Tuesday 15th July 2008

Team PH - Race Diary Rounds 13 and 14

Sometimes it's the taking part that counts...

---

A word with the racing gods

I didn't look too happy as I stepped out of the car after the first race at Brands Hatch. Qualification had not gone to plan and the progress from 19^th on the grid had been halted three places higher. All in all things were not going very well for Team PH, with the bad form blighting the second half of the season. Race 1 had at least seen 5 points on the yearly score board, better than a DNF and zero. Or was it?

At the beginning of the year the calls for the PH masses to come down and experience racing, behind the scenes, and to add a bit of elbow grease and blood to the cause were sought. The cry for help were answered by PHers Andy (Andy_sx) and Adam for the Brands event and this weekend I decided to give them a bit of work to do.

New car setup handling well

With the car half a second off the pace of the front -unners I gave it to the 2006 and 2007 champion Matt Nicoll-Jones to have a fiddle with. After five days of fine-tuning corner weights, suspension setup and wheel angles his race team Academy Motorsport delivered a sorted Ginetta to the Kent circuit. This new car was going to deliver the half a second I was missing.

Setting out for qualifying the car instantly felt different. The understeer of the previous setup had gone and the car stuck at the front allowing me to put the wheels where I wanted on the track. The only problem was that my brain was still trying to drive the old setup round the track and not carrying the speed through the corners. The car was so drastically different that it was like jumping into the car for the first time again.

Whoops!

Lap six of qualifying around the brilliant Grand Prix circuit and the brakes started to feel spongy with the biting point changing corner to corner. Coming into Paddock Hill bend I pressed the brakes trying to gain an extra tenth and the pedal went to the floor. A quick pump and the front left locked - there was no option but to park at 100mph into the gravel trap.

The six laps in the car had felt quick and I should be easily in the top half of the grid. As the tannoy near me blurted out the positions, it rattled through the top 10 without my name, it continued on to 15 and still nothing, there must be a mistake when it announced Peter Dignan in 19^th place. There wasn’t – I just wasn’t driving the car quick enough.

Clean-up team in operation

Gravel traps do a tremendous job of saving the car from damage but they do have a habit of putting kitty litter everywhere – a bit of domestic cleaning was needed. I wouldn’t have thought a vacuum cleaner was one of the essential items of a race team but we managed to find two of them. For the next hour Team PH (well more Andy and Adam) went around the car sucking up stones from places you thought they couldn’t get. A bleed of the brake system, a changed alternator and a bit of polish at the end and the car was back to its shiny self and ready for race one.

Twenty-seven cars revved their engines and accelerated away for race one to Paddock Hill – I expected someone to spin and being mid-field I was worried they might do it in front of me. Paddock and Druids passed with no incidents and then as I accelerated through the apex of Graham Hill bend a wall of tyre smoke hit me. Through the mist a car was sideways, I jinked left, another car spun as I jinked right and heard a massive bang – it wasn’t my car so I continued on swerving passed two more spinners and away from the melee.

Rubbings racing

Unfortunately the time playing dodgems mid-pack had meant the front 14 had pulled a gap on the rest of us. The next few laps I spent time trying to adapt to the new handling but unfortunately experimenting with the car while trying to race closely doesn’t work too well and I could only get up to 16^th. I was somewhat despondent.

The second race had to be an improvement. Boosted by a better grid position and a night’s rest to think about the new handling I was determined to pilot the car properly and to reward the hard work the team had put in over the weekend. A top 10 finish was the least I could deliver.

Brands TeamPH

The lights went out and I raced off the line not even thinking about spinning cars. This time I was concentrating about making places up the field and by lap three I had risen to 14^th. Two more laps and up to 12^th as I got used to the new setup and drifted the car through the corners. 11^th was in sight and in the distance I saw the next two places squabbling with each other and slowly coming towards my grasps.

Tenth place at least looked possible and as I braked into Clearways for the seventh time I turned in and flattened the accelerator pedal. Something wasn’t right - the car didn’t accelerate like it should have. I pulled to the right to let the full speed racers pass and I tried the brake pedal, it was jammed down, the brake calliper had seized on.

Using the full width of the track

As I pulled off the circuit and retired I wasn’t too annoyed - these things happen. But the thing that kept the frown from my face was the fun chasing down the cars in front, out-witting them as I progressed up the field. I may have a DNF but I have a big smile. Sometimes racing isn’t just about the points - it's the adrenaline and fun of close racing against like-minded people.

Race 1

1	3	Julian	Barratt	Reflex Racing GB	21:12.210
2	28	Kieran	Vernon	Driver	+ 0.026
3	52	Spencer	McCarthy	McCarthy Motorsport	+ 0.133
4	46	Andrew	Smith	Driver	+ 5.061
5	9	Gary	Simms	Optimum Motorsport	+ 6.574
6	35	Tom	Jones	Jones Motorhomes	+ 7.518
7	51	Russel	McCarthy	McCarthy Motorsport	+ 9.911
8	21	Richard	Sykes	Speedworks Motorsport	+ 14.975
9	99	Phil	Sykes	Speedworks Motorsport	+ 15.446
10	5	Steve	Rigby	Reflex Racing GB	+ 24.047
16	74	Peter	Dignan	PistonHeads.com	+ 47.592

Race 2

1	52	Spencer	McCarthy	McCarthy Motorsport	21:07.398
2	3	Julian	Barratt	Reflex Racing GB	+ 0.261
3	28	Kieran	Vernon	Driver	+ 12.362
4	35	Tom	Jones	Jones Motorhomes	+ 14.668
5	21	Richard	Sykes	Speedworks Motorsport	+ 14.817
6	46	Andrew	Smith	Driver	+ 15.376
7	9	Gary	Simms	Optimum Motorsport	+ 15.770
8	99	Phil	Sykes	Speedworks Motorsport	+ 22.224
9	14	Paul	Morgan	Driver	+ 22.344
10	5	Steve	Rigby	Reflex Racing GB	+ 25.590
DNF	74	Peter	Dignan	PistonHeads.com	n/a

 

[Andy_sx]

Peter, good write up of the weekend!

Had a fantastic time, so if anyone is thinking of heading along to help I'm sure Peter will be grateful, hes also very welcoming and friendly.

A bit of work indeed, especialy after you told me there would be little to do as the car had been on a holiday, yet we all got stuck in and cleaned up, replaced the alt, rear breaks and the bleed and all was good!

Was really rewarding to see you in the second race going as well as you were after some talking, thinking and bantering!

Was nice to meet you, and Adam and your familly and friends, a weekend well spent even if i am still a tad worn out now... heres hoping I can make Silverstone!

[mateyboy]

if you did the racing in some sort of road orientated car that people could relate to somebody might be interested. bet its much better to race that kart like thing though but its not really going to excite the public.

[Turbobanana]

mateyboy said:

if you did the racing in some sort of road orientated car that people could relate to somebody might be interested. bet its much better to race that kart like thing though but its not really going to excite the public.

Have you ever been to a race meeting?

[mateyboy]

ok im going to be shot down now. yes i have but just think it would generate a lot more interest if it was stock car racing or something like that. dont get me wrong i bet its awesome fun to be involved in and watch but i think it would have had lots more comments if it was a 944 or a golf or something.

[RacingPete]

mateyboy said:

if you did the racing in some sort of road orientated car that people could relate to somebody might be interested. bet its much better to race that kart like thing though but its not really going to excite the public.

We appreciate that not all articles are going to excite everybody, but the car we are using has a road going version which those in the Ginetta forum will argue about it being road orientated.

Also Ginetta racing is a well known feeder series to GT racing, with the winners of GT4 championship both being ex-Ginetta G20 champions. I would say go and watch them on telly or at a meeting and then let me know if you still find it uninteresting?

[mateyboy]

didnt say uninteresting. i just said it would generate more interest if it was a car more people could relate to.

[Mojocvh]

Gread read (actually I think it's very well written TBH) and brings home the highs and lows and the fact that just getting out and racing is sometimes reward enough it's self!!

MoJo.

[.Adam.]

I had a top weekend helping out, if you can I would definitely recommend you going along to help out, adds a whole new dimension to a race meet! Was good to meet Team PH and Andy.

[Muz_Wez]

I have to say the Ginetta Championship provides some of the best racing around and this is from a man who sees or covers over 100 different championships or series each & every year!!!!

Good regulations, controlled costs (as much as you can in any form of motorsport) & full grids, what more could you want????

As for the 944 thing, have you ever seen how (un) exciting the Porsche 924 championship is?

[20thebear]

i think you need some Northern luck again. I'll hope to bring some down to Silverstone with me.

[Andy_sx]

Mateyboy - the ginetta racing is superb to watch, always action throughout the field and by no means line astern! Everyone is trying 110% and theres always something going on. Plus, when you think it uses the ford parts bin for the main bits (seirra drive train and brakes with ford zetec engine) its just a different shell and chassis. benefit is it makes for close racing throughout the field

[Muz_Wez]

Andy_sx said:

Mateyboy - the ginetta racing is superb to watch, always action throughout the field and by no means line astern! Everyone is trying 110% and theres always something going on. Plus, when you think it uses the ford parts bin for the main bits (seirra drive train and brakes with ford zetec engine) its just a different shell and chassis. benefit is it makes for close racing throughout the field

Here here!! Totally agree.

[mateyboy]

yes i did say im sure it is excellent racing and great to watch. but like i said still only 13 posts and 4 of them were mine so i stand by my reasoning that you would get more feedback if it was stock car racing etc.

[Andy_sx]

Or maybe the fact its on its own subsection...

if it was in the main motorsport forum it would probably have more replies aswell...

tis ok though, the less people taking interest means the more i can attend events to help out (as long as Peter wants me too..)

[mattpallot]

Definitely more people should come to support. One important point no one has mentioned so far is that the Ginetta G20s are part of a race-weekend package which includes British F3, British GTs (and who doesn't want to see Astons and ferraris barging each other out of the way for an hour??), volkswagen cup and classic GTs (which means big old astons and jags vs big american muscle cars). As a race schedule it's a winner, and the chance to get involved with Team PH makes it all the more fun.

Admittedly though, I am biased as Peter D is my cousin, and when I went to see him we sat around drinking G+Ts whilst he fettled the Ginetta, and didn't even join him for the pre-race preparations for the second race, partly because the other racing was so absorbing (and the complex is a LONG way from the paddock at thurxton) and secondly because he was in such a bad mood from having spun in the first race

All in all I'd thoroughly recommend it.

[jellison]

Sometimes it's the taking part that counts...

Hmm not sure about that - mind I always am a miserable bugger if I have not won (happening alot recently!). Message to self Snap out of it! Sometimes it's the taking part that counts...

[speedysuz]

lol, it's funny Pete should header this report 'Sometimes it's the taking part that counts' - he's one of the most competitive people I know ... Hence, all the mards this season

[jellison]

speedysuz said:

lol, it's funny Pete should header this report 'Sometimes it's the taking part that counts' - he's one of the most competitive people I know ... Hence, all the mards this season

If you are of the mind set that you truely (Not saying Dignan is) do think that "it's the taking part that counts" then you are one of the nice people we need in championship to have fill up the field and beat;)

Brake later, get on th gas earlier. Spencer is Beatable.

[RacingPete]

I did only put sometimes

It's just been a very hard first season compared to classic car racing I have done before. It is quite amazing how many ex-champions there are racing in Ginettas thus why it is ultra competitive.

Though still have that competitive spirit and will be planning on a podium at silverstone next month.

[No52]

jellison said:

Brake later, get on th gas earlier. Spencer is Beatable.

Hmmmm...... Beatable, I would like nothing more than to have Pete beat me. As long as he's beating everyone else at the same time and I'm in second!!! Us MG ace's need to stick together.

Pete I didn't know you had your car Nicoll Plated, oversteer on corner entry?