Friday 30th July 2004

Down to the Last 3

Dunlop Race Academy nears its conclusion

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It’s crunch time for the final three contestants of the Dunlop Race Academy as they race against each other at Silverstone on Tuesday, August 17th.

Chosen from over 6,000 entrants, six regional winners competed at Bruntingthorpe to make the final three and a chance of competing in the Dunlop Driver’s Cup at Brands Hatch.

The six finalists had to undergo a fitness test and a panel interview, featuring representatives from Dunlop, Ginetta and top GT driver Calum Lockie before they were even allowed out on the track.

Each driver received tuition and coaching from Calum before being taken round the track by Calum in his 968 Clubsport. All the contestants then had to undergo a driving assessment.

First the contestants had their driving skills tested as they took a Fully Race prepared, 140bhp Ginetta G20 Cup Car with Dunlop Formula R tyres.  They then changed into a Ginetta G20 road car using Dunlop SP Sport 9000 tyres to test their accuracy and precision, in a slalom challenge against the clock.

The three finalists chosen are Andrew Maw, Andrew Walker and Stephen Cope and they represent the South West, Midlands and Scotland. At Silverstone the three finalists will have to pitch their talents against each other on the track in a head to head shoot out. They will be provided with further tuition, tests and coaching from Calum Lockie in their bid to become the best driver. The contestants will also be able to gain their MSA race licenses.

Whoever wins the Dunlop Race Academy will compete at Brands Hatch at the beginning of October in the Dunlop Drivers Cup, a round of the Ginetta Championship, where they will be up against national race winners.

Following this he will experience a celebrity lifestyle including a club class flight to Monaco for a two-night stay in David Coulthard’s Columbus Hotel, helicopter transfers, bespoke tailored suits, Louis Vuitton travel bags, a new Breitling watch and many more celebrity trappings.

Link: www.dunloptyres.co.uk

[daydreamer]

Unfortunately, the Dunlop car looks significantly shorter than the above photo after those six got their hands on it!

How do you crash at Brunters? Needless to say, the culprit didn't make it to the next round .

[jamesc]

Rich,

It would be great to see Calum race a G20! Do you know if he is down?

James

[daydreamer]

Not yet - but I'm seeing Martin Phaff in the morning, so I shall enquire.

[Kickstart]

Am I reading that PR blurb correctly in thinking that the "prize" is effectively only one round of the Ginetta championship plus a luxury weekend trip. I only hope that the entry to all the rounds was very cheap as I was offered a hire deal in one of these cars a while ago at £700 a race.

[daydreamer]

Kickstart said:

Am I reading that PR blurb correctly in thinking that the "prize" is effectively only one round of the Ginetta championship plus a luxury weekend trip. I only hope that the entry to all the rounds was very cheap as I was offered a hire deal in one of these cars a while ago at £700 a race.

Depends what you mean by a while ago - or a race for that matter.

Championship is organised as double headers at £500 per weekend entry fees.

If you were offered £700 per weekend all in, with the SRO GT/F3 package, then I you would have landed an exceptional deal.

On the plus side, the entry to the rounds so far was free - sort of mini be a grand prix driver. Calum Lockie has been doing the driver coaching through the rounds, and Dunlop are actively promoting the competition (hence all the pr) - so not all bad.

[nikbj68]

Hi daydreamer. Were you there? This is what ACTUALLY happened. As the last man out at around 8pm with Calum in the 968, it started to rain. We were black flagged after I had driven 3 laps,(everyone else had 12) but Calum had me do another 2 'assessment' laps. We went in, Calum went back out in his M3 for a few laps. We were told the day was over, but Martin Phaff put me in the G20 & said he`d sort something out. When Calum came in, he signalled me out,but to my surprise, the cones marking entry, apex& exit points had gone. I did 3/4 of the lap, came out of the hairpin and was lining up on the apex of the really fast left, but by the time I got to it, discovered that I wasn`t there, but at a separate bit of road. That`s where slo-mo kicks in. I was on the grass, WET grass. BANG. I take off over a lump of concrete, but still going straight. The brakes do nothing, and I don`t want to steer into a spin, so I head for the small gap between the flatbed that the Ginetta came in on & the trailer the other Ginetta came in. I nearly made the gap, clipping the truck but not hitting everything else(or anyone) before coming to an oily,watery stop. Martin Phaff was VERY good about it, and quickly got me into the other Ginetta for the slalom test, which I won. (I was fastest running the mile on the treadmill,too!)

[nikbj68]

CONTINUED!
My Apologies to Martin for the car & everyone else for the scare..especially the owner of the Porsche GT3RS that the ramp from the flatbed 'kissed' without leaving a mark. The judges felt it unfair that I went out 'blind'without the marker cones, and didn`t fail me for crashing the Ginetta, they ignored the whole run in the G20 & doubled my assessment in the 968, but the 3 winners` previous track experience scored them higher. Jeeziz was I sore for the next few days!

[nikbj68]

Kickstart said:

Am I reading that PR blurb correctly in thinking that the "prize" is effectively only one round of the Ginetta championship plus a luxury weekend trip....

Nearly. The top 3 get their MSA license, plus race suits,boots & lid. I think there will actually be 2 rounds over the Brands weekend, to make up for a rained-off event earlier in the year.(Thruxton/Snetterton? Rich? you`ll know)
GQ magazine are putting a fair bit into the prize as well, their payoff being a magazine feature with the winner in Monaco, in his Gieves&Hawkes suit, Breitling watch & Gucci shoes.
2 of the 6 finalists entered via GQ.

[daydreamer]

Didn't mean to have a go Nik - I can hardly talk - current pictures of my car are on the Birkett 6 hour thread .

There are three rounds of the championship at Brands to make up for the missed round at Silverstone. Don't know if the winner will get to race in all three however, as the bonus round will use the grid from the cancelled race.

Well done for making it to the last six.

Rich

[nikbj68]

No offence taken,Rich...I felt a bit of a Wazzock at the time, but was more upset at 'ruining my chances'.(As it turned out, my 74% in the Porsche (x2)wasn`t enough against an 81% & 2 84% scores. I knew I should have gone for a trackday or 2 first! )
So. Were you there, or have you just seen the car at Ginetta? Do you know how bad the damage was? On top, there was a split on the NSF wing and the screen copped it, (I still have a bit of it!) but the sump must have taken a big hit, and the floorpan.... I REALLY hope it wasn`t too bad. I keep meaning to ring Martin, but keep chickening out(in case he sends me a bill!!!!! )

edit: Is it a trick of the camera, or have you got about 3" of toe in on the OSR wheel?

>> Edited by nikbj68 on Wednesday 4th August 17:50

[NIKBJ68]

Well, it`s all over! Andrew Walker from Derby is the winner, by 1.3% from Andrew Maw. The 'head to head' wasn`t actually a duel on the track, or best times, but a comparison of assessments throughout the day.
Well done mate!

[NIKBJ68]

Andy Walker qualified 28th out of 30 at Brands Hatch, which doesn`t look too great at first, but he was only 4.2 seconds off the pole time, and he finished 18th, out of 20, so a good first race!
The second race ended after 10 laps, when he had an off, the car being too badly damaged to start race 3.
A sincere well done mate.