VF-Racing

The Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire has in recent years been on the receiving end of a multi million pound investment, in order to make it one of a handful of “world class” circuits, and home to the British Grand Prix for afurther 15 years.


Originally a World War Two airfield, thecircuit was opened in 1948 following a period of inactivity after the warended.


From an original layout marked out by strawbales and rope to the hi-tech circuit known to us all, Silverstone has alwaysbeen a part of motoring history.












Pre Race:


A combination of things goes into making a race car competitive, but for 2012 wehave decided to focus on improving the cars power to weight ratio, whilstlooking to maintain the reliability that we have been so fortunate with inprevious years.


The team at “Scoobyclinic” were tasked with the removal of the engine and gearbox,to prepare for the work ahead.


The body shell; which has already been stripped of the majority of unnecessary luxuries, was checked again to see where any extra weight could be lost whilststill remaining within the weight limits laid out by the race championships.


Extra weight has been removed from the doors, redundant wiring has been stripped out andthe battery has been relocated to the boot in a carbon fibre box. In doing so thishas the benefit of helping to lower the car’s centre of gravity as well asimproving access to the engine and improving the airflow into the engine bay.


The engine has been rebuilt using a fresh closed deck block and a long throw steel crank. The engine built by Scoobyclinic’s engine supremo’s Mark and Andy hasnow grown to 2.33 litres and has been fitted with the best components to helpmake this engine one of the best.


The new engine has been teamed up with a rebuilt gearbox, which has been fittedwith a full PPG gear kit to help keep the power flowing to the wheels.



Race Day:


Lining up against a lot of last year’s competitors, we also found ourselves alongside some exotic and blisteringly quick cars that had joined the series for 2012.





Having not raced on the new GP layout before, it would be a sizeable task to become familiar with the daunting circuit and confirm the cars set up in just 20 minutes of qualifying.

The suspension was adjusted to take into account the circuit’s mixture of tight curves and long straights. The laptimes and driver feedback would tell us if we were close or a million milesaway.


Slick tyres were fitted, and the pressures set accordingly, with the aim for them to reach optimum temperature and pressure after a lap or so.


Race day dawned foggy, but this soon lifted to reveal a glorious day.


The car was given a final once over and enough fuel added for the session. With a long lap, and a new engine, we had to work out the required quantity of fuel that would see us finish the session, but without carrying excess weight.


Qualifying:


Class A was made up of:



03. Jonathan Faull Mitsubishi Evo 8

06. Andy Robinson Ford Falcon

07. Darren Dowling TVR Sagaris

08. Steve Putt Mazda RX7

14. Doug Ellwood Marcos Mantis

16. Vaughan Fletcher Subaru ImprezaRA

18. Rachael Finney Porsche 944

33. Ian Roberts MitsubishiEvo 5

36. Keith Butcher Ginetta G50

63. Tony Soper HarrierL9

75. Barry Squibb MitsubishiEvo 9



With serious competition in Class A, plus a plethora of ex BTCC and WTCC touring cars thrown in for good measure, we knew the odds were stacked against us.






The layout used for the Eurosaloon/Britcar event was the full GP circuit, which stretches for 3.660 miles in length. As the longest circuit in the UK, a lap this long would mean that given the 20 minute races, the number of lapswould be less than 10.


With an entry of 31 cars, and the majority of them running towards the top of thegrid, we needed to get the best qualifying time possible in order to have a good starting position for race 1, however, we would not be alone in this challenge.


With a lap estimated to take around 2 min 20+ sec, we’d have a maximum of 9 laps to record our best time. However with having to take the time to warm up the carand tyres, as well as learn the track, there wouldn’t be a lot of time left toset a quick time.


By the end of the out lap, everything looked and felt ok, and Vaughan was able to push on.





It wasn’t long though before an issue came about, as the BMW of Ian Craig dropped oil around the circuit, but critically on the racing line making fast laps somewhat difficult. With time running out, it was now or never, and everything was put into one last lap.


When the results came in, it was found that the last ditch attempt had produced the goods.



Qualified3rd in class

Qualified3rd overall

Fastest lap: 2.19.403 sec on lap 8 of 8


Everything looked to be coming together for a great first race, with only a fresh set of brake pads, checks on the tyres and refuelling needed to get the car ready.


Round 1:


With the pole sitting TVR of Darren Dowling choosing to start the race from the back of the grid, we were promoted to 2nd place on the grid.

With the out lap complete, and the course car safely off track, the lights went out and the grid roared across the start/finish line and headed for Copse.


Andy Robinson shifted in high gear and made for the horizon at a blistering pace. The Evo 9 of Barry Squib hung onto Robinson through Copse and passed us to take 2nd place.




Although quicker on the straights, Vaughan and the Subaru remained in contention with the more powerful Evo and closed the gap under braking and cornering.


A race long battle ensued, which saw the pair trade places as each car played to its strengths.


Halfa dozen or so laps in, and the orange TVR had carved its way through the pack,and passed the Subaru and Evo pairing effortlessly, dropping each driver back a position.


Just as the race looked like being a success for the team’s first race of the year, trouble raised its head, with an all too familiar problem.





The boost gauge began to spike over to 30psi, causing the engine’s ECU to cut power levels, and performance. Despite efforts to rectify the issue by trying different boost levels, the problem persisted and the damage was done as the Evo pulled out a comfortable cushion. Thankfully there was a large enough gapback to 5th place due to the rapid pace up to this point, that 4th place remained safe.



Finished4th in class

Finished4th overall

Fastestlap: 2:16.451 sec on lap 8 of 9


Back in the paddock, everything was done to try and identify the root cause of the problem.


With calls to Scoobyclinic’s tech team, all the hoses were checked for damage or leaks, and everything else thinkable was looked at.


With the engine cooled down, the car was run up within the confines of the circuit, and all looked promising for the start of race 2.



Round 2:


Back on the grid, everyone lined up in their respective slots and followed the safety car around the circuit for the start. With a good start, any progress was short lived, as the over boost issues from race 1 re-appeared.


Not wanting to risk any engine damage, Vaughan piloted the car in the direction of the paddock.






DNF



Summary


Even though the weekend was over for us, it had provided a welcome return to circuit racing.


Up until the issues in race 1, the new set up was proving to be very effective, with noticeable performance improvements.


The car is already back at Scoobyclinic, where it will have the ECU interrogated in an attempt to identify what caused the issue. Early indications point to afaulty wastegate.


We will be back at Silverstone in 6 weeks for our first outing in the “ClassicThunder” championship.