Nafoff
ClioSport Club Member
Congrats on getting to and through your first race. Thats a massive accomplishment.
Look forward to reading the update
Look forward to reading the update
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Living with a 182 in the MSV Trackday Trophy
- Thread starter Hyperhatch
- Start date
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
The weekend we dreamed of…..
Last update the car went up to Donnington with Russ the other driver (Owner). First off he we had the fire extinguisher serviced for £44. Only found out the night before it was out of date by one month. He then put the car through scrutineering and to our relief we passed! The only issue was the harness straps had to be changed from left to right as apparently the holomagation info has to be on the left hand strap. The car was also weighed and we had confirmation we are in class C (126-150 bhp per ton).
I then made the journey up and we enjoyed a night together with our sister team.
Race day –
The last week had all been about anxiety but weirdly when the morning came I just wanted to get on with it. After all what else can we do to prep the car on the day of the race?!
I signed on and then had a look around. Qualifying was at 12.00 so around 11.30 we started to get ready. In hind sight this was not to time to put on my new helmet, HANs, overall, boots etc! Big lesson learnt. As the owner of the car Russ went first in the qualifying and the race just in case we had an issue as it wouldn’t have been fair if he didn’t get out in the car.
The car went out and it ran fine for the first 15 mins and then it was my go! We swapped drivers and then a few issues arose. Firstly, when I set off I hadn’t noticed the passenger mirror was pointing at the sky, not so much of an issue on its own however somehow I’d managed to twist the HANs strap meaning I couldn’t move my head much. I could drive the car with no issue but visibility to the left of the car was an issue. Man up and carry on yeah? Normally but last time I drove this car at this track we had a crash. By this point a yellow flag was out meaning no super-fast laps (same for everyone). I carried on and just when the yellow was removed a red came out for a car stuck in the gravel.
Where did we come? 32nd out of 37 (fastest time set on the last lap). Not so good and 3 seconds off of the sister car. Oh well we’ve just completed our first official session of a race weekend! The aim from this point was to finish in the top 30 but ultimately just to finish!
The race wasn’t until 17.35 so after the drivers meeting we had some time to relax. This time we prepped the car. I say prepped but to be fair it was working fine. We checked the levels, cleaned the wheels and filled it full of fuel and that was that. What we did do was sit in it with our helmets & HANs on and adjust the mirrors and got comfortable with the HANs device. Sounds such an obvious this to do in hindsight.
45 minutes until race start and it’s time to getting ready. We were watching the race before at the start/finish straight when I noticed it was getting a little grey……….. Quick check of the weather app and to my horror its forecast rain!! Just what you need on your first race. Remember this car is hard work in the rain with no ABS, power steering and worn tyres (no tread depth).
Undeterred we got changed (it was starting to spit now) and took the opportunity to take a photo of the 2 cars/4 friends together. Then off Russ went to wait for the start with me waiting in the pits.
Race start – well it started! And then there was carnage in front of us……
To be fair to Russ he got through with a car with no damage, not bad as he had to go around two cars facing backwards and two stopped facing forwards. We were all but last and once the safety car came in we were off good and proper! Highlight of the weekend was this bit because after all the hard work I was watching our car cut is way up through the field, looking and sounding like a proper racing car! It was still spitting with rain at this point.
Halfway through and then another safety car. This is where we lost most our time as I didn’t want to bring Russ in as he hadn’t been out for 50% of the time but we ended up following the safety car around whilst others pitted. We actually ended up 3rd overall because of this!! But as all you motorsport fans know we then made our pit stop and everyone else went straight by.
My turn ………
You have to be in the pit lane for a minimum of 2 mins. To be fair this is long enough to swap drivers at a steady pace. With me in I made sure the mirrors were in the right place and I could see left and right once strapped in (see we’re learning!). Then off I went into the unknown……
And made the biggest error of the weekend! I assumed the safety car would be out for some time so casually got up and running getting comfortable etc when to my horror at McLean’s (50 % around the track) the track went green! WTF I was out for a Sunday drive and the race had started again on the other side of the track!!! Another lesson learnt, get to the back of the safety car as quickly (but safe) as possible. So the next 10 mins was me driving on my own as fast as possible (still spiting with rain but getting a little heavier). Eventually I caught up and we started to move up the field.
By this point the leaders had caught up, being our first race (and remembering the crash) I just kept jumping out of their way. Interestingly an incident happened in front of me with the leaders which I was witness to (more on this later) but after what seemed a reasonable amount of time all of a sudden the chequered flag came out.
We did it! Competed in our first race and finished it with a straight working car!! The rain was heavier at this point so we dodged a bullet with that.
Cool down lap was amazing as the realisation of a childhood dream had just been achieved (4 days on and it still makes me smile!). Every car gets weighed at the end and then we get asked to wait in scrutineering. Turns out after the race we were on the limit for class C. This is due to fuel burn and also I’m lighter than Russ (sorry Russ if you read this!). But we got the all clear.
Turns out despite coming from the back twice we made it up to 22nd out of 37. I’ll take that.
So that’s that, well it almost was as I then had to take my GoPro footage to race director as I caught the incident with the leaders on it. I forget the guys name but I know he reads this so ‘Mr Blue 182 with orange mirrors’ I have the footage if you want to see it?
Final thoughts….
Are you happy? Yes it’s amazing racing
Any mods to come? New tyres have already been purchased (Nankang AR1)
When are you racing again? Snetterton round 3 hopefully
What have you learnt? So much but there’s lots more to learn
We survived but others came home with bent cars, its not always going to be this good but we look forward to going out again. And as for being an arm chair expert for the last 39 years………. Give it a go because trust me its harder than it looks on the TV
Cheers for reading
Last update the car went up to Donnington with Russ the other driver (Owner). First off he we had the fire extinguisher serviced for £44. Only found out the night before it was out of date by one month. He then put the car through scrutineering and to our relief we passed! The only issue was the harness straps had to be changed from left to right as apparently the holomagation info has to be on the left hand strap. The car was also weighed and we had confirmation we are in class C (126-150 bhp per ton).
I then made the journey up and we enjoyed a night together with our sister team.
Race day –
The last week had all been about anxiety but weirdly when the morning came I just wanted to get on with it. After all what else can we do to prep the car on the day of the race?!
I signed on and then had a look around. Qualifying was at 12.00 so around 11.30 we started to get ready. In hind sight this was not to time to put on my new helmet, HANs, overall, boots etc! Big lesson learnt. As the owner of the car Russ went first in the qualifying and the race just in case we had an issue as it wouldn’t have been fair if he didn’t get out in the car.
The car went out and it ran fine for the first 15 mins and then it was my go! We swapped drivers and then a few issues arose. Firstly, when I set off I hadn’t noticed the passenger mirror was pointing at the sky, not so much of an issue on its own however somehow I’d managed to twist the HANs strap meaning I couldn’t move my head much. I could drive the car with no issue but visibility to the left of the car was an issue. Man up and carry on yeah? Normally but last time I drove this car at this track we had a crash. By this point a yellow flag was out meaning no super-fast laps (same for everyone). I carried on and just when the yellow was removed a red came out for a car stuck in the gravel.
Where did we come? 32nd out of 37 (fastest time set on the last lap). Not so good and 3 seconds off of the sister car. Oh well we’ve just completed our first official session of a race weekend! The aim from this point was to finish in the top 30 but ultimately just to finish!
The race wasn’t until 17.35 so after the drivers meeting we had some time to relax. This time we prepped the car. I say prepped but to be fair it was working fine. We checked the levels, cleaned the wheels and filled it full of fuel and that was that. What we did do was sit in it with our helmets & HANs on and adjust the mirrors and got comfortable with the HANs device. Sounds such an obvious this to do in hindsight.
45 minutes until race start and it’s time to getting ready. We were watching the race before at the start/finish straight when I noticed it was getting a little grey……….. Quick check of the weather app and to my horror its forecast rain!! Just what you need on your first race. Remember this car is hard work in the rain with no ABS, power steering and worn tyres (no tread depth).
Undeterred we got changed (it was starting to spit now) and took the opportunity to take a photo of the 2 cars/4 friends together. Then off Russ went to wait for the start with me waiting in the pits.
Race start – well it started! And then there was carnage in front of us……
To be fair to Russ he got through with a car with no damage, not bad as he had to go around two cars facing backwards and two stopped facing forwards. We were all but last and once the safety car came in we were off good and proper! Highlight of the weekend was this bit because after all the hard work I was watching our car cut is way up through the field, looking and sounding like a proper racing car! It was still spitting with rain at this point.
Halfway through and then another safety car. This is where we lost most our time as I didn’t want to bring Russ in as he hadn’t been out for 50% of the time but we ended up following the safety car around whilst others pitted. We actually ended up 3rd overall because of this!! But as all you motorsport fans know we then made our pit stop and everyone else went straight by.
My turn ………
You have to be in the pit lane for a minimum of 2 mins. To be fair this is long enough to swap drivers at a steady pace. With me in I made sure the mirrors were in the right place and I could see left and right once strapped in (see we’re learning!). Then off I went into the unknown……
And made the biggest error of the weekend! I assumed the safety car would be out for some time so casually got up and running getting comfortable etc when to my horror at McLean’s (50 % around the track) the track went green! WTF I was out for a Sunday drive and the race had started again on the other side of the track!!! Another lesson learnt, get to the back of the safety car as quickly (but safe) as possible. So the next 10 mins was me driving on my own as fast as possible (still spiting with rain but getting a little heavier). Eventually I caught up and we started to move up the field.
By this point the leaders had caught up, being our first race (and remembering the crash) I just kept jumping out of their way. Interestingly an incident happened in front of me with the leaders which I was witness to (more on this later) but after what seemed a reasonable amount of time all of a sudden the chequered flag came out.
We did it! Competed in our first race and finished it with a straight working car!! The rain was heavier at this point so we dodged a bullet with that.
Cool down lap was amazing as the realisation of a childhood dream had just been achieved (4 days on and it still makes me smile!). Every car gets weighed at the end and then we get asked to wait in scrutineering. Turns out after the race we were on the limit for class C. This is due to fuel burn and also I’m lighter than Russ (sorry Russ if you read this!). But we got the all clear.
Turns out despite coming from the back twice we made it up to 22nd out of 37. I’ll take that.
So that’s that, well it almost was as I then had to take my GoPro footage to race director as I caught the incident with the leaders on it. I forget the guys name but I know he reads this so ‘Mr Blue 182 with orange mirrors’ I have the footage if you want to see it?
Final thoughts….
Are you happy? Yes it’s amazing racing
Any mods to come? New tyres have already been purchased (Nankang AR1)
When are you racing again? Snetterton round 3 hopefully
What have you learnt? So much but there’s lots more to learn
We survived but others came home with bent cars, its not always going to be this good but we look forward to going out again. And as for being an arm chair expert for the last 39 years………. Give it a go because trust me its harder than it looks on the TV
Cheers for reading
Last edited:
JamesBryan
ClioSport Club Member
Love it mate!
Where did that put you in class (not sure if you've mentioned it)?
Where did that put you in class (not sure if you've mentioned it)?
Nafoff
ClioSport Club Member
What a great write up. Properly captures the feelings and thoughts of a full race weekend... including the mishaps. ha
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
In the running cars second to last ? But like a true racing driver there’s so much more to come......
Last edited:
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Cheers, already looking forward to the next one with all the knowledge we have from the first weekend!
robzracing
ClioSport Club Member
Great write-up. Everyone remembers their first time!
Glad you made it to the end and don't beat yourself up about ther safety car, they're always confusing times!
Glad you made it to the end and don't beat yourself up about ther safety car, they're always confusing times!
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Thanks for the info. We’ll look into it as I know all the time is being lost around the bends and not down the straights!
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Cheers for the advice! It’s amassing how fast your mind moves on to the next round.....
Sorry to hear about your bad news with the engine, hope you get it fixed soon and get to enjoy it ?
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Had some photos sent over from the race. Sadly i’m Not driving the car?
The start was busy as you can see
Glad we had the right hand side of the car fixed as I knew that’s the side the photos would be from!
The start was busy as you can see
Glad we had the right hand side of the car fixed as I knew that’s the side the photos would be from!
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Round 3 (Round 2 for us) - Snetterton 15.06.19
We're booked on for our second outing in the TDT this year. As both drivers from both teams haven't been to Snetterton before we attended a track day/test day yesterday.
What's changed - Not much, the main item is a set of Nankang AR1s. The second change is the car has been down to KTEC to have the alignment done again. I've hinted at it before that fundamentally there's nothing wrong with the car but it doesn't drive nicely. We were lucky enough to receive some tips on the setup from one of the best teams in the business however couldn't get the car over to them. The car lives 10 miles away from KTEC so Russ ran it down there last week.
So it was an early start yesterday of to Snetterton
We're racing on the 200 track but the only track days that are available are on the 300 track. With the sighting laps complete and a few sessions under the belt and I must say we al thought the track is brilliant. Some challenging corners and a good flow to the circuit.
As for the car....... It's like driving a new car! The AR1s are excellent and the changes with the set up have transformed the car. Still no C5EAD but its starting to do what we want it to do. No locking up with the braking and we both have confidence to start throwing it around the bends.
I'm starting the race this time so after lunch we ran through a race programme including me pushing hard with no warm up, a driver change and then Russ taking the car out the pits and going as fast as possible from the moment he leaves the pitlane. For me I also used my race helmet with HANDs device for all sessions. I'm still not a fan of it but I'm getting more comfortable with it.
Luckily the car ran with out fault all day. I'm not convinced the gearbox is going to last much longer as its crunching between 2nd to 3rd if rushed but we can work around that ATM.
9 days to go and the cars next wheel turned will be qualifying. The anxiety is building up again but its a positive camp ATM......
Also received these photos from the last round from a fellow competitor, first photos of me actually driving the car!
We're booked on for our second outing in the TDT this year. As both drivers from both teams haven't been to Snetterton before we attended a track day/test day yesterday.
What's changed - Not much, the main item is a set of Nankang AR1s. The second change is the car has been down to KTEC to have the alignment done again. I've hinted at it before that fundamentally there's nothing wrong with the car but it doesn't drive nicely. We were lucky enough to receive some tips on the setup from one of the best teams in the business however couldn't get the car over to them. The car lives 10 miles away from KTEC so Russ ran it down there last week.
So it was an early start yesterday of to Snetterton
We're racing on the 200 track but the only track days that are available are on the 300 track. With the sighting laps complete and a few sessions under the belt and I must say we al thought the track is brilliant. Some challenging corners and a good flow to the circuit.
As for the car....... It's like driving a new car! The AR1s are excellent and the changes with the set up have transformed the car. Still no C5EAD but its starting to do what we want it to do. No locking up with the braking and we both have confidence to start throwing it around the bends.
I'm starting the race this time so after lunch we ran through a race programme including me pushing hard with no warm up, a driver change and then Russ taking the car out the pits and going as fast as possible from the moment he leaves the pitlane. For me I also used my race helmet with HANDs device for all sessions. I'm still not a fan of it but I'm getting more comfortable with it.
Luckily the car ran with out fault all day. I'm not convinced the gearbox is going to last much longer as its crunching between 2nd to 3rd if rushed but we can work around that ATM.
9 days to go and the cars next wheel turned will be qualifying. The anxiety is building up again but its a positive camp ATM......
Also received these photos from the last round from a fellow competitor, first photos of me actually driving the car!
Rob Quantrell
ClioSport Club Member
Clio 182
Great to see! All going well I’ll be there as well in my Clio
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Excellent, come say hello if you see us ?
Nafoff
ClioSport Club Member
Good Luck
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
Snetterton race weekend 15.06.19 - The highs and lows of racing...........
We all went up Friday afternoon as team 'Unique Transporters' had booked on the Friday test session as their car had been down to KTEC for a new gripper diff etc. Turns out they're impressed with the setup but sadly it moves them away from us as we don't run one. Both cars we're left at the circuit ready for what was to come the next day.......
Great start to the day as only I remembered to take my pass and license with me so the other three were refused entrance to the circuit(#computersaysno). This should have been a sign for the next two hours of misery! I went in and retrieved their passes and let them in.
We all signed on and then went over to scrutineering to have the cars checked. Should be easy as both cars hadn't changed since last time......... wrong!
For starts our car suddenly decided to return to its old no starting ways in the que. Ever since testing in March this issue had gone away but no matter what we did it simply wouldn't start! Non the less we had to push the car into the bay (ever the professionals). I think this set the tone as the car was checked over very thoroughly. I must say I have no issue with this as I'm the first person who wants to come home in one piece and also not be responsible for hurting another competitor or marshal, but with the car was exactly the same as the last time we drove it at Donnington. Any way we had three issues -
Time is now 8.45, drivers briefing is at 09.00 and qualifying is at 10.10 with a 15 call up time
How we went about the fixes -
Qualifying
Off we went into the unknown as this was our first time on the 200 circuit. Saying that its only one corner different than the 300! As we were last out it gave me time to find some space and unlike Donnington things went well. I was comfortable in the car and I had time to find my feet. I managed to knock out a couple of quick laps and found my self catching up a bunch of cars in front. For me this was excellent as it meant we weren't the slowest!! So with this in mind I held back a couple of times and nailed it out of the last corner ready to have a good clean lap. We had only one issue, water temp was high and this was unlike this car and my other Clio. But with only 30 mins of qualifying we kept on it as the car had an opportunity to cool down on the in lap for the driver change.
Before I knew it my time was up and it was time to get Russ in the car. He did a solid job. There was a Red flag for 5 mins but he was straight on it after this and before we knew it the chequered flag was out.
I wandered over to the meet the car at the weigh in. Turns out we qualified 18th out of 28 and only 1.8 seconds behind the sister car (Unique Transporters) which is now running an LSD and a few other trick bits. So much time was being lost coming out of the slow second gear corners as the inside wheel is traction limited. The main thing is it was progress as we now had confidence to throw the car about which wasn't possible at Donnington. Also only 45 minutes before we thought we weren't even going to get into qualifying due to the scrutineering issues!!
Russ drove the car back where I met him to discover this..........
Excellent out only set of decent tyres now has a massive screw in it and we don't have a spare............
TBC
We all went up Friday afternoon as team 'Unique Transporters' had booked on the Friday test session as their car had been down to KTEC for a new gripper diff etc. Turns out they're impressed with the setup but sadly it moves them away from us as we don't run one. Both cars we're left at the circuit ready for what was to come the next day.......
Great start to the day as only I remembered to take my pass and license with me so the other three were refused entrance to the circuit(#computersaysno). This should have been a sign for the next two hours of misery! I went in and retrieved their passes and let them in.
We all signed on and then went over to scrutineering to have the cars checked. Should be easy as both cars hadn't changed since last time......... wrong!
For starts our car suddenly decided to return to its old no starting ways in the que. Ever since testing in March this issue had gone away but no matter what we did it simply wouldn't start! Non the less we had to push the car into the bay (ever the professionals). I think this set the tone as the car was checked over very thoroughly. I must say I have no issue with this as I'm the first person who wants to come home in one piece and also not be responsible for hurting another competitor or marshal, but with the car was exactly the same as the last time we drove it at Donnington. Any way we had three issues -
- External fire pule didn't operate
- Exposed metal work next to the drivers left foot
- Internal heater needed removing/moving as its high pressure hot water and next to the driver (hard to see in the below photo)
Time is now 8.45, drivers briefing is at 09.00 and qualifying is at 10.10 with a 15 call up time
How we went about the fixes -
- Poor preparation from us, the car had got wet and the cable was jammed as the inner core had corrosion on it causing it to jam. Que lots of WD-40
- Fair point but the Unique Transporter car was in scrutineering next to us at the same time with the same issue and they weren't pulled up on it. Quick fix by removing some of the roll cage foam and cable tying it to the offending section.
- The big one! The decision was quickly made to remove the heater as in hindsight we agree with them. Turns out we could quickly short circuit the water pipe and ripped the rest out ASAP. Fine for this weekend as the weather was nice however we need to find another solution before the next outing.
Qualifying
Off we went into the unknown as this was our first time on the 200 circuit. Saying that its only one corner different than the 300! As we were last out it gave me time to find some space and unlike Donnington things went well. I was comfortable in the car and I had time to find my feet. I managed to knock out a couple of quick laps and found my self catching up a bunch of cars in front. For me this was excellent as it meant we weren't the slowest!! So with this in mind I held back a couple of times and nailed it out of the last corner ready to have a good clean lap. We had only one issue, water temp was high and this was unlike this car and my other Clio. But with only 30 mins of qualifying we kept on it as the car had an opportunity to cool down on the in lap for the driver change.
Before I knew it my time was up and it was time to get Russ in the car. He did a solid job. There was a Red flag for 5 mins but he was straight on it after this and before we knew it the chequered flag was out.
I wandered over to the meet the car at the weigh in. Turns out we qualified 18th out of 28 and only 1.8 seconds behind the sister car (Unique Transporters) which is now running an LSD and a few other trick bits. So much time was being lost coming out of the slow second gear corners as the inside wheel is traction limited. The main thing is it was progress as we now had confidence to throw the car about which wasn't possible at Donnington. Also only 45 minutes before we thought we weren't even going to get into qualifying due to the scrutineering issues!!
Russ drove the car back where I met him to discover this..........
Excellent out only set of decent tyres now has a massive screw in it and we don't have a spare............
TBC
Hyperhatch
ClioSport Club Member
182
So the racing gods were on our side as the monster screw had penetrated the rubber block but not gone through as it had laid on its side. One drama over with but the car was getting hot. As guessed, before we had opened the bonnet............ we had an air lock and as a result the header tank had little water in it.
The race was at 14.45 so we had a few hours to kill. What was nice is we had the chance to talk to many other teams running Clio 172/182s. We didn't get time to mix at the first event as the pits was so big but this time we all mixed around the cars. Turns out they don't bite and are friendly and helpful!
We realized that with all the morning dramas we hadn't had anything to eat so lunch was had and then checked over the car and filled it up with fuel. With time to kill I found time to wash the car! I'm finding it good to have something to keep my mind busy the squash the nerves.
Race time - My first ever start and we set of to the assembly area with time on our hands. Whilst waiting I heard the grid being called out over the loud speaker. It was a nice experience hearing your name/team being called out to the public! Before long we were off to the grid when it dawned on me that I had never 'launched' the car from a standstill. So on the way to the grip I had as many starts as possible trying to find the bite point.
TDT has no warm up lap and when you're on the grip you get one minute to gather your thoughts etc. Before long the red light were on. This I will never forget for as long as I live as after nearly 40 years I'm seconds away from the start of my first race start. The red lights were so bright! but before long they went off and I had the best/fastest first gear start any Clio 182 has ever had in the history of Clio 182s (this might be an exaggeration but it was bloody good!).
What followed next was probably the worst start from a Clio 182 in a race without crashing
I hesitated around the second gear change as I caught the car in front up, from there it was a spiral down to joint last place entering the back straight. Racing driver excuse - I ended up on the outside of the first corner and just didn't have the confidence to pull across the front of anyone or late brake into the second corner/hairpin. The problem is this isn't my car and after already crashing it I simply don't want to take it back to Russ damaged again! Sadly this is going to be an issue going forward as there's no point racing if I don't race
Anyway the only way is upwards so I set off a set about going forward. With a few cars disposed of it then turned out to be a relatively lonely stint but trying to catch a group of 3 cars in front. When I did they all pitted (imagine if I had started well we could have pulled away from them!) but I had been hindered by the car running hot again. I did my best to keep this under control by changing to 5th at the end of the back straight and lifting a coasting at the end of the straights. Not ideal but again the last thing I want to do is hand over a broken car to Russ.
Pit stop complete and judged to perfection (2 min minimum time remember) and Russ came out in front of the cars I had been chasing. One of them sat on his bumper all the way to the flag where we crossed the line finishing 15th. No podium but as a team only in our second race we're moving forward! Most importantly the car is in one piece and ready to go again.
So another amazing weekend free of damage with a straight car. Next stop is possibly Silverstone. but we'll wait and see.
To sum up racing's great fun but sadly even in one of the lowest formulas that's designed for amateurs its already turning into an arms race. We will never be close to the others without an LSD like all the other Clios run. (Saying that I need to stop putting us in a position where we end up at the back of the grid each race) But that cost money and for me I cant justify it when I want to buy an LSD for my car that i know is more fun to drive. Decisions, decisions......
The race was at 14.45 so we had a few hours to kill. What was nice is we had the chance to talk to many other teams running Clio 172/182s. We didn't get time to mix at the first event as the pits was so big but this time we all mixed around the cars. Turns out they don't bite and are friendly and helpful!
We realized that with all the morning dramas we hadn't had anything to eat so lunch was had and then checked over the car and filled it up with fuel. With time to kill I found time to wash the car! I'm finding it good to have something to keep my mind busy the squash the nerves.
Race time - My first ever start and we set of to the assembly area with time on our hands. Whilst waiting I heard the grid being called out over the loud speaker. It was a nice experience hearing your name/team being called out to the public! Before long we were off to the grid when it dawned on me that I had never 'launched' the car from a standstill. So on the way to the grip I had as many starts as possible trying to find the bite point.
TDT has no warm up lap and when you're on the grip you get one minute to gather your thoughts etc. Before long the red light were on. This I will never forget for as long as I live as after nearly 40 years I'm seconds away from the start of my first race start. The red lights were so bright! but before long they went off and I had the best/fastest first gear start any Clio 182 has ever had in the history of Clio 182s (this might be an exaggeration but it was bloody good!).
What followed next was probably the worst start from a Clio 182 in a race without crashing
I hesitated around the second gear change as I caught the car in front up, from there it was a spiral down to joint last place entering the back straight. Racing driver excuse - I ended up on the outside of the first corner and just didn't have the confidence to pull across the front of anyone or late brake into the second corner/hairpin. The problem is this isn't my car and after already crashing it I simply don't want to take it back to Russ damaged again! Sadly this is going to be an issue going forward as there's no point racing if I don't race Anyway the only way is upwards so I set off a set about going forward. With a few cars disposed of it then turned out to be a relatively lonely stint but trying to catch a group of 3 cars in front. When I did they all pitted (imagine if I had started well we could have pulled away from them!) but I had been hindered by the car running hot again. I did my best to keep this under control by changing to 5th at the end of the back straight and lifting a coasting at the end of the straights. Not ideal but again the last thing I want to do is hand over a broken car to Russ.
Pit stop complete and judged to perfection (2 min minimum time remember) and Russ came out in front of the cars I had been chasing. One of them sat on his bumper all the way to the flag where we crossed the line finishing 15th. No podium but as a team only in our second race we're moving forward! Most importantly the car is in one piece and ready to go again.
So another amazing weekend free of damage with a straight car. Next stop is possibly Silverstone. but we'll wait and see.
To sum up racing's great fun but sadly even in one of the lowest formulas that's designed for amateurs its already turning into an arms race. We will never be close to the others without an LSD like all the other Clios run. (Saying that I need to stop putting us in a position where we end up at the back of the grid each race
) But that cost money and for me I cant justify it when I want to buy an LSD for my car that i know is more fun to drive. Decisions, decisions......
robzracing
ClioSport Club Member
Nice write up! You never forget your first start; so true. Biggest adrenaline rush ever.
One of the main reasons I come back time and again to race is the great bunch of people racers tend to be. Always willing to help each other and always plenty of banter!
Come and join us in the Tin Tops some time.
One of the main reasons I come back time and again to race is the great bunch of people racers tend to be. Always willing to help each other and always plenty of banter!
Come and join us in the Tin Tops some time.
