Yes sorry this has taken a while to post, pesky thing called work got in the way!
How long does a rain dance last, can anyone tell me? This was our third race of the season in the RAC Tourist Trophy for Pre63 GT cars at the Silverstone Classic, and for the third time there was no rain in the weeks leading up to the race and then rain of biblical proportions over the weekend itself. We're certainly getting a bit of practice racing in the wet, that's for sure. We've done quite a bit of development on the car since Snetterton, focusing on the brakes and suspension, so we took advantage of the test session laid on for competitors for the Classic the day before qualifying to test the changes. We got just two 30 minute sessions which seems terrible value for money but with so many competitors wanting to test their cars prior to what is now the largest historic motor racing event in the world apparently, I figure we're lucky to get even that.
Our best time on the old Grand Prix circuit prior to testing had been a 2:52.5 lap which I set last year at the same event. Ian immediately takes 3 seconds off that by doing a 2:49.5, and we know we always go faster in the heat of a race, so the changes have worked! What's slightly frustrating for me is that I can only equal my old time, not better it. The car feels a lot looser and if I'm honest I'm uncomfortable with this - in reality I think the previous set up of the car (lots of understeer) just masked the fact that I was driving at the limit of my competence and the changes suit a better racing style. It's a difficult lesson to learn, especially as the predicted wet weather for qualifying and the race will only accentuate this set up.
As forecast the rain on Friday morning drenches the track. The car feels even more nervous than the day before and I struggle, trying too hard and racing with a tense style which I know is not ideal.
But Ian is obviously more comfortable with the car now and posts a blinder of a time, a 3:34.7, putting us in 27th position on the grid of 40 cars and ahead of four Lotus, two Aston's including a DB4, a couple of Jaguar E-Type's and an assortment of other cars. The cars ahead are only fractionally faster as well so I know we'll do well during the start of the race as we usually get the jump on a few. In the dry they'll power away but the traction in the wet will be to our advantage. On my last few laps of qualifying however the gear shift suddenly feels different. Second is weirdly at an angle back towards your hip and third is suspiciously notchy. Back in the garage afterward Ian whips off the shifter and the base plate is lying on the tunnel in two pieces - that will be the reason then. It's Friday night and we've no gears, uh oh. Fortunately Exhaust Mike (actually his last name is Hausmann, but that's what I call him after he built the beautiful system on the car) lives 10 minutes away so he very kindly pops over with his TIG welder and grinder to repair it. His welding is so good it's as good as new in a few minutes and Ian has it installed in a jiffy.
The Classic is always a family affair - we all camp and the kids help out while my wife keeps them out of trouble or amused while I'm racing. It's great they're all involved.
And so to race day. The start of the previous historic single seater race is a shambles due to the weather. A standing start with zero visibility sees six cars crash before the first corner and the race is shortened to just 15 minutes from the scheduled 30. I can't imagine how difficult it must be in an open car with rain pouring in on you and zero visibility, but frustratingly race control then start our race under the safety car and we spend almost 18 minutes lapping behind it. Anyway grumbling over, onto the race proper. While we're still under the safety car the Reliant Sabre in front spins on the main straight in a big, lurid pirouette, going round at least twice - it's mechanical as the car is immediately retired. An E-Type dives into the pits slowing quickly, presumably with an electrical gremlin given the water. I have the chance to reflect that at least we finish races - it's the fourth time we've raced the Reliant in the past 12 months and it's not finished a single race, all due to mechanical issues. Aside from development we pretty much just change the oil and put petrol in, everything else like the gear shift is pretty minor thank goodness. There's a pool of standing water inches deep on the entry to the Hanger Straight and every car steps a couple of feet to the right every time they cross it. I make a mental note not to put my foot down there and to have the wheels pointing straight ahead for that bit of circuit from now on. As I go over it I catch a glint of movement and can't help but look down - there's already two inches of water sloshing about like a bloody bath in the bottom of the car, now washing over the centre tunnel and over my right foot. Plugging the holes in the floor to stop water ingress from Snetterton didn't work then, since it's obviously getting in from somewhere else and the holes in the floor were previously letting some of it out! Back to the drawing board on that one.
And then the safety car peels in and we can get down to the proper business of racing.
The level of spray instantly goes up as the speed rises on the straights creating a grey, misty blanket that envelopes everything. And I do mean literally everything. At times it's so bad I can't see beyond the bonnet of the car, even the mandatory high intensity rain lights on the rear of all the cars are obscured. If someone spins the first I'll know about it is when they fill my windscreen with colour and we come together in a high-speed crunch. As we blast past the start/finish line the TVR in front momentarily lifts off and I race him side by side up the main straight.
Further on the Ferrari 250 GT Breadvan brakes early for the sharp right hander before the hairpin and an E-Type and I draw alongside. We go into the right hander three abreast with me in the middle and inches between us. They both pull wide to the right to take the usual racing line for the hairpin and I use the traction of the 356 to cut a straight line up inside them. It works and I inadvertently shout a triumphant 'YES' into my helmet as I make the overtaking manoeuvre stick as there are fewer satisfying driving experiences than full on racing and overtaking faster, beautiful cars.
A lovely silver/champagne coloured Aston Martin DB4 is now right in front of me, slewing about as he tries to put the power down over those unweighted rear wheels. As I accelerate hard in the top of third there's a big twitch and the 356 slides towards the Aston. Fortunately we don't touch but we're now so close I could reach out and touch his side window as we race towards Stowe. I manage to out brake him but the Breadvan slips up the inside of both of us (damn him) as we peel into the left hander that is Vale, and then I overtake the Ferrari round the outside of Club. As we flash past the pits a stack of cars dive in and I notice the pit board is being waggled for me to come in next lap as we've been out for 25 minutes, which is half the race.
Sorry lads, I think to myself - I don't do this very often but I'm invoking owner privilege and will be doing a few race laps. I have a big moment at Copse and a Sebring Sprite behind me zips past, only for him to fishtail in front of me from the momentum of the overtaking manoeuvre. He's struggling with the rear being so twitchy in such a short wheelbase car so as we approach the sharp right hander before the hairpin (The Loop) I leave my braking as late as I dare and get in front as we come into the apex. I make it stick but carry way too much speed into the hairpin and have such a big moment I have to let one hand go of the wheel and twirl it trucker style in order to get enough opposite lock on to hold the spin. Surprisingly the Sprite doesn't get past. The leading car, an Aston Martin DG4 GT goes past like I'm standing still. How do these cars carry so much speed in such conditions?
Our pit stop is quick
and Ian is instantly up to race speed. He later recounts the racing experience as not doing well, as his only reference point during his stint is being passed by the leading cars, but in reality he posts consistently faster laps than I do, clawing further up grid: my best time is a 3:35.9, Ian manages a whole 6 seconds quicker with a best of 3:29.5 and taking 5 seconds out of his wet qualifying time. Ian has a couple of big moments but manages to keep the car on the circuit and stays out of trouble, before finally taking the chequered flag in 23rd place, later promoted to 22nd as another E-Type was given a 30 second pit lane infringement. Not bad from 40 starters. Last year we finished 27th overall from 43 entrants. Happy with the result? You bet. We're now running mid-pack and not just bumbling about at the back of the field.
But I have already booked race tuition and am practicing my late apex on the journey to the station each morning to take advantage of the obviously faster set up we now have in the car which I've not yet managed to access…. Next race is the Oulton Park Gold Cup a the end of August.
Photography credits to Tom Fawdry of three50six and Rob Overy.
