My 24 hour experience

[RC racer]

Hi

I would like to sya thanks to richard and the team for having me with them.

Here is how my experience at the 24 hour went

Friday : arrived at 9am, went to find team and meet evryone, put tent up over by the first corner, watched first quali from garage, cars are looking good, 30mins before second qual, have to be kitted up for night qualifing, there will be 3 of us doing refulling. We did 8 stops in 2 hours, eveything went well, then the yellow TVR, came in, with no team to refule them, the driver shouted fire fire fire fire, so all the ERRC mashalls was on the car with extingushers, put out in a couple of mins, they did a awsome job, and then the car was picked up and taken back to their garage to fixed, whilst our cars qualified 50th and 57th, i think

Saturday and sunday, my refulling swhifts went like this, 6pm - 8pm, 3am - 8am and 12pm to 4:30pm. the cars were good, i managed to get 1hour sleep, and no real dameage to cars, race went well and are refulling went well and we were just as fast as the leading teams. Also the race was stopped from about 5:30am - 7:15am due to heavy fog.

Towards the end of the race I started to feel sick with a bad headache, believed I did not drink enogh water, was sick on the way home in the car, what a way to round out a very cool weekend

In the end we finish 18th and 19th overall after staring in 50th and 57th, our cars was 3rd and 4th in class as well


Thanks for reading
James

[Graham]

Sounds like you had a great time. I doubt people that haven't done it can fully imagine how hard it is for all the team members to go through a 24hr race. The preparation before the start, then the race itself, a heady mixture of excitement ,stress, Panic ,elation, tiredness, and frustration. I've still no idea why I volunteer year on year to put myself through it... Maybe I'll drive next year it looks easier

so a quick Well done guys to everyone up and down the pit lane and around the circuit...some succeeded and some didnt but the event needed us all for its own success.

I think the EERC/BRSCC have the actual racing side sorted now, and the preparation levels from all the teams seems to get higher and higher every year, lets hope they can get together with silverstone to build the spectator and interest side from here so we have an event to rival Nurburgring in a couple o years...

Cheers G


p.s what are these shifts you speak of.... I started at 10am on sat and left at 7pm on sunday with my eyes shut for about 20 mins while the race was suspended bloody knackerd now though....

[RC racer]

Hi

They were frfulling stints, there was four of us and we did in in pairs, but our team always wanted a pair in the refulling lane, so just in case the cars come in

james

[steil]

James,
Thank-you very much for helping us! Fancy Spa next?!

To all the other PH'ers who stopped by - it was great to chat, I was amazed at the enthusiasm & depth of knowledge some of you had.

cheers!

[RC racer]

Hi

I dont mind doing what ever race, going to talk to richard first

Who are you from the team

james

[kenthardy]

Graham said:

p.s what are these shifts you speak of.... I started at 10am on sat and left at 7pm on sunday with my eyes shut for about 20 mins while the race was suspended bloody knackerd now though....

Good work one and all - but you should try Le Mans - in at 6am Saturday to beat the traffic and be ready for the warm up - back to hotel 8-9pm Sun after loading up - sleep between pitstops only!

[neilsie]

congrats to both cars 70 & 71.. a sterling job from all the team. it was a very friendly garage!

[rj_vaughan]

Hi James / Steil?

Glad you had a great time, I was there with you (although you wouldn't know it) I was the guy with the camera loitering in the EMC pits and walking around the circuit with my camera for all but the 2 hours I was asleep (oh and the time I spent eating)

A brilliant result for EMC motorsport and a really great bunch of people.

Looking forward to the next time.
Rob.

[RC racer]

Hi

I do remember you, evry time I was there, you seemed to be on a laptop with your camera plugged in, you had the silversone like a top thing on if you know what i mean

James

[Ahonen]

kenthardy said:

Graham said:

p.s what are these shifts you speak of.... I started at 10am on sat and left at 7pm on sunday with my eyes shut for about 20 mins while the race was suspended bloody knackerd now though....

Good work one and all - but you should try Le Mans - in at 6am Saturday to beat the traffic and be ready for the warm up - back to hotel 8-9pm Sun after loading up - sleep between pitstops only!

This is going to get like the 4 Yorkshiremen sketch.

Sleep between pit stops? Not a chance. I had 4 hours sleep Friday night and about 20 mins during the race stoppage - until the kind people in the next garage decided to play Motorhead on their stereo, really loud, at 6:30. Bless them.

Le Mans is possibly harder because of the more frequent stops (45-50 mins for LMP900 when I did it, compared to 70 for the Mosler) and the heat, but any 24 hour race is a killer.

[steil]

RC racer said:

Who are you from the team

Er, one of the drivers - second stint car 70

[Bagman]

Ahonen said:

kenthardy said:

Graham said:

p.s what are these shifts you speak of.... I started at 10am on sat and left at 7pm on sunday with my eyes shut for about 20 mins while the race was suspended bloody knackerd now though....

Good work one and all - but you should try Le Mans - in at 6am Saturday to beat the traffic and be ready for the warm up - back to hotel 8-9pm Sun after loading up - sleep between pitstops only!

This is going to get like the 4 Yorkshiremen sketch.

Sleep between pit stops? Not a chance. I had 4 hours sleep Friday night and about 20 mins during the race stoppage - until the kind people in the next garage decided to play Motorhead on their stereo, really loud, at 6:30. Bless them.

Le Mans is possibly harder because of the more frequent stops (45-50 mins for LMP900 when I did it, compared to 70 for the Mosler) and the heat, but any 24 hour race is a killer.

Nearly rammed that stereo up some guys ar5e. It could have spoiled an unfortunate Eclipse member being tattooed on his forehead.

Have to say guys, was really impressed by those driveshaft changes. I was in our hosp box watching the times with Mrs Rich. She noticed Martin had an unscheduled pit so we ran over and you guys had practically finished it! Very well deserved podium for you all.

[Graham]

Ahonen said:

until the kind people in the next garage decided to play Motorhead on their stereo, really loud, at 6:30. Bless them.

I think the name of the chap you need to see is Leench...

IT could have been worse Richard was going to put the ramones on instead .....

I Didnt think to pop in and say Hi.. I'd forgotten you were with Eclipse... and i must have walked past you a few times considering It was us that were next door..

I must say my credit card was twitching on Friday when I heard you may have had a spare seat

[rj_vaughan]

I wandered past that pit when Motorhead was blaring out - I'd just had my 2 hours (yes 2 whole hours) sleep so was feeling pretty with it

Still at least it woke up the folks nearby in time for the restart! Ought to consider it a bit of a favour.

[djmotorsport]

A weekend of firsts for me - First time at Silverstone, first 24 hour car race (3x24 hour kart races though), first time in a tin-top and first time driving a FWD race car.

It's also the first time I've had brake failure,(at Copse!) and the first time I've had a gearbox in bits (pre race). But the car didn't let us down and we managed 29th overall and 3rd in class.

Roll on next year!


DJ (No 75 Integra Type R)

[Graham]

rj_vaughan said:

I wandered past that pit when Motorhead was blaring out - I'd just had my 2 hours (yes 2 whole hours) sleep so was feeling pretty with it

Still at least it woke up the folks nearby in time for the restart! Ought to consider it a bit of a favour.

I must admit I thought it was funny and annoying in equal measures, although on balance funny

G

[phatgixer]

Well done to all the support crew. I always enjoy walking up the pitlane at the end of the race and seeing the human stew simmering away...

Unfortunately I got 5 hours sleep on Saturday night as my car was noshed. Previous years I have done 8 and 9 hours repectively in the car, so I know how tiring it is.

[Tankman]

After completing only 7 laps in car 70, with lights that would be considered average on a pushbike and down for the first night stint! I was ready to go home on Friday night!

Then we pitted in early and I went out at dusk so got a few laps in before the night dropped in. Was lovely to overtake cars much more powerful than ours and I had a fantastically enjoyable first stint although I did miss some turn-ins if there was no traffic around me to light my way. Second stint was the graveyard shift into the fog and once again really enjoyed myself. (note to self, must check the MST stats to see how I did) My last stint didn't start very well as our car had radio problems and the pit wall missed the signal for the car refuelling. Then once I was in the car it seemed like the world and his dog was overtaking me. After two really successful stints at night it was the tyres that were slowing me down, well past their best and sliding their way around the twisty bits. It was fun though drifting around Bridge and in the complex.

Thanks to all you guys and girls in the pits, refuelling, catering, organising, supporting and generally having a great time with.

[Paul Dishman]

djmotorsport said:

A weekend of firsts for me - First time at Silverstone, first 24 hour car race (3x24 hour kart races though), first time in a tin-top and first time driving a FWD race car.

It's also the first time I've had brake failure,(at Copse!) and the first time I've had a gearbox in bits (pre race). But the car didn't let us down and we managed 29th overall and 3rd in class.

Roll on next year!


DJ (No 75 Integra Type R)

Were you in the car when it span at Copse during the night? I was in the Safety Car in the pitlane and how the two following cars missed you I just don't know?
The marshals post didn't clock your number though , so your secret's safe (unless they read this)

[djmotorsport]

Paul Dishman said:

djmotorsport said:

A weekend of firsts for me - First time at Silverstone, first 24 hour car race (3x24 hour kart races though), first time in a tin-top and first time driving a FWD race car.

It's also the first time I've had brake failure,(at Copse!) and the first time I've had a gearbox in bits (pre race). But the car didn't let us down and we managed 29th overall and 3rd in class.

Roll on next year!


DJ (No 75 Integra Type R)

Were you in the car when it span at Copse during the night? I was in the Safety Car in the pitlane and how the two following cars missed you I just don't know?
The marshals post didn't clock your number though , so your secret's safe (unless they read this)

I'm glad to say I'm the only one in my team who didn't spin, but how I managed not to when the left front brake pipe fractured, I'll never know...If you can tell me what time it happened, I'll name and shame the culprit