Jerez - Race Two summary

This will be just a brief update as I'm sitting at Malaga Airport on the way home typing this on my iPhone, so I have a limit before cramp will set into my thumbs!! It was quite a fun race two,  so I will put up a fuller report when I get the chance.

Race Two this morning brought no changes in status quo; the boys assured me that they had found me 5secs improvement in the car overnight, but if they did I wasn't good enough to take advantage of it!

The fuller report will include the amusing finish to my race, but you'll have to wait! Suffice it to say I finished third in class, that gives me 4 points for the weekend, which whilst my poorest return from any round so far, it is good enough to secure 3rd overall in the Championship, mathematically there remains one rival who could tie with me on 44 points, but that's highly improbable; the chances of me improving my own position in the Algarve next weekend are no less improbable.

Delighted to have achieved a podium position overall, even if this weekend has seen me somewhat off the pace. Very grateful to Iain and the boys for getting me to the chequered flag in every race of the championship, even if it has been touch-and-go a couple of times.

More later ...

Jerez - Saturday

Our qualifying session was the first track action of the day at 0900, that meant that we had the cars fired up in the pitlane in the dark before the sun had actually come up, a little bizarre!

Qualifying proved one thing at least.. The timings we'd taken on the pitwall yesterday weren't wrong, I am indeed off the pace... I improved my own best down to a 2:14.8, partly helped no doubt by the cooler early morning air, it felt a lot better, and I reckon there was more to be had as I didn't have a single lap without a minor delay, mostly caused by other traffic, but at least one decent lap was ruined by being unable to get 2nd gear at a critical moment. The very low sun was an issue at times too, particularly on the very fast left hander heading out the back. Kim and John Delane have improved too; now I'm clutching at straws again, but they've improved by less than me, so maybe there's hope! My time has me 19th on the grid, John is 13th on 2:09.2 and Kim alongside him on 2:09.9 which is impressive. I really feel that I've 'pushed' hard so to remain that far off them is dispiriting. Andrew Tart is alongside me in the Bond, which being front-wheel drive rarely gets off the line well.

After tribulations yesterday Iain's car is sorted again, but having had no track time here he's only qualified just ahead of me ... Which will be interesting, as there are concerns about him getting off the line. We agree that he'll line up to the right of his grid box, and I'll go to the left of mine, giving me a better chance of avoidance if he doesn't get away.

Race time is midday-ish. Bit of chaos in the paddock and assembly area, but it gets sorted and we line up. Lights go out, not a bad start, Iain does get away, so does Andrew Tart, but the first lap is messy and very tight, at some point I get ahead of Iain, can't remember how and the video footage is corrupted! Things settle down a bit after the first lap, it's clear that I can do nothing to pressure either Andrew Tart or John Delane, so top of my agenda now is just to finish both races and take the 4 points available, which will go a long way in securing third place overall in the Championship. I do have a bit of a fun dice with Larry Kinch, but having had a couple of slidy moments as the tyres start to go off I decide that it doesn't matter if he goes by me. I finish in 19th, where I started, 3rd (last, if you must!) in class. Iain has faltering oil pressure and pulls off late to preserve his freshly built engine. David Methley cruises to victory at the front, a full 17secs back is Roberto Tonetti, who we haven't seen all year. John Fyda comes home third having prevailed in a race-long multi-car dice with 3-4 others. Most interesting is that Kim beats John Delane by 5secs, that's a great result for Kim, who is going very well here. Andrew Tart duly wins the front-engine class, so his crew are delighted with Kim beating John Delane! If that's repeated on aggregate after tomorrow's race then Andrew Tart will be in the box seats for the overall Championship.

I'm still very disappointed to be so far off the pace, and I don't fully understand why to be honest ... Some  people are saying that this circuit suits an aggressive driving style, well that's certainly not me for sure, I think i'm a fairly smooth style! I'm hanging it out as much as i'm comfortable with, hitting relatively consistent sector times and receiving compliments on my driving from some people who I respect, so maybe this circuit really just doesn't me and my car... No point in getting too glum, I'm here at circuit that I enjoy driving despite my results, racing with people I like, in hot sun and in a place I like ... Shouldn't be complaining too much now should I?!

Jerez - Friday

Alternatively titled: Houston, we have a problem ...


It's still dark when I leave the hotel this morning, have I really got the time difference the right way round ...?

Our first session on track is the second session of the day at 0945, so cars are warmed up and we get our kit on ready to head out when the Historic F1 cars have had their turn. Quite a few cars on track, it's quite busy, but we sort ourselves out and get some clearish laps in. The session comes to a slightly early end when portuguese driver JP beaches his Lola Mk5 at turn 9 and is stuck deep in the gravel. My best is a 2:18:4, don't have times of other people to compare with, but it didn't feel like a great run. The gearing could be better, 4th is too tall, 2nd is too short! The brakes need a tweak. And I had a lot of oversteer, so was that due to the heat here, have the rear tyres overheated ...? They're only at 20lbs pressure so hard to believe they've overheated...

A chat with Iain and we decide to change the gearing, so the boys start dismantling the car and gearbox. We don't have much time and several of Iain's cars have been out and need administering too before the next session in 90 minutes. The boys get it all back together and tweak the brakes, but there's an issue, the box is stuck engaged in two gears at the same time, it'll have to come to pieces again. With time running out and other punters needing to go out, I go up to race control and swap the session I've paid for until later in the day. I get back to find Iain has in fact sorted the issue, but too late now... And I'd planned an hour at the hotel pool this afternoon ... Blast!

Iain and John Delane are among the session I'm missing, I head for the pitwall and put the watch on them... Best I see for John is 2:11:2, whilst Kim improves rapidly and runs what looks like a very impressive 2:10:8. This is going to be interesting ...

A couple of hours later, and it's even hotter, but now my turn to run again ... First couple or three laps are blighted by the traffic sorting itself out, but it clears and we pick up the pace. The new gears seem to be an improvement, the brakes are good and overall it all feels much better... But as Iain's car has failed in the it lane the boys are working on that and so there is nobody with a watch on me ...

Session is red-flagged again after an FJ drops a serious trail of oil round most of the last 3rd of the track... Grrr, had only run about seven laps.

With no watch on me I have to download the camera and then play it back to get a time ... It looks much better ... But the best was just a 2:17.7... Well that's no good ....! Clutching at straws a bit, but i reckon the track temperature is up as is the ambient, and the track might be a touch slippy too, with some oil down, but that doesn't account for all of the difference to class competitors Kim and John. Sadly I'm thinking that this circuit plays to the strengths of them and their cars, so I might be relegated to 'also-ran' this weekend. Obviously we'll put in the effort, but I seem to be outclassed here... We'll see tomorrow of course, but I that really is tha gap between us then there's nothing I'll be able to do about it!

Scrutineering, briefing, car prep, take Iain to supermarket, etc., I  eventually make it back to the hotel about 1930, in time to call the kids at home before bedtime.

Couple of beers, followed by pleasant tapas dinner with Aussies Kim and Marie and the Scottish contingent.

Tomorrow's another day ... No sense in dwelling on it ... We'll try again in quali at 0900, and we'll see what happens!

Jerez - Thursday

I pulled out of the well-lit Malaga Airport car hire area, into the well-lit airport road about 2130 last night, about 5 minutes later I find myself on the unlit motorway desperately trying to find the light switch on the hire car, before either I crash it because I can't see or somebody crashes into my stealth black Seat Leon because they can't see me ... Doh! Note to self, check you know where the switches are before driving off in your hire car!

An hour or so to the south-west down to Algeciras, then a turn to the west towards Jerez, another hour and I was in the centre of Jerez at midnight. 

The organisers have given us hotel accommodation here, well some of it anyway, very good of them! Most of the racers are in one or other of two hotels, and there was a concerted effort to get the Formula Junior crowd into the same hotel, so it should be pretty social.

The circuit is 20mins away, and I got out there about 1000 this morning, Iain and the boys were still en route, but not far away, so I walked the circuit. Beautiful day, warm sun, barely a cloud. I've never been here before, but have seen plenty of racing from here over the years, well the tv doesn't show you the undulation, the first corner in particular is really quite uphill. The kerbs look useable, even for me, and my car doesn't really like much kerb... But the circuit looks quite technical, fortunately there are quite a lot of features trackside to help you learn your braking points, turn-in, etc., one climbing turn runs into the long back straight, and that corner looks critical to the lap time, so I hope we can get the gearing right for that one! At the end of the straight is where Schumacher tried to take out Villeneuve in 1997.

Iain arrived, with Martin and Josh in the van behind him, we unload the seven cars, although two aren't racing here, but only next week end. Kim is here, and more and more people arrive through the day. Mike Bell has also arrived with his big rig bringing three cars. More Aussies, Don and Jeanette Thallon, with a pair of cars in their van and trailer, all brought over from Oz for the summer, so still driving round on Aussie plates, I imagine people must do a double-take when they clock that!

Later in the day I manage to halve my lap-time ... By running the circuit with Iain, still pretty warm, must have sweated a kg or so ... I'm hoping that I might be able to psyche out the Bond crew and driver Andrew Tart, who've pitched camp alongside us ... But they don't seem fazed!!

On track for free (not free!) practice fairly early in the morning, will let you know how it goes.

Right - the final push ...

On Wednesday evening easyJet will whisk me off to Malaga, for Round 6 of the Championship at Jerez in southern Spain. Exactly one week later easyJet will have the pleasure of my company again, this time to Faro, for the final round at Portimao in the Algarve. So it's worth a little round-up of how we stand ...

Two rounds of 7 left to go, I've scored 40 points so far with a nice consistent 8 points in each round. The final score is the best 6 results of the 7. The two guys that I am tied with on 40 points each have 'perfect' scores of 10 points from each of 4 rounds. With one score dropped, effectively they can score at each of the remaining rounds, whereas I can only add to my score at one of the remaining rounds. They are in the box seats to be honest, especially as they are both highly experienced racers, driving well-prepared cars - it is frankly unlikely that either of them will be beaten by anyone in their respective classes. John Delane runs his Lotus 18 in my class C2, and Andrew Tart runs the front-wheel-drive, front-engined Bond in class B2. Add into the mix that the grids, whilst well subscribed overall, are a bit short in both Classes C2 and B2, which will mean that full points aren't available for any of us, unless some others cars pitch up at the last minute! It's not surprising that grids are down a bit, it's a long season, and this will be an expensive far-flung jaunt, so a number of drivers have hung up their boots for the winter. But assuming I take a few points from either of the remaining rounds then I should be able to stay ahead of the guys behind us, so I am flying out aiming to secure third overall in the Championship; 2nd in my class in already secure.

Iain has re-prepped the car again after Goodwood, and he's just called from Portsmouth about to board the ferry for the long-drive to southern Spain. I'll meet him at the circuit on Thursday morning. He's got 6 cars in the truck and trailer, so he's going to have a busy time. He'll stay out after Jerez and just take the short drive to Portimao for the following weekend, I think a lot of the competitors will be staying out too, making the most of the autumn sunshine. Wish I could do the same but I need to come back to work in London, it's my busy season at work.

I used to go to University at Cordoba in Andalucia, just a couple of hours from the Jerez circuit, but I've never been there, and in fact I've never raced in Spain at all, and I love the region, so I'm really looking for to it. It's one of the modern breed of Formula One type circuit of course, whereas I prefer the older-style circuits, but it'll be good to race in Spain, and the forecast is for a temperature in the high 20s and bright sunshine, so that'll be a welcome change from foggy London.

It's a big meeting being run by Masters, http://www.circuitodejerez.com/index.php?id=29&no_cache=1&L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=221&cHash=a728b9c687c95ade468d7fc86dc00e4f and http://www.themastersseries.com/news/item/5-news-jerez

If you want a last look at the championship table whilst I'm still at the top, look here! http://www.fia.com/championship/lurani-trophy-formula-junior-cars/2013/classifications I've printed it out as it looks now, will add it to the scrapbook for the grandchildren!

Goodwood Wild West Ball

Goodwood does everything in style, this year the theme for the Ball on Saturday evening was 'Wild West', being such an accessible theme the vast majority of the 1500 guests made the effort to dress up, coupled with something like the same number again of staff or entertainers similarly dressed, in an aircraft hangar dressed up as a wild west street. The after-dinner show opened with a bank raid, complete with pyrotechnics, stage fights, real live people being pulled off real live horses and others falling out of 'buildings', then when the TNT blew the doors off the Bank the band came out ... and they were awesome. Nic and I danced their entire set, in my case despite about 40kgs of leather wear including Cowboy Boots!

Some Goodwood photos courtesy of Charlie Wooding