In 2011 the British GT Championship caught the eye of motorsport fans with the variety of cars competing, the close racing and different winners. There can be no doubt the impressive impact made by debutants Scuderia Vittoria. The team ran a Ferrari 458 GT3 and Ginetta G50. Ahead of their second full season of racing, we spoke to co-founder Danny Buxton.

Q. Scuderia Vittoria was founded by yourself, Piers Masarati and Tom Ferrier back in late 2010. Could you tell us how it came about and whether running a team was something that you always wanted to do in your career?

A. Tom and I have always talked about running our own team, ever since we set up our driving coaching company a few years back. We have both known Piers for a long time, and he has an extensive contact list and good team manager experience from his A1GP days.

Q. Did you start Scuderia Vittoria with the sole aim of competing in the British GT Championship or was it a case that once the team was setup, you evaluated which race series you wanted to compete in?

A. We had been promised an all-new Ferrari 458 by our driving partners RS Academy, so this was always the plan. With my experience in Clios and the TOCA package, it was also always the intention to compete in the Clio Cup. I have good links with drivers in TOCA and was always confident that we would have at least 2 seats filled in year one.

Q. Let’s set the scene. It’s the first race meeting of the 2011 British GT Championship. The team grabs pole position on its first outing, and achieves a win in race two – after starting from the back of the grid. Even as an outsider that appears to be an amazing emotional weekend. How was it from your point of view given the hard work that went into getting ready for the season?

A. Considering the financial input and all the other sacrifices that each of us have had to make, in order to make this happen – the first GT weekend was just incredible, and meant so much. We should’ve won the first race, but unfortunately Charlie made a small mistake in the pit stop that cost us victory. I could never dream that we would win from last position in race two! That for me, is when having ex-drivers as team bosses can really help – making the right calls on strategy, reading the race from a drivers position, can really help – and was most certainly the key factor in that first win. The ethos running through or team is the passion to win.

Q. In 2011 the team finished 3rd in the GT3 class and 2nd in GT4. What are your hopes and expectations for this year?

A. The main aim in GTs, is to win the British GT3 Championship. We are nearly there with our driver pairings and should have some exciting news soon. With regards to GT4, there is a chance of another super pairing, meaning we can again challenge for class honours. The Blancpain Endurance Series is where we also intend to make a big impact in 2012, top three in GT3 would be a great success. If all our GT plans come to fruition – bring on the start of the year – I can’t wait!

Q. Last year the team ran cars in endurance series as well as the Clio Cup. Has participation in single seater formulae been considered?

A. Yes, certainly. It’s important we grind out a reputation first, then it would be appealing. There are initial talks being held about 2013, but I can’t reveal any more than that at the moment!

Q. 2011 saw the debut of the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT3 European Championship grow in stature and reputation. This year your team plans to run 458s in both, how are preparations going and what challenges do entering these series bring?

A. At the moment, unless something changes, it will be just one 458 in the British and one in Blancpain. However, there are plans to run another GT3 manufacturer in British alongside the 458 – watch this space! With regards to challenges, the main thing is logistics. With the Blancpain, the trucks are away for 10 -12 days, so we have to be totally organised and prepared. The calendar is challenging for all teams running cars in different series, we just have to be on top of our game!

Q. The structure of the team appears to lend itself to a ‘young driver’ programme. A young driver perhaps joining and involved in the Clio Cup and then being promoted within the team to high level endurance championship racing. Is this a notion that you wish to promote or do you wish to focus on other elements of racing?

A. I have always enjoyed working with young drivers, they have so much drive, determination and bravery – it reminds me of a junior Buxton! Saying that we have already signed two drivers in our Clio squad that are over 40 years old! It’s definitely part of the plan to ‘bring’ drivers through from Clio Cup to GTs – there is so much potential to make a good living in GTs, much more than any other form of motorsport in my opinion. However, it’s equally important for young ex-single seater drivers to gain initial experience with a roof over your head – and Clios are ideal for this. I also love the coaching side of the game, helping drivers to improve technically and to understand what it takes to win at this level.

We would like to wish the team all the best for 2012 and beyond, this year promises to be another exciting and successful one for Scuderia Vittoria.

Links:

• Scuderia Vittoria (website | twitter)
• British GT Championship (website | twitter)
• GridStars (website | twitter)

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Ben Anderson paired up with Ian Parsons to drive Ginetta’s new G40 road car in Class B whilst Ben Barry ran CAR Magazine’s long termer BMW M3 in Class D and Rob Ladbrook and Nick Rice were team mates in a Class D Proton Coupe.

Qualifying took place in dry, overcast conditions. Prestige Wheels set the early pace with a 1m23.235 in their BMW M3. Team Sam, who finished 5^h in the Trackday Trophy race then went quicker, recording a lap of 1m22.376.

Paul Roddison went off into the gravel at Craner Curves but had set a time which would eventually place him 12^th on the grid. Matt Walton then went second in his Jetstream Motorsport Clio. Two laps later Team Tactic’s James Cameron went up to second and with just three minutes of the session left, Walton went quickest and Cameron improved dumping Team Sam to third.

Matt Walton claimed a Team Trophy debut pole position. In Class C, Chav Motorsport were the highest qualifiers in 7^th. Ray Honeybone and Steve Brown kept up their good record in Class D by qualifying 17^th. Ben Barry, who had set a time good for 19^th on the grid had to pull out of the event at the very end of the qualifying session due to engine trouble. Rob Ladbrook and Nick Rice qualified 24^th in their Proton. Autosport’s Ben Anderson did not take part in the qualifying session but did do his mandatory 3 laps to allow him to take part in the race, albeit doing so during a Lotus Cup UK session!

Conditions remained dry for the race and Team Tactics lead into the first corner. Prestige Wheel’s Alistair Stenhouse battled with Matt Walton down the Craner curves with Stenhouse taking 2^nd place at the old hairpin. Starting dead last, Ben Anderson worked his way up the field, passing fellow ‘wildcard’ Nick Rice in the process.

The top three managed to pull a gap on fourth placed David Thomas, and then started the battle for the lead. Prestige Wheels looked to take first place from Team Tactic’s George Wright, and did so at Redgate, running with Wright down to the Craner Curves before establishing their lead. Team Cream Slice’s David Thomas came under pressure from Team Sam’s Steve Smee whilst further down the field there was a battle of the MX5s as Roddisons, ACS Networks and JRC Racing got up close and personal, almost running in flying formation. Steve Smee then took fourth place from David Thomas.

There was a quick off at the old hairpin for Darren Cox in his Nissan 350Z who quickly rejoined the fray. After passing Thomas, Steve Smee closed the gap on second and third place. Matt Walton got second at Schwantz, managing to cope well with the lapped traffic and one lap later Walton, Wright and Smee were three abreast at Redgate but it was Smee who came out best as he took second place, as Walton’s Clio got loose mid-corner.

Ben Anderson in the distinctive orange Ginetta G40 caught up with the MX5 club and moved up, making it good for the spectators to see a driver start at the back and fight their way up the placings. Class C team Chav Motorsport were running well, and were in a tight battle with Class B runners Skelly’s Heroes and Big Skidz.

Fifteen minutes in and the pit-lane window opened. On lap 13, front running debutants Jetstream Motorsport suffered a front right puncture which forced them out of the race. A great effort by Matt Walton who will be one to keep an eye on in future races.

Team Cream Slice’s David Thomas reduced the gap to fourth placed George Wright, and then came in his for his 3 minute pit-stop. Autosport’s Ben Anderson came into the pits and MSV’s Nick Rice came in for his pit-stop, with Motorsport New’s Rob Ladbrook taking the second stint. Second placed Prestige Wheels then came in, while the leading Team Sam Integra stayed out.

With the pit-lane window soon to close, spectators and rival teams assumed Team Sam’s Steve Smee was making a late pit-stop, a tactic that worked well with John Hamilton in the previous day’s Trackday Trophy race. ACS Networks seemed to enjoy rally-crossing at Redgate, doing so twice in the space of a few laps but with no damage incurred. Skelly’s Heroes took fifth place, and while they did so, the pit-lane window closed. The officials gave Smee a stop/go penalty for not taking the mandatory pit-stop and proceeded to display the boards on the pit wall.

Another driver who did not take his pit-stop I the window was Phil Capstick who served his penalty and rejoined. Skelly’s Heroes were also served a penalty. One person not taking his penalty however was Steve Smee who continued to lead the race, ignoring the boards indicating his stop/go. With Skelly’s Heroes taking a penalty for a short stop, Big Skidz moved up to fifth in their Fiesta ST.

With 90 seconds left of the race, Steve Smee came in for his stop/go penalty, the pit-lane offering the Team Sam driver sarcastic applause! Team Sam were disqualified from the race which meant the victory went to Prestige Wheels. James Cameron brought his Team Tactics Porsche 993 across the line in second and David Thomas finished third. McQ Motorsport won the Class C honours, topping off a successful weekend for the Surrey based father-son team. Apple Car Centre finished highest of the Class D entries, finishing 13^th overall. Nick Rice and Rob Ladbrook saw the chequered flag, finishing 18^th in their Team MN/Advent Motorsport Proton.

The Team Trophy next moves to Brands Hatch in November and with ever increasing numbers entering the series, it’s one to keep an eye on in the future.

Full Results (link)

Links:

Trackday Trophy (link)
Club MSV (link)
MSVR Racing (link)

Twitter:

Club MSV (@ClubMSV)
MSV Racing (@MSVRacing)
Team Cream Slice (@TeamCreamSlice)
Littlewood Racing (@LWDRacing)
Bubble and Kick Racing (@bubbleandkick)

Qualifying took place in dry conditions with a full grid of 36 cars heading out onto the track. Continuing from where he left off at Brands Hatch, James Britton set the early pace with a 1m21.055. Ten minutes into the session Britton headed the timesheets with John Hamilton in second and the Team Sam Honda Integra in third.

Five minutes later and Neil Newstead pulled off the track having suffered suspension failure at Goddards, bringing out the yellows and the safety car. The session was then red flagged with ten minutes of qualifying left, which allowed the marshals to clear Newstead’s BMW 328. The session restarted and Britton improved his time to a 1m20.743 seizing pole with Team Tactics showing their speed late in the session, going second with a qualifying time of 1m22.650.

The highest Class A qualifier was John Hamilton who qualified third and Simon Barnard took the honour of the top Class C qualifier with a time of 1m24.158. Class D ‘pole’ was taken by MAD Motorsport’s Adam McKeever and Matthew Weymouth.

The conditions remained dry as the competitors lined up on the grid for the 45 minute race. James Britton lead the drivers into the first corner and a great start was made by the Skellys Heroes team who were up to third from seventh. At the Craner Curves, John Hamilton retook third from the Skellys Heroes Elise. The top three, Britton, Team Tactics and Hamilton were close – Hamilton looking with intent, wanting to pass the Team Tactics Porsche for second place. Team Sam who got caught out at the start were now back up to fourth position.

On lap 2, James Britton ran a little wide at Redgate, as John Hamilton took second place away from Team Tactics. 2 B Monkey’s had a good couple of opening laps with the team up to 6^th place by lap 4. A gap then started to appear between the top four and the rest of the pack. Skelly’s Heroes reclaimed fifth place from Team Cream Slice’s David Thomas who had past them a couple of laps before and RedMoon Racing had a moment in their Toyota MR2 at Redgate losing them five positions but they rejoined without damage.

At the front, Britton began to increase his lead, but a few places behind him, both David Thomas and Skelly’s Heroes lost time, which meant that Neil Newstead, Simon Barnard and the 2 B Monkey’s Clio were hot on their heels. The battle for second place was heating up as both Team Tactics and Team Sam got past John Hamilton for second and third respectively. On the next lap Team Sam overtook at Redgate to move up to second place, but would then drop down to fourth.

Another driver who had a moment at Redgate was Simon Barnard who skated across the gravel trap before rejoining the track. Again there was a change for third as Team Sam took the position away from John Hamilton. 2 B Monkey’s, Skelly’s Heroes and McQ Motorsport were locked in a close battle for 9^th place, the action close and fair as they appeared joined at the hip from Redgate down to the Old Hairpin.

There was a great battle for third as John Hamilton attempted to get the place, by going round the outside of the Team Sam Integra at Redgate, but was unable to get past, instead slipping back in behind the Honda as they went down Craner curves to the Old Hairpin. It was on the exit of the Old Hairpin that Team Sam ran wide, allowing Hamilton to take third place in his Clio.

The pit window opened 15 minutes in and the early pitters went in on lap 11. Skelly’s Heroes, who had broken free from their earlier battle now were fighting for 7^th and duly got it as they past Simon Barnard at Hollywood. For the next couple of laps the two were joined by McQ Motorsport and the spectators witnessed another nose to tail battle. McQ Motorsport then managed to get past Barnard for 8^th place.

James Britton was the first of the leaders to pit, and as he took his mandatory 3 minute stop, Barnard battled past McHugh to regain 8^th. Team Tactics and Team Sam also pulled in for their stops. John Hamilton stayed out for a little longer and took the lead.

Thirty minutes into the race and the safety car was deployed as Andrew Juric suffered a heavy accident at Goddards, his car rolling twice before coming to a stop. Fortunately Juric was uninjured.

John Hamilton came in for his pit stop with perfect timing. With the safety car being called, Hamilton became the big winner as he was able to get in his pit stop and leapfrog rivals – Britton and Team Tactics. Neil Newstead was the first driver behind the safety car but Hamilton was first in race position. Britton had also lost out in the pit window, moving down to third.

After a safety car period of five minutes the racing restarted. However it was soon announced that Team Tactics had had too quick a pitstop by just two seconds – the regulations determining that two driver teams must have a pit stop of 2 mins 45seconds. As a result, they were given a drive through penalty which enabled James Britton to take second place and try and catch John Hamilton who had a 20 second lead. With five minutes remaining the gap between the pair closed but the 45 minutes had been reached, with John Hamilton taking the win in yet another eventful Trackday Trophy.

Tom and Jamie McHugh gained another trophy to add to their collection, finishing top of the Class C entrants. Class D victors were H G Motorsport in their Ginetta, their drivers Ashley Bird and Edward Platt finishing four seconds ahead of second in class, and debutants, Granny Turismo.

Well done to all the competitors! The next round is at Anglesey on Saturday 10^th September.

Full Results (link)

Links:

Trackday Trophy (link)
Club MSV (link)
MSVR Racing (link)

Twitter:

Club MSV (@ClubMSV)
MSV Racing (@MSVRacing)
Team Cream Slice (@TeamCreamSlice)
Littlewood Racing (@LWDRacing)
Bubble and Kick Racing (@bubbleandkick)

After a double race weekend at Cadwell Park, the Trackday Trophy guys and girls headed south to Brands Hatch in Kent, for the third Trackday Trophy event of the year. The Trophy was part of the ‘MSVR Indy Weekend’ which included an eclectic mix of championships.

Some Trackday Trophy entrants took part in testing at the Kent circuit on Friday. Unfortunately, D&S Motorsport suffered crash damage and had to pull out of the weekend. While there wasn’t a Trophy race on the Saturday, the day experienced bad weather and as a consequence a number of crashes.

Sunday arrived and after the drivers had signed on and attended scrutineering, they made their way to the Hailwoods restaurant for the drivers briefing. At the briefing, the drivers were told of the bad weather and cases of bad driving of the previous day. The briefing was delivered in a stern (but fair) tone, the emphasis on safe driving. One driver, clearly anxious, left most of his full English. Neil Newstead was absent from the briefing as his wife had gone into labour. A man possibly taken by surprise, a nice shiny BMW was left in the Hailwood paddock. It was a debut Trackday Trophy for Ben and Graham Newman. Their team, Dadson Racing, have entered a Caterham 7 Roadsport and will be classified in the guest class.

The first session of the day was Trackday Trophy’s 30 minute qualifying session. As drivers headed to the pitlane, it began to drizzle but it stopped once the drivers hit the track. Qualifying saw 35 cars (including reserve entries) drive around the 1.2 mile Indy circuit. With so many cars, it would prove difficult for drivers to get a good ‘clean’ lap in the bag. The track itself was dry and the early pace setters were Goff & Capstick in their Elise S1 along with John Hamilton in his Smart Van Clio Cup Racer. The marshals soon waved the yellow flags after an off for a couple of drivers at Paddock Hill Bend. This would have implications later on… . The Ginetta G20 of H G Motorsport duelled with Pink Express Racing for fastest Class D qualifier honours. Despite limited running (13 laps, compared to 24/25 laps of some rivals), H G Motorsport ended up as the highest Class D qualifer with a lap of 58.434s. This was good for 11th on the grid. Cliff Jordan of Pink Express Racing was just 0.285s slower. The father and son entry of Tom and Jamie McHugh, relative ‘veterans’ of Brands Hatch, were the highest qualifiers in Class C. They went round the 1.2 mile circuit in a time of 56.079s (5th on the grid). In Classes A & B, James Britton did a banzai last flying lap to grab 2nd on the grid away from John Hamilton. Hamilton’s Class A Clio seemed destined to start 2nd on the grid until the Class B BMW M3 of Britton made its mark (laptime – 55.522s). Pole position went to Phill Capstick and Jack Goff in their Class A Lotus Elise, with a time of 54.882s.

Post qualifying, and race control enforced the rules after a number of infringements in the session. Four teams were disqualified from the session for overtaking under yellows more than once. One of the teams affected were Cadwell Park winners Team Tactics. This meant they had to start the race on the last row of the grid.

Brands Hatch resembled a weekend in April, with the weather providing sunshine one moment, and sharp heavy showers the next. With the race scheduled at 5pm, the drivers had time to make changes to their cars and have a hard long think about their tyre choice.

The call came from the officials for competitors to leave the lower paddock and move up to the pit lane for the race. The cars assembled and waited for the Mini Challenge racers to finish. Realising he left his immobiliser key back at the lower paddock, James Britton sprinted back and returned just in time.

Due to wet track conditions, the officials allowed the Trophy drivers to have a green flag lap. The Capstick/Goff Elise led the pack around, enabling the drivers to judge how wet the track was and decide on what wet lines they would take. The cars got into their grid positions and the revs began to rise.

The lights went out, and it was a good start by polesetters K.O.K Support in the Elise. T.F.L Racing in their #88 Impreza started 8th on the grid, and they went left at the start, and went round the outside, surprising their rivals, and overtaking Team Cream Slice for 4th, all before the first corner! John Hamilton snatched 2nd place from James Britton at Graham Hill Bend. The man who had the best first lap was Nigel White in his Class C VW Golf. The W W Racing driver started 19th on the grid and got up to 8th! Clearly motivated, both Team Cream Slice and McQ Motorsport took back forth and fifth, sending T.F.L Racing down to sixth. At the end of lap 1, K.O.K Support’s Elise was in the lead, with Britton the highest Class B, the McHughs the highest Class C entry and H G Motorsport the highest Class D runner.

H G Motorsport who were in 10th, spun their Ginetta G20 on lap 2 at Graham Hill Bend and rejoined back down in 24th. Apple Car Centre took the Class D mantle in their Renault Clio. Upfront and the Capstick/Goff Elise was building a lead over John Hamilton. There was a close interclass battle for sixth place between T.F.L Racing, Littlewood Racing and the pumped up Nigel White in the Golf. On lap four, White got past Littlewood and then got past T.F.L Racing at Clearways. With so many cars in the race, the leaders began lapping backmarkers on lap five. Chav Motorsport outbraked themselves in their Porsche 924 at Graham Hill bend while K.O.K Support extended their lead over Hamilton. On lap 6, the Apple Car Centre team did a classic textbook outbraking manoeuvre at Paddock Hill on the BUC Racing Impreza.

Nigel White’s next target in his VW Golf was the Porsche 944 of McQ Motorsport, but while he had his sights on fifth place, T.F.L Racing were the quickest of the three and were soon hassling the Golf to regain sixth place. The trio had a close battle and after four laps of close lapping, T.F.L took sixth place and then fifth place from McQ Motorsport. As they did so, the Capstick & Goff Elise came to lap them. At Graham Hill Bend, Team Tactics made a rare error and spun, but rejoined without losing much time. Nigel White also went off the track and lost positions, undoing some of his fine work.

The drying track conditions made it interesting to see who was able to cope the best. Some teams started on a deeper treaded tyre, which, while served them well on the track early on, was now beginning to become a hinderance as a dry line started to appear.

J P Racing’s James Britton began to close the gap to Hamilton in the Clio Cup Racer and then on lap 16, 2 B Monkey’s Clio 172 went off in the gravel trap at Paddock Hill/Hailwoods, causing the yellow flags to be waved. It was the end of the race for the Class C entry. Soon after, the marshals stopped waving the yellows, the Caterham of Ben and Graham Newman encountered a quick off at Hailwood, running off onto the grass but rejoined unscathed.

First of the leaders to pit were Team Cream Slice on lap 21 who were running in forth. As the teams took their mandatory pitstops, the racing calmed down for a while but not for long. On lap 28 James Britton took second place from John Hamilton, passing him at Paddock Hill. Going well in their Saab were WMSS Motorsport and with just over ten minutes of the race to go, fought the McHugh Porsche for fifth place. Lingering with content in the background were T.F.L Racing. On lap 32, WMSS moved upto fifth place, leaving McHugh to fend off the intentions of the #88 Impreza.

A quick glance at the lap times of the drivers showed that James Britton was driving four seconds a lap faster than that of the leader, K.O.K Support Elise. Lap after lap, the gap between the pair was coming down, but would Britton be able to catch the leader in the little time that remained? It was all happening at Hailwoods as John Hamilton lost control of his Clio Cup Racer, spinning at the bottom of the hill, and forfeiting his third place to rival Clio Cup team, Team Cream Slice. Two laps of the race left and the leader had traffic to contend with in his bid to keep position. On the beginning of the last lap, Britton had caught up with the Elise and powered past in his M3 on the hill up to Druids. The spectators had seen great clean racing between the pair and Britton held his nerve to take an amazing victory.

The race was a showcase of what motorsport is all about, close racing, changeable conditions, small mistakes, and last lap lead changes. The thing is, it could of been quite different had Britton had been without his key for a little bit longer.

Post-race thirty second time penalties were dished to Team Cream Slice and John Hamilton for overtaking under yellow flags but this did not affect their finishing positions.

Bring on Donington!

Class A

1^st – Capstick/Goff | K.O.K Support, Lotus Elise
2^nd – Thomas/Croft | Team Cream Slice, Clio Cup Racer
3^rd – John Hamilton | Smart Van, Clio Cup Racer

Class B

1^st – James Britton | J P Racing, BMW M3
2^nd – Drummond/Green | WMSS Motorsport, Saab CS Aero
3^rd – Wright/Cameron | Team Tactics, Porsche 993 C4

Class C

1^st – McHugh/McHugh | McQ Motorsport, Porsche 944 S2
2^nd – Compaan/Marais | Windgat Racing, Seat Leon Cupra R
3^rd – Nigel White | W W Racing, VW Golf GTi Mk2

Class D

1^st – Honeybone/Brown | Apple Car Centre, Clio 172
2^nd – Baker/Bridgway | RedMoon Racing, Toyota MR2
3^rd – Bird/Platt | H G Motorsport, Ginetta G20

One of the series scheduled at the race weekend was the Track Day Trophy, a series that I had written an article on before. The series is aimed at novice drivers and those who have done track days and want to dip their toes into racing. There are four classes, based on power to weight. My previous article required me to research the series, finding out entries, rules and regulations and other useful information. I was hoping that I would be assigned to report on the Track Day Trophy.

Being based in Surrey, I figured that the trip to Cadwell would be a 378 mile roundtrip. With it being quite a way, I decided to treat myself a bit on the hotel. Hotel and route planned, the race weekend neared.

Travelling up on the Saturday, I checked in at the hotel before popping out to catch the last couple of races at the circuit. Having never visited Cadwell, I wanted to check its proximity to the hotel, where the good places to watch were, and get a general feel for the Lincolnshire track.

Race day arrived and I headed for the official’s office to meet Alex Baker and Nick Rice of Club MSV. Once I signed on, I was told that I would be reporting on the Track Day Trophy race. Good news. Shortly after, the drivers briefing took place, with Nick describing pitlane protocol and giving advice. Fifty minutes later, and the teams took their cars to the track. As a perk of the job, I was allowed to report on qualifying from the pitwall. With TSL timing on my phone and notepad ready, it was time to get reporting. The half hour session was lead from start to finish by an entry called Team Cream Slice, who run a Clio Cup Racer. Whilst on the pitwall, one of their drivers got chatting to me, so it was good to hear from his perspective about the racing, and to ask him some questions.

Qualifying ended and I took refuge in the cafe, figuring out who qualified where in each class. Once done, I headed up to the paddock where all the teams were based. In the paddock I caught up with a few teams and got chatting to them about their previous experience, thoughts about qualifying and if they were going to make any changes for the race. With a bit of spare time between tasks, I caught some of the Northern Saloon and Sports Car Championship race. This race also had a good mix of cars, and seeing a Ford RS200 and Metro 6R4 in action was a personal highlight. The race started on a bone dry track but a few minutes in, a sharp heavy shower completely changed the race. It was interesting to see how the various car types coped, the 4wd driven cars now picking up the pace and taking advantage of the conditions.

At lunch I was taking around the circuit in the safety car. I have seen onboard footage of cars racing round the circuit but to feel and see it for yourself just made it. The safety car was a BMW X6M, and even in a high riding car, you still experienced the blind summits and the camber/gradient changes. With that in mind, driving something like a single seater must be pretty immense.

Two more races from the Production BMW Championship and VW Golf GTI Championship followed, and then it was time for the Track Day Trophy race. The race would take the form of 45mins in duration, with a mandatory timed pitstop (2m45s for teams with two drivers, 3m for single drivers). For the race I took position at the top of race control, providing me with a privileged and wideview of the circuit. My camera and notepad were ready to go.

The race stayed dry throughout and the safety car made an appearance on a couple of occasions. The battle for the lead was excellent and the racing remained clean. At the podium presentations, I did get sprayed in champagne by happy drivers but managed to get a couple of photos in the process.

I made my way back to the hotel and laid out my notes, displayed my photos and the timing sheets, and began to type up my race report.

A very enjoyable weekend and a good introduction into the world of race reporting.

The race report I wrote is available here.

Changeable, would be one word to describe both the weather conditions and race positions for Race 2b of the Track Day Trophy. After Saturday’s fine weather, Sunday welcomed heavy showers and strong winds to the mix.

The teams get ready for qualifying

Qualifying stayed dry, the Clio Cup of Team Cream Slice setting the pace early on. Class A rivals, Team Socram closely followed in the BMW M3 and looked destined to start second on the grid until the Class B entry of Team Tactic’s Porsche 993 C4 put in a late charge. Team Cream Slice took pole position with a time of 1m42.991s. The impressive Neil Newstead of NN Racing qualified fourth in the Class C BMW 328i. Podium Preparation were the highest Class D entry, starting 13th.

Heavy showers affected the races between the Track Day Trophy’s qualifying and race sessions. A couple of the races started dry but then endured heavy rain half way through. A number of the Trophy drivers looked on nervous at the prospect of competing at a wet Cadwell Park, a circuit which some had not raced on until the previous day.

Remarkably, the track was dry as the drivers made their way to the grid. Team Cream Slice’s fears of getting swamped on the start by the rear wheel drive driven cars of Team Tactics and Team Socram proved to be true, as both the Porsche and the BMW M3 got by, with the Team Tactics Porsche leading the pack into Coppice.

Lap 2, and Marcus Burnett took the lead in the M3, while electrical issues forced out the Ford Puma of BS Racing. The Saab CS of WMSS Motorsport retired to the disappointment of drivers Drummond and Green who did well to qualify second in class. One lap later, and second placed Team Cream Slice battled for the lead, almost succeeding with a move down the inside of Team Socram’s BMW on the approach to the Mountain.

Class D leaders Apple Car Centre in their Renault Clio were on the tails of Class C entry Nigel White in the VW Racing Golf, while fellow Class D team Carpe Diem battled with Michael Buxton in the Citroen Saxo.

On lap 4, an off for McQ Motorsport in the no.64 Porsche 944 caused the safety car to be deployed.

The leaders behind the safety car

The safety car period ended and the pit lane was opened for teams to make their mandatory pit stop. Lap 8 saw the Clio Cup of Team Cream Slice lead the race after passing the Socram BMW at the Mountain, heading into the Hall Bends. The intense battle upfront not relenting, as a lap later the BMW retook the lead. The pair closely followed by George Wright in the Porsche 993 and Matt Walton in the Clio Cup. Neil Newstead lay in fifth place, a few seconds back, eager to take advantage of any potential incidents.

First to take their pitstop was Nigel White in the Class C VW Racing Golf, and as he did so, the sky became darker, rain looking a distinct possibility.

The safety car was brought out on lap 11 as a result of Class D entries Podium Preparation and Speed Merchants going off approaching the Mountain. A particular disappointment for Podium Preparation drivers Atkinson and Jebson, who had won Class D in Saturday’s race.

The second safety car session sparked the pitlane into life, with Class D entries Carpe Diem and Flying Kiwi Racing taking their pitstops. Fifth placed NN Racing in the Class C BMW were the first of the leaders to stop, getting into the pits before having a single lap behind the safety car.

A lap later and drivers behind the safety car, the pitlane saw more cars coming in, among them were Team Tactics, Team Socram and Matt Walton. Of the leaders, the Clio Cup of Team Cream Slice stayed out, which would later prove costly.

The teams making their mandatory pitstop

Still under safety car conditions, Team Cream Slice took their pitstop. Unfortunately, the safety car pulled in and they lost time, coming out of the pit lane and re-entering the race down in ninth.

Upfront and NN Racing’s early pitstop was paying dividends with a lead of 6.8s over Marcus Burnett’s M3 and the 993 driven by George Wright. With just ten minutes left of the race, the Class C entry of NN Racing led. The interclass battle continued, and starting on lap 18, the leaders caught backmarkers on the start/finish straight, eventually leading to the Class A M3 taking the lead. Lap 19, saw the Class B Porsche 993 take second place, dropping Neil Newstead down to third overall.

The battle for the overall win continued in a duel between George Wright and Marcus Burnett. Having taken second, Wright caught up to Burnett in the M3 but met traffic at the hairpin, losing momentum. With two laps left to go, the Team Tactics 993 began to attack for first place. The two, very close on the entry to the Mountain. However it was on the last lap, that George Wright made his move taking the lead from Marcus Burnett and making it stick, clinching the win and seeing the chequered flag.

The last lap action summing up the highs and lows, and the battles that spectators love.

Team Tactics' George Wright

Post-race, 30 second penalties were given to NN Racing and the Citroen Saxo driven by Michael Buxton for pit-stop infringements. That penalty for NN Racing dropped the team from third overall (first in class) down to seventh overall (second in class).

Overall

1st – Team Tactics, Porsche 993
2nd – Team Socram, BMW M3
3rd – Matt Walton, Clio Cup
4th – Team Cream Slice, Clio Cup
5th – Joski Racing, Honda Integra Type-R

Class A Podium
1st – Team Socram, BMW M3
2nd – Matt Walton, Clio Cup
3rd – Team Cream Slice, Clio Cup

Class B Podium
1st – Team Tactics, Porsche 993
2nd – Littlewood Racing, Renault Clio
3rd – N/A

Class C Podium
1st – Joski Racing, Honda Integra Type-R
2nd – NN Racing, BMW 328i
3rd – MOM Motorsport, Renault Clio

Class D Podium
1st – Apple Car Centre, Renault Clio
2nd – Flying Kiwi Racing, Mazda MX5
3rd – Bernard the Donkey Racing, Citroen Saxo

Fastest Laps by class
Class A – 1m43.335, Team Cream Slice
Class B – 1m43.095, Team Tactics
Class C – 1m45.436, McQ Motorsport
Class D – 1m50.117, Apple Car Centre

More photos:
For more photos from the event, see our Flickr account here.

Links:
Track Day Trophy (link)
Club MSV (link)

Twitter:
Team Cream Slice (@TeamCreamSlice)
Littlewood Racing (@LWDRacing)
ClubMSV (@ClubMSV)

For many with an interest in motorsport it is an ambition to take part and race, although the high costs associated with doing so prevent many from taking their interest any further. At the end of 2009, MotorSport Vision setup the Track Day Trophy, a series that is aimed at track day fans and motorsport enthusiasts and allows competitors to race at a relatively low price. Julie Sturrock is one such enthusiast looking to compete in this year’s MSV Track Day Trophy.

As a customer of many driving day experiences at circuits like Silverstone and Thruxton, Julie decided to take the ARDS test, in order to gain the National B race license.

“Originally I decided to do National B license as a milestone or goal for self achievement never thinking I could actually go racing. I also wanted my trackdays to lead somewhere. Due to costs of going racing & having no experience of karting or similar at a younger age never thought I could consider racing.”

The format of the series is 30 min practice & 30 mins qualifying, followed by a 45 minute race with a mandatory pitstop. Many teams have two drivers for each car. Drivers wanting to take part in the series can use their own race-prepped car (the rule book requires a rollcage, fire extinguishers etc), or go down the arrive and drive route, and drive an already race prepped car and concentrate on the driving aspect of taking part. Sturrock attended last November’s Racecar Live event and after speaking to MSV and Track Day Trophy representatives on the day, this led her to Faze1 Motorsport, a company which provides a number of motorsport services including the hire of Porsches for use in the Track Day Trophy.

“I am not mechanically minded & would not be able to do own car prep/maintenance between races so hiring seemed best option. I also have no garage or means of transport – costs include tyres/brakes/fuel etc/race team & transport to from track.”

Julie will be driving a Porsche 944S2 for this year’s trophy. This was the car that was driven by Jonny Smith in Channel Five’s Fifth Gear programme, as you can see below.

Last year was the debut season for the Track Day Trophy and one that saw a good number of entrants and close racing. The first race of the 2010 season took place at Brands Hatch. Twenty two cars took part in the debut race and the winner of the first race won by just 0.5 seconds. This year MSV is looking to build on that success by lengthening the race calendar to six races. Cars entered into the series are put into one of four classes, based on power to weight. These range from Class A (176bhp-200bhp ton) down to Class D (upto 125bhp ton). Slick tyres are not permitted and MSV has a list of the eligible tyres that entries can use. The emphasis on low cost regulations has enabled the trophy series to host a range of race cars, from Ginettas, E30 M3 BMWs to late 80s Golf GTIs.

The calendar for this year is as follows:

Race 1 – Snetterton (300 circuit) – Sat 19th March
Race 2 – Cadwell Park - Sat 21st May
Race 3 – Brands Hatch - Sun 17th July
Race 4 – Donington Park (National) – Sun 14th August
Race 5 – Anglesey (International) – Sat 10th September
Race 6 – Oulton Park – Sat 22nd October

Whilst Julie has had track time at Silverstone and Thruxton, she has only driven Brands Hatch of the circuits that are on the Track Day Trophy calendar. Sturrock, aims to get out in the car at the end of this month at Snetterton, shortly before the first race there on March 19th. Racing on the new ‘300′ circuit will be new to everyone taking part and Julie cannot wait for the lights to go green. All the best Julie and Faze1!

Links

MSV Track Day Trophy (link)
Julie Sturrock (Twitter)
Faze1 Motorsport (link)

[Images courtesy of MotorSport Vision]

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Just before this website launched, I registered the project’s twitter name (@TrackTalentUK) with the aim of engaging with fellow enthusiasts and to make contacts. Throughout the past year it’s been really good to speak with some of the people who read the content on this site, it makes it all worthwhile. So with this in mind, i’ve put together a fictional motorsport company and listed Track Talent’s twitter followers, and the role they could play.

Driver Management:
Jonny Restrick (@jonnyrestrick)

Driver:
John Williams (@JWilliamsRacing)
Julie Sturrock (@buff_s)
Anyone of you!

Physio:
Simon Ward (@physio2)

Promo:
Steffi Crouch (@Steffi_Crouch)

Designer/Architect:
Matt Clinch (@mattclinch)

Team photographers:
Pete Mainley – (@petemainey)
Nick Dungan – (@SportsStockcouk)
Tom Hughes – (@TomHughes_Photo)

Journalists / Copywriters / Press Office:
Peter Allen – (@Pete93Allen)
Michael Trusler – (@Mike_Trusler)
Leandra Graves – (@leandragraves)
Nikki Thompson – (@nikkii98)
Bexcci – (@Bexcci)
Grace Cunningham – (@GraceF1Fanatic)

Media Partner:
The Checkered Flag – (@TheCheckerFlag)

Tyres:
Goodyear (@goodyear_uk)

Fuel:
Anglo American Oil Company (@RacingAAOC)

Academic link up:
Cranfield University (@CranfieldUniSAS)

So as you can see, quite a range of followers from various motor-racing angles. We’re lacking a bit on the engineering side though for a motorsport company! Just a bit of fun but fancied doing it as a thank you to our Twitter followers. If only there was some cash around the place to set up for real eh?

If you do want to contact me (Andrew) about anything, please click here.

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PureTech Racing offer members of the public the chance to use advanced computer driving simulators, which aim to deliver the feel and thrill of real life motorsport. The organisation has an emphasis on making motorsport more engaging to a new and wider audience. This it may well do, but sim-racing aficionados and motor racing drivers will also want to be satisfied and feel engaged.

Based in Surrey, the Pure Tech Racing racing centre is home to 10 full motion simulators. The simulators were made by Ball Racing Developments, whose clients include iSport and Carlin.

Paying a visit

A stressful day at work made me want to do something and take my mind off things after work. A quick call to PureTech Racing and I was booked in to do a ‘test session’ that same day at 9pm. The centre is open until 22:30 which on a personal level is good as it allows you to get home from work and get sorted, before going out.

On arrival at the centre, I got signed in and ticked the box of ‘first time visit’. The building, a former showroom, is light and airy giving a good sense of space. At the time of my visit a 1988 Tyrrell Formula One car and a 2008 McLaren model adorned the centre area of the building. A number of motor racing pieces including spare wings, fuel hoses, and framed photos are also on show and add to the environment. Once signed in, I sat in PureTech Racing’s cafe while I waited to be called to the briefing room. There were to be 10 of us taking part in the session, 3 (including me) using it as a test session, and the remaining 7 using it as a qualifying session for a race. Our names were called and we were lead into a room to be briefed by Nick Dunn, PureTech Racing’s centre manager.

Nick gave us an informal and friendly briefing and introduced us to the concept of PureTech Racing and what is involved in using the simulators. We would be racing on a fictional circuit called Aviano, a circuit initially developed in NetKar Pro. After the briefing we moved into the simulator area. Once assigned our own simulator, I got in the ‘car’ and found out the ‘lie down driving like an F1 driver’ line proved to be true. It was a bit strange getting comfortable at first but then it became quite natural. A quick adjustment of the pedals later, I was strapped in (4 point race harness), and ready to go.

The simulators are set to manual gears with paddle shift on the back of the steering wheel, so just two pedals, no clutch. Fine with me! We all started the session in the pitlane and proceeded to go out on track. The feeling of movement (and force feedback if not experienced before) is initially quite surprising and unusual but after a couple of laps, it felt natural. For your first test session, there’s a lot to take in, the simulators, the track, the experience. After 3 or 4 laps of the Aviano circuit, I felt I was able to push further, brake later and enjoy myself more. I have to say that a personal favourite was driving turn 10, a slightly uphill left hander, where you really feel the feedback in the wheel, your arms needing to be strong to keep on the racing line. Great stuff.

Naturally the 15 minute test session flew by and as a group, we sat down together in the cafe area to chat about our thoughts and to share notes. Nick provided everyone with a print off as part of the debrief. The paper displayed laptimes and a potential optimum laptime. Along with that was some telemetry information. Nick spent time going through the telemetry with each driver and giving advice on where they could improve. It was a nice touch and a good idea, as i’m sure that it encourages continual custom. Owners of kart tracks take note!

The test session was an enjoyable experience made by the fact that it is a friendly and professional setup. To me it appears that PureTech Racing can deliver whatever you want it to. From a one-off visitor looking for a bit of fun, to those who regularly take part in motorsport and wish to spend some time in a simulator.

Links

• PureTech Racing (link)

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The first time

The experience I have had with driving experience days has been mixed. The first occasion I had with these types of events was back when I was 16, a relative had bought me a passenger ride in an Audi TT at Brands Hatch. Come the day, my parents and my relatives attended to watch me go around the Indy circuit. As this was my first exposure to a driving experience, I went home with mixed feelings. The feeling of getting strapped into a semi-prepped car was new to me and enjoyable, receiving my first taste of going round and down Paddock Hill bend was excellent and finding out just how late the instructors brake and turn in was a surprise. The downside to the day was that I went round for only 3 laps, a disappointed relative who just spent £100 commenting ‘was that it?’. The choice of a more track focused car for passengers to go round in would of enhanced it greatly.

The second opportunity

Seven years later in 2007 my partner bought me a supercar driving experience voucher. The voucher allowed me the chance to drive one of the following: Aston Martin DB9, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911, Ferrari 360. The car I opted for was the Ferrari 360, not because it was my preferred one (a Gallardo), but because it was the only car that was based at a race circuit. The circuit in question was Silverstone. I felt that the combination of a Ferrari and a track that I knew the layout of, thanks to televised racing/computer gaming, was the best choice. After a briefing of around 20 minutes in length, I donned a helmet, slipped on my kart boots, posed for a photo and started up the 360. The instructor who sat in with me asked whether I had any prior experience, I responded by telling him that although I had not driven a supercar before, I had karted. I believe this allowed him to have a little more faith in me, and he was an instructor who allowed me to push the Ferrari, after a couple of laps. Part of the excitement of doing a driving experience day is the opportunity to drive the car to somewhere near its potential, too often I have read of disappointed customers who participated in driving experiences and have complained that the instructor wanted them to take the circuit in a high gear and change gear at relatively low revs. While I understand the reasons for such measures – instructor getting in a fast car with a total stranger / durability and maintenance concerns, a higher level of tolerance at some venues would be a positive.

A more advanced driving experience

The bug had bit me, I wanted another driving experience day. This process proceeded to researching and crossing off suitable cars and driving days. Put into the mix the restrictions of cost, time and circuit choice and you start to get a headache, as I’m sure some of you can vouch for. As a gift, my next experience would be the “Single Seater Experience” on the Stowe circuit at Silverstone. The format of the event was a 30min briefing followed by 20mins out on circuit behind a pace car, a quick break, and then back out for 20 more minutes but with no pace car. So early on a Sunday morning in May I drove to Silverstone and looked up at the skies. It was getting dark. After signing on I was lead into the briefing room. The instructor then asked us quick fire questions, this felt like being back at school, afraid to give a wrong answer. The tone of the briefing was a step up from the Ferrari experience I did, but this is in part to the fact that you (obviously) do not have an instructor going round with you providing tuition. Every driver in the briefing had experience of track day/motorsport experience, some drivers had done the same single seater experience three times before and came back for another go. The instructor asked whether we had taken out the £10 insurance/liability option. Everyone answered with a yes, to which he nodded and described how a customer on the previous day had t-boned their single seater into an innocent driver at the hairpin. The customer did not have the insurance cover and the damage he caused was £3500. We were informed that if we spun the car, that would be the end of the experience for us. As a single seater virgin, I was a little concerned but thought I would be sensible enough to take it easy and judge my limit. We exited the briefing and the heavens opened. The mix of a slightly depressing briefing and wet weather for my first time in a single seater did not bode well but I had to smile, nervously.

We were allocated a car and strapped in by a member of staff. Once secured I was shown the layout of the cockpit and given information on the dials on the display. The gear stick was on the right and because it was on a metal joint, it moved around a bit, but unlike a normal roadcar, the actual moving the stick into the next gear took very little movement. The pace car was a Clio Cup and the use of a pace car in the first session was handy, the Clio driver progressively getting faster as the laps went by. The first session was excellent, learning the car, learning the track and learning the conditions. We had a quick break of 5 minutes and then went back out. This time no pace car, and we were allowed to overtake (on the straights only). Despite the rain, I enjoyed driving and overtaking other drivers. The essentials of driving, learnt in karting, were benefitting me, and it gave me the confidence to push further. On one lap, my rear left tyre was on a wet painted line, I felt a loss of traction, felt the notion of oversteer through the wheel and corrected accordingly. I loved it.

This particular single seater experience, while open to all, is an excellent option for karters who have never experienced a driving a single seater before. The ability to go as fast as you want, change gear when you want and take the corner how you see best, adds up to a driving experience that produces on a value for money basis.

Looking for more

As anyone who has done a driving experience will tell you, after doing such a experience you feel an immediate loss of adrenalin and look for higher/faster experiences. At a personal level, I always look for an experience that gives you a good amount of track time and little regulation. Finding an experience that gives you that in a real racing car is rare and expensive. Some enthusiasts take their car out on track days, or hire track day cars such as Caterhams through organisations like BookaTrack.com. A well regarded experience day is Palmersport at Bedford Autodrome. The experience used to be available exclusively for corporate guests but now allows individuals to participate. The day runs from 08:00 til 17:30 and involves participants driving 6 track based race cars, on a mix of circuit layouts. Drivers who have attended Palmersport days have praised the instructors who provide good tuition and allow you to push the car to the limits, tales of drivers taking corners in a Clio Cup racer at 70mph wet the appetite. The amount of time in each car is around 20 minutes. The day is not the cheapest (at just under £900 inc VAT) but if you view any of the onboard videos of the cars on the Palmersport website, you might find yourself justifying popping along.

Links

• MSV Circuit driving experiences (link)
• Silverstone driving experiences (link)
• PalmerSport (link)
• BookaTrack.com aka BaT (link)
• PistonHeads Track Day Forum (link)

(Photo credit: 4 Caterhams, BookaTrack.com)

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