Ever since Formula Vee I have been looking forward to racing in the Edwina Overend Trophy. I wasn’t able to do so in 2008 after my brief appearance at Cadwell Park and so I was pleased that this year it also included a round of the Midland South Formula Ford Championship.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect when we arrived as I was not able to test before hand. In actual fact, the last pre-race weekend test day I did was back in Anglesey. Anyway, I did a 10 lap shakedown in 2007 in the car (albeit with Brands Hatch ratios) and I was reasonably confident I could be on the pace within a few laps. We also had two qualifying sessions – the first for the Midland South race and the second for the Trophy race.

Qualifying

First qualifying was exploratory, refreshing myself of the circuit and working out where we were on setup. The consensus was: we were too soft, struggling for traction at the hairpin and the brake pedal was a bit too long. Anyway, I set a time good enough for 2nd on the grid, two tenths off Ed Moore.

For second qualifying I went out with a brand new set of brake pads (thank you Nick Brown!) and these took six or seven laps to bed in. For the remainder of the session I didn’t get a particularly clean lap and I wasn’t able to get within 2 tenths of my previous time. However, I qualified third, behind Quartermaine and Moore.

Race 1 – Championship race

Just as we were preparing to leave for the assembly area for race one it started to rain – much like it did at Silverstone. It was enough to unsettle your nerves about staying on dry settings but not enough to justify a change to wet. We decided to stay on dry settings even if the circuit was damp at the start of the race.

I made a good start and was able to go to the outside of Moore into Gerrards for the first time and gain the lead. Conditions were damp and it was very difficult to tell at this point how hard to push, how the braking zones would be and where the grip was. I told myself that the circuit wasn’t wet, driving as close to normal as I could and I was consecutively over a second per lap quicker than anyone else at the start. On around lap five the conditions were improving and I think I was a little slower to react to the change than the chasing cars. I lost a bit of time passing a back marker and by the half way point of the race Moore had caught me, with Quartermaine and others in close succession.

At this point I knew that for what ever reason I wasn’t as quick as Moore but could hold on if I defended correctly. I decided to go to the inside at Gerrards, the Esses and the Hairpin and forget about lap times. As Moore became closer, the chasing pack behind caught him making it a close, four car train. Moore got alongside me on every straight, at times his wheels were actually in front but as I had the inside line I could just run deeper into the corner and hold the position.

With only a few laps to run Quartermaine got past Moore at the Esses and I had a few car lengths gap. Quickly after, I saw Moore spin on the exit of the Hairpin and I knew at this point the race was mine and I was elated at taking my first lights to flag victory in Formula Ford.

Before I had even unbuckled my belts in park ferme Ed Moore had lifted my visor and promptly told me that in the next race, he would put me into the wall and break my legs. He then continued for some time with an onslaught of similar profanities until I left back to the paddock. All I will say on the matter is that to me, for a driver of Ed’s calibre, experience and maturity to feel he has to act in this manner is somewhat pathetic and the respect I had for his achievements is sadly lost.

Race 2 – Edwina Overend Trophy

After a short break, it was time for the Edwina Overend Trophy race. By this time the circuit was dry but it remained overcast and dim.

Starting from third position I made a decent start but had nowhere to go in order to make a pass and I slotted in behind for the run around Gerrards. I stayed very close to the second place car of Quartermaine. I struggled to get alongside him on the straights but felt I was probably stronger on the brakes. Conscious that Moore was getting away at the front I dived down the inside at the Hairpin on lap two and made the move up into second position. At this point Moore had a two second gap and I set about trying to reduce it.

For the next fifteen laps I pushed as hard as I could to try and catch Moore. We exchanged lap times and I reduced his lead to just over a second before I lost time behind a number of back markers. Unfortunately, I could never make up the time I lost at the start and I finished 2nd but did take fastest lap in the process.

So, I got my first win – not the trophy race I wanted but a good result none the less. The entry was not great but to beat Ed Moore at Mallory Park in race one and then later to be faster than him to take fastest lap is a good indication of our improving pace. I think that despite the win, Mallory Park has proved to me without doubt that we are very short on engine power (and I will blog on this more over the next few weeks). I think that Moore had about 5 car lengths on me on every straight and it is costing me between 5 tenths and 1 second per lap. I think this also accounts for our relative performance in National races.

My next outing is this Saturday at Donington Park for the rescheduled Midland South race from earlier in the year. It will be another tough meeting with no testing, having never been around the Grand Prix circuit before qualifying. Finally, thanks in advance to Nick Brown for the brake pads for the coming weekend!

Related posts:

1. Formula Vee: Victory at Mallory Park! (Video)
2. Race Report: Mallory Park (UK Formula Vee)
3. Formula Ford: Silverstone Review

Pole Position Lap

Race One

Race Two

Related posts:

1. Formula Vee: Victory at Cadwell Park! (Video)
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I’d like to reiterate thanks for everyone’s support up to this point and also looking forward, it will continue to get better. The next two rounds of the championship are held at Snetterton in two weeks time with a race on Saturday and Sunday. Another two weeks after that it’s the 40th Anniversary Festival at Brands Hatch with two further championship races and a separate festival contest. These are my two home races, both equidistant from where I live.

Finally, just to congratulate Daniel Hands and Martin Farmer on their 2nd and 3rd place finishes with which we completed the first GAC 1-2-3 and to Jamie Conyers with his strong 6th position.

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Thanks is due to the priceless videography skills of Nick Brown for this footage.

Before I continue, I think I should pay homage to those who made it possible. After six-minutes of qualifying my engine failed with a broken push rod. Subsequently, it took a lot of effort to diagnose and later fix the problem. I would therefore like to thank every single person who both gave and offered their assistance, notably: Alan Woodward, Nick Brown, Alan Harding, Mark Dunham and the others I’m sure I have forgotten. I would also like to thank Dave Kilburn for the atmospheric photographs.

The day began as if it were still last year – pretty badly. Whilst we were confident we had done everything possible to prepare the car to the usual high standard, fortune is frequently predetermined. As usual I was amongst the first to the assembly area for qualifying. Experience tells me that the few laps in clean air you inherit at the start pay dividends in reaching your own limit in the car.

After starting to pick up the pace, it was initially difficult to find an uninterrupted lap amongst the slower traffic. In addition, a trail of oil compromised the entry to Gerrard’s which unfortunately is the most critical corner on the circuit.

On lap seven I found some space to push and put in a reasonable lap and I could see little traffic on the horizon. At this point I decided I would have one last push on my own before dropping back to find some help. However, I never finished that lap as whilst exiting the Devil’s Elbow my engine let go some 50-metres before the start line.

To my relief the early laps were enough for the front row and second on the grid behind reigning champion Sam Oliveira (Jenvey-Sheane). Martin Farmer (GAC) was third, Jake Oliveira (Storm) fourth and Daniel Hands (GAC) fifth.

The grid at Mallory Park is two-by-two. Sam Oliveira (on pole) was to my right whilst directly behind was older brother Jake. I do not really see the advantage of being on pole as personally, I would much prefer the left-hand side on the first approach to Gerrard’s. I am somewhat surprised that this hasn’t come up before.

As the lights went out I made a less than perfect start with too much wheel spin. This was masked, however, as Sam missed second gear and I took the lead into turn one, followed by Martin Farmer and Jake.

Onto the back straight for the first time and I defensively moved to the inside. This did very little as Martin powered past me on the outside and took the lead into the Esses. Bunching up as the road narrows into the Hairpin, Martin moved to the right whilst I went left and Jake made it three wide in the centre. Pole-sitter Sam Oliveira had recovered and was now
following his brother but had no where to go.

Not realising quite how little road was available I jumped on the brakes with my left-rear tyre on the grass and corrected the car which snapped sideways. I went deep into the hairpin, forced it into a gear and took an unconventional exit in second place. Farmer missed a gear coming out and so the order starting lap two was Jake Oliveira, me, Sam Oliveira and Farmer.

Back onto the far straight and Jake went to the inside. I moved to the left and but had little chance of progressing this time. With a better exit from the Esses, Jake again went defensive and I found space to the left. As I made my move I realised I had underestimated how close Sam had become and with his opportunistic move I had little choice but to concede the position.

Into Gerrard’s for the third time and Sam received a perfect draft from Jake, pulled out of his tow and swooped around the outside to take the lead. I closed the gap to Jake mid-corner and was able to draft alongside him down the back straight. With the inside line into the Esses, I made the pass for second position, however, the red flags were shown immediately for an accident at the Hairpin. Although I’m still not certain, I am told Tim Hill rolled heavily over the top of James Birch.

As usual, a red-flagged restart means the grid is formed by the last full lap and so it was Sam and Jake on the front row, I shared the second with Evans, Hands on the third and Farmer unfortunately, another row back.

As the lights went out for a second time, Evans got an incredible start from the outside of row two and made it three wide into Gerrard’s. I had made a reasonable start and moved to the inside in defense as Sam finally assumed the lead.

Out onto the back straight and I was initially concerned this was going to give Sam the break that he needed as Evans, who was running in second position, was not running at the same pace as us. Jake forced his way through into the Esses whilst Evans went defensive into the Hairpin, I switched back to get alongside out of Hairpin. With a better run out I carried more speed around the outside of the Devil’s Elbow and completed the pass into Gerrard’s where I started to chase down Jake.

After another lap we reached the Hairpin and I was back in touch with Jake. Under braking he made a signal not to fight but instead we work together to catch Sam. As this is sensible for the next lap I did not challenge for position and as we exited the Esses we were visibly closer to Sam. Jake moved to the inside behind Sam and I did the same, just in time for Sam’s engine to blow up and for the contents of his sump to be deposited over both Jake’s and my car.

Exiting the Hairpin, Jake inherited the lead, I was second and Martin Farmer had recovered to make it a leading trio.

After another lap and I was beginning to feel pressure from Martin and also felt that I could possibly run faster out in front on my own. I concentrated on a getting a good exit from Gerrard’s and as Jake moved to the inside, I decided that I was going to make the pass and there was no backing out. I went deep into the Esses and around the outside back into the lead.

Jake was compromised on exit which allowed Martin to get alongside and past into the Hairpin. Crossing the line for lap 10 and I was leading from Martin Farmer and Jake Oliveira still in third. The three of us had now put almost 10 seconds between us and the following cars.

As we plunged down the Devil’s Elbow I looked in my mirror to see a short gap back to Farmer and began to move to the left to take the ideal line through Gerrard’s. I had absolutely no idea Martin had such a fantastic run and as he literally rocketed up the outside of me, we touched wheels and he took the lead for the first time since lap one.

We continued to bunch up for the next two laps, Martin and I side by side with Jake scrabbling for track position. Martin would go defensive and I would take to the outside, draw alongside him and try to cut back on the exit.

Lap 14 and I got the switch back from the Hairpin and a much better run through the Devil’s Elbow and the lead with Jake still close behind me in second. With Martin no longer in my mirrors and a brief gap behind me, I was able to become a little more conservative with my car. After qualifying, I was concerned about reliability and after pulling out a one second gap to Jake, I was able to use 200RPM less than previously.

Another exit from the Hairpin and the chequered flag waved to my delight but not relief. I was comfortable and in no hurry for the race to end. Over that final lap, I have never loved motor racing so much.

When Farmer and I touched wheels on lap 10 the contact ripped off the valve from his tyre which resulted in a slow puncture from lap 12 onwards. In the end he finished 3rd, eight seconds back from Jake. The final result was Hands fifth, Evans fourth, Farmer third, Oliveira second and you know who won.

With my 2007 programme regrettably uncertain, I must take every opportunity to win races.

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