RE: PH Goes To Britcar
Tuesday 7th October 2008
Diesels have dominated Le Mans over the last few years so when I heard PistonHeads was supporting an oil-burner at this year’s Britcar24hr I started clearing some space in our trophy cabinet. What I wasn’t expecting was that the car in question was a rather old-looking diesel Golf, a MK4 in fact.
The Golf proved surprisingly quickIt doesn’t sound like the recipe for an all-conquering race car, so the best I could hope for was that Team Sporting Hornet had tuned the VW hatch to within an inch of its life. To find out what tricks it had up it sleeves, how many turbos, that sort of thing, I approached team boss Dan Wheeler.
At one point the team was 12th overall
Oli S was the backbone of the operationHack set the fastest lap for the team and also the fastest in the group, with a time of 2’15.961, which was less than 20mph slower over the 3.198 mile long Silverstone circuit than the fastest lap of the day set by a Mosler GT3. I was starting to wonder whether I may have misjudged this little VW hatch. Other cars in the class were BMW 3 Series diesels and a VW Lupo that we had been assured could be hustled at an extraordinary rate.
Spare parts salvaged from thin airOnce numerous pace cars had been deployed the race finally began and with Team Sporting Hornet in 43rd position out of a field of 50, which was encouraging considering the other hardware on the track. Then Hack decided to show us what the car could do. While Garlick and I were put on essential duties such as sweeping the team garage, Hack was working his way up the field.
Racing into the sunsetBy the time he swapped over to Stanbridge, Team Sporting Hornet was 17th overall, having been at 12th at one point. Then disaster struck.
What's happened to my car?Unfortunately two hours into his stint, the re-arranged rear suspension had had enough and the offside wheel decided to leave the car, taking caliper and hub assembly with it. Having communicated the extent of the damage back to the pits, Stanbridge was recovered, with the Golf carried back. While the car was being returned the mechanics were grabbing bits off of a donor car and by the time the car was back in the garage, only 20 minutes were needed to fix it. 
The car soldiers on...
The team celebrates its victoryThe Lupo was never allowed to come back and after 24 hours of mayhem Wheeler brought the yellow and black Golf over the line first in its class and 18th overall, and this was its first ever race. The team was ecstatic and while I was relieved, it had come as no surprise. I always knew the Golf could do it…
PH Goes To Britcar
Everyone seems to be getting involved with Britcar24hr these days. It was time for PH to have a go (from the pits)...
The Golf proved surprisingly quick
‘Not much really, we wanted it to be pretty much standard so that it would be reliable,’ said Wheeler. Right. Luckily Wheeler was being a little sparing with the truth and the reality is the Golf had been lightened to 1060kg, power had been boosted to 186bhp, thanks to tweaked injectors, turbo, intercooler, inlet and exhaust. Oh, and it now has Audi S6 suspension parts.
At one point the team was 12th overall
At the wheel of the Golf would be Andy Hack, Tim Stanbridge, Nick Swift, and Wheeler. Because the car was a diesel the drivers could manage three-hour stints and this would give them time on the petrol cars. Team PH was in attendance – i.e. me and Garlick – and despite the fact fire duty or the title of ‘wheel man’ was on offer we decided that moral support would be a far better use of our time.
Oli S was the backbone of the operation
Even though Britcar has a long way to go to match the atmosphere and crowds of an event like Le Mans (there was virtually no-one there), being inside a working pit is still suitably exciting. Just before the race I decided to head to one of the grandstands to catch the action, which turned out to be an almighty crash in a completely different area of the track.
Spare parts salvaged from thin air
Racing into the sunset
After an hour into Stanbridge’s stint, with a lead of three laps over the second placed Lupo, the Golf suffered CV joint failure, leaving the car stranded out on the circuit.
By the time the Golf had been recovered to the pit and repaired, our three lap lead had become a four lap deficit. Stanbridge handed over a two lap deficit to Swift, who apart from getting tagged on the rear wheel when being overtaken by a faster car, had a trouble free session and handed over an 11 lap lead to Wheeler. Despite suffering chronic oversteer from the rearranged rear suspension geometry, an uneventful stint saw the team in 22nd overall at the halfway point.
Not only this but the car was 1st in class and enjoying an 11 lap advantage over the now second place BMW 330. Back in the car, Hack continued to lead the class throughout his stint and handed over to Stanbridge at 7.30am, having risen to 18th overall and maintained the commanding lead in class.
What's happened to my car?
The car soldiers on...
Soon it was time to send it back out with Swift on board. Despite losing 18 laps to the nearest rival, the team was still leading its class, albeit by greatly reduced margin of two laps. It was up to Wheeler to maintain the advantage - and that’s exactly what he did.
The team celebrates its victory
Discussion
I've always imagined endurance racing would be brilliant fun, I think its the whole team element. I can't really afford to do it at the moment, although some day I intend to campaign a 2CV in the 24 hour race 
but then I've been saying that for 10 years 
but then I've been saying that for 10 years Edited by patmahe on Monday 6th October 16:54
Family Guy said:
Why is it so poor on the spectator front?
I watched the top gear re-run last night of the Britcar they took part in and couldn't believe the spectator stands were completely empty.
Long distance races are really boring, really really boring! I watched the top gear re-run last night of the Britcar they took part in and couldn't believe the spectator stands were completely empty.
Having watched the 10000kms at Silverstone a few weeks ago, i would never go to one again!
The team thing? For sure: I was a rugby player for years and thought that I could never find another sport that offered the same high, but endurance motor racing hits the spot (12 hours at least, 24 the best!). I'm not a driver and am involved as part of a team (Eclipse), but the sense of shared pride and pleasure when our two cars crossed the line was immense.
We didn't achieve what we set out to do (win), but having been thrown further and further backwards by accumulating problems in the run up to the race (resulting in the guys getting three hours sleep on Friday night after an engine-out issue) followed by a series of problems through Saturday evening and the early hours, getting the cars to Sunday teatime was a real and unlikely achievement, so that sense of 'against the odds', in spite of coming into the weekend with a pair of potentially winning cars, was very tangible.
Why aren't there better crowds? Partly because long-distance racing IS really boring if you don't know what's going on, so an investment in timing screens around the circuit (far more important in my opinion than TV screens) would help massively. I also support the idea of being able to subscribe to text updates but went to see MST a couple of years ago and found them very distant about the idea. Perhaps Timing Solutions could do something? Radio commentary is great but nothing replaces just knowing exactly what's happening, which car is due a stop, which one is turning in the times, which one is starting to slow, etc etc.
I know James Tucker has investigated dovetailing the event with airshows and concerts to boost attendance, but the trouble with these ideas is that the folk that come through the gate are there for something else. We had 50,000 at Rockingham a few years back for a BGT race (a lousy race of course) because the Sugarbabes were playing, but I don't think we ever saw any of them again (including, sadly, the Sugarbabes).
In a sense, it doesn't really matter too much since James's real achievement is making the race happen at all, in the face of ridicule from elsewhere in the sport and scepticism from many who just thought it impossible; and for most people it would have been, but JT is made of tough stuff.
Now that event is deservedly taking root talk will inevitably turn to attendance, but with the current economic downturn (downturn??? apocalyptic meltdown!) I think it'll be a massive achievement to get the event to happen at all next year, and our expectations in respect of PR reach and bums on seats need to be tempered by that grim backdrop.
In time this thing could be massive (though not if people get their knickers in a twist about faster cars coming in, which will simply be a sign of success), if the continuity can be preserved. The word will spread and in future we'll avoid embarrassing clashes with things like BGT or Goodwood so that more and more of the people who love their annual trip to Le Mans get the idea that something important happens at Silverstone each September. These things take either money or time, Britcar hasn't the former but the support of everyone who has enjoyed it thus far ought to ensure that it has the latter.
We didn't achieve what we set out to do (win), but having been thrown further and further backwards by accumulating problems in the run up to the race (resulting in the guys getting three hours sleep on Friday night after an engine-out issue) followed by a series of problems through Saturday evening and the early hours, getting the cars to Sunday teatime was a real and unlikely achievement, so that sense of 'against the odds', in spite of coming into the weekend with a pair of potentially winning cars, was very tangible.
Why aren't there better crowds? Partly because long-distance racing IS really boring if you don't know what's going on, so an investment in timing screens around the circuit (far more important in my opinion than TV screens) would help massively. I also support the idea of being able to subscribe to text updates but went to see MST a couple of years ago and found them very distant about the idea. Perhaps Timing Solutions could do something? Radio commentary is great but nothing replaces just knowing exactly what's happening, which car is due a stop, which one is turning in the times, which one is starting to slow, etc etc.
I know James Tucker has investigated dovetailing the event with airshows and concerts to boost attendance, but the trouble with these ideas is that the folk that come through the gate are there for something else. We had 50,000 at Rockingham a few years back for a BGT race (a lousy race of course) because the Sugarbabes were playing, but I don't think we ever saw any of them again (including, sadly, the Sugarbabes).
In a sense, it doesn't really matter too much since James's real achievement is making the race happen at all, in the face of ridicule from elsewhere in the sport and scepticism from many who just thought it impossible; and for most people it would have been, but JT is made of tough stuff.
Now that event is deservedly taking root talk will inevitably turn to attendance, but with the current economic downturn (downturn??? apocalyptic meltdown!) I think it'll be a massive achievement to get the event to happen at all next year, and our expectations in respect of PR reach and bums on seats need to be tempered by that grim backdrop.
In time this thing could be massive (though not if people get their knickers in a twist about faster cars coming in, which will simply be a sign of success), if the continuity can be preserved. The word will spread and in future we'll avoid embarrassing clashes with things like BGT or Goodwood so that more and more of the people who love their annual trip to Le Mans get the idea that something important happens at Silverstone each September. These things take either money or time, Britcar hasn't the former but the support of everyone who has enjoyed it thus far ought to ensure that it has the latter.
Gruppe1875 said:
Having watched the 10000kms at Silverstone a few weeks ago, i would never go to one again!
I would imagine a 10,000Km race would be a bit tedious...With respect to the empty stands, the Britcar 24 is a young event. Le Mans is on its way to its 90th birthday so any comparison would be unfair.
chris pollard said:
Why aren't there better crowds? Partly because long-distance racing IS really boring if you don't know what's going on, so an investment in timing screens around the circuit (far more important in my opinion than TV screens) would help massively.
Chris is absolutely right.. We race mainly in Scotland but have friends who race Fiesta STs in Englandshire. Waiting for their results is incredibly frustrating.. Live timing over the internet is technically do-able (F1 and BTCC do it already) and cheap. In any case we'd be prepared to pay a nominal fee to get it.. Be even better if you could get live commentary over the internet which again is technically possible..... Time these circuits woke up to what's possible and how they can use technology to attract more punters. "Long distance races are really boring, really really boring! "
You have to view it as a tactical thing, not just racing. If you have the pit lane in sight it really helps: I've watched Le Mans and the late-lamented Willhire 24 hour at Snetterton live, and this weekend watched the Petit Le Mans from Road Atlanta on Motors TV and if you can get into the groove, so to speak, it can be fascinating.
Or do I just need to get out more?
You have to view it as a tactical thing, not just racing. If you have the pit lane in sight it really helps: I've watched Le Mans and the late-lamented Willhire 24 hour at Snetterton live, and this weekend watched the Petit Le Mans from Road Atlanta on Motors TV and if you can get into the groove, so to speak, it can be fascinating.
Or do I just need to get out more?
I worked as a hired gun for a britcar team in the 2006 Britcar 24hr race and it was absolutely awesome, a really amazing experience.
Everyone should try it at least once, I was the fuel man and did a pit stop every 55 mins for 24 hours. Still rate it as one of the best experiences of my life so far.
Made even better by the comradery and having a load of friends working for different teams down the pitlane.
If you ever get the oppourtunity, even just to to be a tea boy or something for a 24hr race team do not pass up the oppourtunity.
Everyone should try it at least once, I was the fuel man and did a pit stop every 55 mins for 24 hours. Still rate it as one of the best experiences of my life so far.
Made even better by the comradery and having a load of friends working for different teams down the pitlane.
If you ever get the oppourtunity, even just to to be a tea boy or something for a 24hr race team do not pass up the oppourtunity.
Agreed, this is utterly the age of Data. Business Intelligence is one of the leading spends for CIOs at the moment and if Business can appreciate the value of data and information it shouldn't be too long before it filters down into other avenues. Look how popular the site f1.com is! Information = power!
Was at the event this year and agree that more information for spectators would make things better. One of the most frustrating things is when the tannoy commentators are waffling about nothing to kill time and then just when they're in the middle of something useful a car goes past and you miss the important bit.
I'd have thought that live timing via circuit wide wifi shouldn't be too difficult to set up. Even wifi in the pitlane for the benefit of the teams would be a start and would probably carry over into the main grandstand on the pit straight. With advance warning and publicity many people could bring a laptop to get access to information.
I'd have thought that live timing via circuit wide wifi shouldn't be too difficult to set up. Even wifi in the pitlane for the benefit of the teams would be a start and would probably carry over into the main grandstand on the pit straight. With advance warning and publicity many people could bring a laptop to get access to information.
Edited by kaiowas on Tuesday 7th October 11:02
Regarding the live timing, with a little thought I'm sure that something could be conjoured up. Setting up a WiFi network to broadcast the times to WiFi enabled phones/pda's/laptops, with streaming audio would be a start, and may alleviate the Radio Silverstone fading issues. Another would be to ditch Radio Silverstone AM, for Radio Silverstone FM, in fact Radio Britcar24 as a "community special event station". That would enable to station to play music (something that Silverstone's FAB AM can't!) when there's not a lot going on to keep everyone interested, as well as information massages.
The Britcar24hrs is in it's infancy, and James and his team do a sterling job with limited resources.
For reference, Rockingham had the Sugarbabes there as part of a Thunder Sunday meeting, with the British GT's, and the circuit was losing £250K a year due to their marketing falling on deaf ears! Until motorsport occupied equal space in the sports pages of the tabloid newspapers, it won't get the following, support, or sponsorship that the kicky-de-ball sports get.
Jeff Carter (PR man for SRO) said some time back that there were probably around 100000 real petrol heads in the UK who would go to a race meeting, and most of those only go to banger racing meetings, errr I mean the BTCC, or Party Political Gatherings,... errr I mean F1.
Thin that out to the hardcore, and you're left with about 15-20000 people that go out to either compete or spectate over the whole country each/every other weekend.
Goodwood, and the BTCC were on that same weekend, and that my friends was that.
The best way to get people in is to put on a big show. And when I say a show I mean entertainment, whether that be on the track, in the paddock, or both, then that's what you have to do. That can be bands, exciting close racing, car shows, fairgrounds, etc.... you need to attract the whole family, so that means stuff for mums and kids, as well as petrol sniffing dad's and car crazy boys & girls.
When you have the event right, the people will come, and the money will (should) roll in. However, to get to that point is fraught with difficulties, wrong paths, and fine tuning to get the mix right. And that all costs money.
The Britcar24hrs is in it's infancy, and James and his team do a sterling job with limited resources.
For reference, Rockingham had the Sugarbabes there as part of a Thunder Sunday meeting, with the British GT's, and the circuit was losing £250K a year due to their marketing falling on deaf ears! Until motorsport occupied equal space in the sports pages of the tabloid newspapers, it won't get the following, support, or sponsorship that the kicky-de-ball sports get.
Jeff Carter (PR man for SRO) said some time back that there were probably around 100000 real petrol heads in the UK who would go to a race meeting, and most of those only go to banger racing meetings, errr I mean the BTCC, or Party Political Gatherings,... errr I mean F1.
Thin that out to the hardcore, and you're left with about 15-20000 people that go out to either compete or spectate over the whole country each/every other weekend.
Goodwood, and the BTCC were on that same weekend, and that my friends was that.
The best way to get people in is to put on a big show. And when I say a show I mean entertainment, whether that be on the track, in the paddock, or both, then that's what you have to do. That can be bands, exciting close racing, car shows, fairgrounds, etc.... you need to attract the whole family, so that means stuff for mums and kids, as well as petrol sniffing dad's and car crazy boys & girls.
When you have the event right, the people will come, and the money will (should) roll in. However, to get to that point is fraught with difficulties, wrong paths, and fine tuning to get the mix right. And that all costs money.
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