Monday 30th June 2014

Caterham Academy 2014: Oulton Park

Yes, that's Matt's car mid spin at Old Hall...

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There's no point shilly shallying around the result of Saturday's race; I finished last. Final runner out of a 20-car field, lowly, lonely and last. Expletives were shouted, roll cage padding was punched and a strop was had. I wasn't happy, I'm still not happy, especially as there's no other person to blame but myself. Buffoon.

Wet qualifying actually went well. Really

The image above should indicate where the problems started. So preoccupied with giving the cars inside enough space into the first corner I didn't give myself enough room. I saw the kerb, the green netting and then the grass. Wet, slippery grass. How there wasn't contact as the car spun through 360 degrees I'll never know.

A safety car stint following poor Joe Draper's off into Cascades meant there were a few laps left (the race was 15 minutes long) to try and work up the field. But through a lot of angry missed gearchanges and probably a fair amount of fear about cocking up again, I didn't make a place gain stick. A podium to last in one event!

The next car behind is in first. Balls

The Oulton weekend had actually begun very well. No, really. In a very wet qualifying session where I didn't think a decent lap had been recorded I was eighth, only half a second off fifth place. For my first laps of Oulton I was quite chuffed. I may have even suggested it augured well for the race.

Waiting for a start was the most nervous experience of my life. You sit in a holding area waiting for what appears an eternity (in reality 20 minutes), looking round at your fellow competitors, deciding on launch revs and desperately in need of a wee. It was horrible.

The actual start wasn't too bad which makes the first corner fiasco all the more frustrating. Next up is Rockingham on July 12. Where the aim for Oulton was to finish (ha!), now the ambition for Rockingham is simply to make it through the first corner. The second-gear hairpin that's approached after a flat-out start around the banking. Oh Lordy.

[Pics: SnappyRacers.com. There's no video as the GoPro died on the green flag lap. Honestly. It had two bars of battery when it was turned on...]

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Caterham Academy 2014 - Game on!
Caterham Academy 2014 - Handling day
Caterham Academy 2014 - Test day
Caterham Academy 2014 - Aintree Sprint
Caterham Academy 2014 - Blyton Sprint

[cerb4.5lee]

Last or first I bet its still lots of fun and things can only get better!

[Pdelamare]

Haha, reminds me of my first season of racing, except on a bike it means spectating for the rest of the race.

[Snifflytooth]

What's that hanging from the front right of your car? Sort it out...

oh and unlucky. You'll learn that it takes about a lap and a half for everyone to sort themselves out and everyone get back onto the racing line. You can make places... or as you've learned (hopefully) lose them

[Zombie]

In all fairness, as a local and track day regular round oulton, I have found old hall to be the most difficult corner to find a braking point for. It must be even more difficult approaching it from a standing start, in your first race, so there's no shame in the result in my opinion.

Edited by Zombie on Tuesday 1st July 00:57

[MB 1]

That's first lap excitement for you!

I spent my first season being mostly overtaken on the first corner, as I ensured I got round it. First corner is always tricky as it's the highest chance of a pile up. Important thing is to learn from it and don't do it again. You will find a new problem to learn from at Rocky no doubt But that's racing and you live and learn.

[eddieantifreeze]

So Caterham decide that the first race for its academy drivers should be Oulton Park? Talk about throwing you in a deep end, then that first corner at Rockingham. If I was a cynical person I would say Caterham are looking for some more profit from spare parts.....

Oulton is a great circuit - in the wet or particularly when drying and greasy it is very tricky to get right, fair play to you you for making it through without damage!

[Matt Bird]

Cheers guys, onwards and upwards!

[jmesgotav8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j64X0O46PpE

I'll just leave this here. Race start is 5 mins in