2011 Calendar

The 2011 Roadsport B Calendar has been announced (UPDATED 1st March 2011) and the dates are as follows - EVERYONE Welcome

March 27th (UPDATED)
Silverstone Arena GP Circuit

April 24th 25th (UPDATED)
Snetterton 300 Circuit

June 11th and 12th
Brands Hatch Indy

July 9th and 10th
Zandvoort Euro Festival

August 6th and 7th
Donnington GP Circuit

September 3rd
Oulton Park International

October 22nd (UPDATED)
Silverstone International South

Race Car Live 2010

Sunday 21st November I will be visiting Race Car Live at Brands Hatch with my Car. I will be involved in a demonstration in the afternoon where I will be driving with other Championship winners from this years R300, Supersports and Roadsports B Classes.

I will be set off from the Pit Lane ahead of the other cars within the 7 minute demonstration session. As faster cars, they will catch me up near to the end of the session at the chequered flag.

This demonstration will take place in front of hundreds of visitors who will get to see the different speeds that the cars run at.

See you there!

http://www.racecarlive.com/

Croft Winter Race

On 9th/10th October I competed in a non championship round at the fantastic Croft race circuit in North Yorkshire. Whilst it was a non-championship round, the only entrants permitted were the drivers from either of the two Caterham Academy groups. This meant that it was the first time that I would have the opportunity to race against those in the other group.

The weekend included a 20-minute qualifying session and 20-minute race on Saturday, and a further 20 minute race on Sunday.

Having never visited the circuit before, I only had the qualifying session to learn the circuit. I went out late in the qualifying session to get a free track and slowly my confidence grew. The car felt good and I finished on Pole, over 1.5seconds faster than my nearest competitor.

Race 1 was dry and the first lap was full of activity early on with cars tripping over each other to get the advantage. Behind me Chris Bingham and Joel Wymer were victims of their own late braking which helped me break free from the chasing pack. This enabled me to finish 1st, Mike Hart 2nd and Kurt Brady a very close 3rd.

Race 2 was a real fight, I started on Pole having won race 1 but, as always, I was suffering from very bad brakes, so much so that I even warned Mike Hart before the race who was starting in second, just in case I found it difficult to stop at the hairpin before the start finish straight.

I got a very good start and was followed very closely by Mike and Kurt for the first 5 laps. At the mid way point Kurt overtook me for 1st place, but then I pulled it back soon after. With the brakes still not improving I continued to suffer where Mike pushed me down to 3rd with one of his trademark lunges from nowhere, only for me to get it back again before the end of the lap. With one lap to go, Kurt had pulled out a secure lead where he finished 1st, me 2nd and Mike 3rd.

It was an excellent weekend with some very close racing. With about half of the competitors from this year expecting to stop racing based on previous years, there is likely to be only one grid in 2011. Those who have been at the sharp end are going to continue, so it looks like another great year of racing when we progress to Roadsport B.

Race win at Mallory and Champion!

The 7th and Final round of the Pistonheads 2010 Academy Championship was at Mallory Park.

After qualifying 2nd on the grid, only 0.022 seconds behind Merlin Edwards, I knew we would be in for an exciting final race. In fact, only 0.185 seconds separated the top four drivers and it was the tightest grid we have seen all year.

When the lights went out I managed to beat Merlin into the first corner but only after Blaize Rhodes made yet another superb start demoting me back to 2nd. The start of the race was frantic where 7 cars chased for the lead, which resulted in a number of light touches from the pack.

Mike Hart, one of the Championship contenders this year, defended his position from Matthew Waite into the hairpin, causing him to crash into the back of me. This unfortunately resulted in me being pushed forward into the back of Merlin Edwards resulting in minor damage to his car and substantial damage to my steering. Unfortunately this seemed to affect the cornering and performance of my car and I was unsure at the time if the damage was terminal. The corner after the incident was the first test but unfortunately it as also the fastest. With blind faith I threw the car into the corner and with some mid turn adjustment (which now continued throughout the rest of my driving) I continued to race.

It was a hard fought battle and the lead changed almost every lap. My race was not made any easier by rushing two gear changes, resulting in lost places where my competitors did well not to hit me.

After 12 laps it became a two horse race between Blaize and me where I managed to keep my cool and hold him off for the final 4 laps after he threw everything, including the kitchen sink, and a brief excursion across the grass to try and get past!

This last race gave me another 20 points towards the Championship where it was confirmed that I am the Group 1 Pistonheads Caterham Academy Champion for 2010 !!!!!!!!

The top 5 in this years Championship finished as follows;

Wesley Fox 120 points
Jon Mortimer 103 points
Merlin Edwards 102 points
Blaize Rhodes 101 points
Mike Hart 100 points

There are many people I want to thank for helping me achieve this. My wife Louise who has supported me 200% (as always), my father in law John MacDonald - who helped me build the championship winning car, Richard Grimes of Sidelines Automotive for his expert advice, support and supplies throughout the year and David Rowe of DPR Motorsport – who set the car up for the races, provided race day advice and race tuition.

The Racing Fox pit crew, who travelled the country on race days and track days, most notably Rod Germany and Martin Bielby who both made countless observations about competitors and myself at the events.

Mallory Timetable

Last race of the Pistonheads Caterham Academy 2010 season is on Sunday 19th September 2010.

Timetable for me is as follows.

10:25 Qualifying

14:00 Academy Group 1 Race

Mallory Test Day

Mallory Park test days are only on a Wednesday morning for cars, so there was little time to get it right. The test day on the 8th September only provided 3 x 30 minute sessions, which during a 56.00 second lap leaves little time to think about what you might be doing wrong. I kept the same setup from Brands Hatch and still suffered from under steer, which may require further adjustments on race day.

Whilst there is another test day available on 15th September before the race on Sunday 19th, I am unable to attend due to working commitments so what will be will be!

Whilst the circuit layout is relatively straightforward there are again key corners to get right with very few overtaking opportunities without a tow from another racer. The Tow at this circuit are very easy to get and this will make for a very interesting final event. It is also a circuit where you will need to lean on people to get passed and you are most likely to be either attacking or defending narrow lines with your competitors where the pack are likely to hunt together. Any small mistakes during the race could have quite a significant impact because there will be a train of drivers likely to pass together.

The competitive nature of the current Academy drivers and this particular track I feel make it very unlikely that someone will be lucky enough to break away from the pack.

Mixed reports on the weather this weekend will also provide what I hope as a very entertaining race for spectators.

Mallory test 8th September

I am testing tomorrow at Mallory in Leicester ahead of the final race on Sunday 19th September. It looks like the weather will be variable so hopefully I will get both wet and dry conditions in preparation for the race.

On the way home I will be going to see the guys at Caterham Midlands to pick up a replacement Oil pressure sender which failed at Brands Hatch.

Brands Hatch - Bitter Sweet Victory

Testing at Brands Hatch did not go well on Friday. I shared a Garage with Kurt Brady who is a strong contender in Group 2, who was really doing well.

Since my last visit to Brands Hatch they have resurfaced a large portion of the track, which seemed to drive completely differently. I suffered with under steer during the day and could not get the car to run true around most of the circuit. I decided to raise the back of the car which would normally rectify this but it only made slight improvements to my times during the day. I was about 0.3 seconds off the pace and with lap times expected of 57.10 seconds this would be a real issue during the race. I went home a little deflated that evening hoping that by studying my data and video footage I could find some way of improving my times. That evening David Rowe of DPR Motorsport asked how I got on and suggested making further changes to the car, some of which I had never considered beforehand.

Saturday afternoon I was back at Brands Hatch for qualifying. I decided to make the changes that David at DPR suggested because I couldn’t risk being mid pack for the start of the race. The changes I made gave me better steering and I qualified 3rd on the grid. This was very positive because it gave me the inside line into the first corner which I planned would give me both an aggressive and defensive opportunity. Mike Hart was again the one to beat with Merlin who qualified 2nd.

Race day I lowered the car back down which brought the adjustments back into line because some of the changes I made assumed it would be raining. I was also planning to purchase new tyres if the track was very wet, which as it turned out was not required.

The race started and I was demoted to 5th by the second corner due to Mike Hart holding a defensive position and both Jon Mortimer and Blaize Rhodes getting a flying start. I battled my way back from 5th to 2nd where I pursued Mike Hart in 1st following his incident with Merlin which proved to change the result at the end of the race.

I battled with Mike to gain first place and but my position at the front was short lived. Mike overtook me on the last lap into Druids, which later was adjudged to be an optimistic yet illegal pass.

Having finished a close second in the race, in fact less than two tenths behind Mike the Clerk of the course asked to see my video footage following his overtaking move. Unfortunately he was dealt with a very hard penalty by being excluded from the race, which promoted me to 1st. During the race however I did managed to set the fastest lap, which was also fast enough to break the lap recor by almost 0.4 of a second at 56.962 something I am very proud of.

This result puts me in 1st in the Championship with only one round to go, however the exclusion for Mike is somewhat of a bitter result for the good of the season. Whilst I do feel that Mike did not deserve to win, his punishment did not fit the crime.

The next race is on 19th September and it should be a great finale to the season.

Snetterton - POLE and RACE WIN!

Snetterton was my first race win. I Qualified 1st and went on to win the race holding P1 from start to finish.

I made a clean start, aided by Jon Mortimer of P2 missing second gear off the start line, however getting the clean break was essential knowing that Snetterton has the the fastest and longest straight in the country. This enables those following to get a tow, so to follow is a significant advantage.

I built up a lead that stretched over 7 seconds during the race but I had to slow down on the last 2 laps for fear of running out of petrol, a calculation that I realised I was too close to comfort whilst on the warm up lap.

The race behind was not without drama, which enabled me to build up the lead that I did whilst posting some of the fastest and most consistent times of the weekend.

I am now only two points behind the Championship leader with 2 races to go so its all to play for. Thanks to Brads for his help at the weekend and those who travelled to see the race. Next race is at Brands Hatch on 22nd August.

Snetterton Race 2 - 25th July

Sunday 25th July is race 2 of the Caterham Academy 2010.

The race starts at 13:50 where entry also entitles you to watch the other races which include the Porsche GT3 Cup and the Alfa Romeo series.

Those wishing to attend should contact me via this blog or via email.

http://ticket.motorsportvision.co.uk/media/1269350/britcar%20sn%202425%2007%202010.pdf

Rockingham - RACE 1

Rockingham was a great weekend and a big learning curve for the years that follow.

The qualifying was over in a flash and when it finished I immediately knew that I messed it up completely. Having had excellent tuition from David Rowe of DPR Motorsport and Fulvio Mussi, a racing driver currently racing in Clio Cups, I understood the importance of getting a tow from other participants during a qualifying session. However, I took this to the extreme during our qualifying session where in 15 minutes I abandoned 4 of my laps to concentrate on the perfect tow - which didnt happen. I also didn’t realise that we would only get 8 laps in total and this included navigating through a crowded pack of drivers to get a decent lap.

This resulted in me qualifying 5th on the grid which was disappointing. The only saving grace was that it put me on the inside line for the first corner, which at Rockingham is a must due to it being a Hairpin. If I am completely honest I would never have gained pole position because Mike Hart the Championship leader was on fire once again but my practice times the day before were more than half a second faster than during qualifying.

Having completed my warm up lap, making sure the tyres and brakes were up to the job, the race started. I got great traction in 1st gear, which propelled me up to the next row of the grid, only to miss second gear (and having watched other competitors videos - included REVERSE). By the first corner I was back to my starting position of 5th, chasing Blaize Rhodes hard who qualified 4th.

Mike Hart was overtaken by Blaize who also made a poor start early in the race where I then put pressure on Mike. Mike passed Blaize into 3rd and then I followed into 4th.

Merlin Edwards, who qualified 2nd, spun on the second lap which propelled me into 3rd, however Balize was keen to make me fight for it. Blaize continued to put pressure on me, which enabled Mike and John (the race leader) to create a gap of approximately 25 metres.

After a further two laps, I managed to shake off the challenges of Blaize before catching the front two (Mike and John). I caught 2nd place Mike in the infield and passed him into second, before he passed under braking into the next corner. At this time my door was flapping open, creating a blind side on the right hand side of my car where the wing mirror had also fallen down, which was now pointing towards the floor (less than ideal!).

I became very conscious of the blind side of my car and was unable to see across the right hand side of the car to make any reasonable lunges and defensive moves on Mike who was watching my every move behind him.

The 5-minute board came out at the start finish line, which was then followed by the last lap board which I missed on the following lap. I continued to press Mike on the lap that followed but I did not realise it was the last lap and did not make the aggressive moves that would have been taken had I known.

I finished 3rd in the race, my first race ever in a race car and something that I guess I should be proud of, however there are may things that I have learned during qualifying and during the race that makes me think that I could have done much better. I am not saying that I would have improved my position, just that I could have given a better account of myself during the race.

During qualifying and the race I also practised the ‘heel and toe’ technique, which is used by racing drivers to stabilise the car under heavy braking into slower corners. This is something that I initially found odd and uncomfortable, however it should be something that improves my race results in the future.

Well done to John and Mike for finishing 1st and 2nd. They drove really well and it was a pleasure to be part of the first Caterham Academy race of 2010.

Next race is 25th July at Snetterton.

Next Event 4th July

The first race and next event is Sunday 4th July at Rockingham, Corby, Northants.

http://www.rockingham.co.uk/about/gettingto.asp

My Race starts at 10:55am. Those wishing to attend should be at the track for 10am. The rest of the day will include other Caterham races, including the mighty Caterham R300 cars. Fingers crossed for good weather, because I understand it could be a real challenge if its wet!

2nd at Snetterton Sprint

Snetterton was the final sprint of the 2010 Caterham Academy season where the whole field turned out in glorious sunshine to test the cars to the limit.

Unfortunately I suffered yet more brake problems and my near side rear brake calliper had to be replaced after the practice sessions in the morning. In the afternoon the heavens opened but not before Richard Grimes of Sidelines automotive made yet another long trip to assist in making the brakes reasonable. This however, caused another problem where on my first timed run I locked the newly efficient brakes at the second corner, sending me straight off onto the grass causing me to fail on my first run.

The second run I posted a time that gave me 7th position, however I knew this was not going to be enough to keep a serious position in the championship.

I knew I had to push harder, my performance so far did not give me a benchmark so it was all or nothing. The last run was two seconds faster, which secured second place overall however this obviously was not enough to get 1st place. One of the problems was the way I drove the circuit, it was very Karting Esq. turning in late, staying off the racing line, which apparently was the way to drive the circuit in the wet - but my runs were not aggressive enough!

I don’t want to sound ungrateful for my second place, however this is the third consecutive 2nd place where I now hope that a 1st place is not too far away. If I want to pose a serious challenge to the leader I will need to go one better in the races which start on 4th July at Rockingham. I will be getting tuition at both Brands Hatch on 8th June and Rockingham on 12th June where I hope to find more time on the track to go faster.

I hope to improve this year but there are now many drivers that are capable of winning races. Anyone wishing to attend at Rockingham should let me know beforehand because it is likely to be a great weekend.

2nd at Curborough Sprint

Having travelled to Curborough for the second round of this years Pistonheads Caterham Academy, I feel happy that I have finally solved my long term brake problem.

Having complained for months now, Caterham have finally changed the Brake Master Cylinder which appeared to be the faulty part. This was changed on the morning of the Curborough Sprint which was less than ideal, however the brakes improved dramatically. The only problem was it changed all the braking points that I learned on the previous day during the test sessions.

Having missed 3rd gear twice on my last run of the day, I had to settle for second place. Whilst my time would have improved I doubt it would still have been fast enough to get first place on this occasion.

I am still in a very strong position for the rest of this season however its now time to start winning some races!

Next round is Snetterton on 29th MAY.

Round 2 - Curborough Saturday 15th MAY

This Saturday is the second round of the Pistonheads Caterham Academy 2010 at Curborough. This is one of the oldest motor racing venues in the UK and hopefully I can go one better than last time out. Those wishing to attend can join me at the circuit from 9am.

2nd at Aintree - First Sprint

On Saturday 24th April the Caterham 2010 Academy started. We visited the Aintree Sprint in Liverpool where this years drivers competed for the Championship.

We had two practice sessions before being timed on the course. One my second run was done in 54.61seconds only to be beaten by 0.02 of a second during the day. I therefore picked up the first Losers place (2nd) where its clear that this year is going to be very close.

My pit crew for the weekend included my wife, son and daughter so it was a family affair through and through. I guess their view is if we cant stop him, we may as well join him!

I have attached the video for my fastest run but unfortunately I knocked the camera as I got into the car so unfortunately it points off to the left a bit.

Castle Combe

On 14th April the first official Caterham Academy 2010 test day took place. The venue was Castle Combe.

It was the first chance to see how quick all 48 Academy would be in the year ahead. Whilst timing was forbidden, a few (including yours truly) timed their laps to see how well they were doing during the day.

The day confirmed that this year is going to be very close and is likely to go down to the wire.

Silverstone Slalom Challenge

The Silverstone Slalom Challenge on 27th March was the first time all Group 1 Drivers competed in a Friendly pre-season event. The day was organised by Caterham where the purpose was to get drivers to push their cars through short, tight, twisty courses during the day to get to know how they perform.

The day also included the opportunity to practice standing starts against the clock and to discuss the tales so far with other drivers.

The final task of the day was to compete against all competitor's and the clock to win the Caterham Slalom Challenge. I am pleased to confirm that I won it with a winning time of 25.54 seconds. Hopefully this will be first victory of many this year but the competition will be strong. The Slalom Challenge was something that I was not comfortable with all day but I managed to change my driving style to generate a fast enough time on a damp course.

Car Registered

I went to the DVLA in Chelmsford today and registered the car. This means I now carry a '10' Plate confirming that it is a new vehicle

I can now drive the car on the road and therefore get used to the characteristics of it over different surfaces and weather conditions. I am also now able to drive to future events, meetings and test sessions. I really do feel that we have achieved everything now that we set out to do.

BRING ON THE RACING! Next Stop - Caterham Midlands Saturday 6th March

Brands Test a Success - Eventually

Having no sleep the night before due to the excitement of achieving a childhood dream of driving the Brands Hatch Circuit in a car, we arrived in plenty of time to get a Garage in the pits.

After signing on and driving my sighting lap in a group of 5 behind an instructor, I set about driving the car in the dry for the first time.

It took until mid way through the second session before I found my braking points. In the third session I pushed the car hard and was not totally convinced with the brakes. I set about bleeding them with Josh Bell (my co-pilot for the day) where things did not improve throughout the morning. I was then joined by a number of friends in the afternoon, Mac Engledew, Aaron Dalrymple and a valued client, Rod Germany who all helped in trying to sort things out. We also used 21 PSI in the tyres where later I learned that last years competitors would have used between 26-30 PSI for the cold conditions. This would have only helped to gain grip earlier in the session, but would not have cured the Brake problems.

My long standing sponsor, Richard Grimes of Sidelines Automotive, turned up with the brains and quizzed me all afternoon after each session before I realised that I had made a significant change since our last outing at Bedford Autodrome.

I moved the brake pedal to enable me to practice 'heel and toe' which seemed to change the dynamics of the brake feel. After moving it back to the original setting, the last two sessions went really well, the only problem this time was that it was now snowing.

The car performed well during the day, the engine felt strong and I learned a lot about the track, even though I could only drive really hard in the afternoon.

Thank you once again to everyone who attended the day, assisted with the mechanical elements and took the 'mickey'. Special thanks go to Richard Grimes again and Rod Germany who attended but worked harder than I am sure they were expecting.

ARDS Test PASSED

On 17th February I obtained my race license. This means that I have passed the MSA ARDS test where I proved that I am capable of understanding the rules/flags, and course etiquette during this year.

The day involved a relatively basic written exam, skid pan training, fast speed track assessment and medical. All the other Caterham competitors were also there on the day where we got to share tales and stories about the journey so far. The course was at the Castle Comb circuit in Wiltshire, which is one of the fastest and most technical circuits in the country.

Next stop Brands this weekend for a Track Day!

IVA Passed

We passed the VOSA IVA test yesterday morning. This means that we have now 'officially' finished the car build and the car is classified as road worthy. I will be registering it from next month, meaning that I can drive it on the road to put some miles on it before the racing starts.

Thank you once again for John MacDonald helping me to build the car, coming to the IVA tests and joining in with the roller coaster of emotions when dealing with the "WONDERFUL" VOSA.

IVA Postponed

IVA now Friday 5th February, lucky there was nothing in my work diary!

The rear brakes lights that have stopped working for some reason - need to get this sorted beforehand otherwise it will be a waste of time and money.

Hope to be in good spirits on Friday night!

New Sponsor Confirmed

I am pleased to confirm my latest sponsor. Specialized Security Products of Buntingford, Herts have agreed to support me through the 2010 season. They are providing financial support that will be invaluable through the year. Should you require assistance for any door entry systems, internal or external access devices, please feel to talk to Duncan Easley on 01763 273766

IVA booked for 2nd February

I have now booked my IVA Test for Tuesday 2nd February. This is the test that the VOSA do on the car to make sure it has been built to a suitable standard where it can then be registered for road use.

This will enable me to get it registered on 1st March and drive (test) it on the open roads. This will be the last significant date for the car before we can actually say the build is complete, but not all cars pass first time. A fellow competitors car failed before Christmas on a faulty part supplied by Caterham themselves and he was forced to pay the £90.00 re-test fee and it wasn't his fault!

The car requires another full day of attention beforehand, where we need to make sure all parts are secure, nothing has failed and any nuts and bolts are not exposed.

My willing, and Subaru STi loving father in law, will be coming with me for the trip where we will report back on our experience.

Calendar Updated

I have updated the Calendar on my website. This will continue to be updated throughout the year and those following me may wish to keep an eye on the website as the year unfolds.

Calendar

Training has started

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Run

Next Track Day Saturday 20th February

Due to the continued poor weather conditions in January, I have decided that my next track day will not be until Saturday 20th February at Brands Hatch. This will be one of their last weekend Track days before my racing starts so I needed to get this booked up before it fills up.

Those following me on the blog who wish to make the trip are more than welcome to come down to the track.