Author: forty43three

Donington Race Day

Aston Martin Owners Club Race Meeting
Classic Jaguar World XJS Challenge (Dennis) & Proteus Sportscars Jaguars (Adam)

Practice was good and the previous track day did help a little, even though that was on the GP circuit. Craner was very exciting, but I don’t think I got anywhere near what the car could do through there. I ended up in a reasonable position, but a slight improvement would have put me quite a bit higher up.

The Race
I lined up in my spot on what was a very large grid. When the green light came on I got a great start, much better than anyone else around me. I ended up on the inside into Redgate and this would have work out well, but I was too weak under braking. I fell into line for the run into Hollywood and Craner Curves. Half way down the Craner Curves I could see lots of cars and carnage on the inside of the corner. A red E-type had had a coming together with others and I think others took to the grass in avoidance. Luckily this didn’t effect me and I stopped myself looking at it and got on with the job in hand – the Old Hairpin. On the climb up to McLeans I thought that the race would be stopped due to the accident, but at this point it hadn’t been so I pushed on. Sure enough the reds came out as I was on the long straight near the Dunlop bridge. One driver hadn’t noticed and came steaming through on the inside into the chicane. Luckily he noticed in time and didn’t collect the cars that had stopped on the start-finish straight.

After a short wait and a worrying moment in which we got a few spots of rain the second race got underway. I got a good start again, but this time the coupe ahead of me was wise to me coming down the inside and blocked. I still held an inside line and I think I got past somebody in the traffic jam that was the first corner. On the exit I had a better run out of the corner and got some before Hollywood. Through the Craner Curves and braking for the old hairpin I got a couple of other people. Not quite Senna-esque, but I enjoyed it immensely. I was through McLeans and this marked the start of a whole lap where I wouldn’t pass anybody! I did have a look into Coppice, but it wasn’t on. I concentrated on getting really close to the car in front. I was chasing a rebodied XK140 which seemed to be quick on the straight, but I had the measure of him in the corners.

The following lap I had a better run down the Craner Curves, through the Old Hairpin and was quick enough through McLeans to have a good stab into Coppice. This was it for the rest of the race in terms of close racing. I got past a few others, but these were due to their mistakes. I started to slide the car about a bit in a few of the corners – especially Redgate. The back was coming round under acceleration each time, but a small amount of opposite lock was correcting this. I think this actually was having a detrimental effect on the lap times. I ended up losing time due to this or maybe because the tyres went off. At least I knew I was somewhere near the limit. My fastest lap time was quicker than all the other standard XJSs for the day. I really enjoyed my race at Donington and it was made all the better because quite a few people I know were there.

“I want to throw up” – Shovel

June 9, 2001
Test Day at Donington Park

Gold Track Evening
Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit (2.50 miles)

We all arrived separately for a 5:30pm briefing. I came down from Sheffield and had a quick bite to eat in the Donington Museum Cafe. At the time it was raining, but I still stopped to look a the Fangio and Senna statues on the entrance to the event. I wondered if it would stop for our practice.

In the briefing they told us the rules of the road. No overtaking in corners or braking areas and even then only on the left and with complete cooperation from the others. This was after all a track day not a race or even an official test. There would be a lot of others out there would hadn’t taken the ARDS course. We also learnt that we would be using the Grand Prix track and not the national. This was slightly unfortunate as we will be racing on the National circuit in June.

The rain stopped some half an hour before the first session and the early evening Sun put in an appearance. Andy check over the car and put tape on the headlights and then we were ready to go. Dad went out for the first session. The track was still damped, but a dry line still emerged quite quickly. Half way through his first session Dada came into the pits and picked up one of the Donington ARDS instructors who showed him the lines. The instructor also noticed that the brakes may be running slightly too hot as they were juddering under light braking.

In the next session I went out with the Instructor who showed me the lines and eventually I could follow them. I tended to want to turn into Hollywood much too early, but once I did it correctly, or at least not completely wrong, I found that the car much preferred it. Through the Craner Curves I was at first having a confidence tap on the brakes, but soon became to realise that not only was this unnecessary the car felt much more composed if I kept on the throttle. The rest of the evening was a matter of having more and more throttle each time. Although it was never flat. I suspect it is possible flat, but that you would be too far over to the right for the Old hairpin. Well that’s my theory anyway. At present it appears that going round the outside of someone here is impossible. I must watch that 1993 Grand Prix again – I guess that’s why there is a statue here.

Past the place were Senna got Damon in 1993 and up to McLeans and another place where it is tempting to stray from the line. This time on the exit. The temptation is to wind more lock on as you exit and follow the inside on the road, but the proper line just lets you drift out to the outside with no drama.

At the end of the straight we arrive at the Melbourne loop complex. The instructor was very keen for me to keep of the still damp kerbs. This I did, not wanting to what Mika did in Magny-Cours two years ago. I feel that if this happen in a race I wouldn’t be able to put in such a good recovery drive overtaking half the field (again).

It was in this part of the track that the brake problem became noticeable. I seemed to suffer more than Dad with it. The initial braking was OK, but then when I got of the brakes they juddered and unsettled the car which was not ideal. It also caused me to lock up once going into Goddards, but this was not that dramatic and I still managed to get turned in at approximately the correct point – as well as my other laps anyway. The instructor suggested some different pads to try, but Andy was having the car for the following week so he’ll check them out.

We don’t have any times as we were not allowed to time ourselves – it was not meant to be competitive. The times would have been meaningless as on every lap we had to be kind when letting the quick round corners, but slow on the straights, Caterhams pass us. We do know that we were both getting quicker – we were the slowest on the track at first, but overtaking Porsches by the end! I wonder what it’ll mean by June.

May 3, 2001
Ashmore Racing’s first race

MG Car Club Race Meeting
Classic Jaguar World XJS Challenge (Dennis) & Proteus Sportscars Jaguars (Adam)

Off to Brands, With the sole intention of not being last!

We travelled down on the Saturday, towing the car with a truck. Arriving at the circuit at about 7:30pm we put up a borrowed tent we had never seen before in the dark! We are not normally campers. We then enjoyed an expensive sausage meal and the delights of Karioke in the circuit club house! Early to bed as we would lose an hour to BST.

The nice RACMSA scrutineer said everything was in order and offered some advice about increasing the padding on the roll-cage. The noise test was passed easily, only 92db. The car is clearly not loud enough!

Lining up in the assembly area was strange! We have in recent years organised the assembly area for the Jaguar Car Club meetings and overall we were impressed with the job the MGCC did.

About to leave for first practice. Dad waved off by Andy and Adam.

The practice went well with my laps time decreasing every lap (see figure). I got my first taste of the quick guys coming past me and looking out for the blue flags. A couple of Listers shot past me going into Paddock Hill. Graham Paddick’s Kougar looked quite impressive also. Somebody spun and caused a red flag which almost halved my practice time. There was also a driver who kept dropping oil and ignoring the black flag to bring him in. The pole position man, Eike Wellhausen, suggested that the number under the black flag was hard to read. My fastest lap meant I lined up third from the back (21st) on the grid. Overall I was quite happy with the time considering that I had only done six flying laps of Brands in contrast with all the experienced guys. All the other novices had been at Brands earlier in the week getting some practice in! (excuses, excuses I know but I’m using the old “racing against more experienced drivers” excuse – I wonder if I’ll still be saying that after seven years of being in this category?). Slight hint of oversteer (not that I know anything – yet) which was originally identified by Dad. Consultation with the pit crew resulted in Andy softening the rear by taking a couple of clicks off the rear SPAXs. Again we are all pretending to know what we are doing.

The Race

Just before I was about to leave the assembly area it started to rain slightly! Fortunately it stopped before I reached the grid (especially with only having six dry practice laps!). I concentrated hard on locating my grid space, not wanting to do a Fisichella! My start went extremely well and with experience I think I could have overtaken many cars into the first corner. Even though I was ideally placed for this I decided that caution was the order of the day. Paddock Hill is scary enough without trying out new things on my eighth time through it! In the end I held my position. A similar thing happened going into Druid’s hairpin. I was on the outside, but decided just to fall in line. Another potential overtaking opportunity was ignored as I continued to play myself in. Then at Clearways on the first lap I completely messed it up losing seconds to the pair in front. They were having a great battle in their XJS and D-Type and potentially slowing each other up. I decided to concentrate on not losing any positions and found that the car behind was in no danger of catching me.

So in the early stages I got my head down and tried to close on the cars ahead. I was just beginning to do this when as I was coming across the start/finish on the beginning of my fourth lap I noticed a waved yellow in Paddock Hill. A XJS had spun and parked it in the gravel on the exit of Paddock Hill by the dip. Soon after this a full lap caution period began. In the novice drivers morning briefing we were told to drive around with care at about fifty miles per hour. This I did, although I found that this wasn’t really bringing me any closer to the pack because the gap actually widened as it looked like I was the only one who had seen the yellow/black quartered flags. Eventually I drew close to the pack, but not before the leaders caught up to me!!! (as I was the next driver to be lapped by the quick guys). The first few seemingly ignoring the signals to slow down – although, of course, they had not been at the novices briefing in the morning. This then caused a problem for the restart. The rules state that racing can’t resume until you cross the start line on the lap when green is given . Technically most of the pack, including myself, had to complete almost a full lap before we could start racing even though the leaders were going for it again. However the following lap saw the premature end of the race as someone else put it in the kitty-litter (on the 9th lap out of 12).

I was a bit disappointed to have had a shortened race with actually only four laps of racing in it. However I thought I acquitted myself well. At least the race had a lot of different situations in it, which is good for the experience levels. Roll on Donington. We have decided to try and get some practice in there before the race in June, so hopefully we can be just a bit further up that learning curve before the race begins.

“Montoya-esque weekend” – Dave referring to Adam’s lack of track time. Adam was quite pleased with this comparison!
“Paddock Hill is the most awesome corner in British racing…” Dennis ponders the description before practice.
“Chaos reigned … amid general disregard for black and yellow caution flags…” – Motorsport News 28/3/2001 commenting on Adam’s race.

March 25, 2001
ARDS test passed

The ARDS test
The ARDS test is required to obtained a National B race licence for competing in car racing. After passing the medical, which I achieved a fortnight before I could take the test. The test comprises of a multiple choice theory paper and a practical. The theory is fairly easy and makes sure that you know all the flags and understand the importance of safety in motor racing.

The practical was a very rewarding part of the day. First of all the instructor takes you around the circuit and teaches you the lines and techniques. Then when it is your go the instructor is with you in the car and offers advice on how to do things correctly. When you do get it right it feels right. I found that I actually learnt alot during this test of my skills and the course drew attention to the important aspects of race driving.

Testing the car
The car, “straight out of the box”, ran well – completing over 80 laps – eat your heart out McLaren. Great day, all the track time you wanted, first class organisation – thanks to Terry Dye and the JEC

February 13, 2001
Ashmore Racing’s first race car

This was the original advert that was placed in Autotrader. It was accompanied with the following description:

JAGUAR XJS 3.6 MANUAL, 1987, metallic blue, good condition but minor parts missings, runs, drive away.

November 11, 2000