving him up to 6th by the end of the race. During the race I posted the 3rd fastest lap of the race just 0.4 secs outside the existing lap record. Race 2 saw a starting position further back on the grid in 12th place, so a top 10 finish was the target one that was achieved. Another good start moved me to 11th on lap 1 before moving up to 10th with a great overtaking move around the outside at paddock Hill. The last 4 laps saw close battles and passing two other cars before losing a place back on the last corner as running wide attempting another overtaking manoeuvre, before taking 9th at the chequered flag. May 2009 Cadwell Park Following a promising race at Castle Combe, the next race was at the Lincolnshire Cadwell Park. The circuit well deserving its nickname of mini-Nurburgring and being regarded as the most challenging in the UK. Race 1 - a good start saw progression from 22nd on the grid, and by lap 5 was up in 2nd in class. However all this was ruined when the oil warning light came on and retired on the side of caution. Following overnight engine checks the car was fine for the 2nd race. However at the start a poor start was made due to being unsighted of the lights. A mutli car accident on the first lap allowed a number of cars to be caught and passed before 15th place was consolidated - 5th in class. April 2009 Much to my surprise the car was ready for the next meeting at Castle Combe. The only signs of the roll at Snetterton being a new grey roof and a couple of extra dents on the rear panel. Easter saw wonderful weather, full grids and frantic action. In qualifying despite knowing the circuit I was very careful thus starting the race in 32rd of 42 starters. A good start in the race was ruined when forced to a near stop on the first lap to avoid 2 spun cars. The remainder of the race was great fun catching and over taking slower cars eventually finishing 25th (12th in class). March 2009 Snetterton The first race of the 2009 season. This year its even tougher than ever despite my developments we are really up against it - there are no less than 32 saxos. The car seemed to be going well in qualifying but the lap times didn't seem to reflect this, then my last lap despite traffic was 1min 29sec 0.7 secs quicker than the next best. The first race saw me start 11th - 4th in class. At the first corner a number of cars spun on cold tyres - moving me up 2 places as I managed to go in between 2 cars. By the end of the race I was classified 11th and 4th in class - my best result. The 2nd race however saw me make a cardinal sin - I managed to lose the backend of the car on cold tyres. As the car ran wide on to the grass 2 wheels dug in on the mud. This caused the car to roll 3 times finishing on its roof. Thankfully after a trip to the medical centre I was fine but not the car. February 2009 All the development with the exception of new suspension completed and the engine is run in on a trackday at Mallory Park October 2008 List of development is underway - loss weight (50 kilos), engine rebuild, new rear suspension, test new tyres September 2008 We have made the decision to miss Oulton Park to start development for the 2009 season August 2008 Silverstone How much rain are we going to have in 2008 - we were racing on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend. Saturday saw racing in perfect condictions but as the weather men predicted Sunday started wet but it took a couple of hours longer for the sun to show itself. I qualified in session a on a damp circuit - the car handled well but lacked the straight line speed and left me 25th of the 40 starters in the heat. I expected a good finish and a place in the final however as I tried to turn in at the first corner the car was all over the place and it was all I could do not to spin and again at the 2nd corner. The car was undrivable so I retired and then with steam coming out of the car it became apparent a hose had split and was pouring water on to the front wheels. Thruxton I’m sure a couple of years ago we were being warned of long hot dry summers due to global warming – ever since that message our summer has consisted of 2 dry weeks in May with the odd sunny day in June, July and August (a far cry from the summer of 76). Last weekend we had the rare opportunity to race at Thruxton (5 miles from Andover) – the circuit guide summary said Thruxton is a ballsy circuit and it certainly was. The circuit is the fastest in the UK at 2.3 miles long with 2 heavy braking points, but generally flat out corners waiting to catch out anybody off line. True to form the sun had been replaced by cloud and rain on Saturday morning.Qualifying conditions were awful with spray making visibility terrible and wet kerbs making racing lines hard to take – my plan to go out after most of the cars backfired as I was held up by a couple of slower cars and when I did find space the session finished. Due to tight noise restrictions and being a supporting category (to the European Trucks) the heat started at 9am Sunday - despite this there was already a reasonable crowd. My ambition in the heat was just to get through to the midday final without any damage. The initial grey but dry weather changed mid race when the threatening clouds opened - thankfully though I achieved my target of getting into the final. Again it was wet for the final and after avoiding a 5 car incident on the 1st lap I enjoyed a battle with another XR2i for the duration of the race – I finished 28th of the 60, 11th in class. Overall it was a good weekend, 2 races with reasonable finishes at a great challenging circuit in front of large crowds. However it has become obvious that the engine in the XR2i is in need of a rebuild – despite carrying more speed through the corners, I couldn’t compete on the straights.
July 2008 Donnington Park - the new home of the British Grand Prix We returned early from holidaying in Spain for this meeting - and yes we had rain there as well. Qualifying was disappointing - and I'd start 30th. However before we even made it onto the grid matters got worse as the heavens opened with no time to change the car from its dry setting. When we got on to the grid some how the marshalls managed to mess the grid up and I ended up starting back in 36th. I made another good start which together with some fun and games at the first corner allowed me to be 15th by the end of the lap. However my good work was ruined on the 2nd lap as I put two wheels on the kerbs and spun thankfully to the left of the track out of the way. The remainder of the race was quiet but the engine seemed well down on power
June 2008 Considering last weekend was essentially the first outing for the new car it was very encouraging. Testing on Friday went well; just an issue with a faulty oil pressure switch losing me some time. The lap timer showed my best time being 1 min 1.39 secs which was 0.6 secs quicker than in the XR2. Qualifying – thankfully the overnight rain had stopped and an almost totally dry track greeted us. Traffic was a real issue during qualifying with 32 cars trying to set a quick time, halfway through the session I spun the car on wet grass. I had visions of another nightmare, but thankfully I stopped before the barrier this time. I achieved my fastest lap right at the end of the session 1 min 2.03 secs putting me 14th on the 32 car grid. Race 1 – a good start saw me climb a couple of places that were subsequently lost avoiding a spinning car later on the 1st lap. By the end of lap 1 I had dropped to 17th holding this for the next 6 laps in a battle with a 205 and Saxo. Over the last 4 laps I passed the Saxo, XR2 and another Saxo, putting me 13th with a best lap of 1 min 1.9secs. Race 2 – again I was off the line well but then blocked by a Suzuki Swift which would continue to hinder my progression. I was determined to finish the weekend with the car sustaining no damage, so despite being quicker I just pressurised him without any attempt to pass. I finished the race 15th. So, overall the weekend was a great success with huge potential. Despite the car being 50 kilos overweight and only having driven it twice, I was quicker than the XR2 without taking any risks. With further development due before Donington we should be back in the top 10 and hopefully the final May 2008 We made the decision to make limited changes before testing : new radiator, oil cooler fitted, new brake pads& discs, brake bias, seat changed The test at Mallory was successful despite an early scare dropping oil on to the exhaust as the dip stick was blown out. The lap times were within 1 sec of that in the XR2 so onward to the double header at Brands Hatch. April 2008 I must admit after the accident I thought the season was over before it had really started. Motor racing is a bug and I've bought a Ford Fiesta Xr2i - the car has been raced only twice so has the roll cage but is very short of development. We have taken the decision to miss a couple of rounds in order to fully prepare the car.Initial work to be carried out - replace sun roof, fit brake bias, new radiator, oil cooler and general over and weight reduction.Parts salvaged from the xr2 have been put on ebay to try to recover some funds. March 2008 Round 1 - Mallory Park Well the first race of the season was a disaster and was in fact the last race for the XR2.The weather forecast didn't look great but it was pleasantly wrong and the day was dry and sunny Qualifying - the session went without any issues with a best time of 59.20 putting me 13th (should have taken the hint) out of 30 starters in the heat Race - A reasonable start saw me make one place up by the end of the 1st lap. For the next 6 laps I was involved in close battles with a couple of xr2's and a 106. However on lap 8 things took a turn for the worse. Tim Mizen in a xr2i spun and rejoined the circuit directly in front, down the straight i was carrying alot more speed and looked to over take. However on the approach to the next esses corner he suddenly braked very hard when I was right on his tail. This forced me to slam on the brakes which locked on oil dropped from a 106 and the rest is history. I was a paasenger as the car raced at about 70 miles an hour towards the tyre wall. The results of the accident can be seen on the photo page - but in summary the xr2 is no more. The impact smashed the windscreen, broke the steering rack, rippled the floor and roof but thankfully the cage did its job. February 2008 Its now only 3 weeks to the start of the season. With the engine rebuilt and back in the car, suspension checked the car is off to the rolling road tomorrow to ensure its delivering power in the correct bands. Team partners - I'm very pleased to announce not only have Systech Systems, IN8 and Sporting Index agreed to sponsor me for another year but they will be joined by Yew Designs January 2008 Doesn't time fly, I can't believe its already 2008. I've just returned from the Autosport show at the NEC. Whilst at the show I have re-entered the Stock Hatch series with the Ford Fiesta XR2. This will be 3rd season racing in this championship and following a 2007 season that showed significant improvements in lap times times I'm aiming for a top 3 finish in class B (cars built prior to 1992). The XR2 is currently having an engine rebuild, which will be followed by a suspension rebuild and a rolling road session before getting back on the circuits for testing in late February. 2007 Season Overall - the results were patchy. Although quicker at every circuit and making a number of finals the season was blighted by a number of non finishes (1 accident remainder engine issues). The class win at the birkett did finish the season on a high thankfully. October 2007 Birkett 6 hour relay race at Silverstone. In club racing this race is a must do event, 50 teams of up 6 cars racing around the national Silverstone circuit. You either love or hate the experience due to the speed differences of the cars (radicals to vintage). This year the 6 birkeeters consisted of myself, Dame Cotteril and Tony Le Tissiler in XR2s with John Hemmings, Edd Cooper and Oli Davies in Novas with Craig Emmerson again team manager. The race went without major incidence for us and we were all pleasantly surprised to win our class on handicap - the first piece of silverware I've won. September 2007 Snetterton - With Stock Hatch racing only on Sunday of this 2 day meeting.I decided to race in the allcomers race - 2 x 30 minute races. In this race the choice of tyres was free so a set of semi slicks were purchased. Well surprise, surprise it rained overnight and the track was damp for qualifying - my best time of 1.54 put me 28th of 38 cars - not a bad result against kit cars and caterhams. Both races were in perfect condictions, involving close battles with a couple of vw golfs (they had the edge down the long straights but I was all over them round the corners). Finishing positions of 21st and 19th with best laps of 1.30 (23 secs better than qualifying). For the stock hatch race on Sunday I needed to remember I was on different tyres - something I forgot 1 lap and went straight through the gravel. My best time of 1.33 put me 13th of 38 cars in the heat. Another good start was ruined as I made a mistake at the end of the long straight - I forced the car into 3rd gear without losing enough revs/speed. As I went through the chicane the car slowed dramatically thankfully everybody got passed. My race was effectively over but a trip into the pits failed to resolve it but did manage to get me points on my license for ignoring the red light! Oulton Park - of the circuits I was racing at this year Oulton is the biggest challenge. Qualified 36th of 53 cars. As I lined up on the grid I was fairly confident that I would have a good result and make the final - however it certainly didn't go to plan. I made a good start (becoming a habit), passing about 3 cars, but then it went horribly wrong. As I went around the 1st corner cars were littered everywhere - I kept my foot on the throttle hoping all would move. They very nearly did but a grey xr2 didn't and the rest is history - race over! August 2007 Silverstone - Testing on the Friday went well for one session, then the car lost power and sounded like a tractor. It was back to the workshop and a rushed engine rebuild in time for the Sunday race. Are we ever going to have a summer this year? Turned up early on the Saturday to watch the days racing and be in plenty of time for the SH celebrations. As soon as we opened the motorhome door the rain started and eventually finished about midnight. Qualifying on the Sunday morning wasn't much fun with the track still very slippy from the previous days rain. My best time of 1.22mins was about 6 secs slower than usual and put me 23rd of the 37 cars in my session. The race was largely uneventful for me although there were a number of incidents near me - finished 21st of 34, one place from making the final.
July 2007 Brands Hatch - this event celebrated 25 years of formula Vee racing (single seaters orginally using beetle engines). I was determined to do well at this meeing having missed a couple of meetings and having a few guests attending. Qualifying went well with a best time of 1.01.92 putting me 31st of 59. I was to start 6th in the heat of 34 cars. To say I was nervous is an understatement - the thought of 20 cars all over my rear end at the 1st corner. Thankfully I made a reasonable start infact passing a couple of the line - however further down the field a incident caused a red flag so I had to go through the nerves again. Again at the 2nd start I made a good start passing 2 cars and then another at the 2nd corner - I was up to 3rd !! For the next 9 laps I managed to keep the challengers at bay until the last lap when going around the hairpin the engine just died. So near but so far - 3rd would have been my best ever finish but to be honest although disappointed I was chufted. June 2007 Having made the decision to miss both double headers at Pembrey and Cadwell park. I decided to race at the MG owners club meeting at Silverstone on the International circuit. This meeting is the highlight of the MG season with entries from all over Europe. I entered the 30 minute open race with a wide range of cars (MG's, TR's, Austin Healeys, Morgans and Jags) - the XR2 did look slightly out of place. Testing was held on the Friday with the first session damp it was a question of learning the circuit (having only raced on the national circuit). The XR2 was so stable compared to the mixture of other cars - watching a TR Vitesse spin every time accerlating out of a corner was somewhat interesting. My potential advantage of a damp circuit had gone Saturday morning - it was pleasantly dry and a large crowd was already growing when I arrived at the circuit. I qualified 27th of 39 with a best time of 1.51.6 About 1 hour before the start of the race the heavens opened and for 10 minutes it poured - the circuit was soaked and what suddenly there was were a number of things to change on the car. However the rain soon stopped and the circuit began to dry. As we lined up for the race the circuit was only damp and with the race lasting 30 mins it was only a matter of time until fully dry. The first few damp laps were good fun - around the corners I was all over more powerful machinery only for thm to disappear down the straights. By the end of the race I'd climbed to 22nd of 39 cars with others suffering after 30 mins of hard racing. April 2007 Summary March 2007 What can I say a trip down the aistle the day before the season started at Mallory park - so round 1 missed! |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 03 January 2010 ) | ||||
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