Oulton Park 2009 (race 1 - lap 1)
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pmy-SWexMQ
(I'm you yellow car 4th from last... or as I see it 3rd in class!)
Oulton Park 2009 (race 2 - lap 1)
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WhRRJiGPZ4
Oulton Park 2009 (race 2 - restart)
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCAXG2kNL7I
(I'm the one right at the back... in my defence I started from the pitlane!)
Monday, 19 July 2010
finally some races lined up
After a lot of uncertainy over the last month or so about what races I can or can't do I have decided to bite the bullet (and bend the Visa) and have committed to the next 3 races in the Kumho BMWRDC championship.
So I will be competeing in:
Snetterton (left)
31st Jul & 1st Aug
Rockingham (right)
11th & 12th Sep
Oulton Park (Below)
25th & 26th Sep
Snetterton and Rockingham will be completely new experiences as I have never raced at either before.
Oulton Park on the other hand is a firm favorite from my trackday days and also the venue for my first ever race in the BMWRDC in 2009.Can't wait...
Anyone got a fiver they can lend me?
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Gutted
Bloody Doctors!
My GP is always telling me that I need to do regular exercise. After years of him complaining about my general fitness I bit the bullet and started some regular exercise... big mistake.
Whilst playing football at the weekend I received a rather nasty tackle from behind which has resulted in one severely bruised rib and one fractured one.
So the race at Croft is off.
1 week before the race I have had to cancel. To say I am gutted is an understatement. The guys at the BMWRDC have been really understanding which has helped but it will be a difficult weekend knowing that they are all racing while I sit at home.
Anyway onwards and upwards... Snetterton is the next race at the end of July, bring it on.
My GP is always telling me that I need to do regular exercise. After years of him complaining about my general fitness I bit the bullet and started some regular exercise... big mistake.Whilst playing football at the weekend I received a rather nasty tackle from behind which has resulted in one severely bruised rib and one fractured one.
So the race at Croft is off.
1 week before the race I have had to cancel. To say I am gutted is an understatement. The guys at the BMWRDC have been really understanding which has helped but it will be a difficult weekend knowing that they are all racing while I sit at home.
Anyway onwards and upwards... Snetterton is the next race at the end of July, bring it on.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Race 2 - Silverstone 9th May 2010
no rain and a bit of sunshine! Yes!After the disappointment of the race the day before I was glad to arrive at the circuit with the sun shining and the promise of a dry race.
Again starting from 3rd on the grid I made a fair start but lost a position to John Brabbin, I was also getting harried from behind by Sean Foley. I managed to get along side John a few times and even got ahead once, only to mess up the exit and drop back into 4th again.
It was on the next lap going into Maggotts Curve that I experience something for the first time. A racing accident. Braking into the corner and received a whack up the backside. At the time I had no idea who had done it because there we a few cars in my mirrors... I backed off for a split second and then decided to just keep going and hope that I had no significant damage. Unfortunately this little lift opened the door for Sean Foley who nipped passed into forth.
The rest of the race was so close with Sean Foley, John Babbin and myself all within a few meters of each other. Places changed quiet a few times but as we crossed the line each lap the positions were John in 3rd, Sean in 4th and me in 5th. This carried on for the whole race and was the most fun I have had in a car. Proper racing!
On the final lap on the final corner John Babbin made a small mistake and lost his momentum. This sent Sean round the outside of the corner and gave me a chance up the inside. All 3 of us could see an opportunity to grab the last spot on the podium.
Unfortunately it wasn't to me my day. Sean just pipped John nosing accross the line for a proper photo finish. So a 5th place was mine, my worst finish so far, but I couldn't have cared less. It was the most exciting race I have had.
And the accident, well I found out afterwards that it was Ralph Kirk who had given me the friendly tap. Thankfully the damage was minimal, I had lost a bit of trim and Ralph had bent the front of his car a bit. But all is fair in love & war and we both live to fight another day!
My congratulations go Stephan Lanfermeijer for another great win (4th in a row) and to both Sean and John for a great race and I look forward to turning the tables at the next race at Croft.
Again starting from 3rd on the grid I made a fair start but lost a position to John Brabbin, I was also getting harried from behind by Sean Foley. I managed to get along side John a few times and even got ahead once, only to mess up the exit and drop back into 4th again.
It was on the next lap going into Maggotts Curve that I experience something for the first time. A racing accident. Braking into the corner and received a whack up the backside. At the time I had no idea who had done it because there we a few cars in my mirrors... I backed off for a split second and then decided to just keep going and hope that I had no significant damage. Unfortunately this little lift opened the door for Sean Foley who nipped passed into forth.The rest of the race was so close with Sean Foley, John Babbin and myself all within a few meters of each other. Places changed quiet a few times but as we crossed the line each lap the positions were John in 3rd, Sean in 4th and me in 5th. This carried on for the whole race and was the most fun I have had in a car. Proper racing!
On the final lap on the final corner John Babbin made a small mistake and lost his momentum. This sent Sean round the outside of the corner and gave me a chance up the inside. All 3 of us could see an opportunity to grab the last spot on the podium. Unfortunately it wasn't to me my day. Sean just pipped John nosing accross the line for a proper photo finish. So a 5th place was mine, my worst finish so far, but I couldn't have cared less. It was the most exciting race I have had.
And the accident, well I found out afterwards that it was Ralph Kirk who had given me the friendly tap. Thankfully the damage was minimal, I had lost a bit of trim and Ralph had bent the front of his car a bit. But all is fair in love & war and we both live to fight another day! 
My congratulations go Stephan Lanfermeijer for another great win (4th in a row) and to both Sean and John for a great race and I look forward to turning the tables at the next race at Croft. Qualifying and race 1 - Silverstone 8th May 2010
Qualifying:
For qualifying the track was dry in some places and damp in others, so completely different from the dry test the day before. It was very difficult to be sure there was grip in the corners but a lap time of 1m18s (3 seconds slower than my best time from the ill fated test day the day before) was good enough to see me third of the grid for the race that afternoon and the next day. Race 1:
Mother nature decided that the race needed making more interesting, so she gave us rain on us for the race. I had never driven the car in the wet... let alone had a race in the stuff! 
As I lined up on the grid the nerves started. I managed a fair start maintaining my third positions into turn 1 (Copse) then the carnage began... the class A cars in front were spinning left right and centre. I am not sure how many cars left the circuit on that first lap but it must have been 6 or 7. Thankfully I didn't get caught up with anyone else, didn't spin and crossed the line after the first lap in third. John Babbin another class D driver was right behind me for the next couple of laps... then he wasn't! The two quick guys Stephan Lanfermeijer and Paul Bellamy were gone, so I was sat there with no one from class D in front or behind.
It was at this point that the car started to mist up, the car has had the heater removed to save weight (If you are building a car leave it in!) it got so bad that I could see nothing in front or out the side windows. I could just reach a bit of the window in front of me to clear a letter box size hole but that was all the visibility I had. I took a decision at that point to pootle around, let the class A cars past as easily as I could and just stay out of trouble. I was sure if I just kept it steady I could keep the 3rd place by the finish.
It ended up being a very long race and one that if I am honest I didn't enjoy. I just wanted it to end. Which before to long it did and I was waved into the pits in 3rd (or so I thought!) I picked up my trophy and got my picture taken with the two very attractive grid girls (it isn't all bad the racing driver lark!) 
It was then that I was told that Sean Foley another calls D driver had nipped past in a group of class A cars. We checked with the marshals and he had come past... bugger! This meant I had the indignity of having to go and find Sean and hand over my (his) trophy. To say I was gutted was an understatement but the fact was I had come 4th so not a lot I could do about it... anyway there was always race 2 the next day...
For qualifying the track was dry in some places and damp in others, so completely different from the dry test the day before. It was very difficult to be sure there was grip in the corners but a lap time of 1m18s (3 seconds slower than my best time from the ill fated test day the day before) was good enough to see me third of the grid for the race that afternoon and the next day. Race 1:
Mother nature decided that the race needed making more interesting, so she gave us rain on us for the race. I had never driven the car in the wet... let alone had a race in the stuff!
As I lined up on the grid the nerves started. I managed a fair start maintaining my third positions into turn 1 (Copse) then the carnage began... the class A cars in front were spinning left right and centre. I am not sure how many cars left the circuit on that first lap but it must have been 6 or 7. Thankfully I didn't get caught up with anyone else, didn't spin and crossed the line after the first lap in third. John Babbin another class D driver was right behind me for the next couple of laps... then he wasn't! The two quick guys Stephan Lanfermeijer and Paul Bellamy were gone, so I was sat there with no one from class D in front or behind.
It was at this point that the car started to mist up, the car has had the heater removed to save weight (If you are building a car leave it in!) it got so bad that I could see nothing in front or out the side windows. I could just reach a bit of the window in front of me to clear a letter box size hole but that was all the visibility I had. I took a decision at that point to pootle around, let the class A cars past as easily as I could and just stay out of trouble. I was sure if I just kept it steady I could keep the 3rd place by the finish.
It ended up being a very long race and one that if I am honest I didn't enjoy. I just wanted it to end. Which before to long it did and I was waved into the pits in 3rd (or so I thought!) I picked up my trophy and got my picture taken with the two very attractive grid girls (it isn't all bad the racing driver lark!)
It was then that I was told that Sean Foley another calls D driver had nipped past in a group of class A cars. We checked with the marshals and he had come past... bugger! This meant I had the indignity of having to go and find Sean and hand over my (his) trophy. To say I was gutted was an understatement but the fact was I had come 4th so not a lot I could do about it... anyway there was always race 2 the next day...
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Friday Test - Silverstone
Firstly... the ash cloud stayed away so I made it back in time... .
I had only been to Silverstone as a spectator so I felt it prudent to book a test day before the race to familiarise myself with the circuit. As it had also been 6 months since my last and only drive in the BMWRDC club car, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to get reacquainted with the old girl too!
There are lots of other cars out on track from all sorts of disciplines at the same time. So along side me at Silverstone were cars as varied as a VW Polo race car to an amazing Sauber Mercedes Group C Le Man car from the early 1990's; that was once driven to international glory by a certain Michael Schumacher. When it went past (which it did frequently) the noise was terrifyingly loud... but I digress.
The first two sessions of the day went very well. I started slowly, building up speed quite nicely. Everything was going to plan.
However it was not long until I learnt two very valuable lessons.
During the first two sessions I was struggling to get the first corner, Copse, quite right. It is a very fast right hander, taken almost flat-out. In all honesty I needed bigger balls. I was braking a bit too much and it was obvious it was quicker.
I felt that if I just kept my foot in it could be taken flat in forth gear (about 100 mph). I spoke to Trevor (the car's owner) and he felt that maybe it could. Another driver who races in the Kumho championship in class D Paul Bellamy (for the record who hadn't been out on the circuit yet!) was sure it could.
So at the start of the 3rd session it was time to give it a go. I barrelled down the start straight kept my foot pinned to the floor and turned into Copse... what happened next happened so quickly I am not sure myself what happened... the car jinked a little one way then another and turned 180 degrees in a split second. Instinct made me stamp as hard as I could on the brakes and hold them down for all I was worth... I slid backwards in a cloud of dramatic tyre smoke straight into the gravel trap... and there I sat stranded.
They stopped the session (not a good way to endear you to the other drivers) whilst a truck came to pull me out. Unfortunately I had hit the trap with such ferocity that I was buried really deep in the gravel. I had to suffer the indignity of being lifted by a crane onto the back of a low loader. Oh the shame!
Trevor and I (mostly Trevor if i'm honest) then had to spend the next 2 hours cleaning piles of gravel out of every nook and cranny on the car. This meant removing a fair bit of the front of the car and all the wheels, then lying on the ground pulling all the gravel out... sorry Trevor.
Also because I had stamped on the brakes locking the wheels and slid at god only knows what speed, I had completely flat spotted the almost new tyres right down to the canvas... I have to cover the cost of tyres as part of the hire agreement on the car, so as always seems the case with this motorsport malarky I was off with the credit card, this time to the on-track tyre fitters, to relive me of £350 for a set of new Kumho tyres.
I had only been to Silverstone as a spectator so I felt it prudent to book a test day before the race to familiarise myself with the circuit. As it had also been 6 months since my last and only drive in the BMWRDC club car, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to get reacquainted with the old girl too!Most test days run in sessions divided between open wheel (cars with exposed wheels like a formula 1 car) and closed wheel (saloon & sports cars). At Silverstone the closed wheel cars had 4x 45 minute sessions spread accross the day.
There are lots of other cars out on track from all sorts of disciplines at the same time. So along side me at Silverstone were cars as varied as a VW Polo race car to an amazing Sauber Mercedes Group C Le Man car from the early 1990's; that was once driven to international glory by a certain Michael Schumacher. When it went past (which it did frequently) the noise was terrifyingly loud... but I digress.The first two sessions of the day went very well. I started slowly, building up speed quite nicely. Everything was going to plan.
However it was not long until I learnt two very valuable lessons.
During the first two sessions I was struggling to get the first corner, Copse, quite right. It is a very fast right hander, taken almost flat-out. In all honesty I needed bigger balls. I was braking a bit too much and it was obvious it was quicker.I felt that if I just kept my foot in it could be taken flat in forth gear (about 100 mph). I spoke to Trevor (the car's owner) and he felt that maybe it could. Another driver who races in the Kumho championship in class D Paul Bellamy (for the record who hadn't been out on the circuit yet!) was sure it could.
So at the start of the 3rd session it was time to give it a go. I barrelled down the start straight kept my foot pinned to the floor and turned into Copse... what happened next happened so quickly I am not sure myself what happened... the car jinked a little one way then another and turned 180 degrees in a split second. Instinct made me stamp as hard as I could on the brakes and hold them down for all I was worth... I slid backwards in a cloud of dramatic tyre smoke straight into the gravel trap... and there I sat stranded. They stopped the session (not a good way to endear you to the other drivers) whilst a truck came to pull me out. Unfortunately I had hit the trap with such ferocity that I was buried really deep in the gravel. I had to suffer the indignity of being lifted by a crane onto the back of a low loader. Oh the shame!
Trevor and I (mostly Trevor if i'm honest) then had to spend the next 2 hours cleaning piles of gravel out of every nook and cranny on the car. This meant removing a fair bit of the front of the car and all the wheels, then lying on the ground pulling all the gravel out... sorry Trevor.
Also because I had stamped on the brakes locking the wheels and slid at god only knows what speed, I had completely flat spotted the almost new tyres right down to the canvas... I have to cover the cost of tyres as part of the hire agreement on the car, so as always seems the case with this motorsport malarky I was off with the credit card, this time to the on-track tyre fitters, to relive me of £350 for a set of new Kumho tyres.The two valuable lessons:
- Drive to your own limits and don't let anyone egg you on. (however well meaning)
- When you spin, don't lock the brakes... it's costly.
In hindsight it could have been much worse; I hadn't hit anything, the car wasn't badly damaged and I could race the next day.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
act of god
Volcano, Ash and Cancelled flights... what is all the fuss about? 
Well after weeks of wondering why everybody was getting in such a tissy about volcanoes and ash clouds I am now worrying that it is going to come round and kick me in the goolies.I am currently languishing in an average hotel, in an average part of Venice at a conference. I have just turned on TV to find out Irish and Scottish air space has been closed because of more ash... oh dear.
I am flying into London, so at the moment, it is all OK but with two days till I need to be at first practice in Silverstone I have a horrible nagging feeling that fate is about to deal me a harsh hand.
p.s. Although being stuck in Venice may sound OK, trust me when I say that it sounds much more romantic than it is... I am miles from the Venice you have seen in pictures and the only water I am seeing is the torrential stuff pouring from the sky.
Add to that the fact that my wife is at home with two children and not in Venice with me because "it is just a flying visit for a conference" this could end up being potentially damaging on financial and personal levels!
If everyone would please all face north and blow gently it would be appreciated.
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