AC Mazda MX5@Brands Hatch, Wednesday 6th April 2022

stigs2cousin · Apr 2, 2022

HF2000 said:
Really? Is this fast?
View attachment 555016
Actually I did a few laps when there were others practicing but I was far off their pace.

No way, the only fun that I will have in this event, is to scare the pants off you! And Allan!

No, but this is:

( Please don´t ban me, YOU started it

)

MFG Carsten

HF2000 · Apr 3, 2022

stigs2cousin said:
No, but this is:

View attachment 555022

( Please don´t ban me, YOU started it )

MFG Carsten

Chris pushed me on the straight in that lap

EDIT: really he did! After he knew he couldn't get Erik anymore, he decided to have some other fun

.

Douglas Aird · Apr 3, 2022

Shed 17 said:
BTCC -Behind the scenes part 2- Brands Hatch.

As we are racing at the Brands Hatch circuit this week I thought I would share some more memories with you of my time there in the BTCC.

At most circuits, we had to have the race transporter at the track at a specified time on the Friday in readiness for the Saturday practice and qualifying. But at Brands Hatch, due to qualifying for some of the other classes being held on Friday and because the tunnel underneath Paddock Hill bend was not big enough for the size of modern trucks, we had to be there on the Thursday afternoon to drive over the track. Once you were in, you stayed in, no rage quitting here!

The final instructions to teams were emailed to me and we were given a specific time to have the truck in the holding area, in this case 15.00 on the Thursday. If you missed that time there was a fine of £1500 for every hour you were late!!
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Then all the trucks were brought in over the track at Paddock Hill Bend and all positioned in order behind the garages. The TOCA paddock official would line up the trucks and had a tape measure to ensure they were all equidistant apart and in a dead straight line.

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The trucks then had to be washed to keep up a smart appearance for the TV and public. Then it took several hours setting up the garage with flooring, wallboards, putting up the name board above the garage door, getting the fuel and tyres organised as well as setting up the TOCA cameras in the car and doing radio checks etc.

We only had a small truck and everything was in there, car, spares,wheels, garage flooring and wallboards, tools and sleeping accommodation when we ran out of money for hotels!! For perspective,the factory Vauxhall Vx Racing team’s hospitality generator truck alone was bigger than our truck! They had four x 40ft trucks for the cars, spares and accommodation plus a hospitality unit for the VIP’s and sponsors. They had a reported budget of £12m to run their two cars for the season. Ours was a lot, lot less and didn't even make six figures!
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On our tight budget,the slick tyres could be rejuvenated with a good scraping from a hot air gun and a willing team member. That’s my eldest son who was the tyre tech and he also doubled up as the fireman when the car was in the pit lane. Every tyre had a barcode assigned to each car and the Dunlop technicians would check the codes and pressures after every session. They would help with advice on how the tyres were working and what adjustments could be made to improve balance.

On the Saturday evening at 17.00, I had to attend the drivers briefing with Rick, our driver and team owner. You had to sign in to the TOCA caravan and if you were late, you guessed it, another fine. Sitting alongside the likes of BTCC legends like Jason Plato, Matt Neil, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Gordan Shedden and Alain Menu was a truly surreal experience. The race director and TOCA officials would tell the teams what was expected and the drivers would also be briefed on behavior. Jason and Matt came under a lot of scrutiny as their battles were box office for TOCA but they were told in no uncertain terms to behave on more than one occasion!

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Another late night, it's after 10pm and still working on the car trying to improve speed. At least the garages at Brands were bigger than Thruxton!

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The garage doors open on race day. Seeing the grandstands full of fans was awesome and scary at the same time. The guy fifth from the left was the TOCA chief scrutineer checking if all was well and that the camera’s were working. Fourth from the left was Neil, our crew chief. Neil now works for a top GT3 team running Lamborghini's and has done many British GT3 championships as well as doing the 24hr Le Mans.

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How the car looked on the warm up before race one.

It's August in the UK and yes, it rained for the first race and then this happened.................

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How the car looked when it was delivered back to our garage! For such a small team with virtually no money for spares it looked all over. But with three races that day we begged, stole and borrowed parts from other teams and somehow beat the car back into a shape that the scrutineers miraculously passed fit for the final race. The marshals even brought some parts back from the scene of the incident for us to examine and use if possible. You'd be amazed at what can be done with duct tape and a large hammer!
This championship was all about putting on a show and TOCA were desperate to have as many cars on the grid for last race as the races were going out on live TV and with expensive satellite links to meet we were under pressure to make it for the 17.00 last race start time.

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It was wet, cold and miserable but the guys really pulled together and got the car to the grid just in time. The car completed the final race, many didn't, and we were given a special award and a couple of independent team points for our efforts.

Then it was case of breaking down the garage, packing everything away and heading home.

It was a long weekend, from leaving home on Thursday and getting home in the early hours of Monday morning. Motor racing can seem to be very glamorous at the very highest level, but I can tell you it was extremely hard work and very tiring at the lower end!

But there were some highs, getting the BTCC's first ever Diesel bio fuel car to the grid, an 11th place at Rockingham, a 12th at Oulton Park and when we could afford a bit of publicity, the expensive pro model grid girl.

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Was it worth it? I'll leave that one for you guys to decide!!

Great insight, Paul. Keep them coming.

@HF2000 Maybe a BTCC style mini series with UK tracks and the TCR cars would be interesting...

Douglas Aird · Apr 3, 2022

stigs2cousin said:
I hear you and appreciate your speech about consistency and speed will come,, BUT:

youre typing to a bunch of men of a certain age who with all their experiences

NEVER STOP COMPARING

About the T shirts:

Do they come in double elefant large ??

Sooo, spend two hours of swears, tears and.... to find about 2/10.
I think I´ve hinted that " The Track That Should Not Be Named" does not hole heartedly agree with me.

Ohh, and by the way Han, the Internet remembers you driving this track about a year ago and you were faster than anything I´ve seen up to now. So get out of your ~~compensator~~ AUDI and join the Boys for a little scrap

And now I´ll find myself a sympathetic nurse to patch up all my track cuts

MFG Carsten

I found 2/10, too, so I am still 3/10 behind you in the Mazda. Given your recent form, that's not too bad of I decide to race the Mazda.

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

HF2000 said:
Chris pushed me on the straight in that lap

Oh Han, you are full of .......excuses

MFG Carsten

HF2000 · Apr 3, 2022

stigs2cousin said:
Oh Han, you are full of .......excuses

MFG Carsten

Carsten, you're right. I admit

: driving the Audi on BrandsHatch is my most favorite event.

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

I'd like this ideal very much, but:

how about using the classic cars from the golden era like Volvo, Nissan and B M W

I'm pretty Sure that our bunch here can manage the push/pull "driving style" of the era

.

MFG Carsten

HF2000 · Apr 3, 2022

Douglas Aird said:
Maybe a BTCC style mini series with UK tracks and the TCR cars would be interesting...

Hi Douglas,

Yes I have the TCR cars in mind for something like that but at the moment all cars have the same fysics so only the external differs. At the announcement of the virtual TCR championship they told us that there will be an update in which each car will have their own fysics. That's more to my liking so I'm waiting for that.

HF2000 · Apr 3, 2022

stigs2cousin said:
I'd like this ideal very much, but:

how about using the classic cars from the golden era like Olvo, Nissan and B M W

I'm pretty Sure that our bunch here can manage the push/pull "driving style" of the era .

MFG Carsten

That is indeed on my list for Tuesday events. But someone mentioned that the Volvo needs BOP then. Didn't test it yet so if you have time, please let me know if the Volvo is fairly equal to the other two.

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

HF2000 said:
Carsten, you're right. I admit: driving the Audi on BrandsHatch is my most favorite event.

So let's put a nail through this discussion, you do you

See you on track (at least for a little while

)

MFG Carsten

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

HF2000 said:
That is indeed on my list for Tuesday events. But someone mentioned that the Volvo needs BOP then. Didn't test it yet so if you have time, please let me know if the Volvo is fairly equal to the other two.

Assignment understood

Could take a little while, work is finally ramping up again (at least let's hope so)

MFG Carsten

Shed 17 · Apr 3, 2022

HF2000 said:
That is indeed on my list for Tuesday events. But someone mentioned that the Volvo needs BOP then. Didn't test it yet so if you have time, please let me know if the Volvo is fairly equal to the other two.

Brian may be able to throw some light on this as we raced the Volvo at Bathurst last year and I did suggest then that adding the BMW and Nissan might be fun.

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

Took a little sprint before I go off to work ( you may guess which car

) and have to admit:

these things are intense.

At least the Beemer needs strong hands and gentle feet.Exactly my kind of ~~bast~~.... car.

MFG Carsten

stigs2cousin · Apr 3, 2022

Last minute information:

I don´t have to stress that I´m biased to the Beemer,

the Volvo is easy to drive quickly ( a well behaved daughter from a good home)

and the Primera Ballerina is a dirty bitch ( the street kid that is always ready to kick your nuts and be of with your wallet)

These are first impressions, I have driven every car only about 15min on Brands Hatch with the track conditions as in Multiclass (96% starting grip, NO tyre blankets)
That makes especially the Primera very finicky in the first five minutes, the rear axle of this thing is really not up to snuff. Even with warm tyres you have to drive every corner with maintenance throttle, try trailbraking and she will kick you....)

( Now I´m really off...)

MFG Carsten

Douglas Aird · Apr 3, 2022

HF2000 said:
Hi Douglas,

Yes I have the TCR cars in mind for something like that but at the moment all cars have the same fysics so only the external differs. At the announcement of the virtual TCR championship they told us that there will be an update in which each car will have their own fysics. That's more to my liking so I'm waiting for that.

Cool, I thought that the physics may have already been updated by now. I'm happy to wait if they haven't.

I have switched to the Mazda for Wednesday as I like it better on this track, however, I noticed that leaves only 3 Audis at the moment so I can switch back, if you would like me to.