For an excellent Silverstone guide from Ten Tenths Motorsport click here.
Shall I let you know the outcome of another fun-packed weekend straightaway, or keep you in suspense?
Read on....
Things hadn't got off to a good start after yesterday's tribulations (see the build diary for details, but we set off early Saturday morning trying to be positive. The weather was fantastic with blue skies and sunshine. In fact, it turned out to be a scorcher!
We turned up to find a very busy paddock. Racing was going on all weekend and what with Friday's practice session, all the prime hard standing seemed to be full (it wasn't - doh!). So we pulled up on the grass by Copse runway next to the O'Donnells and unloaded the car. First order of the day was to sort out the leaky sump! Martin, Stu and Karl got to work as I trotted off to race control to sign-on, have a first timers briefing and then a compulsory Locost drivers briefing where we were all warned, once again, about driving standards.
Now before I continue a quick word about the structure of the racing for the Locosters at Silverstone. So far this year, full grids have necessitated a heat race after qualification to whittle down the car numbers for the final race. At Silverstone however, the fastest 50% would go into the championship race which would be points scoring, and the rest into a second race where finishers points are available. There have been many points of view by the racers regarding this approach, but having done it, I think it's the best way forward. Both races were completed without incident (at last!) and we all went home with some points in our pockets. The racing was nice and close in both outings without being dangerous. This has got to be the way forward for us!
In a bizarrely efficient manner, I returned to the pit to find the car missing along with the crew? What - no breakfast run? They've normally buggered off for some bacon butties but today they'd been thoroughly professional and had queued up the car ready for scrutineering. This was very welcome as the queue was already huge and we didn't have enormous amounts to play with. So, scrutineering was passed without problem, again, so we were good to go. The sun had really got it's hat on and the temperature had already crept into the 80's so it was a fairly uncomfortable affair to don the fireproofs, overalls and helmet ready for qualifying. As usual, I was out in the second session due to my lowly championship position (no points since Oulton Park) but I had a good time watching the first lot from the assembly area as they slithered through Brooklands on their way through Luffield into Woodcote. None of the Bitza boys looked particularly confident as I made my way onto the circuit and with about 2 miles on the engine, I had no idea how I'd get on.
So, not wishing to load the xflow too much, I spent the first three laps studying the line and letting people past. I have to say, I was quite enjoying myself experimenting with different lines at a leaisurely pace not helped by the fact that the clutch was slipping quite badly at first (oil on the thrust plate). But, three laps done it was time to put in a couple of quick ones, a 1:39 (yup THAT slow) became a 1:30, then a 1:24, a 1:22, a 1:21 then a 1:20.5 as I strained to hear whether all was OK under the bonnet. I settled into the groove and caught and passed several of the people I'd let go in the first place (much to their disgust I'm sure ;) but the engine was revving out at 6K due to the limiter but I was wary of upping the limit in order to save the engine (I couldn't do this until I'd stopped anyway). I could catch cars on the brakes and through the corners but show them a straight and they'd just bugger off in front again! All to quickly qualifying was over and I filtered back into the pits. The timesheet verified the lap timer with a 1:20.547 putting me in 28th of 43. Not bad considering we were well down on power with a low rev limit for the diff. and a slipping clutch! - I know, excuses, excuses ;)
However, all was not great. The engine had started to get noisy again :( No. 8 follower was rattling so it was already wearing. This didn't bode well for the race and I cursed myself for not abandoning qualifying sooner. I had to make a decision whether to continue and risk lunching ANOTHER engine, or to call it a day and go home to salvage what we could before too much damage was done. Well, the family had all turned out, the weather was brilliant and to be frank, if we didn't get a result here then I would have seriously considered torching the car! So, after looking at the faces of Martin, Karl and especially my brother, we persevered.
A fair old wait was ahead of us as we weren't due to race until 5:15. So we had ample opportunity to soak up some rays (too many in fact) and watch the 'points' Locost race. A great battle ensued between William Mitcham, Malcolm Mitton, Darryl Beckwith and Lee Rouillier. See results below although you can catch some of the action on these video clips taken at Maggots.
The hours passed, we got more sunburnt and dehydrated and I got more nervous. But, the time inevitably came to go. I said my goodbyes to the family and crew and made my way to the assembly area once more. The engine was sounding rough, which didn't exactly fill me with confidence, and as I exchanged glances with Martin just before the off, his face was a mirror of mine as we both thought that a finish wasn't going to be :( Onto the job in hand though as we made our way onto the grid. My 28th place qualification put me in 6th place, 3rd row of the grid for the 2nd race. The times were very close between the first 10 or so, so I hoped for a decent finish. Let me re-phrase that, I just hoped FOR a finish!!!
The countdown boards came out and went as we all sat roasting in the heat, then, we all played F1 hero as the lights turned green at Silverstone and we were off! I made a crap start, giving away 3 places before we'd even got to Copse, I kept in touch with the cars in front though and after a lap or two we'd pulled out some space from the following pack. Checking my mirrors and hoping for the best I just drove as sensibly as I could using smarter lines to make up time - and places! The pack had broken into two distinct groups with myself, Ian Grey (of Stuart Taylor Motorsport) and Ivan Thomas (22) at the back of the first group. We were having a hell of a tussle with places being swapped every couple of laps. I was concentrating like mad as the laps slipped by and the tyres started to go off!! 3 laps gone, 4, then 5 - blimey how long can this engine keep going! I was giving it all I could within reason as I bounced of the rev limiter in 4th going into Copse once more. Up into Maggots looking for a way past. A wider line gave me better drive into the Clubman straight and I got past again on the drag down to Brooklands. Slithering round Luffield and Woodcote (there were at least three lines of oil round the complex) and I lost some drive coming out which let Ian past again. Up through Copse again with a slight lift (didn't need to though) and back round again. I took a better line through Woodcote this time and capitalised on it at Copse where I slipped up the inside of Ian and Ivan to gain two places only to have, whoaaaa!!! the rear step out causing some rapid wheel twirling to stay in shape, damn, they slipped by me as I regained control and looked for a way past at Maggots as one of the front runners slipped off the track gifting me a place. Ian got ahead and pulled out a bit of a gap. A wider line gave me better drive into the Clubman straight and I got level again on the drag down to Brooklands - safety being the better part of valour I backed off and let him go... only to have hime spin in the entry to Luffield!!! Great! Head down and I set my sights on Ian again. Blimey - is this race EVER going to end??? Again, using wider entries to Luffield and Maggots I pulled back some time and as we left Woodcote I was right up his arse! - ahem, so to speak ;) Then I saw it, the last lap marker was out. I have to say, I couldn't believe it, I could see Marti, Karl and Stu on the pitwall going mad and my family at Maggots waving frantically. I felt so emotional it wasn't true. After all the disappointments a finish at the meeting I'd been looking forward to the most seemed possible. Holding on to the back of Ian I tried to get past again on the Clubman straight but just didn't have the power. I though about outbraking into Brooklands but got a hold of myself, it was damn slippery through there and my tyres had gone right off. I decided to back off and go for a finish rather than risk spinning off on the final lap. Rounding Woodcote for the final time I gunned it trying to catch Ian but couldn't do it. Elated as I passed the chequered flag (so THAT's what it looks like!), I couldn't help a Schumi air punch to celebrate. All the hard work, all the grief and all the disappointment was forgotten for that moment where I felt that I'd won a Grand Prix! There wasn't a dry eye in the house so to speak!
So back in the pits I calmed down a bit to be met by hearty congratulations by the boys and family. It felt fantastic to finally bring one home. I'd finished 6th out of the 20 starters but it didn't matter. We'd won our own victory against unreliability and that was worth it all!
So, the aftermath of all this from the engine's point of view is that at least 2 followers are suspected to be seriously worn and will need replacing. Original Ford MK1 XR2 followers are supposed to be much stronger so I'll give them a go. In the meantime a new race engine is being prepared and I intend to use this short gap in competition in August to get it properly run-in and sorted before the next race.
Now we've finished one, let's hope we can get some decent points on the table!