Brands Hatch race report
Discussion
I like Brands Hatch, it`s one of the few circuits where more powerful cars only have a small advantage, corner speed and getting on the power nice & early are more important to a good lap time due to there being relatively few straight sections and relatively lots of bendy bits. In the past I`ve gone round in the 0.52`s with the occasional lap in the 0.51`s. Pete Morris put in a qualifying lap of 0.51.1 on one occasion and that was as good as the car had done.
I hadn`t driven the circuit for a while but immediately got into the swing of tings on Friday`s test day. The sessions were relatively short at around 25 minutes or so (less stoppages) so we couldn`t hang around. There was a bit of under-steer during the first session which I put down to tyres so fitted a new set in readiness for the next session. That went well with a string of laps in the 0.51 second range, the fastest a 0.51.3. Rather worrying though once the honeymoon period passed with the new tyres (you get a short period when they just stick like shit to a blanket) the under-steer started to return. We tried all sorts to sort it out and at one stage were really struggling. In the final session of the day we went totally the other way with the set up. There was literally only seconds left of the session, I got out onto the circuit, did a lap to put heat in the tyres then as I crossed the line the end of session chequered flag was being waved and there was a slow car in front, I had one chance to prove the set up and drove hard into Paddock bend...... thank the tarmac gods, whilst we hadn`t totally resolved the problem I could live with the result.
Saturday`s qualifying came and as usual the track was quite crowded. The Brands indy circuit is small and with such a big speed disparity a totally clear lap was a very rare event (if seen at all). That said it`s the same for everyone and if you`re bright you can help yourself to find some space. A bit of heat into the tyres and I set about my work. Having seen 0.51`s I wanted something that started with a 0.50. The times came down and I saw a pair of 0.51.0 from the pit wall but no 0.50`s. F*ck this for a game of soldiers I though and pulled into the pits as the session ended. They took a bit of air out of the tyres and, as this was a 2 driver event for some teams there was a second qualifying session. I lined up to get out early, once released I did a lap to warm the tyres then went for a flyer. It felt good and when I came round next time the pit board showed 50.8, that`s all I wanted to see so I came round and parked up. Job done. I suspected Steve (Rance) may have snuck into the 0.49`s as he can pull a very quick lap out of the hat every now and again but I`d followed him round in testing and if I could hang onto him during the race I wondered if I might be able to pressure him in the August heat (he`s an old man you know!).
In the end Steve was on the 2nd row of the grid, there were 2 class one cars between us & I was on the 4th row. I got a good start and the status quo was maintained off the line and into the first corner. You`ve got to be carefull not to overdo things in the early stages of a race on such a short circuit with cold slicks but everything was looking ok. Steve was ahead in the distance but still in sight and the race had settled down. All of a sudden going into Surtees there was a waved yellow flag and as I rounded the corner there was Steve`s GT3 and John Fraser`s 964 RS. There`s a spot of luck I though quietly to myself. Steve, clearly not a man to take these thing lying down had already started to pick himself up as I passed and he wasn`t that far behind as I went into Paddock. Given we are to be team mates in the 24 hour race at Silverstone I thought we`d get to see each other at close quarters. If he wanted to get past he was more than welcome, all he had to do was find a way
All of a sudden Steve was no more to be seen, which left yours truly in class P1. Sadly in racing nothing is quite that simple and Paul Winter decided his GT3 should be in P1. We`d shared a bit of time together on the Silverstone GP circuit where I struggled to get past his car on the historic GP circuit, he pulled away on the long straights and I reeled him in on the corners, particularly the fast Abbey / Bridge section where, if I`m honest a little trip into the gravel put paid to my efforts (it was a quick sprint race and when you see an opportunity you have to take it!). He was very firm with me at Silverstone but also fair, we didn`t make contact so I was happy he wasn`t going to do anything silly. The next 20 minutes saw us pretty much joined at the bumpers but I managed to do enough through the corners to ensure he couldn`t use any slight advantage he might have on the pit straight to get past. Eventually half time came and he went into the pits to hand over to his driving partner Mr Speed, thankfully not as quick as Paul. That was it then P1 in the bag. after 35 minutes or so I came in for my mandatory pit stop and back out on the track soon came up to lap the P2 Winter / Speed car. Unfortunately my clutch pedal started to stick down. I hooked it up with my foot but knew I had a problem. A lap later and I`d got total hydraulic failure and sadly no clutch. All I could do was leave the car in 4th gear the whole lap.
I was preparing myself to trundle round the circuit and get picked off one by one. But it didn`t happen. I could take surtees and paddock ok, I had to back off halfway down the pit straight and the car was obviously sluggish out of Graham Hill & Clearways but by far my biggest problem was Druids, the tight 2nd gear right hander. In 4th the car was driving too hard through the corner so as not to stall and was on a bit of a knife edge. Unfortunately my worst fears happened after a couple of laps and the car span. There I was at right angles to the track with no clutch and worse still the limited turning circle of a cup car meant I needed to perform a 3 point turn. Where there`s a will there`s a way so I selected 1st gear and turned the car on the starter, it fired up, I quickly turned it off, selected reverse, turned it on the key, it moved back and fired up, once again I quickly turned it off and re-selected 1st, turned the car on the key but it couldn`t quite make it up the slight hill so I had to back up to the armco on the started and give it another go. Bingo it fired up and I went off down the hill to Graham Hill. Up-shifts without a clutch are no problem and I got back into 4th gear again, unfortunately I was now in P2 with P3 looming in the mirror. For the next 20 minutes or so I carried on in 4th and managed to do enough to take the flag in 2nd place. Things weren`t over yet as I had to get the car back to the pits and to the garage, I couldn`t stop! Fortunately I made it back in one piece and the fault was traced to a ruptured hydraulic line, ironic as this was to be the last race for the car prior to a total strip (including the clutch!) for the 24 hour race. That`s racing for you. A good weekend and I`m happy with myself for getting the car to move round the circuit well, slightly miffed at losing P1 and more importantly for this race a shot at the Bill Taylor memorial trophy.
Good fun though rounded off with a few beers with some of the Britcar boys into the small hours !
Henry
I hadn`t driven the circuit for a while but immediately got into the swing of tings on Friday`s test day. The sessions were relatively short at around 25 minutes or so (less stoppages) so we couldn`t hang around. There was a bit of under-steer during the first session which I put down to tyres so fitted a new set in readiness for the next session. That went well with a string of laps in the 0.51 second range, the fastest a 0.51.3. Rather worrying though once the honeymoon period passed with the new tyres (you get a short period when they just stick like shit to a blanket) the under-steer started to return. We tried all sorts to sort it out and at one stage were really struggling. In the final session of the day we went totally the other way with the set up. There was literally only seconds left of the session, I got out onto the circuit, did a lap to put heat in the tyres then as I crossed the line the end of session chequered flag was being waved and there was a slow car in front, I had one chance to prove the set up and drove hard into Paddock bend...... thank the tarmac gods, whilst we hadn`t totally resolved the problem I could live with the result.
Saturday`s qualifying came and as usual the track was quite crowded. The Brands indy circuit is small and with such a big speed disparity a totally clear lap was a very rare event (if seen at all). That said it`s the same for everyone and if you`re bright you can help yourself to find some space. A bit of heat into the tyres and I set about my work. Having seen 0.51`s I wanted something that started with a 0.50. The times came down and I saw a pair of 0.51.0 from the pit wall but no 0.50`s. F*ck this for a game of soldiers I though and pulled into the pits as the session ended. They took a bit of air out of the tyres and, as this was a 2 driver event for some teams there was a second qualifying session. I lined up to get out early, once released I did a lap to warm the tyres then went for a flyer. It felt good and when I came round next time the pit board showed 50.8, that`s all I wanted to see so I came round and parked up. Job done. I suspected Steve (Rance) may have snuck into the 0.49`s as he can pull a very quick lap out of the hat every now and again but I`d followed him round in testing and if I could hang onto him during the race I wondered if I might be able to pressure him in the August heat (he`s an old man you know!).
In the end Steve was on the 2nd row of the grid, there were 2 class one cars between us & I was on the 4th row. I got a good start and the status quo was maintained off the line and into the first corner. You`ve got to be carefull not to overdo things in the early stages of a race on such a short circuit with cold slicks but everything was looking ok. Steve was ahead in the distance but still in sight and the race had settled down. All of a sudden going into Surtees there was a waved yellow flag and as I rounded the corner there was Steve`s GT3 and John Fraser`s 964 RS. There`s a spot of luck I though quietly to myself. Steve, clearly not a man to take these thing lying down had already started to pick himself up as I passed and he wasn`t that far behind as I went into Paddock. Given we are to be team mates in the 24 hour race at Silverstone I thought we`d get to see each other at close quarters. If he wanted to get past he was more than welcome, all he had to do was find a way
All of a sudden Steve was no more to be seen, which left yours truly in class P1. Sadly in racing nothing is quite that simple and Paul Winter decided his GT3 should be in P1. We`d shared a bit of time together on the Silverstone GP circuit where I struggled to get past his car on the historic GP circuit, he pulled away on the long straights and I reeled him in on the corners, particularly the fast Abbey / Bridge section where, if I`m honest a little trip into the gravel put paid to my efforts (it was a quick sprint race and when you see an opportunity you have to take it!). He was very firm with me at Silverstone but also fair, we didn`t make contact so I was happy he wasn`t going to do anything silly. The next 20 minutes saw us pretty much joined at the bumpers but I managed to do enough through the corners to ensure he couldn`t use any slight advantage he might have on the pit straight to get past. Eventually half time came and he went into the pits to hand over to his driving partner Mr Speed, thankfully not as quick as Paul. That was it then P1 in the bag. after 35 minutes or so I came in for my mandatory pit stop and back out on the track soon came up to lap the P2 Winter / Speed car. Unfortunately my clutch pedal started to stick down. I hooked it up with my foot but knew I had a problem. A lap later and I`d got total hydraulic failure and sadly no clutch. All I could do was leave the car in 4th gear the whole lap.
I was preparing myself to trundle round the circuit and get picked off one by one. But it didn`t happen. I could take surtees and paddock ok, I had to back off halfway down the pit straight and the car was obviously sluggish out of Graham Hill & Clearways but by far my biggest problem was Druids, the tight 2nd gear right hander. In 4th the car was driving too hard through the corner so as not to stall and was on a bit of a knife edge. Unfortunately my worst fears happened after a couple of laps and the car span. There I was at right angles to the track with no clutch and worse still the limited turning circle of a cup car meant I needed to perform a 3 point turn. Where there`s a will there`s a way so I selected 1st gear and turned the car on the starter, it fired up, I quickly turned it off, selected reverse, turned it on the key, it moved back and fired up, once again I quickly turned it off and re-selected 1st, turned the car on the key but it couldn`t quite make it up the slight hill so I had to back up to the armco on the started and give it another go. Bingo it fired up and I went off down the hill to Graham Hill. Up-shifts without a clutch are no problem and I got back into 4th gear again, unfortunately I was now in P2 with P3 looming in the mirror. For the next 20 minutes or so I carried on in 4th and managed to do enough to take the flag in 2nd place. Things weren`t over yet as I had to get the car back to the pits and to the garage, I couldn`t stop! Fortunately I made it back in one piece and the fault was traced to a ruptured hydraulic line, ironic as this was to be the last race for the car prior to a total strip (including the clutch!) for the 24 hour race. That`s racing for you. A good weekend and I`m happy with myself for getting the car to move round the circuit well, slightly miffed at losing P1 and more importantly for this race a shot at the Bill Taylor memorial trophy.
Good fun though rounded off with a few beers with some of the Britcar boys into the small hours !
Henry
Edited by Henry-F on Sunday 12th August 21:50
Always a rather more circumspect drive on the way home compared to the GT3. Although very powerful I find flying crockery a rear hindrance to ultimate corner speed!
Mac will need to wait for a nice straight bit next time
The fan club are great, they keep letting the slower cars know I`m coming through with their blue flags
A few people were sorry they hadn`t visited the gym a bit more often in the heat, that happy mix of a sunny afternoon, the Brands Indy circuit and a hot GT3. Next stop Silverstone in September.
Henry
Mac will need to wait for a nice straight bit next time
The fan club are great, they keep letting the slower cars know I`m coming through with their blue flags
A few people were sorry they hadn`t visited the gym a bit more often in the heat, that happy mix of a sunny afternoon, the Brands Indy circuit and a hot GT3. Next stop Silverstone in September.
Henry
Henry-F said:
I lined up to get out early, once released I did a lap to warm the tyres then went for a flyer. It felt good and when I came round next time the pit board showed 50.8, that`s all I wanted to see so I came round and parked up. Job done.
'bout time you pulled your finger out Firman! 
Seriously, well done mate, good to see you progressing nicely with the ole girl.
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