Motors and Me

Wow, what a day. What a day! The trackday at Rockingham this last weekend was really something special. I think I’m hooked. So, where to start? I guess the thing that made the biggest difference from last year’s disappointment at Croft was my brakes. Last time, the car had only standard BMW equipment and the brakes went squashy after just a few laps. This time out, I’d upgraded to Mintex pads at the front, braided lines on all 4 corners, higher spec brake fluid and some prototype cooling ducts from Robertshaw Racing. Needless to say, it did the trick. There was only one point in the final session when I felt them fade a bit. That was quickly fixed by slowing down for a few corners and then I was free to hammer it again. Impressive stuff for a total outlay of around £150. Another thing that never fails to please is when you get good feedback from those you’re with. Three things stick out in my mind: Grant’s cry of “SHIIIIT!!!” as we braked late into Rockingham’s chicane for the

This weekend sees a chance to get a bit of practice in for the scholarship, as I take the Mini out onto Rockingham Speedway. Custom-made brake cooling ducts were fitted to the front of the car today (courtesy of Robertshaw Racing ) and the brakes were pressure-bled to get every last bit of air out of the system. Hopefully, this plus the new pads and braided lines will help keep the brake fluid from boiling, but I’ll need some self-discipline too. Croft, last September, saw frustration get the better of me when things weren’t running too smoothly. This time, I’ll have Grant along to help keep the blood pressure under control. I hope he knows what he’s letting himself in for, mind... :)

After nearly a year with my Mini, I finally got a drive in a Cooper S with 16" wheels last Friday. I’m now pretty sure that my 17" S Spokes were the wrong choice. Bummer, huh? Before going for the spin (thanks to Gary of Robertshaw Racing , btw), I was only expecting to be blown away by the car’s 200bhp John Cooper Works conversion. I’d completely forgotten about it having smaller rims than my own car. Admittedly, the extra power was pretty bloody impressive too, but it was the feel through the steering wheel that left the bigger impression. The car felt massively more nimble — exactly as you’d expect a Mini to feel, given its many glowing reviews. By comparison, you have to fight against the steering on 17" rims, but there was no such resistance on 16s. In fact, the response was such a revelation that memories of driving the Puma came flooding back and I had to fight off a silly grin. So then, what now? It rather looks like it’s time to budget for a full set of whee

A few years back, when I still went to the gym, I was having trouble staying motivated. Jenson Button was in the news and F1 on ITV had featurettes on how he was working to step up his fitness to the levels required for the sport. Using that as my inspiration, I pushed myself harder and managed to stay reasonably fit for a while. Certainly fit enough for the karting I was doing at the time. These days, I’ve got different motorsport-related motivation, but this time I’m starting from a base level of absolute unfitness. Last night, I went out for a jog (yes, in public), possibly for the first time in my life. It’s a good job it was dark — my lungs gave up after less than a mile and I had to stop. Scary! When I got home after a further mile and a bit, my legs nearly gave way when I stopped. I’ve never been particularly fit, but it’s alarming what the last 2 or 3 years of inactivity have done to me. Let’s just hope things improve over the next couple of weeks.

Not too surprisingly, Tim Sugden Racing would like me to make a further charitable donation to their next season’s activities. Yes, I got confirmation today that I’m through to Round 3 of the Michelin Renault Scholarship — you know, the one with the fitness test. The dates I’ve been offered are the 4th and 5th of February, so I’ve got... *checks calendar*... 24 or 25 days to get from dead-on-my-feet to Olympic-athlete. Bugger. Better get running.

Just got back from my second round in the Michelin Renault Scholarship . Much to my surprise, I think I’ve got a better than 50/50 chance of progressing to the third round. I hope that’s not tempting fate, mind. As with the first round , the morning was split into 4 sessions. The first session was refamiliarisation with the car and the circuit. It was a case of repeating 2 fast laps, followed by a slow lap of feedback from the instructor (Mike Reed, this time). At the end of this session, I was ready to admit defeat. I’d had little in the way of positive feedback and plenty negative. My main problem, it seemed, was my lack of consistency. And poor lines. And poor braking. And... well, I felt I’d thrown it away already. The second session was more of the same and was, thankfully, better. I even found myself catching another contestant, dropping back to get more room and then catching him again. Even so, I felt I’d improved by only about a quarter of what I needed to do. Imagine my s