24 June 2006 - BRSCC Clubman's
Raceday, Snetterton
Finally it had arrived. The BRSCC Snetterton Clubman's
Raceday was to be my first entry into national motorsport. With a hectic
day ahead of me, involving two qualifying sessions and two races all
on one day, I arrived at a grey Snetterton circuit at 7:00am. The first
task of the day was to sign on as a competitor at race control and hand
over my licence to be signed on the completion of each race. These signatures
from the Clerk of the Course are used to upgrade licences and six are
required for me to progress to my National A licence.
The drivers who have not driven the circuit before are
then required to have a driver's briefing with the Clerk of the Course.
This is an outline of the track and its notable features, and a reiteration
of flag signals and what is required of you as a driver. I also have
a chat with the Clerk as it's my first ever race just to describe how
the day will run and what I should be doing at any given point.
Once over, I returned to the garage where the car was
being prepared for scutineering. This is a general check over of the
car to ensure it meets the various technical and safety requirements
of the championship. My race suit and helmet are also presented for
inspection at this time and my helmet is given it's MSA "Approved
for Racing" sticker, the last thing needed before I'm legal to
race.
First qualifying is at 9:00 and shortly before, it begins
to rain. Not what I was hoping for. As the session is about to start
the rain stops and the track looks like it is beginning to dry so we
opt to attempt the session on slicks. I need to complete three full
laps in order to qualify for the race, with my best lap determining
my position on the grid for race one.
Venturing out onto the track at the back of the pack,
I hold well back at the first corner and see a car spinning off into
the field ahead, the marshalls being ultra efficient with their yellow
flag waving. Round to Sear and more cars are scattered on the grass,
with more on either side of the track on the Revett straight. It's certainly
slippy on track, so I need to be ultra careful to get any laps in at
all.
Tip-toeing around the circuit, it is clear that areas
are beginning to dry, but the back end of the car is easily stepped
out by getting on the power too early out of corners. Three laps in
and I'm running at a steady pace when I hit a damp patch while driving
through Bombhole. The back end pushes out and all-too-quickly, I've
spun and find myself bouncing across the infield grass. Getting the
car to a standstill, I can see the yellow flags waving and gingerly
try to ease the car back to the track, traction on the damp grass being
virtually none-existant.
There's a clear area with no traffic so I make a break
back onto the tarmac and cruise the car back round to the pits for a
check over. Frazer's attitude had been that if I didn't go off at least
once, I wasn't trying hard enough, but I was happy that nothing of the
car had been left behind and that it was considered fit to continue
after an examination in the pit lane.
I headed cautiously back out onto track, but immediately
something didn't seem right. The engine sounded off-key and heading
onto the back straight, the car was stuttering and wouldn't give any
power. Back into the pits and the team checked the car for anything
that could be causing the problem. A fuel filter was changed and I headed
back out, but for only another painfully slow lap to the end of the
session.
Once back in the garage, the engine cover was removed
from the car, and it was discovered that the air intake for the engine
had been shaken loose in my off-road excursion and was sitting lower
in the back of the car than it should, starving the engine of air. This
was soon recitified, and the excess grass removed from the car before
the next session.
The next session is much driyer, but again, three qualifying
laps are needed so I start slowly and once my three are in the bag,
I start to build up speed. By this point, the front-runners are coming
round to lap me and I'm finding it difficult to get clear track, but
I put in a few decent laps. My engine is still sounding a little off-tune,
so the fuel pressure is lowered and the fuel filter cleared once again.
This helps a little and I put in some decent laps, qualifying seventh
in class.
With
the day's hectic schedule, it's soon time for race one, and after the
events of the morning, I'm eager to get back on track. For the first
race, I'm on the back row with some 1000cc cars who qualified out of
session so there's nothing to lose. Things don't go entirely to plan
here either! After the green flag lap, we formed up on the grid and
awaited the lights. Into first gear, red lights on and the revs begin
to rise, then they're out. I get a decent enough start and head up the
straight, with the 1000cc cars pulling cleanly round me, but at Riches,
the fast first corner, the car understeers badly, almost running me
wide onto the grass. I hold the track and head for Sear, but again,
it seems less willing to turn in. Hoping that it's merely the change
in track conditions or a loss of grip caused by the morning's downpour,
I press on, and complete the lap.
Something's definitely up with my front left tyre and
on the second lap, I notice a ridge of rubber forming up on it's inside
edge. Heading up Revett straight, the condition worsens with chunks
of rubber breaking free of the tyre and by the time I round the fast
right-hander of Coram, the tyre begins to collapse. I cruise into the
pits and stop the car outside the garage. Gary runs over and checks
the tyre which is delaminating and in a sorry state. The car is jacked
up and another front slick is found from the garage.
While a fight for position would be unlikely, an impromptu
F1-style pit stop would allow me to finish the race and possibly get
points and the all important signautre on my licence. Before long, the
friendly spirit of the Jedi Championship is apparent as members of other
teams rush to help offering power tools and manpower (thank you all),
and inside 90 seconds the new wheel is on, tightened and I'm waved back
out onto the track. I'm last and two laps behind the next 600cc car,
but at least two of the class front-runners are out of the running so
I should be able to pick up some points. With ten laps completed I take
the chequered flag and head to parc ferme where I discover that in this
drama-filled race, last place equates to sixth in class - good for five
championship points and most importantly, the car is in one piece ready
for race two.
To ensure there isn't a repeat of the engine issue which
occurred earlier in the day and which seemed to be returning towards
the end of race two, the gap between races was put to good use with
the fuel pressure checked and adjusted, fuel filter cleaned, and a fresh
set of spark plugs installed for good measure, then it was out to the
grid for more action. This time all good!
My qualifying had placed me on row 11 of the grid, ahead
of three of my class A rivals and alongside regular front-runner Kat
Impey who had been suffering engine problems, but who was known for
her 'demon' starts. When the lights on the starting gantry went out,
both Kat and myself got good starts and I moved in behind her as the
pack piled through the first two corners and onto the long back straight.
Before long, I found myself fighting for position with two other class
A runners - Vicky Dyson in the black and silver #46 car and Adam Walker
in the white #14. We were also running with class B runner, 63-year
old Len Turner, one of several older drivers out for the fun of it,
in Formula Jedi. This diversity in the drivers adds a new dimension
to a series which means there's always someone to race against whatever
your level - something which might not be the case in high-budget, hard-fought
series contested only by the Grand Prix stars of the future.
As
we enter the straights, it's clear that Vicky has an edge and with her
extra speed, takes an early lead. My car's running perfectly now though,
and I'm gaining the confidence to brake later, particularly through
the left-right of The Esses, which is giving me an advantage heading
out around Coram. Each lap sees a change of position, with Vicky, Adam,
Len and myself all leading our group at some points, with real wheel-to-wheel
racing in the dive to each corner.
There's a particularly hairy moment when a train of the
1000cc cars, led by Nigel Reuben and Jedi's own Frazer steams through
our pack as we all jostle to fit through the Russell Bend, but we make
it through unscathed and continue our own battles. On several occasions,
i'm side by side with Vicky down the Senna and Revett straights, with
only late-braking deciding the positions through the following corners.
In the heat of the race, I don't notice the final lap
being signalled and it's only when I head out of Russell that I see
the chequered flag ahead of me. Foot down along the final straight,
I can see the black outline of Vicky's car coming up the inside of mine,
but manage to hold the position to the line, finishing only a quarter
of a second ahead. I'm seventeenth overall in the 1000cc dominated race,
but a creditable fourth in class, picking up another 7 championship
points.
Arriving in the parc ferme, is a much more pleasant experience
this time round, with a chance to revlive the race blow-by-blow with
the other drivers. It's been a good battle and i'm unable to shift the
grin from my face. It's been awesome fun so I'd have been happy finishing
anywhere in our group after such a great race. The fact that I was ahead
on the last lap only makes it better.
These little cars are great fun on their own, but racing
head-to-head is like nothing else. I'm utterly hooked. Roll on Cadwell
Park!
