Brands Hatch Race (and preparation)

Brands Hatch Race – Saturday 04^th August:

It only feels like yesterday that we were at Donington for the first race of the Academy season, with the three week gap to Brands Hatch seeming much shorter than it actually was. I had been looking forward to Brands since the start of the Academy, but had only driven there as an 18 year old in 1997 after my dad bought me half a day at the Nigel Mansell racing school, so a refresher before the race seemed like a good idea.

I managed to book myself on an MSV trackday on the 26^th July and once again I was using Ben Elliott for tuition, this time sharing him with David Russell and Nigel Board (two of my fellow Group 1 competitors). Nigel had booked Ben initially and rightly had first dibs on him in the morning, so after Ben had strapped the V-Box to my car and given me a bit of guidance on the circuit I set off for my first laps of Brands on my own. It was a roasting hot day, with both car and driver getting very warm very quickly, so I limited myself to about 15 laps during which time I fell in love with the circuit all over again.

Back in the garage after the first stint Ben took a good look at my data, which showed my quickest lap to be 57.02 seconds (4/10ths off Bens own quickest time in an Academy car), so things were looking really promising. Watching the video back and looking at the data Ben gave me plenty of pointers, particularly how to tackle Clearways where I was losing quite a lot of time onto the main straight. I then went out and spent the rest of the day trying harder and going slower, even earning a bit of a telling off from the marshals’ for throwing the car into the gravel at Clearways whilst trying too hard. Finally, at the end of the day, things started to click into place and I eventually put in a 56.44 second run and was consistently in the 56’s (Ben, using my car, had gone even quicker with a 56.16s earlier in the day), before I threw the car into the gravel again in spectacular style at the top of Paddock Hill Bend. At that point I decided to call it a day and head home….hot and tired, but really pleased with my progress.

The week leading up to the race was much more relaxed than it had been for Donington. My only preparation was to remove several kilos of gravel from the car, give it a good clean and check all the vital fluids. I felt much more relaxed in myself, more confident that I knew what to expect and how to get ready for the coming race. In all honesty work had been so busy that I hadn’t even had a chance to think too much about the race in the lead up to the weekend.

Despite Brands Hatch being much closer to me and Group 1 having a more civilised time for sign-on than at Donington, I still made an early start and left the house at just after 5am. The weather was pretty poor, with heavy rain on the way down, undoing all my car cleaning efforts within a few miles. I stopped for the obligatory coffee and croissant just before the Dartford Bridge, but still arrived at the track just before 7am. This gave me plenty of time to go through the usual preparations and final checks; attach the camera to the roll bar, check tyre pressures, check wheel nuts, fill with fuel, tape up the handbrake etc. I then had plenty of time to mosey around and take in the atmosphere before sign-on and scruitineering at 9am. As a petrolhead there is something quite magical about arriving at a race circuit early in the morning and it is always nice to spend a bit of time taking it in and appreciating that you are following in some very significant tyre tracks by racing on that circuit.

After sign-on and scruitineering we gathered at the Caterham truck for a briefing from the Clerk of the Course. It is fair to say that he was rather a scary gentleman who gave us all a pretty stern talking to after the antics at Donington where people missed and ignored yellow flags, causing the accident that the unfurled and left 3 cars pretty badly damaged. To add to this there had been a test day at Brands Hatch the day before, where a lot of the guys had gone for some final practice before the race and by their own admission it was carnage, with damaged cars and plenty of red flags. I don’t think Jenny was at all amused and it was clear that they expected much better of us at the race.

After the briefing a number of us strolled from the lower paddock to Paddock Hill Bend to watch the Group 2 guys qualify. It was fascinating watching the different styles and lines, some much smoother and faster than others, but everyone looked as though they were having fun. Michael Gazda put in a storming drive to grab pole in 56.21, just ahead of Pete Fortune in second on 56.49.

Group 1 had its qualifying at 10.35, so I had plenty of time to get myself ready, strapped into the car and trundle around to the holding area to be noise tested. Waiting in the holding area is always a pain and there appears to be a fine balance between getting there very early and having to wait ages, but being first out on track and therefore into clean air, or getting there a little later on but risking being caught up in a lot of traffic unable to get a clear lap. As it transpired I timed it well and was 5^th car out and starting to make good progress when on lap 3 my drivers side front cycle wing came flying off. Unfortunately the wires for the indicator on the wing held it to the car, but allowed it to flap around wildly, so I had to slowly make my way around the circuit and back into the pits to ask a marshal to rip it off. With the wing removed and time lost I got back onto the circuit and fortunately back into clean air. I made the most of this over the next 10 laps and drove as hard as I dared without doing anything silly. The circuit still felt slippery from the rain the night before, so I didn’t feel as though I was as quick as I had been at the track day a week earlier, but once back in the pits I was told I had got pole, so something had obviously gone ok.

Before I could return to the paddock my car was checked for weight (it was well over the 620kg minimum at 631kg) and a few other bits and bobs…as expected nothing was found to be amiss, but it remains a nerve wracking experience. Back in the paddock I managed to get hold of the Group 1 qualifying times and could see that I had managed a 56.44 second lap, identical to my quickest time the week before, and was ½ a second clear of Scott Lawrence in 2^nd. My nearest championship competitor Matthew Lawrence was 8^th, which was a surprise to me….and him I think.

After lunch the Group 2 guys set off for their race, which was fantastic to watch from the bottom of Paddock Hill bend. Peter Fortune initially took the lead, but a very determined and very quick drive from Michael Gazda saw him take the lead back at half distance, at which point he slowly drew away from the chasing pack. Despite getting involved in a chaotic battle for 3^rd/4^th/5^th in the early stages Stephen Nuttall drew away to chase Peter Fortune, overtaking him on the last corner of the last lap as the pair were tackling traffic. It was another great race from the Group 2 guys.

The Group 1 race came at 1.30pm and with it came the return of the nerves. Sat in the car in the holding area I found myself playing over and over in my mind the start and the daunting run down to Paddock Hill bend. Eventually we were released onto the grid and then off for our warm up lap, which on a circuit as short as Brands Hatch Indy doesn’t take long. The wait for the lights to come on for the start however seemed to take for ever. As they came on I twitched….almost false starting, meaning that I didn’t react as quickly as I should have to them when they went out for real. Scott Lawrence made a much better start than me and was a couple of car lengths ahead as we approached Paddock. Scott braked earlier than me so I tried to go up the inside, which didn’t quite work so we ended up going through Paddock side by side, with me getting plenty of oversteer mid corner and therefore a slower exit up to Druids. At Druids we all took a defensive line, before taking the plunge back down to Graham Hill Bend. Here I got on the power too early in the vain attempt to get a run on Scott up to Surtees, but in the end understeered wide at the exit, got on the rumble strip and grass and ended up having quite a moment. Luckily no one behind was able to capitalise on my mistake so I concentrated on getting a clean run through Surtees and Clearways. Onto the back straight Scott was again a few car lengths up, but I had got a better run out of the final corner and was closing him down. Into Paddock he was a little early on the brakes again and I decided it was now or never, so braked as late as I dared and threw the car up the inside. It worked as I came out in front and took a defensive line again into Druids. From then on I started to pull away from the field and, driving at 90 – 95%, had to focus on maintaining my concentration and not doing anything silly. I wouldn’t call it a boring race, I don’t think there is any such thing, but it was certainly very much easier than at Donington where I was pushed all of the way to the flag by Matthew Lawrence and Matt Dyer. This time I was the only one that could throw it away and I was determined not to do so.

Two laps from the end I caught a couple of the back markers, passing the first easily along the bottom straight and into Surtees, the second put up more of a fight. The blue flags weren’t very visible and I think Michael thought I was his competition, but on the last lap, not wanting to lose too much time and risk being caught by Scott, I made my move past Michael Downing down into Graham Hill Bend. Michael turned in on me and for a horrible split second I thought it was going to end in tears, but thankfully he saw me at the last minute and gave me room. From there through Surtees and Clearways for the final time to the finish line and the chequered flag I could really relax and enjoy myself. I even let out a little victory cheer as I crossed the line, 5 seconds clear of Scott in second place.

On the cool down lap it was time to say thank you to all of the Marshalls, who were again fantastic and thankfully a lot less busy than they were at Donington, before heading back into Parc Ferme to have the car checked over again. With nothing found to be amiss, except me being quite significantly overweight still, it was back to the paddock and time to load the car back on the trailer. An old school friend had come along to watch my progress with his family and my family were present once again, so I had plenty of help getting the car loaded and a nice time being congratulated by everyone.

The awards were held in the Caterham hospitality area (no official podium this time unfortunately) and we were under very strict instructions not to spray champagne inside the awning, so did it outside instead. The results for Group 2 were; 3^rd – Peter Fortune, 2^nd Stephen Nuttall, 1^st Michael Gazda and for Group 1; 3^rd Mathew Lawrence, 2^nd Scott Lawrence, 1^st Alex Gurr. It had been a great day and another good result, but I am starting to feel a little self-conscious…like the kid in class who is trying just that little bit too hard. I am competitive by nature and like to do well, but I am also approaching the Academy to have fun first and foremost. Good results are an added bonus.

With the formalities over and the car loaded it was time to head home. I was given a very tired and very grumpy Jemima as my passenger, whilst Sophie drove back with Tabitha (still wearing my winners cap) and Henry. My friend Martin had offered to drive Michaels Caterham back to Hertford as he had a tow car and a Caterham to try and get home, but no trailer (via a complicated set of circumstances that had started with his accident back at Donington). So in convoy we all set off back home, tired, happy and another step closer to being a proper racing driver. It had been a very good day indeed.

Donington Race (and preparation)

Donington Race – Saturday 14^th July:

This weekend has been a long time coming. Whilst the sprints were fantastic fun, it felt as though they were just the warm-up before the races. Having your first race at Donington Park, a bona-fida Grand Prix track, supporting the European Le Mans series is certainly a privilege, but a nerve wracking one at that.

Time and money for practice remained limited once again, but I did manage to sneak in a track-day on the Donington National circuit (we would be racing on the International) on the 16^th June, as a post birthday treat. I was again using Ben Elliott as my guide, but sharing him with Jason Gale and David Russell (two of my fellow Group 1 competitors) to help reduce the cost and hopefully learn something from them at the same time. It was a fantastic day, starting out dry, then getting greasy, later very wet, and finally dry again. In that regard, we were very lucky as it gave us a chance to drive in all possible conditions and learn the lines for each. The unfortunate part was that it was only the National circuit, so we wouldn’t get the chance to do the Melbourne Loop, which we would have to do come race day. I figured it was only three extra corners, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but with hindsight that was probably not quite right.

I went out first with Ben and he showed me which way the circuit went, giving me plenty of hints on braking points, turn-in points, apexes and gear selections. We made really good progress in the first 30 minutes, before Ben took me out and showed me how it should be done. As at Snetterton, he was noticeably stronger on the brakes than me, and was much tidier through Redgate and Old Hairpin. At this point he went off to spend some time with Jason and I was left to play on my own. Throughout the day and despite the changing conditions, my confidence grew and I was carrying more speed everywhere, but I was still struggling with Redgate and the Old Hairpin even at the end of the day. I just couldn’t find a line I felt comfortable with through Redgate and I wasn’t carrying quite enough speed at the apex of Old Hall to allow me to take it in 4^th gear, so was dropping to 3^rd then quickly back up again to 4th. Despite this, I was just a second of Ben’s pace by the end of the day and had thoroughly enjoyed Donington. There is a real sense of history at the circuit and whilst it has changed a lot since the Silver Arrows came over and dominated the 1938 meeting, the essential character remains. Flat through the Craner Curves at over 100mph is something that will live with me for a long time!

Following Ben’s feedback on the set-up of my car at Snetterton and again at Donington I decided to bite the bullet and take it to DPR for a change. I was perfectly happy with the Caterham set-up, but wanted to see if there was something extra to be found. I also decided to ask them to fit the race transponder and to look at the brakes for me, which had been mushy since the calliper recall earlier in the year. I was really looking forward to trying the new set-up and seeing the difference it had made, but I collected the car late one evening, directly after stepping off the plane from our family holiday. The 2 hour drive round the M25,  in biblical weather conditions told me nothing, other than the fact that a 7 with the roof up, on a packed motorway, in the pouring rain is a pretty noisy and scary place to be.

A week later, I got back in the car and took it up to Arch to have the harnesses adjusted for my HANS device. I hadn’t bothered with this before as I didn’t think I would really need it at the sprints or on a track day, but with the race looming I decided fitting it made sense. I was lucky with the weather and seemed to choose the one morning in the whole month that was dry, so had a good run up to Huntingdon with a bit more of a chance to get a feel for the set-up. The car felt great, but there was a strange buzzing coming through the steering when the car was on an 1/8^th of a turn of lock, and also when heavily loaded through a corner.  Definitely something I needed to investigate later on.

If I describe Arch as quaint, it might sound patronising, but it isn’t meant that way. The guys there were incredibly friendly and showed me around the factory with great enthusiasm. It was great to see the quality of workmanship on display and the variety of manufacturing work they undertake for car and bike manufacturers and individuals alike. The adjustment to the harnesses was done in less than 2 hours and was a quality job, but the £240 bill seemed somewhat steep for the time and materials involved. Still, you really can’t really put a price on safety and Arch are the only people licensed to undertake the work.

With a week left to the race, the excitement started to increase exponentially but I still had a few small jobs to do, so kept myself busy in the evenings fiddling with the car.  This included adjusting the steering rack to move the column away from the engine pulley (after the DPR set-up, these had been contacting slightly, causing the vibration through the steering), replacing the metal rear wing bolts with nylon ones to protect the bodywork in the event of a wing being knocked off (the nylon bolts snap easily, saving the aluminium skin underneath from ripping), checking the crucial nuts and bolts were as tight as they ought to be, checking the fluid levels and, most importantly of all, fitting my new race number (46 – in honour of The Doctor). During the days, I had to content myself with endlessly checking the weather forecasts to see if we were going to be in for a wet or a dry race. If I didn’t like the answer I saw on one website, I would go off and check another until I found one I did like. Unfortunately they all said the same thing … it was going to be wet! By Friday I was struggling to concentrate at work and just wanted to get home to get the car loaded and myself prepared. In the end, I left work just after 6pm and finished getting everything ready by 10pm. I then went to bed and tried to sleep. With little success. Anyone who remembers being 5 and waiting for Father Christmas to come, or worse still, 16 and waiting for your exam results to arrive will know that feeling. It was a real mixture of excitement and fear playing around in my head.

As with Curborough and Snetterton I set off at the crack of dawn, leaving the house at 4.15am and driving through the pouring rain up to Donington. After a very quick pit stop for a coffee and croissant (not a real racing driver's breakfast I am sure, but it worked for me) I arrived at Donington at 6.30am, only to find that I couldn’t get in. Those of us who hadn’t been to the Caterham supported test-day the Wednesday before had been instructed to collect tickets at the gate, but that gate was shut and the tickets weren’t there. We were due to sign-on and get scruitineered at 7.30am, so it really didn’t leave very much time at all. Luckily, at 7am, Jenny turned up and got me into the circuit. I then started rushing around like a madman getting the car unloaded and everything ready. Once through sign-on and scruitineering (they actually sound tested us, which I found hysterical given that we were sharing the day with LMP1/2 cars and Donington is right under the flight path of East Midlands airport. 26 Caterhams on the grid would hardly have registered against the backdrop of noise from the airport and our more glamorous racing companions from the ELMS) it was a back to the paddock for more last minute preparations: adjust mirrors, fit camera, check tyre pressures, fluid levels etc. before going to the "new driver" briefing at 8.15am. This was a very friendly session, which helped put us at ease. The great thing about the Academy is that there is no question too silly to ask….although we really did test this theory. The highlight for me was the Clerk of the Course introducing himself and saying he hoped not to get to know us, at which point a couple of the guys introduced themselves to him as Alex Gurr! Brilliant!

It was then back to the car and quickly off to the assembly area, where we waited with engines running and hearts racing, ready for qualifying. I was out onto track 4^th and it was clear that the rain that had fallen over night had left the track treacherous and very, very slippery. With heart in mouth I set off at about 90% race pace to find out where the grip was and to learn my way around the Melbourne loop, which to my dismay was much trickier than it looked on the track guide (a lesson learnt there). I quickly picked off one of my fellow competitors before getting embroiled in a fantastic spat with Nigel Broad, who graciously left me alone after spinning at the Melbourne hairpin. It was then off past Matthew Lawrence (currently just behind me in the championship) and into clear air for a few laps, before catching some of the more tentative guys from Group 1. In those 7 laps, the car felt terrible with no grip and a very twitchy rear end, which made me less than confident for my grid position but to my great surprise, as we were flagged in through the pitlane and into parc fermé, one of the Caterham guys smiled at me and held up a single finger (à la Vettle). I had got pole for my first ever race! Not by much though, with Matt Dyer having put in a very strong drive and having qualified just a couple of 10ths behind. After much banter and hanging around in parc fermé, it was off back to the paddock to wait. Qualifying had finished at 9.20am and we would be racing at 2.50pm, with little to do in-between but get nervous and watch our fellow competitors show us how it really should be done.

As the afternoon wore on my brother and his girlfriend arrived, followed by an old friend, then finally, just as I was driving into the assembly area for the race itself, my wife and the children (late as usual, but very much a welcome addition to the fan club). By this time I had been to the loo more times than I care to count, cleaned the car obsessively and tried to busy myself with thoughts other than what it would feel like to start a race with 26 Caterhams breathing down my neck. To make matters worse when I got to the holding area I realised that I had put the pin back in my fire extinguisher and forgotten to take it out again (something that can earn you a hefty fine) so had to frantically call someone over to take it out for me, before being waved off to form up on the grid. With this duly done and my heart rate through the roof, I set off on the green flag lap, practicing a start that saw me using too many revs and getting too much wheelspin (another lesson learnt). I drove around at about 75% race pace, trying not to do anything silly, before slowing right down at the Melbourne Hairpin and letting my fellow competitors group up behind me.

Sat on pole position, not quite believing that I was finally doing what I have wanted to do since I was a little boy, I checked myself, checked the car was in first gear (3 or 4 times) and waited. Then came the 5 second board. Then the lights illuminated. Then, they are gone. 4,000rpm, a little too much wheelspin, but a good safe start and the charge off down to Redgate. Brake slightly early, take a middling line, check there is no-one doing anything silly up the inside, then turn-in and accelerate towards the Craner Curves. Two or three car lengths ahead now and concentrate, this is easily flat, but the car is understeering a little too much for my liking. Late on the brakes and down into third for Old Hall, taken with an early turn in and a touch of understeer out to the curb, before slotting 4^th and keeping it flat out up to McLeans. Brake as late as possible, down to third and into the corner taking as much curb and some of the grass as possible. Then up to 4^th again before a very quick stab of the brakes and down into 3^rd again for the blind apex at Coppice. Carry as much speed as possible here to make sure that you minimise the possibility of someone getting a tow down the Dunlop straight. As we arrive at the Foggarty Esses I notice waved yellows and a safety car board out, so slow down to 70% race pace and make my way around to the startline, where we are picked up by a Nissan GTR. Time to breathe again.

As we go down the Craner Curves on lap 2 the reason is apparent as Andreas Sinclair has beached his car in the gravel on the infield in a place where he could get hit. We continue around the course to the Foggarty Esses where there is more carnage, with two cars head-on into each other and another beached in the gravel, with a good deal of debris spread across the track. It later transpired that the yellow flags, seen by some and not by others, had caused a chain reaction of events with the unfortunate outcome that a further four cars were out of the race. Following the safety car around for a further 2 laps, I had a chance to calm down and work out how I was going to lead the pack away. On lap 4 I saw the lights go out on the safety car so started to hold back as we went down the Dunlop straight and through the Foggarty Esses, then halfway to the Melbourne Hairpin I went, gaining an instant 2 – 3 car lengths on Matthew Lawrence, which I held for about half a lap.  However going into the 6^th lap, he and Matt Dyer were right behind me again - I was quick through the first and middle part of the lap, but my lack of experience around the Melbourne Loop was showing and they were gaining significantly in that sector. As we started the 6^th lap, Matthew was all over me and had a look coming out of Old Hall and up through the Schwanz Curve, but thought better of it. I managed to get a good drive onto the Dunlop Straight and pull away again slightly, but coming back through the Foggarty Esses and the Melbourne Hairpin he was right with me again. Onto the final lap and down the start finish straight he got into the tow and put a great move on me down the inside into Redgate (in all honesty I didn’t see it coming…another lesson learnt). I then stuck to him like glue down through the Craner Curves and up to McLeans. Following Matthew felt a lot easier than leading him and whilst disappointed I had lost the lead, the pressure actually felt less as I could follow his lines and work out where I was stronger than him. Coming out of Coppice I got a better drive onto the Dunlop Straight and got right into the tow. Matthew saw this and moved to the middle of the track to defend, but I moved to the inside and as we headed down into the Foggarty Esses it was a game of "last of the late brakers". We both went in too hot, too sideways and too slow, but I came out in front. Accelerating out and down to the Melbourne Hairpin, Matthew had a look down the inside again, but this time he was joined by Matt Dyer on the outside of me, so three into one at Melbourne. I took a defensive line, got there first and again over-cooked it at the apex, as did the other two. We all then struggled for traction out and up the hill to the final corner, where I again took a defensive line. With my mirrors full of two very determined Caterhams I accelerated out of the last bend and onto the finish straight to take the chequered flag…my first race and my first race win.

It had only been 7 laps, and only 4 of those at race pace, but it had felt 10 times longer than that out front. I was exhausted, thrilled and genuinely surprised. On the warm-down lap I quickly remembered to wave to say thank you to the marshals, without whom we couldn’t race and who did a fantastic job that day. At the end of the lap as I cruised into the pit lane I heard my family shouting from the grandstand which was a lovely moment. Once in parc fermé, Matthew, Matt and I were quickly gathered up by Jenny and ushered up to the podium (the real Grand Prix podium) where we were presented with our trophies, caps and champagne. I was then interviewed by one of the commentators, which in all honesty felt very embarrassing given the number of people watching and the clichés that were falling out of my mouth as I was blabbing away. Still, it was nice that they made a real fuss of us. At that point I got absolutely covered in champagne by Matt and Matthew.

Back in the paddock after having my car scruitneered (an experience I still find nerve wracking even though I know it is absolutely fine), it was time to congratulate my fellow drivers on a good clean race and to recall all of the experiences to my friends and family. It was also an opportunity to see Michael and Tristan who collided on the first lap through no fault of their own and offer my commiserations. It was a really sad way for both of them to end their races, but at least they were both physically OK.

Having packed the car away, we watched the Group 2 race which was dominated by Stephen Nuttall (also a Rossi fan running number 46), with a phenomenal and very clean battle for 2^nd place between Peter Fortune and Michael Gazda. The guys showed real class in their racing and were very impressive to watch. Before we left for the evening we had another presentation in the Caterham hospitality truck, which provided a final opportunity to congratulate everyone on their results and to say thank you to the guys at Caterham for looking after us so well.

After dinner with the family and on the drive back home I had a chance to reflect on the day. I remained unbelievably pleased, but also conscious that I had been lucky. I was under-prepared for the race, having not driven the full track before and having not been on the circuit with the car with its new set-up. The conditions in the morning had given me a bit of an advantage as I really like the wet and in the race I really believe that Matthew, and probably Matt, were quicker than me. Had there been no safety car, or had the race been another lap longer I doubt I would have won. But that is motor racing and I am more than happy to take the win. More importantly than that, I will keep that day with me until my death bed. The 5 year old boy in me has finally realised a dream.

Snetterton Sprint

Snetterton Sprint – Saturday 02^nd June:

Like Curborough, my Snetterton weekend started at 4am on the Saturday morning with me dragging myself bleary eyed out of bed and into my race gear. The key differences this time being that the weather was terrible and I was driving the Caterham up (my wife had stolen the tow car to take the kids down to see her dad for the long bank holiday weekend), so my mood was less than jubilant.

In the end I managed to wedge all of my gear into the passenger side of the Caterham (25 litre jerry can, toolbox, socket set, torque wrench, foot-pump, fold-out chair, change of clothes, crash helmet, etc, etc). It is amazing just how much you can get into a Caterham when you really need to. The journey itself up the motorway was dull (and pretty noisy with the roof up), but the sun came out about 10 miles from Snetterton, so I arrived feeling a little more buoyed up and ready for a good days racing.

Having done a track-day at Snetterton a month or so ago I was confident I knew which way the track went, but that day was soaking wet and today looked as though it would be dry, so the track was still going to present a decent challenge for me. The start of the Snetterton 100 sprint is at the bottom of the Agostini hairpin which you accelerate hard through, then up a short straight into the left hander at Hamilton, taken with a lift in third, before breaking  hard for the third gear right at Oggies. It is then a short squirt in third before going hard on the brakes and back to second for the left hand hairpin at Firmans. After the hairpin it is back up to third and into the left hander at Palmer, taken with a small lift, before getting back on the throttle and into fourth for the straight that takes you back to Agostini. Two circuits of the track in an Academy car last year took just over 100 seconds, but the finish line had been moved a few hundred yards from last year so it wouldn’t be possible to make a direct comparison with the 2011 groups times.

The format of the morning was much as with Aintree and Curborough. I arrived at 6.30am and unload the car, checked tyre pressures and taped up the lights/handbrake etc. before signing on at 7.00am, scruitineering at 7.30am and the track walk at 8.00am, before the drivers briefing at 8.30am. Then…hang around a lot. There really is a great deal of hanging around at sprints, giving plenty of time to banter with fellow competitors and get nervous about how well you are going to do.

Our Academy group was first up on track at 9am and with three cars running on the track at any one time we were being dispatched in pretty quick succession. I was actually pretty relaxed, but as I got to the holding area I was asked for my scruitneering card, which was in my pocket. I undid my belts and fumbled in my pocket to get it, only to be told it was for car 107 (I am car 108). Some marshals have a great sense of humour, but this one clearly didn’t, so I started to get flustered whilst he worked out what had gone on. In the end it was sorted pretty quickly and I was put back into line with the rest of the group, but it certainly didn’t do anything to help me keep calm or focus on the task ahead.

My first practice run was pretty untidy, particularly at the Firmans hairpin and Hamilton where I was sliding wildly and on the lock stops, only just holding the car on the track. I didn’t actually think I was pushing that hard and was quite surprised by how little grip there was on the track first thing in the morning, so resolved to make my second practice run slower and much more controlled. Still a time of 107.30 was enough to have me 1^st in class at this point, but some 2 ½ seconds off the usual suspects (Peter Fortune and Michael Gazda) in Group 2, who were flying. After the run it was straight off to scruitineering to have the car weighed to ensure it was above the 620kg minimum (I was weighing in at 629kg at the start of the day and with a little less fuel 625kg at the end of the day).

It was then back to the paddock to compare times and experiences with the rest of the guys. Unlike Aintree and Curborough where you can see your time as you cross the finish line the Snetterton timing was hidden away. This meant that we were all crowding around the timing board outside the timing hut waiting for the results to be printed out like schoolboys waiting for exam results to be posted. Once reviewed the usual banter started, with those posting 999 times vigorously protesting their innocence about the fact they weren’t really off the track (a 999 was handed out to anyone who put more than two wheels off the track and was strictly enforced), but the quantities of dust getting thrown up by various Caterhams would suggest there were a few guilty parties.

There was no tannoy system in operation at Snetterton, so we had to carefully watch out for our turn to come around again, making sure we were back in our cars in plenty of time to get settled, but not so early so as to sit sweating in our nomex. My second practice run was much better than my first. It was much tidier with far less time spent sideways and much quicker as a result. A 106.12 was over a second quicker, but it was clear that there was more speed to be found in Hamilton and Palmer if I could be braver on the turn in and get the car settled quicker to avoid mid corner oversteer, which was still hampering my efforts.

My first timed run was my best run yet, yielding a 105.56, which kept me top of Group 1, but was still some 2 seconds off the fastest time in Group 2. The key difference between this run and the two practice runs was that I was now taking Hamilton at the top end of third gear, rather than fourth as I had been previously. This made a big difference, allowing me more control over the car mid-corner and a better exit, but at the same time I managed to muck up my entry into Agostini, which I tried to take in third, and which cost me a little of the time I had gained at Hamilton. Again, there was more pace to be found.

My second timed run started off really well, with the first lap just about perfect, but as I started the second I understeered wide at Hamilton and dropped the two right hand side wheels off the track and into the dirt. I kept my foot in and carried on at pace, but knew it would be a marginal call as to whether I had remained on the track or not. I thought I might just have had the two left wheels on the kerb, but a quick look at the timings afterwards revealed a 999. Checking my video footage showed this to be fair, as my left hand side was about an inch over the white line, so the car was completely off the track. It is a real shame as I think it would have been my fastest run yet, but rules are rules and I still had a good banker from my previous run.

My third and final timed run, was actually two runs. On the first I got a fantastic launch and had nailed the first half of the lap when I saw red flags out for Jason Gale (car 107), who had spun up at the Firman hairpin, so I had to cruise around and re-join the queue for a second attempt as my first had been compromised. This time I was a little less tidy, with more wheelspin at the start and some turn in oversteer at Palmer on the second lap, but it felt quicker than my previous runs, so I was hopeful of a good time. It just remained to be seen if anyone in Group 1 had managed to go quicker still, or whether I could hold on to my first place.

Once again Jenny Grace (our Academy coordinator) was feeling mean and kept the results from being posted up by the timing officials, so it was simply a case of packing the car up with all of my things (a lot easier and quicker than having to load it onto a trailer) and chat to the guys about who had done what. After an hour or so we all gathered eagerly at the Caterham Motorsport truck to hear the results, which for Group 1 were, in reverse order; 4^th Brian Caudwell (106.23), 3^rd – Matt Lawrence (105.97), 2^nd - Tristan Judge (105.29), 1^st - Alex Gurr (105.12)…….another trophy, another cap and another kiss from Jenny. It was a fantastic feeling and no less exciting than the first win at Curborough, but I do confess to a strong feeling of embarrassment when I walked up to collect the trophy. I know I shouldn’t and all my fellow competitors are great sportsmen, but there is something about the whole process that I find slightly awkward…I am not sure how professional sports people deal with it. Once again the Group 2 guys had a great set of times, with; 4^th Danny Killeen (105.31), 3^rd – Stephen Nuttall (105.07), 2^nd – Michael Gazda (104.12), 1^st Peter Fortune (103.13) – a fantastic time and quickest novice by quite some way. Congratulations guys….a great set of results.

After saying goodbye to everyone, I climbed into the Caterham and took off for home, driving in convoy with a couple of other Caterhams, hood down with the warm evening air on my face. It had been another fantastic day and a great result, which has now put me to the top of the Group 1 table, 1 point clear from Matt Lawrence. I have thoroughly enjoyed the sprints, but am now really looking forward to the circuit races (the first being Donington in 5 weeks’ time). Everyone has said that those that are quick at the sprints aren’t necessarily quick in the races, but this doesn’t worry me. I feel that I am driving better and better, but also know that the guys in my group are also improving in leaps and bounds, so it should be really exciting. For now I am just concentrating on enjoying the experience and am really looking forward to getting on track, side by side, with my fellow Academy competitors.

Run Number 3 - 105.12 seconds:

Curborough Sprint

Curborough Sprint – Saturday 12^th June:

My Curborough weekend started at 4am on Saturday morning with me hitching the trailer to the Volvo and setting off for Litchfield shell shocked and bleary eyed. I had promised Sophie that I would try and do each of the upcoming events in a day, rather than stay overnight, so we could have some time together. Despite the ungodly start I rather enjoyed the drive up as the roads were deserted and the sun was very definitely out and shining on us. I arrived just before 7am and the track walk after a very brief coffee and croissant stop somewhere near Birmingham.

The track walk was really useful and helped to put into perspective the challenge ahead. I had spent a little time on Friday night watching some useful videos on Curborough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tpYHgeUWXT8) and reading the hints and tips that I had been passed by Lotus Seven Club members Steve Marsh, Michael Calvert and Mark Gibson, which were very much appreciated and helped me to feel reasonably well prepared, especially compared to Aintree. After the track walk and a short briefing by the Clerk of the Course it was time to get the car un-loaded and scruitineered. I had parked at the far end of the paddock as my allocated bay was filled with someone else’s car and trailer, so I started un-strapping the car, before managing to shuffle my fellow competitors cars around to make space where I needed to be. Thinking the car was still in gear and with the handbrake on I went to tow it back up the paddock only to hear a crash from behind. Looking in the rear view mirror showed a trailer, with a Caterham half way off it pointing skywards. Clearly the handbrake wasn’t still on and the car wasn’t in gear. Bugger! Luckily the Caterham guys helped me to lift it off and no damage was done, other than to my pride, but it was a rather inauspicious start to my day.

After scruitineering it was time to get out on track for the first of our practice runs. We were first on the timetable so it was straight into the car and off to the holding area. I felt much more calm and composed than I had at Aintree as, whilst not an old hand, I knew what to expect. The weather was beautiful and the setting picturesque (so much nicer than Aintree), so I was really looking forward to a good days racing. Once clear of the paddock we trundled down the access road to the start line and grouped up waiting for our runs. Unlike Aintree where they fired us off in very quick succession there was plenty of waiting around, which meant plenty of time to start getting nervous. The feeling of the un-known; fear mixed with excitement and a desire to prove yourself and do well. I am not sure if that feeling ever goes away, even for professional racing drivers, but it is a feeling that I hate and enjoy at the same time. I am car number 108 for the sprints, so had about 10 minutes to wait whilst my fellow Academy drivers (100 – 107) went and explored the course for themselves, some more quickly and composed than others.

When my time came, and I was called to the start line, I tried to get settled and focus on what was ahead of me. As the lights went green I left the line with a little too much wheelspin and fired myself off up the tight and twisty track in a flurry of gear changes, locked brakes, dabs of opposite lock and missed apexes. Unlike Aintree where there is plenty of time to think about what you are doing between the three corners, Curborough is so tight and twisty that everything comes upon you very quickly and it is easy to find yourself on the wrong line, at the wrong speed and in the wrong gear. I honestly can’t remember what I did on that first run, I was just reacting instinctively, but I must have done something right as my first practice run was 65.57 second, which was the quickest in Group 1 and “only” 1.6 seconds off the class record. I felt really pleased.

After the excitement and adrenaline of the first run it was back to the paddock to compare times and experiences with the rest of the guys. In some ways I enjoy this part of the day as much as the actual driving, as grown men become children again, bouncing around with excitement, exaggerating what has just happened and generally joking with each other. It is infectious. Once out of the car I went off to watch my fellow competitors with some of the other guys from Group 1 and we all offered commentary on their lines, corner speeds, braking points etc……every one of us an expert after one lap!

After an hour and a half standing in the sunshine watching cars racing (is there really a better way to spend a sunny Saturday?) it was time for our next practice run. This followed the same routine….into the car, belts on, balaclava, helmet and gloves on…..trundle through the holding area, down the access road to the start area and then wait, watching the car get hot and worrying about whether you have enough fuel vapours left to get around the course. The wait at the start was longer than before as we were behind the last group to complete their first practice runs, which included some very powerful and serious looking Caterhams competing in the Lotus & Club Sprint Championship.

Having been around the course once I felt confident in attacking it a little harder and set off as I meant to go on. My start was better, with less wheelspin, and the first corner just about spot on, carrying plenty of speed down towards the Molehill. From there on in to the finish it was a case of trying not to get too excited and keep it tidy and controlled. The strategy, if you can call it that, obviously worked as I was rewarded with a 64.78 second run, which was a fantastic and slightly unexpected result, just 0.79 seconds off the course record. It had certainly felt good from the drivers seat, so I was excited and slightly confident for the timed runs. Once back in to the pits the banter started again, with lots of jovial comments along the lines of “so, how is the victory speech coming on?”. I was faced with the same comments at Aintree and now know only too well that in sprinting you don’t really know your result until the last run is complete, so I focused on getting ready for the timed runs themselves and trying to act cool and calm. This all sounds very serious writing it down afterwards, but there really is a fantastic spirit in the pits. Everyone is massively competitive, we wouldn’t be doing it if we weren’t, but genuinely supportive of each other and pleased when others do well.

The first of the timed runs came after lunch (I decided to go easy on the sandwiches in the interests of weight saving) when the sun was out and the temperature really up. We sat sweating gently in our Nomex for about 30 minutes in our cars in the start area, before getting our chance to prove ourselves officially against the clock. Once again the nerves started to kick in just before the run, but once into it all was calm. I got a reasonable start and had another fantastic first bend, before going in slightly too hot and slightly too sideways to Molehill. The rest of the run seemed to go really well…fast but controlled and I stopped the clock at 64.86 seconds, slightly slower than my second practice run, but still not a bad effort. This was enough to put me into first place in Group 1 and was a great banker lap, allowing me to be more relaxed on my second and final timed run.

Back in the pits I took a good look at the video of my lap and figured that there was probably ½ a second to be had by being quicker into turn 1, tidier into the molehill and slightly later on the brakes at the end of the first lap back into the first turn. I was determined to try and find that time and even try and push into the 63 second bracket if I could. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out like that! My second run was a bit of a disaster from the start, with too much wheel-spin at the start and a massive “moment” as I carried too much speed into turn one, unsettling the back of the car. I then made the same mistake at the Molehill and was trying to play catch-up for the rest of the lap. Finally it went completely wrong at the Molehill on the second lap as I took too much curb on the inside of the corner and upset the car, spinning on the exit. I was really disappointed with myself, but had to laugh as I trundled back to the pits, waving at the photographers capturing my embarrassing moment. At least I had that banker lap from earlier.

Back in the pits it was a nervous wait to see what the final result would be. Having been pushed down to 4^th place at Aintree by some fantastic drives from Matt, Tristan and Zoli on their final runs, I was aware it could very well happen again. To make matters worse Jenny had asked for the timing screens in the pits to be turned off so we couldn’t see the results as they came in. I simply had to load the car back onto the trailer and watch the remaining runs to see how the Group 2 guys were getting on.

After an hour or so of packing away and waiting we all gathered eagerly at the Caterham Motorsport truck to hear the results, which for Group 1 were, in reverse order; 3^rd - Tristan Judge (65.89), 2^nd - Matt Lawrence (65.82), 1^st - Alex Gurr (64.86)…….a trophy, a cap and a kiss from Jenny. What a fantastic feeling…..I still have the smile on my face writing this almost a week later. The Group 2 guys had a great set of times too, with; 3^rd – Peter Fortune (65.14), 2^nd – Danny Killeen (65.11), 1^st Stephen Nuttall (64.14 – a fantastic time and quickest novice by quite some way). Congratulations guys….a great set of results.

After the Caterham Motorsport awards we went off to join the awards for the rest of the competitors, where we received another set of trophies and some very warm applause from our fellow competitors. A nicer bunch of guys you could not hope to meet.

So it was that I left Curborough at 6.30pm after a very long, but fantastically rewarding and enjoyable day. The Caterham Academy is only just getting into its stride, but it already ranks as the most enjoyable and exciting experience I have ever had. The people are fantastic, the competition is intense and the experience unrepeatable. Gushing I know and possibly coloured slightly by the result but I really can’t stress quite how much I am enjoying it all right now. Roll on Snetterton in a few weeks’ time!

Run Number 1 - 64.86 seconds:

Run Number 2 - A long time :-)