ABW Custom Wide Arch Time Attack Legacy
23 April 2014, 06:55 PM
#35
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Yesterday was spent at Cadwell Park with Steven Darley, Simon Roe and Marc Kemp. The aim of the day was to improve the handling of the car and get to know Cadwell. In the morning I went out on track with Marc in his Clio, at this point I was totally convinced the Clio with Marc at the wheel would lap Cadwell 10s of seconds faster than I could in the Legacy. I had totally lost confidence in the car at Silverstone but I knew with the help of Simon and Steven we could get to the bottom of the cars handling behavior. Towards the end of the morning I threw the keys to Steven and after a lengthy call to his life insurance company he took to the wheel and off we went. This has been the single best thing I have done with the car to date. Several issues with the car I have been driving around since building were identified by Steven. After adjustments to the DBW throttle and the steering wheel position I made my way back onto a now dry track. It was/is a totally different car, the transformation is incredible.
Huge thanks to Steven, Simon and Marc for all their help and roll on Knockhill on May 25th in a car that's not trying to kill me.
Here is a clip with Steven in the passenger seat giving me some great tuition.
Huge thanks to Steven, Simon and Marc for all their help and roll on Knockhill on May 25th in a car that's not trying to kill me.
Here is a clip with Steven in the passenger seat giving me some great tuition.
01 May 2014, 08:50 PM
#38
some quality pics there Damien 
Update time.
On Saturday night (5/04/14) Steven of SD Motorsport and Matt R delivered the Legacy to Silverstone National circuit pits. The car was offloaded and we set about adding the remaining sponsor stickers from AS Performance, Part-box.com, Keith Michaels Car Insurance and Millers Oils Ltd. The wheels were also swapped over and we were very happy with the look of the car.
6.30am on the morning of the Time Attack Championship i received my wake up call. Steven and his team made their way to the pits to final check the cars and prepare for the day ahead.
I arrived at the pits to find the car ready and waiting and yet another fantastic part from Whiteline Flatout had been delivered. Whiteline have been a huge help this year. We aslo ended up sharing a garage with quite a special Hatch.....
Due to lack of time the warm up session would be the first time id driven the legacy since the ABW Motorsport Design wide arch kit, Kaaz differential and Adgespeed pedal box had been fitted. I had never before driven a car without a servo. As I sat in the car waiting for the lights to go green I couldn't believe how hard the brake pedal was. Out we went on to the track and on the first corner I pressed the brakes and nothing, pressed harder, still nothing, pressed so hard I almost flexed the seat and the car stopped on its nose. At this point I believed the brakes would be my biggest challenge with the car, I was wrong!
The track was very greasy but i tried to push on a little so we would have some decent data logs for Simon Jolly Green Monster Limited to analyse between sessions. Whilst carrying some speed through Brooklands the back end of the car stepped out and went into a spin, this happened several times throughout the day and really knocked my confidence. We made several adjustments to the car to stop this happening and in the final I believe we were making progress however it was too late.
Despite the difficulties we had, we are still very happy with the results having finished first in class in Qualifying and fourth in class in the final. We are currently tied at the top of the championship table with 120 points. It was a fantastic, well run event by the Time Attack team. We are planning a test day at Cadwell then it will be all hands on deck for the next round at Knockhill Circuit on 25th May.
Finally Id like to thank my sponsors and all of our team in no particular order
Simon Roe @ www.jollygreenmonster.co.uk
Steven, Jim and Trevor @ SD Motorsport
Matt R
www.whiteline.com.au
Keith Michaels Insurance
Millers Oils
ABW Motorsport Design
Mike Latimer Engines
www.part-box.com
www.asperformance.com
also all the photographers for such fantastic pictures.
Especially John at Flat Out Motorsport Photography and Steve Jackman working on behalf of Whiteline.
On Saturday night (5/04/14) Steven of SD Motorsport and Matt R delivered the Legacy to Silverstone National circuit pits. The car was offloaded and we set about adding the remaining sponsor stickers from AS Performance, Part-box.com, Keith Michaels Car Insurance and Millers Oils Ltd. The wheels were also swapped over and we were very happy with the look of the car.
6.30am on the morning of the Time Attack Championship i received my wake up call. Steven and his team made their way to the pits to final check the cars and prepare for the day ahead.
I arrived at the pits to find the car ready and waiting and yet another fantastic part from Whiteline Flatout had been delivered. Whiteline have been a huge help this year. We aslo ended up sharing a garage with quite a special Hatch.....
Due to lack of time the warm up session would be the first time id driven the legacy since the ABW Motorsport Design wide arch kit, Kaaz differential and Adgespeed pedal box had been fitted. I had never before driven a car without a servo. As I sat in the car waiting for the lights to go green I couldn't believe how hard the brake pedal was. Out we went on to the track and on the first corner I pressed the brakes and nothing, pressed harder, still nothing, pressed so hard I almost flexed the seat and the car stopped on its nose. At this point I believed the brakes would be my biggest challenge with the car, I was wrong!
The track was very greasy but i tried to push on a little so we would have some decent data logs for Simon Jolly Green Monster Limited to analyse between sessions. Whilst carrying some speed through Brooklands the back end of the car stepped out and went into a spin, this happened several times throughout the day and really knocked my confidence. We made several adjustments to the car to stop this happening and in the final I believe we were making progress however it was too late.
Despite the difficulties we had, we are still very happy with the results having finished first in class in Qualifying and fourth in class in the final. We are currently tied at the top of the championship table with 120 points. It was a fantastic, well run event by the Time Attack team. We are planning a test day at Cadwell then it will be all hands on deck for the next round at Knockhill Circuit on 25th May.
Finally Id like to thank my sponsors and all of our team in no particular order
Simon Roe @ www.jollygreenmonster.co.uk
Steven, Jim and Trevor @ SD Motorsport
Matt R
www.whiteline.com.au
Keith Michaels Insurance
Millers Oils
ABW Motorsport Design
Mike Latimer Engines
www.part-box.com
www.asperformance.com
also all the photographers for such fantastic pictures.
Especially John at Flat Out Motorsport Photography and Steve Jackman working on behalf of Whiteline.
.SJ.
07 June 2014, 08:52 AM
#42
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Bit of a late write up but as I've put my back out I have a little more time on my hands.
Knockhill
On Friday morning we arrived at Knockhill and set about repairing the damage to the drivers door that I had done the evening before when the car rolled off our tilt bed trailer and the door was folded onto the ABW fibreglass front wing.
Me, Steven and Paul Blamire set about making some adjustments to the brakes and Steven repaired all the things I'd done wrong over the previous weeks of "car preparation". Between Steven, Simon and Matt the door was now operational but not very pretty. Practice was great and I really started to get to grips with the car. I managed a 56s lap and decided to call it a day. We retired back to Mr Stevenson's mansion for some great hospitality.
Saturday morning we transported the car to Whiteline HQ where the car underwent some very significant geometry changes. Huge thanks to the Whiteline team for all the help and advice also the food, drink and branded merchandise.
We arrived at a very wet and foggy Knockhill and set about final preparation of the car including swapping to our Continental "wets" that were very kindly provided by Panic link Motorsport. There had been some quite significant geometry changes by Whiteline UK and these had not been tested in the wet so it was quite nervous times.
The number of cars lining up to go out on track was crazy, meaning space to get a clean lap was going to be incredibly difficult. Lap one involved overtaking as many of the 2WD cars as possible to find some space, picking up the pace it was obvious we had made the correct tyre choice and the grip levels were fantastic. On almost every corner of the circuit there was a reminder of how things can go wrong with cars stuck on the grass or in the gravel. Coming back into the pits having really enjoyed the session it was great to see the time sheet and a 2nd overall position in club challenge warm up.
Just as the practice session call up was announced the heavens opened and the rain we had been hoping for had arrived, no changes were made to the car as it performed very well in the warm up session. On track the difference between the 4wd and 2wd was very obvious and in many occasions very dangerous. The biggest challenge of the day was getting through the traffic and avoiding collisions with the 2wd cars. In dry conditions the difference between the top level 2wd and 4wd are minimal but the wet weather really throws a spanner in the works for everybody. After managing just one clean lap the time sheet looked good with a 1st overall in club challenge.
Unfortunately for us as qualifying approached the sun came out although the track was still very wet. We decided to stick with the "wet" tyres which made the session quite a challenge as the track began to dry. After two laps the grip levels dropped off significantly and the car became a real handful. Finding space was becoming a big problem, as cars struggled to get a clean lap no one returned to the pits leaving far too many cars on track. On arrival back at the pits the time sheet looked good with another 2nd place overall in club challenge.
At this point in the day everything was looking good however there wasn't much between the top finishing cars and the track was now bone dry. The gap between qualifying and the final was almost 3hrs and the pressure was mounting. The car was switched to our normal Yokohama tyres and some subtle geometry changes were made. Sitting in the pit lane the pressure had reached new levels, having achieved great results all day expectations were very high. From joining the track in 4th some aggressive manoeuvres were carried out to achieve some space. Coming down the back straight side by side with Dave Coe towards the grandstand I think it was obvious how much we both wanted this win. Lights on and a banker was there with a 57s lap. The pressure was still growing and everyone on track was pushing way way harder than they had all day, the dry track conditions brought the high end 2wd cars right up on the pace. Crossing the line and clocking a 56s lap was a welcome sight however with 2 wheels off we lost that lap. A quick pit to check all was well and up came the red flags, this was the opportunity we had been hoping for all day. Sitting at the front of the start line looking up at the lights awaiting the green, the pressure was the highest it's ever been. The car was performing so so well, the only issue was the driver! After an inspirational bit of coaching from Steven Darley it was clear what was needed, more commitment on the braking. A brake point was chosen on the main straight some 100m further along the track than the braking point used all day. The lights went green and the two closest cars behind were fwd meaning not quite so much pressure from the off. Holding right back on the hairpin and onto the main straight, a nice sideways start and bang on the throttle. Every bit of the power was put through the transmission onto the tarmac past the pit wall, 3rd gear, 4th gear, 5th gear FLAT TO THE MAT! Under the bridge and the braking point in sight, damn this was fast. Onto the brakes for the corner just on the desired braking point but having not pressed hard enough a trip across the grass was on the cards. The car came off the track, spun on the grass and hit the track side on with an almighty thump. This was not the end we had hoped for, damage levels were unknown but a turn of the key and the engine seemed fine. There were 2 minutes of track time remaining, maybe there was still a chance. Back on track it was obvious there was some damage with noises from both the front and rear of the car, it was game over.
Back into the pits and the time sheet said it all, 3rd place in class and 5th overall gave us our first Time Attack podium.
With points added up we are still joint top of the championship and so much to come for the next round at Snetterton in July.
Huge thanks to the team for all their support.
Matt and Nikita for transporting the car to and from Knockhill, Simon Roe Jolly Green Monster Limited, Steven Darley SD Motorsport, and John Stevenson.
I cannot thank these guys enough for the lengths they have gone to in helping me achieve this podium finish. I really couldn't have done it without you. Thank you also to my wife and children for all the support, patience and encouragement.
Next is my sponsors and a very special mention to Whiteline Flatout for there transformation of the cars handling.
ABW Motorsport Design
Millers Oils Ltd
Part-box.com
Ruislip tyre service
AS Performance
Keith Michaels Car Insurance
Thank you everyone for your support and I'm sorry if I've left anyone out.
Thanks to the photographers especially John Stewart and Rich Sams.
Knockhill
On Friday morning we arrived at Knockhill and set about repairing the damage to the drivers door that I had done the evening before when the car rolled off our tilt bed trailer and the door was folded onto the ABW fibreglass front wing.
Me, Steven and Paul Blamire set about making some adjustments to the brakes and Steven repaired all the things I'd done wrong over the previous weeks of "car preparation". Between Steven, Simon and Matt the door was now operational but not very pretty. Practice was great and I really started to get to grips with the car. I managed a 56s lap and decided to call it a day. We retired back to Mr Stevenson's mansion for some great hospitality.
Saturday morning we transported the car to Whiteline HQ where the car underwent some very significant geometry changes. Huge thanks to the Whiteline team for all the help and advice also the food, drink and branded merchandise.
We arrived at a very wet and foggy Knockhill and set about final preparation of the car including swapping to our Continental "wets" that were very kindly provided by Panic link Motorsport. There had been some quite significant geometry changes by Whiteline UK and these had not been tested in the wet so it was quite nervous times.
The number of cars lining up to go out on track was crazy, meaning space to get a clean lap was going to be incredibly difficult. Lap one involved overtaking as many of the 2WD cars as possible to find some space, picking up the pace it was obvious we had made the correct tyre choice and the grip levels were fantastic. On almost every corner of the circuit there was a reminder of how things can go wrong with cars stuck on the grass or in the gravel. Coming back into the pits having really enjoyed the session it was great to see the time sheet and a 2nd overall position in club challenge warm up.
Just as the practice session call up was announced the heavens opened and the rain we had been hoping for had arrived, no changes were made to the car as it performed very well in the warm up session. On track the difference between the 4wd and 2wd was very obvious and in many occasions very dangerous. The biggest challenge of the day was getting through the traffic and avoiding collisions with the 2wd cars. In dry conditions the difference between the top level 2wd and 4wd are minimal but the wet weather really throws a spanner in the works for everybody. After managing just one clean lap the time sheet looked good with a 1st overall in club challenge.
Unfortunately for us as qualifying approached the sun came out although the track was still very wet. We decided to stick with the "wet" tyres which made the session quite a challenge as the track began to dry. After two laps the grip levels dropped off significantly and the car became a real handful. Finding space was becoming a big problem, as cars struggled to get a clean lap no one returned to the pits leaving far too many cars on track. On arrival back at the pits the time sheet looked good with another 2nd place overall in club challenge.
At this point in the day everything was looking good however there wasn't much between the top finishing cars and the track was now bone dry. The gap between qualifying and the final was almost 3hrs and the pressure was mounting. The car was switched to our normal Yokohama tyres and some subtle geometry changes were made. Sitting in the pit lane the pressure had reached new levels, having achieved great results all day expectations were very high. From joining the track in 4th some aggressive manoeuvres were carried out to achieve some space. Coming down the back straight side by side with Dave Coe towards the grandstand I think it was obvious how much we both wanted this win. Lights on and a banker was there with a 57s lap. The pressure was still growing and everyone on track was pushing way way harder than they had all day, the dry track conditions brought the high end 2wd cars right up on the pace. Crossing the line and clocking a 56s lap was a welcome sight however with 2 wheels off we lost that lap. A quick pit to check all was well and up came the red flags, this was the opportunity we had been hoping for all day. Sitting at the front of the start line looking up at the lights awaiting the green, the pressure was the highest it's ever been. The car was performing so so well, the only issue was the driver! After an inspirational bit of coaching from Steven Darley it was clear what was needed, more commitment on the braking. A brake point was chosen on the main straight some 100m further along the track than the braking point used all day. The lights went green and the two closest cars behind were fwd meaning not quite so much pressure from the off. Holding right back on the hairpin and onto the main straight, a nice sideways start and bang on the throttle. Every bit of the power was put through the transmission onto the tarmac past the pit wall, 3rd gear, 4th gear, 5th gear FLAT TO THE MAT! Under the bridge and the braking point in sight, damn this was fast. Onto the brakes for the corner just on the desired braking point but having not pressed hard enough a trip across the grass was on the cards. The car came off the track, spun on the grass and hit the track side on with an almighty thump. This was not the end we had hoped for, damage levels were unknown but a turn of the key and the engine seemed fine. There were 2 minutes of track time remaining, maybe there was still a chance. Back on track it was obvious there was some damage with noises from both the front and rear of the car, it was game over.
Back into the pits and the time sheet said it all, 3rd place in class and 5th overall gave us our first Time Attack podium.
With points added up we are still joint top of the championship and so much to come for the next round at Snetterton in July.
Huge thanks to the team for all their support.
Matt and Nikita for transporting the car to and from Knockhill, Simon Roe Jolly Green Monster Limited, Steven Darley SD Motorsport, and John Stevenson.
I cannot thank these guys enough for the lengths they have gone to in helping me achieve this podium finish. I really couldn't have done it without you. Thank you also to my wife and children for all the support, patience and encouragement.
Next is my sponsors and a very special mention to Whiteline Flatout for there transformation of the cars handling.
ABW Motorsport Design
Millers Oils Ltd
Part-box.com
Ruislip tyre service
AS Performance
Keith Michaels Car Insurance
Thank you everyone for your support and I'm sorry if I've left anyone out.
Thanks to the photographers especially John Stewart and Rich Sams.
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