Easter Weekend at Oulton Park: Saturday

I have been waiting all winter for the chance to go and see some live action, and this weekend it finally came around as we headed off to Oulton Park for the British F3/British GT openers at my favourite non-F1 circuit. I bought my tickets on the day they went on sale, although due to there being no Sunday action at this meeting, we decided not to camp, but to travel first thing on both the qualifying day (Sat) and the race day (Mon). Christian was almost as excited as I was, and we had no trouble being up at 6.15, so we would have enough time to cram in a McDonalds breakfast and still get there for the first action at 9. Armed with the obligatory camera, autograph book and programme, we started the usual routine of finding a good place to watch then moving after one session either to the paddock, a food stand or the greener grass of a different spectator area. By lunch time on Saturday we had visited every corner of the circuit watching the practice and qualifying activity and decided to go and have a look around the paddock. Christian did his standing on the podium bit and we walked down the back of the pit garages, which for some reason contained the GT cars this year as opposed to the F3 teams which occupied them at last year’s event. There was an unexpected treat there in the form of a road going Pagani Zonda parked at the back of one of the garages. Next stop would be lunch from a burger van, I decided that I would push the boat out and had an £8 burger meal (not a misprint), and as I was putting my ketchup and mustard on it, I accidentally knocked a jug of milk all over some poor chaps food, leading to great embarrassment, I offered to replace the soggy hotdog, but the man insisted that it would be fine as it was. If you are reading and recognise yourself as this person, which is unlikely seeing as my current readership would struggle to form a five-a-side team, I am deeply and truly sorry, not only for the condition which my actions left your lunch, but also for the unpleasant smell which must have followed you around all day from your milk covered jeans, which you had failed to notice as I left the scene, beetroot faced.
Lunch eaten we returned to the circuit and watched the Ginetta G20 race, which this term benefits from a smattering of the new, more aesthetically pleasing G40, which due to its increased weight, and the lack of experience its new owners have of it, struggled for pace against the outgoing G20. We stayed at Old Hall corner for the second race of the day, the inaugural round of the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB, which we had been looking forward to ever since the announcement that the first round would take place on this weekend. It turned into a great race, even though we were deprived of seeing Ben Winrow challenge for honours due to an early retirement. Won by Gareth Howell from the super quick Benny Simonsen, brother of British GT ace Allan, who was contesting his first ever car race, and Charlie Butler-Henderson, brother of Fifth Gear presenter Vicky (which made me think maybe we could have a ‘Brother of a Celebrity’ championship, although this reality TV concept is probably already on the drawing board at Channel 5). Whilst watching the 500’s, it was great to see F3 driver’s Alex Brundle and James Cole mingling with the crowd at Old Hall so close to their championship debut’s, they had come down to watch the action and Christian lost no time in doorstepping his first pedallers of the weekend for autographs (more info in ‘Christian’s autograph book: Part 2’ later). Chapter 1 of the Jean-Eric Vergne show followed, which we were fortunate enough to be watching next to the parents of Welsh F3 star Hywel Lloyd, who seemed to be enjoying the race until their boy was crudely taken out early on by Carlin’s James Calado, leading to some wild gesticulation by Lloyd Sr. This kind of clumsiness has become a bit of a feature in Calado’s fledgling career, as evidenced by the Oulton commentator referring to him as James Collision, and was perhaps explained in a conversation I had last season with the Dad of a fellow Formula Renault driver, who shall remain nameless, who offered the view that Calado could afford to take bigger gambles, and risk accidents, because he enjoyed sponsorship and funding that many of his contemporaries could only dream of. A good day’s spectating was rounded off by the lack of traffic on the way out of the circuit, and we left thoroughly looking forward to the main action on Easter Monday.
Part 2 will follow in the next few days
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Photos will appear soon on our Flickr page: ifitsgot4wheels.

2010 British F3: Oulton Park – Round 1

The new British Formula 3 season kicked off this weekend at Oulton Park sporting a new three race per meeting format, but it was a familiar story as the Carlin team took both pole positions, three fastest laps and all three race wins. This seasons Red Bull backed entrant, Parisian, Jean-Eric Vergne, lived up to his billing of pre season favourite on Saturday by first securing a double pole position, and then winning the first race later the same day from Fortec’s Ollie Webb and Carlin team mate Adriano Buzaid. Vergne would have surely completed a clean sweep of the weekend were it not for the revised format which now incorporates a BTCC style reversed grid for the shorter race two, whereby the race one winner draws a number from 6 to 10, on the podium, to decide which of those race one finishers will start from pole, the rest of the leading group then have their positions reversed, for the half points race.
The first such draw of the season saw Hitech’s Gabriel Dias, 2009 national class runner up, on pole (below), alongside Double R’s Daisuke Nakajima. Nakajima made the better start, and on lap 2 Dias attempted to get back through by taking the outside at a damp Old Hall, the move sending him spinning down the field and eventually into retirement. Two laps later the Japanese was passed, again at Old Hall by series debutant Rupert Svendson-Cook in another Carlin machine. The young Briton managed to fend off his more experienced competitor to take a very impressive win, followed by Colombian Carlos Huertas and the Carlin duo, Buzaid and Vergne.
The 40 minute feature race was somewhat processional, with the top 10 positions remaining largely unchanged throughout the 40 minutes, Vergne won from pole, followed closely by the impressive Formula Renault UK graduate Webb and his compatriot Svendson-Cook.
Vergne, Webb and Svendson-Cook were the obvious stand out drivers of the weekend, although there were some encouraging signs from the likes of Malaysian Jazeman Jaafar and home grown talent Will Buller and Alex Brundle, all new to the machinery. The most disappointing showing was comfortably that of 2009 Formula BMW Europe champion Felipe Nasr of Raikkonen Robertson, whose crash on his first flying lap in qualifying left him languishing at the back of the field all weekend, and according to paddock sources, struggling to motivate himself, maybe he has been taking some lessons in that department from Kimi.
Most experts had tipped Vergne to go well this season, although few would have thought he would dominate in the fashion he did, great news to see, however, that it will be the British contingent that will now be considered his main rivals.
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Christian's autograph book: Part1

You may have already noticed what I am trying to achieve on these pages, or you may not. If you are looking for a comprehensive motorsports results service, you are probably looking in the wrong place. If you're looking for a detailed analysis of the impact Red Bull's pull rod suspension has on lateral graining on Bridgestone's Super-soft tyre, again, I will be found wanting. What the blog is about is a) trying to give a unique slant on motorsport, particularly British motorsport, and trying to promote some of the best series' that the UK has to offer, and b) for as long as I have the editorial freedom to write what I like, I will insist on boring you with some of the mundanity that comes with being a motorsport fan, and wannabe motorsport journo. This is the first such instalment.
As I travel the circuits of the UK and beyond, watching the best that the sport has to offer, I will more often than not be accompanied by my Son, hot shot photographer, Christian, 7. Accompanying him to all events will be his digital camera (I will post his photo's, along with mine, on a soon to be created I.I.G.4 W. Flickr page), and his autograph book. I will be compiling a dynamic list of the autographs that he collects, along with any observations that we have about the person in question. I will first make a list of the few that he has collected prior to this season.


Oulton Park April 13th 2009
1. Daniel Ricciardo, British F3. (Comfortably Christian's favourite non-F1 driver, made a big fuss over him, Christian calls him his 'mate')
2. Max Chilton, British F3. (Looking bleary eyed by the Carlin transporter, after jumping the start from pole before the red lights had even come on, leaving him point-less)
3. Daisuke Nakajima, British F3. (Closest he has come to meeting an F1 driver)
4. Oliver Oakes, British F3.
5. Carlos Huertas, British F3.
6. Walter Grubmuller, British F3. (Christian refers to as Walter Grumbler)

Oulton Park May 30th 2009
7. Tim Harvey, Carrera Cup GB, 1992 BTCC champion. (Brought back some memories for me, I met him at OP at about the same age. Had a good chat with him, genuinely nice chap)

I'll post about my childhood experiences travelling around Europe with my Dad, watching mostly F1 soon. If only I could find my autograph books from then. F1 was a different ball game then with reasonable access to the stars, my autograph book included, to name a few, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sir Jack Brabham, Eddie Jordan, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill, Martin Brundle, Derek Warwick, Rubens Barrichello, Riccardo Patrese, Andy Rouse I could go on all day, and I probably will one day.

Part 2 of Christian's autograph book will come early next week, after this weekend at British F3/British GT at Oulton Park.

2010 Volkswagen Racing Cup Preview

2010 Volkswagen Racing Cup

Back for its tenth season on the British motorsport calendar, the VW Cup is expecting record grids and the need for a reserve list, when the season kicks off at Oulton Park on Easter weekend. The series, which benefits from its inclusion on the (SRO) British F3/British GT package, is anticipating reaching the 34 car limit which applies to the Cheshire circuit. The 14 race series will include an international event at Zandvoort in May, and will again allow participants to experience all of the top UK race venues.
2008 and 2009 champion Joe Fulbrook is not one of those registered to compete in this year’s championship, although last year’s second and third place men, Beetle driving Steve Chaplin and Aaron Mason in a Golf, will be hoping to be front running again this term. The Cup sees a great mix of VW models from right across the range including various Golf models, Beetles, Sciroccos, Polos, a Vento and even a Caddy TDi van, as driven in last years series by Peter Wyhinny. The Caddy will this year be in the hands of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Director Simon Elliott, as Wyhinny, Managing Director of Seat UK (there is a pattern developing here, no it isn’t a corporate team building exercise, it’s serious), has a new charge, in the shape of a super quick Seat Leon Cupra, the first time a non VW badged car has entered the Championship, expect it to go well pace wise, although it will not be eligible to score points, as it is entered as a promotional exercise by the VW subsidiary.
The series is a draw for people who wish to test themselves in a competitively priced, well regarded series, and can also be used as a springboard, as reflected by last term category star Liam Griffin graduating to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with a drive at Dave Bartrum’s crack Motorbase squad. The machine that he is vacating, a fabulous looking 2 litre Scirocco R (which I witnessed him roll at Island Bend, Oulton Park last year, his second big shunt of the day), will be driven by brother Kieran this term.
Other drivers who will feature at the sharp end will be 2009 race winners Paul Taylor, Didge Dziurzynski and Mike Kurten, while James Walker, Anna Walewska, Peter Felix and Darren Blumson will be there or thereabouts at the business end of the season.
Truth is, in the absence of Fulbrook, the series is wide open. Highly respected national racing commentator and Autosport columnist Marcus Pye describes it as: ' …the best-looking and most competitive multi-model marque series on the current national calendar.' I certainly wouldn’t disagree, bring it on.

2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Preview

2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Preview

Dai McCann

Having firmly established itself as the UK’s premier one make racing series, the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain roars back into action for its eighth season at Thruxton on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of April.

At the launch event for the new season on March 17th at Silverstone, Porsche UK were delighted to be able to confirm, for the first time since the series’ inception, a capacity 28 strong entry list, and the existence of a reserve list. This should ensure that the series record grid of 27 cars, set at the 2009 season finale at Brands Hatch in October, is surpassed.

Anticipation levels this pre-season are surpassing anything seen before in the series with Bartrum saying recently that “… a year ago the Carrera Cup was buzzing and it's now off the scale, it proves that the work of Porsche Cars GB and the Carrera Cup team has really paid dividends. It's really good to see a sell-out grid in the current climate.” This sentiment is echoed by Porsche Cars GB Managing Director, Andy Goss, “This is an incredible situation, the entries for the 2010 season are impressive. The drivers and teams have worked very hard to get to this stage and we are set for the best season ever. I'm particularly pleased that the field is a great mix of established competitors and an influx of newcomers.”

The attraction of the series is there for all to see, 420bhp rear wheel drive cars, from a world leading sports car manufacturer, the opportunity for competitors of varying skill levels to compete on the TOCA bill, the country’s highest profile motorsport package, with all the exposure that comes with it. The fact that there are very few permissible modifications allowed also means that driver skill is the real limiting factor of success. The result of this is some very close racing and plenty of paint swapping in front of bumper crowds and a TV audience that runs into millions. An increased prize fund of over £160,000 spread throughout the categories, along with the use of a road going 911 for a year for the outright champion, Pro-Am 1 champion and the principal of the triumphant team, adds to the lure of the Cup.

Last year the championship came down to the final weekend, at Brands Hatch, where all three titles were still to be decided. In the main Pro category, the top three drivers were covered by just 8 points with 44 still to play for over the double header. Red Line Racing team mates Tim Harvey and James Sutton, along with Team Parker Racing’s Tim Bridgman were the main protagonists, with Motorbase Performance driver Michael Caine still in with a mathematical but unrealistic chance of taking the crown. It was Bridgman who prevailed, repeating his remarkable feat from the Brands series opener of two poles, two fastest laps and two wins.

Bridgman, who also achieved an inspired run of taking the first ten pole positions of the season, will not be defending his title this season, having secured a drive with Stuart Parker’s squad to run in the Formula 1 supporting Mobil 1 Porsche Supercup this term. Sutton will be another notable absentee this season, although series veterans 2008 champion Harvey and the popular Caine will be attempting to go the distance in 2010. Joining them in the top class will be ex-GP2 driver Stephen Jelley, who after taking wins in British F3 and more recently last season’s BTCC as team-mate to champion Colin Turkington, will provide a stern test to the established order. Last year’s Pro-Am 1 champion Glynn Geddie makes the step up to the Pro ranks, which has seen its entry swollen from last years 6 to 8 for this year, including the two Carrera Cup GB Scholarship drivers, Michael Meadows and Euan Hankey, who have each received £50,000 towards the cost of participation in this year’s championship.

Pro-Am 1 offers, less experienced, non professional drivers the opportunity to compete at the cutting edge of British motorsport, and with the champion having moved up a class for 2010, the competition for the title is likely to be just as fierce as for the senior honours. 2009 front runners, Oliver Jackson and Tony Gilham will be among the early favourites, as will Irishman Michael Leonard, who impressed in a part season last year. The category will have an international feel this year as the series welcomes Lithuanian duo Jonas Gelzinis and Tautvydas Barstys and their Juta Racing outfit, while Red Line will run ex-British Formula Renault driver Ahmad Al Harthy of Oman, in one of its six entries. The other six car squad is Dave Bartrum’s Motorbase Performance, who will run, along with Jackson, last seasons VW Cup front-runner Liam Griffin in this group.

The Pro-Am 2 category offers non-professional drivers the chance to sample the championship on a restricted budget by allowing the use of 2006 and 2007 specification cars. Champion Glenn McMenamin will be defending his title in against a ten car entry in the class, comprising both series veterans and exciting newcomers.

By the time the series reaches its finale this time round at Brands Hatch, the drivers will have taken in races at the country’s most iconic race venues, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Rockingham and, hopefully, Donington Park. Old rivalries will have re-emerged, new ones will have invariably begun, at this stage it would be a fool who attempted to predict race winners, let alone champions, the only predictable thing is that it will go down to the wire once again. Stephen Jelley commented after testing the Carrera GT3 Cup that “the cars are amazing, they make British touring cars feel like hair dryers.” Bearing that in mind, if the Cup has a year as memorable as 2009, we may need to reassess who tops the bill on the TOCA weekends.