416 replies to this topic

[Guy182]

I'll be along to watch at Cadwell end of June

[J4EY D]

Is it open pit lane at brands? I think my Vx is too low to park on the grass now

[siztenboots]

there might be space by the shops if you get there early , but on a race weekend all the pit paddock inside the circuit will be full and all the other support racers will be down by paddock hill area.

[Duncan_F]

Apologies for posting the same question in two different threads, but just in case someone misses it. Does anybody that's coming possibly have a tyre pressure gauge that they wouldn't mind bringing with them ? Now that we've actually built the car and are doing racing, we're now at the stage of trying to get the car set up properly and generally pretending to know what we're actually doing. We've learnt that our tyre pressures were too high at Snetterton so we need to bring them down a little (plus, it would also be good to know what pressures they're at after quali/race so we can see how much they're expanding) and we should probably try and be a bit more scientific that just releasing air out of the valve using our fingers for a few seconds.

[Goosenka]

I only have one of those old fashioned metal ones that slides up based on pressure. Probably not much help there really.

[The Batman]

Think I got one will hunt it out. Can be part of my sponsorship deal

[Duncan_F]

Think I got one will hunt it out.

Can be part of my sponsorship deal

Cheers Batman, much appreciated.

In other sponsorship news, I have word that our stickers have arrived in time for Brands.

[AliM]

couple of pictures from Brands

[AliM]

[AliM]

Edited by AliM, 08 May 2013 - 08:48 AM.

[Duncan_F]

So, round 2, Brands Hatch.

 

Neither of us had ever driven Brands before, or even been round as a passenger, but I was really looking forward to this round, Brands is a special circuit, I've watched so many races at this track, they used to race F1 here and it has some iconic corners so I was really looking forward to it.

 

We hadn't done anything to the car since Snetterton other than add a few stickers so we went into qualifying with the car exactly as it had been since our last race.

 

Qualifying got under way and Ali had the first stint in the car, she did excellently and beat me hands down setting the 3 quickest laps of the two of us with the quickest being a 1:02.810 on only her 2nd ever flying lap of the track which qualified us in 28th out of 29. My lap times got quicker and quicker as qualifying went on but my fastest lap, set on my last flying lap, was just under a second slower than Ali with a 1:03.796.

 

In between qualifying and the race we had a chance to reduce our tyre pressures (thanks Mark for lending us a tyre pressure gauge). Our tyre pressures had been too high at Snetterton and when we measured them after qualifying they were all over the place, 6psi difference between the front two tyres. On the advice from our fellow class C rivals Lisa and Toby we set the fronts to 22psi and the rears to 24.

 

We had a while to wait for our race so we spent some time watching the other series racing from the outside of Paddock Hill bend. Whilst watching the Jaguar Classic Saloon Championship we witnessed one car going wide down the hill and spearing back across the track and impacting heavily with another competitor. Thankfully both drivers got out but the session was red flagged. Whenever I've seen crashes on TV the team just rebuild the car and away they go, but this time, knowing the time, effort and money that these people put into their cars it was heartbreaking to see and did nothing to calm our nerves.

 

Before we knew it we were called to the holding area for our race. This time is was my turn to start the race. It was when I was strapped into the car with my helmet on just waiting for the call to go that I was most nervous, I just wanted to get on with it. Half of me was really excited about what was about to happen but the other half was absolutely bricking it.

 

The call came and we pulled out onto the track and lined up on the grid. The green flag was waved and we set off for our installation lap. It dawned on me just how serious people take this level of racing when they were weaving about warming their tyres up and trying to get some heat into their brakes. I wasn't sure whether it would actually make a difference or whether people would think it was daft of me to copy them, but it made me feel better so I did.

 

As we approached the grid for the start it dawned on me that I was about to start an actual proper motor race at Brands Hatch, I suddenly realised how cool that actually is and my nerves just seemed to disappear.

 

The lights went out and I floored it. It felt like I got a pretty good start and most of the cars in front of me seemed to go towards the inside for Paddock Hill bend so I just stayed out to the left as they started following each other in single file. I think by the time I got to Druids I must have passed about 5 cars. I held the outside line thinking I'd have the inside line through Graham Hill bend but I was too cautious on the approach which compromised me onto Cooper straight and 3 of the cars I passed came back past me.

 

Still, I had more than 1 car behind me so I'd gained places, happy with that. I had a white Clio in front of me which I tried to hunt down but he seemed to increase the gap to me slightly each lap. I settled into a rhythm though and put in some consistent lap times. I managed to get quicker and quicker though and managed to set our 3 fastest lap times of the race, all down in the 1:01's with my fastest being 1:01.365, about 2.5 seconds quicker than my quickest from qualifying.

 

I never quite caught the Clio, but I was never passed by any of the cars that were behind me and on lap 18 I was called into the pits for our driver change. We hadn't practised our driver changes (which was foolish really) but we stationary for only 56 seconds, 45 seconds quicker than we managed at Snetterton. The quickest stop from the field was 41 seconds so we were pretty pleased with ours.

 

Ali set off and was putting in consistent lap times and getting quicker but then after about 10 laps of her stint she started slowing. She had started to hear a grinding type noise which was also affecting the handling of the car and on lap 30 she took the decision to not risk the car, herself, or any of the other cars by retiring from the race.

 

Gutted, but it was absolutely the right thing to do.

 

We had a quick look at the car in the paddock but couldn't see anything obvious so we'll have to have a closer look now that the car's back home.

 

We have until the end of June until our next race at Cadwell Park so we'll get the car sorted out by then, we also have a list of improvements that we'll be making, mainly weight saving but a few other things as well.

 

All in all we had a great day, just a shame how it ended. We will be back though, and more determined to do well.

 

Oh, and a huge thanks to those who came to watch us, it meant a lot having people there cheering us on.

[Duncan_F]

Oh, and I remembered to charge the Gopro this time so we actually have footage from the day. I'll get some videos posted as soon as I work out how to edit them.

[Zoobeef]

Some exciting racing to watch! Yours being the best if the day! You can keep that pressure gauge as I got myself another today

[Pidgeon]

Nice write up!  You warm your tyres and brakes with the intention of having as much grip/retardation as the guy in front of you when you enter Paddock Hill for the first time.

 

Alan Meaker's tyre advice is sound.  Aim for 30 psi hot and learn what cold pressure will increase to 30 during the race.  A quality guage is the first piece of equipment on the list.  You often hear pressures quoted to 0.5 psi with different pressures for all four wheels.  Your fronts will run hotter in a FWD and the offside will warm more than the nearside on a clockwise circuit., so your cold pressures could be something like

 

22  23

24  25

[Duncan_F]

You warm your tyres and brakes with the intention of having as much grip/retardation as the guy in front of you

 

Oh, I get the theory behind why people do it. I'm sure I remember hearing someone say (possibly Martin Brundle) that it actually makes no noticeable difference and it's more a psychological thing for the driver more than anything. Still, I did do it and it did make me feel better so it must have worked.

 

That's good advice about having different pressures for the different sides of the car, I'd not thought about that but it seems obvious now you mention it.

[Duncan_F]

You can keep that pressure gauge as I got myself another today

 

Are you sure ?, that's very generous.

 

We can give it back to you when we next see you, or post it back to you if you want.

[luckman]

Really enjoyed reading your write up of the race.  I was at Brands on Saturday.  It was my first time there, too, albeit only as a spectator.  Being used to Castle Combe which is flat (but bumpy!), I was amazed to see Paddock Hill which looks just like a roller coaster.  Hope you get the grinding problem fixed.  Certainly seems like the bug has bitten you.  Hope to meet you at a future event.

[Zoobeef]

You can keep that pressure gauge as I got myself another today

  Are you sure ?, that's very generous.   We can give it back to you when we next see you, or post it back to you if you want.

Na that's fine. Just keep it in your race toolbox

[bunsenburner]

Well done guys, sounds like great fun. Good luck with the next round!

[Duncan_F]

Crazy weekend.

 

Had my first crash, my first wet race (conditions were biblical, the race started behind the safety car), my first fastest lap in class, but most importantly, my first trophy.