Friday 11th November 2011

PH Blog: we're going racing!

Never mind Rally GB or the Abu Dhabi F1 - PistonHeads is racing a MX-5 this weekend!

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Learning Snetterton in the dark - how hard can it be?

So, my first week as editor of PistonHeads draws to a close and ... I'm off racing. It seems I've been invited back to drive one of the Jota production MX-5s at the Ma5da 12HR Winter Challenge off the back of driving the same car earlier in the year at Rockingham.

Clearly everyone else was busy or something, Mazda tweeting "three pro drivers and three novices including @Pistonheads". Hm, novice? Well, actually yes. And it gets worse. I've never even been to Snetterton before, let alone driven round it in either its original or new 300 form that we'll be racing on. And looking at the schedule qualifying doesn't start until 4pm today which, by my reckoning, means it'll be dark or nearabouts. Oh dear.

It's going to be a big field of cars too, with Mk1s like my PH Fleet Eunos (though this will be safely tucked away in the paddock come race start at 9am tomorrow morning) up against Mk3s like the one I'll be racing. It'd be nice if we could sneak the 275hp GT racer onto the grid in place of the #75 production car I'll actually be driving but that might be pushing it. Oh, and adding to the pressure I'll be sharing the car with two properly fast racers - Mazda/Jota team driver Mark Ticehurst and 19-year-old Jade Paveley. Yes, I am about to be thoroughly put in my place by a teenage girl. Go easy on me Jade!

Left here ... or is it right? Oh damn.

Look out for Tweets and updates as the weekend progresses. Now I'd better go off and watch some laps of Snetterton to figure out which way it goes... Any tips gratefully received!

[mgv8dave]

Should be a good weekend.
looking nice at Snetterton this Saturday i will be watching out for the "team shimmy cars" you can't miss them

[Saabstudent]

Good luck Dan.
Remember, people only remember those who crash - sometimes it's best not to become very well known!

G

[lord summerisle]

remember to wave to those in Orange at the end of the race.

[Dan Trent]

One lap in the back seat of a Mazda6 is all I've had and now we're ready for quali and it's ... dark! And foggy. Ho hum.

And wave at the guys in orange? I'm rather fearful our interaction may be a little more involved than that! Still, nothing ventured.

[V8mate]

Dan Trent said:

So, my first week as editor of PistonHeads draws to a close...

Where's Chris gone?

[Munter]

MX5. Snetterton. You best watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWjXzvVoL0

[Melvin Udall]

Munter said:

MX5. Snetterton. You best watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWjXzvVoL0

Nnnnnng! Open top, flappy arm thing... Always makes my sphincter twitch!

[Munter]

Melvin Udall said:

Nnnnnng! Open top, flappy arm thing... Always makes my sphincter twitch!

Yeah he hurt that arm. I think it finishes with his arm under the roll cage. Which I guess would hurt were he not passed out at the time. (I'm assuming he passed out...)

[Dan Trent]

V8mate said:

Where's Chris gone?

You'll still be seeing his writing here but he's handed over the editorial chair and I'm the lucky man to fill it!

[Evo]

Pistonheads are on the grid, good luck for the race.

Just remember don't worry whats behind you and always aim for the spinning car

We expect nothing less than a win

[Dan Trent]

Well, thanks to the efforts of Mark Ticehurst we're second on the grid. With him, Mark Hales and Jade on the team we might just claw back the time penalty of having 'guest' drivers like myself and the other hacks on board!

Night driving was interesting though, you really have to act on your instincts. I was lucky in my qualifying in that I managed to latch onto someone who knew where they were going and put in a decent-ish lap.

Heading out onto a track I've never driven before full of cars out on quali laps in the pitch black was pretty full-on, I have to say. I was glad not to take a wrong turn and end up in Norwich!

Main thing was all drivers got their qualifying laps in and nobody went off so the car is tip top for the morning. No excuses now!

Stay tuned...

[Dan Trent]

Munter said:

MX5. Snetterton. You best watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWjXzvVoL0

Yikes!

[dzm]

Well done Dan. Good luck for the race. Have you got a camera/headcam for your stints?

[Dan Trent]

Car #75 led from the front and, last I heard, is still there with Mark Ticehurst at the wheel. Sometime PH contrib Kyle Fortune about to take the wheel in his first ever race drive - good luck Kyle!

Not sure on the video - will see if I can rig something up.

[Dan Trent]

Car now running in 5th, though those ahead of us still have two to three pits stops to make yet so hopefully we can claw something back. And it seems PH has been granted the honour/responsibility of bringing it home to the flag. Gulp. As the man from Mazda says, don't cock it up.

[Munter]

Dan Trent said:

Car now running in 5th, though those ahead of us still have two to three pits stops to make yet so hopefully we can claw something back. And it seems PH has been granted the honour/responsibility of bringing it home to the flag. Gulp. As the man from Mazda says, don't cock it up.

I'm sure you'll do fine.








But if you don't I wouldn't show up to work on Monday.... :

[Evo]

At least not without pictures anyway

[SpeedMattersNot]

Dan Trent said:

Car now running in 5th, though those ahead of us still have two to three pits stops to make yet so hopefully we can claw something back. And it seems PH has been granted the honour/responsibility of bringing it home to the flag. Gulp. As the man from Mazda says, don't cock it up.

Hi Dan,

Hope the race went well, my friend was racing in it too. Yet to hear the final result from him though...his name is Carl Newton?

Also, you may remember me - I worked at Harpenden Waters Renault (until they went into Administration) as a mechanic. I'm sure you've got plenty of contacts for help with your Cup, but if you ever need a second opinion give us a shout.



Ian

[Dan Trent]

Ian - good to hear from you! Sorry to hear about Waters too. Sad to say the Cup has moved on too, regrettably. A kitchen will be taking its place, as is the way of these things. Fun - lots of fun - while it lasted.

Full race results from Snetterton here...

http://www.tsl-timing.com/?loc=club&season=201...

I think your pal came 7th as far as I can see. Red Rascal racing?

And there'll be a full story on Monday but we brought the car home in second after a thrilling last half hour with a safety car that brought us back into contention. Top work by all the Jota boys. Though the application of a PH smiley to the back of the car was worth AT LEAST five seconds a lap I'm sure. That and having Mark Hales and Mark Ticehurst on the team.