The weather was certainly different as our previous race, it rained for testing and part of the Qualifying session along with being rather windy, which doesn’t help when you only have a handful of ponies under the bonnet to begin with. A headwind felt like you were being pushed backwards. This time around, we had clear skies and sunshine, a lot of Sunshine.

Testing Friday:

I was out 1st and quickly overtook my previous race pace times having tried a few different turning in points, braking markers etc. I felt more confident behind the wheel and I felt like I had definitely improved over last time.

The second session saw Andrew behind the wheel and also confirmed the car was running sweet which was reflected in his times.

Mark was out third and put in his PB time which, in Qualifying, would set us in the mid-to-high teens. We were happy with that.

For the last session, Myself and Andrew split the session but with track temperatures reaching over 40°C, we could immediately tell the engine was struggling due to being starved of Oxygen. The tyres were also suffering too.

We came back in unable to beat any previous times set earlier on in the day.

That being said, we had all shaved seconds of our previous times round this track and bet all individual PB’s.

We all headed off on the long journey home in high spirits for Sunday.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Mark was unable to make it on time to qualify so it was down to myself and Andrew to set the best time we could, as Mark was usually the quickest in Qualifying.

As I’m usually not as kind to the tyres as the other guys, We decided Andrew had the best shot at a decent time by going out 1st

Andrew left the Pit in full attack mode and we immediately saw him putting in some blistering times. Unfortunately, a transponder issue meant that one of his quickest times ( a Mid 2:42 ) was not counted. Exceeding track limits also meant a similar time wasn’t counted. Having completed half a dozen laps, Andrew came in with a fastest recorded time of 2:43.450 which was impressive but another second would have seen us 2-3 places further up the grid.

Out next was Myself,

The car felt great and the weather had cooled down significantly which greatly improved the grip levels and my confidence in the car was at an all time high. I put in my PB of 2:43.035 which secured is P28 on the grid for the race.

I was happy with that.

Race Time.

As Mark was unable to attend the Qualifying session, he was unfortunately unable to start the race, so instead, they gave me a shot at it as I’d never started a race before and it would deem good practice (more on this later)

As the cars were called to the assembly area, I could feel the nerves creeping up. As someone who enjoys a routine and still relatively new to the game, my brain scrambled with the additional info, strategy, , this added more pressure to not mess things up like ‘watching out for the lights to go out’, ‘keeping out of trouble’, ‘how long to stay out for’, and so on.

We had initially said that I would go out until the Pit Window opened after 15 minutes of racing and swap out with Mark and I placed my markers for where to look for on the Pit wall for my board.

We rolled onto the track and followed the Safety car out for the formation lap ahead of the rolling start and immediately a couple of cars decided to overtake. Now I’m pretty sure the rules state that at that point we were not racing and should not have done so.

I firmed up on the car ahead and kept close until we came round ‘Coram’ heading into ‘Richies’. I could see the red lights and kept my eyes peeled for them to go out.

As we crossed the Start Line heading into turn one, there were cars left and right all fighting for position. Having previously only done stints once the race had settled down, this was a totally new experience. I LOVED IT.

I gained a few positions over the course of the first few laps and got into my groove. By Lap 6 I was back up to 26th.

I had my Timer running and a quick glance indicated that I had been out over the 15 minutes and I kept my eyes on the Pit wall for the #380 IN board where I thought it would be..

I came round once more and still no board.

By Lap 7 roughly 20 minutes into the race, The Safety car was deployed following a collision with two cars round Agostini.

The safety car was out for two laps and by the end, coming round Coram once more, I could see the car in the distance indicating to come in. Now, as I understood it, you can not follow a safety car into the pits without serving a fixed time penalty. I did believe that if the Safety car had driven past the Start/Finish Line, normal race conditions resumed.

Coming on onto the Straight, I pulled in… Mistake?

I travelled the short distance down the Pit Lane hoping to be greeted by our team, Alternatively, they sent me on my way back down the Pit lane.

My heart sank.. I tagged back out and re-joined the circuit having watched all my hard work literally pass me by. A few expletives shared between myself and the inside of the car, I completed another lap and pulled in again.

I jumped out and Mark was in.

We were second to last.

Having discussed how long I was ‘Supposed’ to be out, I gauged our garage position along the pit wall by placing between two flags, which I’m sure most of you all do. What I did not do however, is take into consideration that the person holding out the Pit board was not in fact between these two markers and thus My brain elected to completely disregard. Rookie mistake!

I nearly always glance down the pit wall each time I pass just in-case there is something I need to know but for one reason or another, despite the board being put out several times, I had completely missed anything either side of where I thought I was supposed to look. I had no idea what, how or why this happened but I was determined to ensure this would never happen again.

I had a quiet work with myself with my visor down for a few minutes alone before returning to apologise to the team.

Despite my Hindrance, Mark made up some good ground, making his way back up the pack to eventually bring the car back in in P14.

Having Calmed down, I was intent on making up for lost time and putting my previous mistake behind me, after all, there was nothing to be done now.

After a quick refuel, I was back in the car and off down the Pit Lane.

We re-joined around  26th And I managed to bring my times back down to my former race pace. Pit stop strategies meant that by the end of my second stint, we were up to P19.

Having etched the Pit Board Lady’s face into my braid, I was watching the Pit wall like a hawk and saw my board was out.

I made my way once more round the track trying to keep my pace before peeling off into the Pits for Andrew to bring us home.

Andrew re-joined the race in P23 and quickly settled in for the remaining 45-50 minutes.

Andrew put in some impressive consistent times and made up a few more places.

Given the fact that we were 1 lap down on the car in front, Andrew pushed on and we eventually crossed the finish line in P21 ( P20 After updated Timing Sheet.)

Awesome Result!

Conclusion/Take Away.

The most difficult part of racing for me is not letting your teammates or team down. Having only done a few races and being the 3rd driver to joint the team, let alone, I’m racing with my Bosses, I often question whether was was going to be good enough or make a mistake to let them down. We are after all, a team of three.

When we think of Motorsport, we usually tend to think of the Drivers/Riders and often disregard the people making it happen.

I was upset that I had lost us places based on a couple or errors in judgement. That was ‘MY’ Fault and it was a horrible feeling to have.

They were however, lessons I had experienced the first time and it’s important to move on from them but also learn for next time.

When people talk about racing, I often hear, ‘It’s just going round a track and overtaking the car in front’

There are literally 1000’s of things that go through your mind before, during and certainly after a race weekend. The Drive as fast as you can part is just one part of it. The hard part is to not let the important ones slip through the net.

Two main things I’ve learned from this race/experience are;

• Memorise the face and location of person who will be holding out your Pit Board.
• Complete one more lap after the Safety car has come in.

Lastly, if a mistake has been made, it has happened and the moment has passed. If you’re going back out. You can only do your best from that point and not let what has happened, interfere with the rest of your race.

On to the next one.

Special thanks once again to the Marshalls for keeping us all safe.

Stats

Race – best time

Nathan – 2:44:339 (Lap 47)

Mark – 2:41:984 (Lap 24)

Andrew – 2:43:056 (Lap 60)

Race Percentage Driven:

Nathan – 32.55% (19 laps)

Mark – 43.39% (29 laps)

Andrew – 21.15% (15 laps)

The post C1 Racing Club Round 4 – Snetterton appeared first on Gala Performance Racing.

C1 Racing Club Round 1 – Snetterton

After a two year break Gala Performance Racing were back behind the wheel a Snetterton for the opening round of the Silverlake C1 Racing Club endurance challenge.

Friday Testing: Weather conditions were far from ideal and we struggled with the initial setup of the car. As the day advanced, and with the track starting to dry out, our times improved and we were feeling more confident for qualifying Saturday Morning.

Saturday Race Day: Although very windy, the weather had improved drastically with warmer temperatures and a fair bit of sunshine (although still very windy)

Nathan was out first to set his qualifying times and managed to put in a time of 2:49:740 which was on par with Fridays testing. Mark was out second and set an impressive 2:46.508 and Andrew Rounded off the qualifying session with a respectable 2:48.179

This secured our starting position of P31 out of 38. We knew we had out work cut out for us.

After reviewing our times and a spot of coaching from Sid Smith Racing, we concluded that the set up on the car needed tweaking.

The boys from BPC were quickly on the case and made some final adjustments to the vehicle geometry.

As qualifying was now over, we had no idea if this would pay off and we would only know once the race started.

Race Time

14:45 Race Start – Mark was out first and quickly made up a few positions. The change in set up had certainly paid off as his times were noticeably faster and by the time he came in for the 1^st driver change we had made it up to the mid-teens. 

Out next was Nathan who re-joined the race in P32. After just a few corners, he felt immediately more confident in the car. After a few initial lap times of just under 2:50’s, Nathans times began to drop as his confidence grew.

A temporary hurdle emerged with the deployment of the safety car for five or so laps. However, Nathan remained focused, ready to resume the race with renewed determination.

After a stint of 25 laps, Nathan came in to swap out with Andrew Scott for the final portion of the race. 

With an additional in-and-out driver change, Andrew certainly had a tough stint if we were in with a chance of finishing where we initially hoped for. Despite an intermittent technical issue with the car suddenly dropping power, Andrew continued to post fast consistent lap times 

With just a few laps to go, Andrew made up a couple of more positions and we crossed the line in P19. We were certainly happy with that. 

Final Result

Unfortunately, an incident was brought to light meaning our finishing position was dropped to P21 rather than the initial P19. We were still happy with the result overall. 

Nathan had this to say;

‘Having never driven at Snetterton and with this being my 2^nd ever race including testing, I admit, I was very nervous and with the first time in car #380 being on a new track too in very wet conditions, my confidence levels were rather low. That being said, some awesome coaching from Sid and a set up change to the car, It didn’t take long to settle into the race and I could feel my confidence in myself and the car growing with each passing lap. Very happy with the result’

Our next race will be at Donington Park on June 23^rd

To all the Marshalls, we give thanks to your hard work and dedication keeping us all safe! #orangearmy

Thanks for reading!

Gala Performance

C1 Racing Club | BPC Motorsport | Snetterton | BRSCC | Rebecca Howland Photography

The post C1 Racing Club Round 1 – Snetterton appeared first on Gala Performance Racing.

Embarking on a journey into the dynamic world of motorsport can be both thrilling and challenging, attracting enthusiasts from various backgrounds. Whether your passion lies in cars, speed, or pushing personal limits, stepping into motorsport promises a gratifying and exciting experience. For beginners, however, the motorsport landscape may seem intimidating and distant. In this extensive guide, we will navigate you through the initiation process, covering essential gear, steps to secure a race license, and more. Buckle up and delve into the realm of motorsport!

Trackdays: The Starting Line for Racing Exploration

To ease into motorsport, consider participating in trackdays—an affordable opportunity, starting at approximately £150, to drive on a circuit and grasp the racing experience. Novice-only trackdays with expert instructors are available, offering valuable insights into high-speed driving. Sim racing is another option, providing a realistic practice environment from home.

Arrive-and-Drive Karting: Sharpening Racecraft Skills

Karting serves as a foundational training ground for many professional drivers. With arrive-and-drive karting, accessible for as little as £40, you can practice racecraft skills without the need to invest in your own kart initially.

Obtaining Your Race License: A Necessary Step

The Motorsports School

To engage in club-level motorsport, securing an Interclub competition license is essential. A Go Racing pack from Motorsport UK, costing £99, facilitates the application process, including the mandatory ARDS course (Association of Racing Driver Schools), priced between £200 and £400. Completing six Interclub races makes you eligible for a National license, opening doors to more professional events.

Safety Equipment: Prioritizing Protection on the Track

Essential safety gear, meeting specified standards, includes a closed-face helmet, Frontal Head Restraint (HANS device), fire-retardant race suit, gloves, and boots. Investing in quality equipment is crucial for on-track safety.

Choosing the Right Series or Championship: Tailoring Your Motorsport Path

Selecting a series or championship aligning with your interests, whether in single-seaters, sportscars, sprint racing, or endurance racing, is pivotal. Researching clubs like the British Automobile Racing Club and British Racing and Sports Car Club aids in finding a suitable match.

Getting a Race Car: Options and Considerations

Opt for an “arrive and drive” package for a hassle-free entry into racing or explore second-hand car options within your budget. Building your own car is an option, requiring safety upgrades and adherence to series regulations.

Creating Your Perfect Paddock Area: Ensuring Comfort and Style

Gala Performance offers a range of Pit, Paddock, and Promotional Equipment, including pop-up race tents, traditional marquees, and modular flooring. Personalize your setup with promotional material for a professional appearance.

What to Expect at Your First Race: A Guided Journey

Anticipate final instructions, sign-on at race admin, scrutineering for your car, a compulsory drivers’ briefing, and, most importantly, relish the experience without undue competitiveness.

Exploring Other Forms of Motorsport: Diverse Paths Await

Beyond circuit racing, consider rallying or motorcycle racing based on your interests. Each discipline presents unique challenges and experiences.

Embrace the Thrill of Motorsport: Your Incredible Journey Begins

With dedication, practice, and a passion for racing, you can make your mark in motorsport. Prioritize safety, invest in quality gear, and relish the exciting journey that motorsport promises. Gear up, rev your engine, and embark on your motorsport adventure!

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Initiating Your Motorsport Journey appeared first on Gala Performance Racing.