Flying Cow Racing

At long last, I was going to finally get to race at my local track - Oulton Park !

We arrived on the Friday afternoon and were soon set up, I was hoping to get in on the last session to bed my brakes but the track wanted a full afternoons testing fee for the last session, thanks but no thanks.

We had plenty of supporters for this race with most of Jayne's side of the family including Jayne's uncle Dave who takes some cracking pictures.

Saturday morning, qualifying went well. After bedding the pads in I strung a few 2:11's, that was enough to put me 17th on the grid and 4th in class.

Race
I made a great start and took a few places, a coming together of a couple of the front runners after Cascades saw the yellows come out, I lifted as the car that had hit the barrier was still moving and looked like it could have come back onto the track, I was disappointed that I was passed under Yellows by a Fiesta, I had the run on him down to Knickerbrook to take the place back but he did not make it easy for me !

I was having a great battle with #77 205 GTi for a few laps until we caught a group of about 4 cars. I got squeezed onto the grass trying to pass an Alfa up Clay Hill, a lap or so later I got a whiff of antifreeze and a splash of coolant on my Windscreen. I thought from the car in front, expecting a retirement very shortly I pushed on, a lap later I saw steam coming from the trailing edge of MY bonnet !!

A quick check of the gauges and all was ok, I limped back to the pits, comfortable in the knowledge that any split coolant would evaporate in the stifling heat of the day.

The pit window had just opened, on pit board and pit lane duty were Jayne & Dave, as I pulled into the pits they saw me and came running over to do the mandatory pit stop, as I lept out they were loosening my belts for me to get back in as I ran to open the bonnet.
Expecting to see a split hose, I was taken aback to see the top hose had come off, I could only surmise that the added temperature of the day had increased the pressure and forced it off. Jayne went to borrow a 10mm spanner and Dave got water, once the hose was fitted and refilled with water I was 3 laps down, but we got back out to finish the race.

I was soon back in the groove and caught a Puma, as I went to unlap myself he squeezed me onto the grass, some people are taking this Cow thing too literally !

A couple of laps later coming out of Shell Curve the Slippery Surface flags were out, coming into the chicane I could see a dark patch on the track, expecting it to be coolant I slowed,.. it was oil... The 205 I had been dicing with earlier had split it's oil cooler on the new high kerbing.

The was no traffic ahead that was catchable in the closing stages of the race, the Puma was kept at bay and the sight of the Final Lap board brought welcome relief, I was drained.
I finished 16th overall and 3rd in class

The drive down to Brands from Stockport was unusually made on a Thursday evening, this was due to us qualifying on the Friday.

Once arrived and leveled (not easy), we were on one hell of a slope. We were able to have a look around. The inner paddock was dominated by the DTM Teams.

The outer paddock had large Mercedes, Audi & VW hospitality units and the remained od the support races. The Nippon Challenge area was up by the scrutineering bay.

As I was running on Toyo R888, I was running in the Super GT class, this class is dominated by Andy McLennans Suzuki Swift, but has also recently featured Jonathan Blakes latest MX5 spin off the MX5 based KitCar

Out for qualifying on the Friday afternoon, I had recently fitted some new Coilover units and not having had the chance to try them this was a bit of a test and the result was too soft, a chat with the guys from Tengu Do Motorsport saw me running different settings for the race and it was much better.

I got a good start and rapidly came up behind a Subaru that had dropped into limp mode, suddenly I was boxed in and could not get out until turn 2.

On the run down to turn 3 I could see Jason Jesse's Celica GT4 spear off the track taking Yasers Daihatsu Charade with him, after a short Safety Car period the race was red flagged while they got Jason out (pleased to say he was okay). due to the time constraints of the DTM schedule we did not get to restart the race.

Track was still damp in places, especially off line.
We took up our original qualifying places (less the cars that retired), there were a couple of quicker cars behind that I expected to come though.

Off the line I got a good start and stayed on the outside while everyone else seemed to be fighting for the apex.

A short safety car period after a Suzuki Swift had gone off.
A Subaru soon came through on the straight and then cost me time as he was slow into the chicane, next through was an MX5 based kit car, I kept the pressure on and forced him into a mistake at turn 2.

An Integra I had no answer for and a blocking move down the back straight was only putting off the inevitable, as he then went after an MR2 that had got a better get away, this gave me chance to close the gap.
I had the run down the S/F straight and he went defensive into turn 1, I took the undercut up to turn 2, I had to brake a bit early as this side was still damp.
Went round turn 2 together and he had the line for turn 3, I took a later turn in and took the undercut and was able to get passed cleanly.

Finished 9th overall and 3rd in class

Anglesey was one of the circuits I have always wanted to race at, I had driven it in 2007 on a Track Day.

It was also a circuit where family would come to watch as my brother lives on Anglesey and my Mum, North Wales.

We arrived Friday afternoon and were soon set up, my Brother and his girlfriend Roz arrived that evening and we walked the track

Tin Tops were first out for Qualifying. Some cars appeared to be going out on treaded tyres, I decided to stay on the R888's. Fortunately the rain eased during the session, a brief SC period after a Focus expired going down the Corkscrew and parking it on the S/F straight.

By the end of the session it was still damp with the odd dry patch, a 1:27 was enough to put me 10th overall and 4th in class.

We were the first race after lunch and the track was dry and the weather sunny. I was lined up on the outside for the start, got a great start and by turn 2, I was 7th, some of the (normally) quick cars that had not qualified well began to come through.

A few laps in a Peugeot 106 in the same class as me was catching, he had a run on me down the back section to the tight left hander but I managed to keep the inside and took the place back

A lap later he had a better run and made a clean pass that I could not challenge.

The pit window opened and I signaled to Jayne & my brother that I wanted to come in early.

As per Donnington, the stop was perfect and I was back out into clear track. We later found out that the stop was so good the Peugeot that was lapping at 1sec a lap quicker than me finished the race 45 secs behind me (1:23's vs 1:24's)

The remainder of the race I was unchallenged, I was lapped by the front runners and lapped a couple of cars myself.

At the end of the race I crossed the line 6th Overall and 2nd in Class. Despite changing to a thicker rear ARB and a bit more toe out on the back I am still struggling with Understeer and despite the sound being out of sync you can hear me struggling with the tyres.

The CSCC Tin Tops race at Donington Park was to be my first race of 2011, added to that it was the first ever race for the Cyborg at a circuit I had never raced before.

Since the track day at Oulton Park a few weeks prior I had changed the gearbox to my spare one which is not ideal as it is a longer diff than the factory MIVEC box, but a better option than struggling with a worn 3rd gear syncro.

I had also changed the springs, rather than go out with an unknown in qualifying on the Saturday I booked an afternoon slot on the Friday.

Friday night, rather than the usual BBQ at the Motorhome we went out for a meal with our friends Steve & Emma Hennessey who we originally met when we raced the MR2.

Saturday morning was quite leisurely compared to other races we had done, Sign On and Scrutineering were mid morning with Qualifying late morning.

Steve Hennessy returned to help Jayne with the lap times and pit board and more importantly the mandatory pit stop during the 40 min race.

Out for Qualifying and the early morning rain had stopped and a drying line showed me that some of my previous laps were not taking the ideal line.

I tagged along with a Golf GTi for a few laps before a few clear laps on my own,

With quite a long break until our race at 16:00 we practiced our "pit stop" in the Paddock, as did several other cars and drivers.

Having never done a rolling start before I was very aware of being ready when the cars in front upped the pace, staying close to the car in front I was equally aware that if the Red Lights didn't go out at the start it could be carnage.

Into turn 1 I stayed on the inside though the outside looked like it could net a few places, the Peugeot 205 that had started along side me soon took that option away, though it did not gain any places and he dropped back behind me.

Onto the back straight I had a run on #41 Golf and passed before the new chicane.

Through the corners the Golf would come back at me and drop back on the straights so I have more work to do on the suspension.

Over the next few laps some of the faster cars that had not qualified well made their way through the pack, I was also slowly reeling in the #20 BMW, finally getting a run on them into Redgate.

Again I was finding the BMW would be all over me in the corners and up the hill but on the straight I would pull away.

Soon the Pit Lane window opened and cars began going in the the stop this gave me several clear laps. Jayne & Steve brought me in at the ideal time when it was quiet.

being a lone driver I have to switch off the engine, get out, close the door. Then I can get back in.

While this was going on Steve was sorting my belts after Jayne had helped me get out.

It was a great stop and it fed me out in front of the #20 BMW, after a few laps the BMW had a good run on me down the start finish straight and went deep into Redgate after one of the front runners had lapped us both.

As we went down Craner the car that had just passed us took to the grass and ended up in the gravel.

It was nice now following a car of similar times, and I found my times dropping a little, it's easier chasing than being chased...

Next time down Craner there was a Clio in the gravel on the left, as we came to the end of the back staring the Safety Car boards were out as another car coming down Craner has spun, possibly on dropped fluids and come together with the stranded car.

Club/Series	Race Date	Race Circuit	Qualified	Race Result
CSCC Tin Tops	28th May	Donington	22nd (3rd in class)	15th (2nd in class)
CSCC Tin Tops	6th August	Anglesey	10th (4th in Class)	6th (2nd in Class)
RDRTC Nippon Challenge	2nd,3rd & 4th Sept	Brands Indy (supporting DTM)	13th (6th in class)	9th (3rd in class)
CSCC Tin Tops	1st Oct	Oulton Park	17th (4th in class)	16th (2nd in class)