Write up- Round 7 Blyton Park Eastern

[Lauren 2259]

Blyton Eastern Circuit Round 7 29th September 2019

 

Round 7 and much discussion was had about the weather forecast. The excitement for me became palpable in the week leading up to this sprint as it was looking like it would be chucking it down all weekend. Whilst I prefer sunshine when I’m not racing, I love it to be wet when I do. The problem with sprinting is that it’s got to rain all day to make it count. One dry run and your wet runs become worthless. It is only around once every five years that we end up with a fully wet day it seems.

 

But what is all the fuss about, you may ask? Put simply it give me an opportunity to punch well above my class and give the far more powerful cars a run for their money. Having 500-900bhp, is all very well and good, but when the track is wet, you can’t get all that power down and so it become a great leveller, being more about how fast you can get round a corner rather than blasting away on the straights. Sticky semi-slick tyres are of course useless on a wet track if there’s a puddle in sight, so it becomes a bit of a skill test and, oh how I love beating cars that are ten seconds ahead of me in the dry.

 

The morning started with our new 2019 Champion Roger, coming over to me in the cafe with mutterings of how how much he hates the wet despite having 4WD and asking me not to beat him. This only made me more determined. Thanks, Roger! By the time we got to do our sighting laps i was worried at the amount of standing water in key places through corners, on the exits, but not that much on the straights. The thing is, you can drive round big puddles on the straights, but it’s a lot more difficult when you have no option but to hit a bit puddle mid corner. The problem is if your tyres can’t clear the water it ends up lifting the wheel off the tarmac which means aquaplaning. This means that the car will not respond and is a horrible feeling if it happens at 80mph.

 

Those that know me will know I like to set a fast first run and get one in the bag. Sprinting has taught me that it’s a waste of time building up your speed, far better to go Banzai straight off the line put in a flier, then spend the rest of the day honing that from what you learnt from the first run. This approach, always then involves over driving the car and pushing it a little bit over the limit. Off I go then. The first corner, Chapmans is a hairpin. I can get up to about 80mph or so in my car before braking, but that’s in the dry. Remember the track was wet, so I drew a deep breath when I hit the brakes. When I say hit, I mean ease them on firmly, hoping my car would slow enough and try hard to get the weight over the front wheels enough so that it would bite as I turn into the corner. For a moment I thought I was going straight onto Birmingham feeling the understeer come, but just as I thought was off, the car found some initial bite. So far so good, this could be my flier I thought. Just the exit to manage now and I knew I’d purposefully got a little early on the throttle. I can neutralise oversteer, that’s easy, just turn into it, but the car was understeering, oh dear this feels awful. There’s nothing you can but back off which is like committing a cardinal sin for a racer! A momentary lift, brought it back in line, but all I’m thinking is that’s half a second gone there.

 

Through the next section towards the interestingly named K7 chicane, I could see a huge puddle right on the exit. Trouble is you want to steer as little and I had to go through this massive puddle, well into third gear somewhere around 70mph. The car hates this and as I hit it I could feel the car being pulled left, then right. It’s always at that point you don’t feel in control. It does of course slow you down and then it’s straight into Curve Grande, a 180 degree long right hander this is best described as absolutely horrible! It would be less horrible if it didn’t have a hairpin going the other way at the end. This makes it incredibly hard as ploughing through a load of standing water whilst turning right then having to brake which you struggle to do in a straight line, change down to second then turn sharp left! Tricky! Then it’s a fast run up to around 100mph before braking for the tricky Bishops corner.

 

So far so good, as I change down to third, whilst braking, I feel the front end squirm, but it’s holding it’s line. There is painted concrete on the exit here which you always use, but this time it’s underwater. Oh dear, hitting the water in the middle of a slide around 70mph, can only mean one thing it seems. Yes, I’m aquaplaning. Now I pride myself on hardly ever spinning, but this took the car so quick no amount of opposite lock was going to help here. Now I’m going backwards toward the infield, foot through the floor on the brakes as the car pirouettes across the dirty concrete, mud flying everywhere. I notice the car is going to go round so lift off the brakes to help it, clutch is down, second selected and I’m pointing the right way. Shaken, though not stirred I hoof it off again to Bunga, Bunga. Blimey, not much grip on the turn in there, initial understeer is followed by oversteer as I curse myself for running onto the yellow painted concrete on the exit, causing the rear of the car to slither wide once more, costing me valuable exit speed. Now it’s the run down to Porte Vite, a right hander with a slight left kink after onto the finish line. Trouble is the turning point is underwater, which makes me run a bit wide, but makes it a tighter line. The car is sliding again, I have to back out of it. Over the line and a time that turns out to be a 1.26 which madly still has me in 8th place overall!

 

I get back to the Paddock to find that my main rivals, Graeme and Rob spun at exactly the same place and it now seems to be a thing. That submerged painted concrete is  deadly!

 

As ever on a day like this a lot of time is spent pondering the weather. My best guess was the second run would improve but there’d still be standing water, but if the rain held off till lunchtime the third run would be merely wet, with no paddles required. This was it seemed going to be my best chance. I’m dying to get out again as I know my first time isn’t representative, so I want to get myself up there as soon as I can. On the second run, it goes better, I take a more progressive attitude with the throttle to quell oversteer on the exit of the first two tight corners. This pays off so I see there is now no standing water on the exit of the K7 chicane and opt to try it flat in third. This starts off well, but my drive out of the previous corner was so good, as I try to guide the car left on the exit I can feel the rear of the car starting to want to overtake the front. My brain says don’t lift, but I’m not going to make it without going off track so I have to. Then it’s a lift into Curve Grande which sees the weight balance shift quite heavily from left to right and this really unsettles the car, leaving me trying to sort it out all the way through till the hairpin at the Wiggler. Not too bad, I manage it just, then it’s time for Bishops again. I say to myself (and the car) that I’m going to have to use that submerged yellow concrete on the exit. Again, great speed in, car is balanced, I’m careful on the exit to keep things tidy and initially it feels good, then bam, as soon as I hit the water I’ve got an armful of opposite lock on, I’m a bit more prepared this time, but it still feels like a shock as it happens. I hold it, frustrated at the speed I’m losing going sideways. Still, at least I’m not going backwards. Bunga, Bunga is tricky, not much grip on turn in, then grip, no grip in the middle and a tricky exit, but better than last time. I crack Port Vide, not so bad, less standing water a straighter line so I can take it flat in fourth. 1:20.95. Much better, this puts me first overall in the Toyota Sprint Series and shoots me up the leaderboard.

 

Graeme is a great driver when he gets it all together but that’s the trouble with sprinting, you cannot make mistakes and get away with it. Another off for him means he’s two seconds off my pace, but Rob is closer and more consistent, being less than three tenths of a second off my time.

 

The third run looms and this is the one, the track is not close to being dry, but the standing water has gone apart from at the deadly Bishops exit.  At best it’s merely damp in places. Someone else takes the timing gear out which gives those in the line up ahead of me a re-run. It’s always an advantage to have a re-run as your tyres are warm and you’ve had a recce. Old friend and sprint veteran, Phil made the most out of this in his MK1 MR2 turbo and put in stocking time of 1:18.72. That was going to be hard to beat. I went out for my third run and kept it very tidy, this time keeping the back end in check, no crazy oversteer and cut my line a bit tighter to avoid running on the slippery yellow concrete. 1:20.31. Better, though Rob went quicker too with a 1:20.71, but Graeme pulled a great lap out of the bag and didn’t fall off to set a 1:20.48. Good, I’m still in the lead, but the top three in my class is separated by 4/10ths of a second! That is close!

 

Lunchtime comes and a downpour with it. Whilst it clears up, rain never feels far away. I go out after lunch for run four just to check it’s no quicker. I end up with a Civic Type-R ahead who runs out of talent at the first corner and goes straight on, so I catch him half way round ruining my run. I get a re-run but I’m two seconds slower as is everyone else. Then it really rains. It becomes obvious that it’s set in for the day and Rob and Graeme decide to out because it’s fun. I take the approach that driving fast through standing water is not fun and I’m gaining nothing by doing so, so sit it out in the cafe. They’re nearly ten seconds off the pace now. The last run is abandoned as the standing water is making it too dangerous.

 

With that it was all over. My best result ever, 2nd overall. I was slightly disappointed that Phil got ahead and I couldn’t get first overall, but I was relying on the weather to help me slow the faster cars down! I’ve had a number of 4th overall finishes but never on the podium. Graeme got third overall which is mega and also a fantastic result for Rob with 4th. It was just so close and that’s what its about, there was nothing easy about it and all day we’re hanging on every hundredth of a second as it really counts. I only beat Graeme by 17/100ths of a second. That is not a lot! Rob was only 4/10ths of a second off, it’s a blink of an eye when you think about it. For me I just wanted to really enjoy driving in the wet. It’s a test of skill and also highlights just how good the chassis is and highlights that with a bit of guile and commitment you can beat cars with three times the power. Okay they can’t get that power down, but that says a lot in itself and okay the high power cars were on wet tyres but they build their cars for the dry as 99% of the time you’ll get a dry run at some point in the day. But no matter, it was a fabulous 7th round giving me six wins out of 7 with one more round to go and with my worst two dropped I’m going to be a Triple Champion for my class and have a few extras in the bag such as fastest car on road tyres overall, fastest naturally aspirated and a class champion for the Japanese Sprint Series. This will also gain me my highest ever overall finish of 4th overall for the Toyotas. The difference for me this year is I’ve wanted it more, my focus has been there. When I’ve needed it, I’ve had to feel the force and dig deep as that is what it takes. It’s when you’re at that point that don’t think you can go any faster, but you have to find a way and just push yourself beyond what you think is possible. That’s when the magic happens, total focus, belief in yourself, being as one with your car is what it takes to be a champion. A huge thanks to Team RRG Macclesfield for their unwavering support and encouragement and of course the beers in the bar the day before.

 

 

 

[BRZ-123 174]

Blyton Eastern Circuit Round 7 29th September 2019

 

Round 7 and much discussion was had about the weather forecast. The excitement for me became palpable in the week leading up to this sprint as it was looking like it would be chucking it down all weekend. Whilst I prefer sunshine when I’m not racing, I love it to be wet when I do. The problem with sprinting is that it’s got to rain all day to make it count. One dry run and your wet runs become worthless. It is only around once every five years that we end up with a fully wet day it seems.

 

But what is all the fuss about, you may ask? Put simply it give me an opportunity to punch well above my class and give the far more powerful cars a run for their money. Having 500-900bhp, is all very well and good, but when the track is wet, you can’t get all that power down and so it become a great leveller, being more about how fast you can get round a corner rather than blasting away on the straights. Sticky semi-slick tyres are of course useless on a wet track if there’s a puddle in sight, so it becomes a bit of a skill test and, oh how I love beating cars that are ten seconds ahead of me in the dry.

 

The morning started with our new 2019 Champion Roger, coming over to me in the cafe with mutterings of how how much he hates the wet despite having 4WD and asking me not to beat him. This only made me more determined. Thanks, Roger! By the time we got to do our sighting laps i was worried at the amount of standing water in key places through corners, on the exits, but not that much on the straights. The thing is, you can drive round big puddles on the straights, but it’s a lot more difficult when you have no option but to hit a bit puddle mid corner. The problem is if your tyres can’t clear the water it ends up lifting the wheel off the tarmac which means aquaplaning. This means that the car will not respond and is a horrible feeling if it happens at 80mph.

 

Those that know me will know I like to set a fast first run and get one in the bag. Sprinting has taught me that it’s a waste of time building up your speed, far better to go Banzai straight off the line put in a flier, then spend the rest of the day honing that from what you learnt from the first run. This approach, always then involves over driving the car and pushing it a little bit over the limit. Off I go then. The first corner, Chapmans is a hairpin. I can get up to about 80mph or so in my car before braking, but that’s in the dry. Remember the track was wet, so I drew a deep breath when I hit the brakes. When I say hit, I mean ease them on firmly, hoping my car would slow enough and try hard to get the weight over the front wheels enough so that it would bite as I turn into the corner. For a moment I thought I was going straight onto Birmingham feeling the understeer come, but just as I thought was off, the car found some initial bite. So far so good, this could be my flier I thought. Just the exit to manage now and I knew I’d purposefully got a little early on the throttle. I can neutralise oversteer, that’s easy, just turn into it, but the car was understeering, oh dear this feels awful. There’s nothing you can but back off which is like committing a cardinal sin for a racer! A momentary lift, brought it back in line, but all I’m thinking is that’s half a second gone there.

 

Through the next section towards the interestingly named K7 chicane, I could see a huge puddle right on the exit. Trouble is you want to steer as little and I had to go through this massive puddle, well into third gear somewhere around 70mph. The car hates this and as I hit it I could feel the car being pulled left, then right. It’s always at that point you don’t feel in control. It does of course slow you down and then it’s straight into Curve Grande, a 180 degree long right hander this is best described as absolutely horrible! It would be less horrible if it didn’t have a hairpin going the other way at the end. This makes it incredibly hard as ploughing through a load of standing water whilst turning right then having to brake which you struggle to do in a straight line, change down to second then turn sharp left! Tricky! Then it’s a fast run up to around 100mph before braking for the tricky Bishops corner.

 

So far so good, as I change down to third, whilst braking, I feel the front end squirm, but it’s holding it’s line. There is painted concrete on the exit here which you always use, but this time it’s underwater. Oh dear, hitting the water in the middle of a slide around 70mph, can only mean one thing it seems. Yes, I’m aquaplaning. Now I pride myself on hardly ever spinning, but this took the car so quick no amount of opposite lock was going to help here. Now I’m going backwards toward the infield, foot through the floor on the brakes as the car pirouettes across the dirty concrete, mud flying everywhere. I notice the car is going to go round so lift off the brakes to help it, clutch is down, second selected and I’m pointing the right way. Shaken, though not stirred I hoof it off again to Bunga, Bunga. Blimey, not much grip on the turn in there, initial understeer is followed by oversteer as I curse myself for running onto the yellow painted concrete on the exit, causing the rear of the car to slither wide once more, costing me valuable exit speed. Now it’s the run down to Porte Vite, a right hander with a slight left kink after onto the finish line. Trouble is the turning point is underwater, which makes me run a bit wide, but makes it a tighter line. The car is sliding again, I have to back out of it. Over the line and a time that turns out to be a 1.26 which madly still has me in 8th place overall!

 

I get back to the Paddock to find that my main rivals, Graeme and Rob spun at exactly the same place and it now seems to be a thing. That submerged painted concrete is  deadly!

 

As ever on a day like this a lot of time is spent pondering the weather. My best guess was the second run would improve but there’d still be standing water, but if the rain held off till lunchtime the third run would be merely wet, with no paddles required. This was it seemed going to be my best chance. I’m dying to get out again as I know my first time isn’t representative, so I want to get myself up there as soon as I can. On the second run, it goes better, I take a more progressive attitude with the throttle to quell oversteer on the exit of the first two tight corners. This pays off so I see there is now no standing water on the exit of the K7 chicane and opt to try it flat in third. This starts off well, but my drive out of the previous corner was so good, as I try to guide the car left on the exit I can feel the rear of the car starting to want to overtake the front. My brain says don’t lift, but I’m not going to make it without going off track so I have to. Then it’s a lift into Curve Grande which sees the weight balance shift quite heavily from left to right and this really unsettles the car, leaving me trying to sort it out all the way through till the hairpin at the Wiggler. Not too bad, I manage it just, then it’s time for Bishops again. I say to myself (and the car) that I’m going to have to use that submerged yellow concrete on the exit. Again, great speed in, car is balanced, I’m careful on the exit to keep things tidy and initially it feels good, then bam, as soon as I hit the water I’ve got an armful of opposite lock on, I’m a bit more prepared this time, but it still feels like a shock as it happens. I hold it, frustrated at the speed I’m losing going sideways. Still, at least I’m not going backwards. Bunga, Bunga is tricky, not much grip on turn in, then grip, no grip in the middle and a tricky exit, but better than last time. I crack Port Vide, not so bad, less standing water a straighter line so I can take it flat in fourth. 1:20.95. Much better, this puts me first overall in the Toyota Sprint Series and shoots me up the leaderboard.

 

Graeme is a great driver when he gets it all together but that’s the trouble with sprinting, you cannot make mistakes and get away with it. Another off for him means he’s two seconds off my pace, but Rob is closer and more consistent, being less than three tenths of a second off my time.

 

The third run looms and this is the one, the track is not close to being dry, but the standing water has gone apart from at the deadly Bishops exit.  At best it’s merely damp in places. Someone else takes the timing gear out which gives those in the line up ahead of me a re-run. It’s always an advantage to have a re-run as your tyres are warm and you’ve had a recce. Old friend and sprint veteran, Phil made the most out of this in his MK1 MR2 turbo and put in stocking time of 1:18.72. That was going to be hard to beat. I went out for my third run and kept it very tidy, this time keeping the back end in check, no crazy oversteer and cut my line a bit tighter to avoid running on the slippery yellow concrete. 1:20.31. Better, though Rob went quicker too with a 1:20.71, but Graeme pulled a great lap out of the bag and didn’t fall off to set a 1:20.48. Good, I’m still in the lead, but the top three in my class is separated by 4/10ths of a second! That is close!

 

Lunchtime comes and a downpour with it. Whilst it clears up, rain never feels far away. I go out after lunch for run four just to check it’s no quicker. I end up with a Civic Type-R ahead who runs out of talent at the first corner and goes straight on, so I catch him half way round ruining my run. I get a re-run but I’m two seconds slower as is everyone else. Then it really rains. It becomes obvious that it’s set in for the day and Rob and Graeme decide to out because it’s fun. I take the approach that driving fast through standing water is not fun and I’m gaining nothing by doing so, so sit it out in the cafe. They’re nearly ten seconds off the pace now. The last run is abandoned as the standing water is making it too dangerous.

 

With that it was all over. My best result ever, 2nd overall. I was slightly disappointed that Phil got ahead and I couldn’t get first overall, but I was relying on the weather to help me slow the faster cars down! I’ve had a number of 4th overall finishes but never on the podium. Graeme got third overall which is mega and also a fantastic result for Rob with 4th. It was just so close and that’s what its about, there was nothing easy about it and all day we’re hanging on every hundredth of a second as it really counts. I only beat Graeme by 17/100ths of a second. That is not a lot! Rob was only 4/10ths of a second off, it’s a blink of an eye when you think about it. For me I just wanted to really enjoy driving in the wet. It’s a test of skill and also highlights just how good the chassis is and highlights that with a bit of guile and commitment you can beat cars with three times the power. Okay they can’t get that power down, but that says a lot in itself and okay the high power cars were on wet tyres but they build their cars for the dry as 99% of the time you’ll get a dry run at some point in the day. But no matter, it was a fabulous 7th round giving me six wins out of 7 with one more round to go and with my worst two dropped I’m going to be a Triple Champion for my class and have a few extras in the bag such as fastest car on road tyres overall, fastest naturally aspirated and a class champion for the Japanese Sprint Series. This will also gain me my highest ever overall finish of 4th overall for the Toyotas. The difference for me this year is I’ve wanted it more, my focus has been there. When I’ve needed it, I’ve had to feel the force and dig deep as that is what it takes. It’s when you’re at that point that don’t think you can go any faster, but you have to find a way and just push yourself beyond what you think is possible. That’s when the magic happens, total focus, belief in yourself, being as one with your car is what it takes to be a champion. A huge thanks to Team RRG Macclesfield for their unwavering support and encouragement and of course the beers in the bar the day before.

 

 

 

Nice one Lauren. Well written again and as the saying goes Success breeds more Success! Wish you many more to come.

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