Team Jerusalem's 2011 Time Attack
#401
Posted 03 September 2011 - 11:02 AM
#402
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:17 AM
The 200 is a VERY under-rated circuit imo! The 300 is obviously better as it 'adds' corners rather than substituting but my early worries about the straights and the big power boys dominating were eased when I understood the complexities and commitment involved to negotiating Corrum and Riches quickly on these tyres. Game ON!!
Warm up
We all play different tactics early on with some holding their fastest runs till late. Umar is our championship rival as he's the only person who can catch us points wise but I knew Ronnie fights hard from the off and with Steve Aldis out in his Skyline GTS-T for the first time we were unsure how to play it. Thought it best to do the same as Anglesey and put everyone under pressure from the off. Hit it hard with a 1:25.289 which was just enough to beat Ronnie who also pushed hard with a 1:25.869. Steve Aldis and Umar were up in the 1:30's with Umar in some distress. 1st in class, 3rd in group ahead of the entire FWD class, perfect start.
Practice
I knew Ronnie was going to be trouble so had to hit practice hard too. Caught some decent early laps but really got into the zone by the end and was committing to turn 1 like never before. Got back to the pits and found I'd only shaved only 3/100ths with a 1:25.251 happy enough but Ronnie had edged closer with a 1:25.772. Umar had slashed 7 seconds and put in a respectable 1:28.642 which was an ominous sign as we know Umar saves his 'hot' laps for the points scoring rounds (quali's/final). Aldis seemed well off pace dropping 7 seconds.
Practice was our first session with the Vbox running and it yielded some interesting data. My fastest laps are normally at the close of my sessions where I'm more focused but here my fastest laps were always early which suggested tyres were going off as my bravely increased, cancelling out any gains. Concentration from the off was required to exploit the tyre situation!!
Qualifying
Quali's saw my top time come in at 1:25.268. This was my third session in a row pulling a time within the 1:25.2 range which was becoming annoying! I hit about 5 consecutive laps at 1:25.2 but having hit a 1:24 the previous day I was determined to crack this milestone on the day!!
My final lap saw my sector times light up but a slip in concentration at the esses saw me spoil the lap and hit a 1:25.2 instead what have I got to do eh…?
It was enough to take max points here though with Ronnie taking second with a 1:26.7 and Umar only managing third with a 1:30.858.
The final
It all come down to this final session! Both Umar and myself could still take the season win at this point but I was feeling good!! Umar had apparently repaired his issue and was gunning for the win.
I knew exactly what I had to do to break into the 1:24's at this point and I was psyched to do this on lap two when my tyres were optimum. Cliffie had already warned me to focus on beating Umar rather than beating 1:25 but I had a bee in my bonnet. One that nearly cost me the entire championship
On the end of my 1st lap I tried to get the best possible exit from Murrays so that I could get my 'commited' lap on lap 2 and disaster struck.
The tyres were not nearly hot enough to push through this hard and I went wide on the exit onto the grass and hit a concrete kerb stone hard!!
The steering characteristics immediately changed and a lot of vibration started fighting up through the wheel. A puncture at this point is game over. I would have finished 3rd overall. Furious at myself I limped down the pit straight waiting for the tyre to deteriorate. It held!
Thank god!
Half a lap later it was still there and devoid of a quick lap I set about rebuilding my confidence in the car and pushed on. Above 110mph ish the car became a handful and I knew a 1:24 was out of the question but I still felt under pressure and knew I couldn't trust Umar not to put in a hot lap, especially when my car is now limping!!
In a haze of panic and frustration I agonised when 'hot lap' after 'hot lap' got spoiled by traffic but I got a few good laps didn't go back to the pits like Brands feeling like I'd missed my shot. Knew it wasn't my best shot but a good shot none the less!!
I'd put in….. 1:25.239 but also buckled my front wheel. This meant all 4 sessions had finished within 5/100ths of a second of each other and it was my quickest of the day but unfortunately not enough on the day with Ronnie managing to steal a 10th from me and pinching the win. Umar too had put in his fastest of the day, but had only managed a 1:27 before his engine let go and he retired for the first time this season.
Analysing my GPS I can see my 10th lap was my fastest first and last sectors but I had to pass a car at Bombhole which slowed me slightly but that's the name of the game! Track position and traffic are all part of it and I'm sure Ronnie was experiencing the same traffic as me. Fair shout he pulled it out of the bag and took the honours on the day.
However
There is a bigger picture and that is by taking 100 points we had won the season (by 24 points). The team were ecstatic and although I was more sombre (I'd just lost a race by a 10th) I was well aware that the job was done.
We'd done it 2011 Time Attack Club RWD Champions!!!!!!
A massive massive thanks to the team!! ChrisUK who came from nowhere at Oulton Park and immediately found himself a role within a team he'd never met and although we'd rib him took it all on the chin and became a source of strength within the team, Cliffie for his organisation and people management, as well as throwing his car in the mix at Brands, some inspired drives, and hard work on the car, LeeVX2.2 for sticking with the team when he's had a lot to deal with himself and always being there to help me out and find time!! Sorting my loom, splitter, helping me do the F@**%@*G crank sensor, cheers mate and finally Joe 'the Chef' for being an absolute LEGEND!!!!! Joe single handedly saved the season by supplying and fitting and engine that won us more points than any other this season. In addition to that countless days in Aylesbury working on the car and fixing odds and ends. Joe's sense of responsibility over the car has been second to none and he now tells me what we're doing to it next
I know there's a lot more been done within the team than just that but I'll go on forever if I start listing it all. The long and short of it is I couldn't have done this alone. Nobody could. A dedicated enthusiastic team is part of any successful team in motorsport and it was an honour to have you guys behind me! The comments of admiration and congratulation from other teams in the paddock and the forum to me about my team are well founded and I hope we can work together again! Cheers guys!
WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vids to follow
#403
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:26 AM
#404
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:45 AM
#405
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:47 AM
#406
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:55 AM
#407
Posted 26 September 2011 - 11:57 AM
#408
Posted 26 September 2011 - 12:48 PM
#409
Posted 26 September 2011 - 12:48 PM
#410
Posted 26 September 2011 - 01:02 PM
#411
Posted 26 September 2011 - 01:10 PM
Well done guys, been following your progress since Anglsea, watching a certain member of your team get more and more agitated as the days progressed!
Big effort has been made and massive congratulations - it's well deserved!
Roll on 2012 then eh?
#412
Posted 26 September 2011 - 01:27 PM
Well done guys, been following your progress since Anglsea, watching a certain member of your team get more and more agitated as the days progressed!
Big effort has been made and massive congratulations - it's well deserved!
Roll on 2012 then eh?
That will be me then as I sit opposite this fella at work.
#413
Posted 26 September 2011 - 02:25 PM
Well done guys, been following your progress since Anglsea, watching a certain member of your team get more and more agitated as the days progressed!
Big effort has been made and massive congratulations - it's well deserved!
Roll on 2012 then eh?
That will be me then as I sit opposite this fella at work.
Yes sorry, should have made that clear! I do indeed work with Mike/Cliffie and I'm also in the market for an Elise / VX so expect a fair amount of stupid questions coming from me in the near future!
#414
Posted 26 September 2011 - 02:34 PM
#415
Posted 26 September 2011 - 03:36 PM
#416
Posted 26 September 2011 - 04:16 PM
It's been a fantastic first year Jimmy & I'm sure it will continue into next! Top Result....
I think there are a couple of things that been learnt / figured out this weekend, alround.
#417
Posted 26 September 2011 - 06:13 PM
Will it be a 2 or 3 car entry from Team JJJ next season?
#418
Posted 26 September 2011 - 06:21 PM
It's been a fantastic first year Jimmy & I'm sure it will continue into next! Top Result....
I think there are a couple of things that been learnt / figured out this weekend, alround.
Yeah like Nitron Race 46's on DTC size Kumho's are THE best setup put there right now.
Refer to my comments at Le Mans when I ran this setup. It's immense!!
One thing about ending the season is that it gives me a chance to go back to proper track tyres!!!
#419
Posted 26 September 2011 - 07:11 PM
#420
Posted 26 September 2011 - 07:32 PM
Not you Joe though
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