Last weekend was pretty amazing for me. Not only did I get to watch some of the world's finest classic racing machinery pound around Spa at the Spa Classic, but I also got to drive around the legendary circuit myself in my dad's little MG F VVC.
Now my dad is normally quite a macho, lager drinking lad who tells stories of getting drunk and punching men in his youth. But on these fairly steady laps, he was a pretty nervous passenger who is very thankful that the GoPro didn't pick up his screams for me to "Brake! Brake!"
Although the laps were far from flat out, the chance to drive up Eau Rouge and around La Source hairpin was truly a dream come true. I can only hope one day I will return, perhaps in my 182, to challenge this famous circuit at far more adrenaline pumping speeds.
Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from my weekend, followed by some footage from my track laps.
A 1987 Argo JM19C races towards La Source
Mechanics frantically try and fix a misfire on a '79 Lola T 298 BMW
Spa-Classic Endurance cars line up in the pits ahead of their race
An Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV approaches the grid
A battle scarred '65 Bizzarrini 5300 GT
A '79 BMW M1 faces Eau Rouge in the paddock
Our MG F on one of Belgium's many beautiful country roads
Daft Punk's new album 'Random Access Memories' is good, really good. I like it, and as far as I can tell so do most others in the UK. But if I thought we were enjoying their single 'Get Lucky' a little too much, I now know that their native France's obsession of the album is at a whole other level. Travelling through the country for just over 2 hours, I must have heard the song more than thrice on the radio. This was added to the fact it was playing in the service station we stopped at, as well as the headphones of a Frenchie we sat next to on the ferry crossing the Channel.
Anyone born with a soft, squishy organ between the walls of their skull, would surely be driven insane by this repetitive, ongoing brown nosing of 'Random Access Memories'. The Belgians seemed to agree with this, as they sat inches from the bumpers of cars in front. Initially this tailgating angered me, but then a moment of realisation helped me to sympathise with them. I came to the conclusion that they were only trying to hustle their way across France as quickly as possible, in order to escape this showering of high pitched Froggery and return to their hilly land of chocolate and very tight shorts.
There was a flaw to this Belgian driving style on the continent however; it did have a tendency to increase the odds of you suffering complete and catastrophic suspension failure. Driving inches off the bumper of the leading car removed any chance of seeing upcoming obstacles on the road. This was something we learned the hard way, but how were we to know that driving along European motorways was like playing dodgeball, except the balls are potholes and they're flying at you at 80mph? Playing suspension dodgeball with your vision shielded by the French Zafira you're now tailgating, was largely impossible. And it wasn't helped as we fought temptation to drive towards the trees as 'Get Lucky' was played yet again on French radio.
But even with all this, I still enjoyed my drive through France, the weather was lovely. Although next time I'm there I'll be packing the iPod, and I might need to get myself a 4x4 too, if I want to reduce the chances of losing a wheel.
Picture this wonderful scene of nature. The male peacock flaunts its large, coloured feathers by spreading and jiggling them in the direction of a potential female mate. The female may receive offers from several males, with her selecting the largest and most dominant to engage in some bird hanky panky. Now take this image, but replace the feathers with muscles, the jiggling with weight lifting, and the peacocks with humans. Now let me welcome you, to my local gym.
My local gym shares many qualities with other gyms, it has a pool and treadmills and this delicate touch of BO, which you can enjoy beside the cross trainers where McDonald's addicts frantically try and burn off that last Big Mac. But skip to the weights section and the scene changes drastically. The dirty scent of testosterone hangs in the air and sound of creaking muscles fill your ears. You're in the jungle buddy.
These muscle addicts prepare themselves for the impending battle for females, by assessing each and every aspect of their well groomed bodies. It seems they are very finicky in their detail, as they stare at each muscle several times throughout the course of their session; supposedly this is to ensure no preparation is missed, as well as to simply see how hot they look.
As the males wrestle mass to draw attention, females observe from the safe distance of treadmills. Skilled in their observational techniques, a mere tilt of the head is needed to provide enough sight of those protein filled muscles. Once a male has been selected, the dancing ritual begins as they circle each other (at a distance) separated by the weights bench, rowing machine and leg trainer.
Unlike our feathered friends however, the ritual doesn't finish here. The male has one more asset in which the female chooses to base her decision. The asset is his metal, his choice of car.
The alpha-males possess large volumes of metal, in the form of Range Rovers, Volvo XC90s and BMW X5s. These males often succeed instantly in drawing in female mates, even if their mating dance was not quite strongest. It is once these most attractive males have departed the battleground, that the Audi, BMW and Mercedes saloon and hatchback owners are able to flaunt their slightly smaller metal and receive their slightly less attractive female prize.
The remaining 'unsymmetricals' are unfortunately the ones who face the lowest chance of finding a mate, with these including the pool of males that arrive in 8 year old Mondeos or squeaking Puntos. Surprisingly though, at the very bottom of this pile lay perhaps some of the most physically fit males, but playing havoc with their mating display is their choice of metal...a bicycle.
It's true cars are more than just a source of transport, and more than just a toy. They are a direct extension (or reduction) of the male trouser department, providing females with insight into how expensive the wine on their first date could be. A 2013 Range Rover Sport means the finest bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. A 1999 Peugeot 206 on the other hand, most likely leads to Le Shiraz de Asda.
So what's my viewpoint of this jungle like mating ritual? And where do I fit in? Well I've always been a man of quality not quantity, but that's not to say I wear XS boxers. My car of choice deceives females by seemingly slotting into the lowest bracket, but performing much closer to those in far more alpha regions of the mating chain. The same can be said for myself, with my lack of bulging biceps shortening my chances of females fainting in my presence, but my inner alpha giving me the personality of a lion. That's right, I might seem unsymmetrical, but I'm a dominant male deep down. A peacock who needs not to flaunt and jiggle his feathers.
Having said that though, I wonder why I never make it past the first date then..
Formula 1 of late seems a far cry from the Schumacher dominated days of yesteryear. Instead of the multi million Pound precession of cars we were once faced with, racing today is far less predictable and overtaking is plentiful. Yet this seemingly vast improvement in racing, is often overshadowed by a significant factor in modern F1: tyres. F1 tyres have taken a leading role in determining the finishing order in races of late. Drivers and cars that are able to preserve their tyres are rewarded with far fewer visits to the pits. But has this damaged what many visualise as the World's fastest sport? Have F1's tyre issues pushed the sport too far from its roots?
The slick tyres used by today's current crop of F1 teams, are made solely by Pirelli. Pirelli were instructed by the FIA, F1's governing body, to create tyres that provided good grip for a short period of time. The intention was to create a challenge for teams with races requiring 2-3 pit stops. However the weekend's race at Barcelona showed how too much tyre wear means drivers are forced to run well within their limits in order to lengthen tyre life. The tyres have become a significant challenge, requiring continual management.
Jody Sheckter had to manage his innovative P34 in 1976
Nevertheless, if we look back over the past 60 years of Formula 1 racing, it is clear to see that racing drivers have rarely been flat out all Sunday long. Generally there has always been a factor that required managing, whether it be gearbox, engine or brake related. Drivers are not just there to push to the limits, but also ensure their machinery can carry them to the finish. In the 50s and 60s the main limiting factor tended to be mechanical, with a lengthy list of racers who 'Did Not Finish' often falling victim to engine and gearbox failures. Through the decades reliability improved, but high performance turbo engines in the 80s were still fragile beasts that needed heavy management over a weekend - they ran up to 600hp less during races than qualifying in order to just survive.
Today however, reliability is so good that races see few mechanical failures with engines competing in 3 to 4 races per season before requiring any rebuilding. Engines and gearboxes require very little management from drivers as a result, with simple engine mapping adjustments providing teams with confidence their cars will see out the distance.
Locking wheels can destroy a tyre in seconds
Especially from the fan's point of view, tyres are the main factors that require management. Many have voiced their disgust, and even 3 times F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel explained that his Red Bull RB9 could go far quicker over the course of a race if the tyres weren't such a limiting factor.
These issues do not seem to exist because something requires heavy management. Instead it's the fact it results in drivers circulating tracks 10 seconds off their potential pace. We even notice teams instructing drivers to "not fight" against others due to focusing entirely on their own race stint. Most of Barcelona's overtaking came in the form of DRS assisted straight line passes, whilst both Button and Vettel showed little flare when defending positions from attack. This meant despite the number of overtakes being sufficient, each was far less dramatic than many F1 fans would hope.
DRS assisted passes are often less dramatic
The Australian and Bahrain races were thankfully far better and so we can only hope that future races will be closer to them, but Barcelona should certainly serve as a lesson of what we don't want. F1 is the pinnacle of Motorsport, both in terms of drivers and car technology, so the last thing we want is a formula where neither of these things are being pushed to the limits.
The 3rd Round of the Club 100 Lightweight Sprint Championship took place on the 28th April at Rye House in Hoddesdon. Here's my summary of my day's racing.
Located just a short drive from my home in North London, Rye House is my 'local'. Except this local doesn't serve lagers, but similarly it does have a habit of leaving you a little sore the next day. Rolling out of bed at a not so painful 7:30am, I was excited to return to a track I must have driven around 1000 times. Clear blue skies with promise of warmth meant conditions were thankfully also looking perfect.
Not long after we arrived at one of F1 stars Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton's old playing grounds, in true Club 100 style the racing got started as quickly as possible (the event organisers firmly believe in working to 'the sooner we get started, the sooner we go home'). Having to focus myself for qualifying, my attitude for the day's racing took influence from F1 World Champ Fernando Alonso's consistent performances last year. I figured since the Club 100 season is long and filled with variety, consistency is key. Inspired by his success I targeted podiums for both of the day's races, deciding that points were more important than 'binning it' when chasing that extra place, better to finish the race and grab what I can.
QUALIFYING
Despite it being early morning and the first time I'd sat in a kart for a couple of weeks, with this probably being something like my 1001st lap of Rye House, I was able to immediately settle into a rhythm and start chasing that perfect lap. The pace soon came and my laps were good, with just a few outliers here and there, mostly thanks to traffic. Using every inch of the backbreaking kerb at Pylon (shown in the title pic), I was taking some serious risks.
Upon my return to the pits, it became apparent just how necessary those risks were; pole position by 2/100ths. Doesn't come much closer than that.
Pole position over the start line
RACE 1
Sitting on pole position for Race 1, I was by no means confident. The tiny margin between myself and the pursuing karts meant there was little chance of me breaking free from them if everyone remained settled. But speeding over the line, my start was clean and fast as I swept into Stadium bend. Feeling confident enough not to defend, I pressed on with setting fastest laps in order to drag myself out of the danger zone.
This is when it became apparent that my kart had just a few issues. It didn't lack straight line speed, but an out of line steering wheel began to trouble turn in, with a suspected tracking issue as the problem. This coupled with a heavy vibration meant my working conditions were far from ideal. Nevertheless, I pushed as hard as I could only to be out dragged into turn 1, painfully conceding 1st.
Conceding the lead
Despite the loss, it was here that I really began to 'earn my money' (unfortunately in reality my money likes to travel in the opposite direction). To chase down the new leader I had to race my socks off, setting qualifying lap after qualifying lap with my less than perfect kart. I soon began to match the leader's pace, but the threat of attack from behind later into the race meant I chose to defend rather than attack, remembering consistency is key.
The final result saw me just crossing the line in 2nd, disappointed not to get the winners trophy, but very pleased with the 127 Championship points.
RACE 2
Due to only setting the 4th fastest lap in Race 1, I lined up 4th on the grid for Race 2. As I crept out of the pits to begin our warm up laps, I recognised the machinery; this was Race 1's kart. I immediately returned to the pits to swap to another kart, that wonky one wasn't costing me another race. Once I'd joined the formation lap it seemed as though the decision to swap was the right one. No vibrations and a straight steering wheel, I felt much more confident.
Accelerating over the start line, I managed to maximise my position and slot into 4th; nothing spectacular, but what I had to do. I was happy to realise that I was actually now quicker than the karts ahead, so sitting on the final podium positioned kart's bumper, I was able to notice several key areas where I was quicker. But accelerating back onto the straight in what I thought was a prime slipstreaming position, it became clear my afternoon's kart struggled on the straights. Despite my overall good pace, the lack of top speed made it near impossible to make a clean overtaking manoeuvre for 3rd. In a desperate attempt to move forward, I placed my kart's nose on the inside of turn 1, hoping to force the kart ahead into a mistake. Instead I found myself on the outside of the following corner, which allowed the chasing kart to slip through into hairpin 1. I'd gone backwards rather than forwards.
Regaining 4th before snatching 3rd from the off line kart ahead
Remaining focused and hopeful of a way back through, I pressed on and thankfully squeezed back into 4th as the karts ahead squabbled into hairpin 2. I was even able to steal 3rd from of the out of position kart in front, as he ran wide after a failed attempt at taking 2nd. I suddenly found myself on the tail of 2nd place; this was my chance to snatch the place and break free of the pack, in the same way the current leader had managed to do early on.
Sat on the bumper of 2nd, despite every attempt at carrying momentum and getting that good exit onto the straight, I couldn't quite match the straight line performance of his kart. Almost losing sight of 'Alonso's consistency philosophy', I had a couple of fairly ambitious lunges over the course of the following laps.
Tight squeeze: lunging for 2nd
Thankfully I saw sense when a late braking manoeuvre almost saw both of us out of the race. As we crossed the line for the last lap, I decided to defend my position rather than jeopardising points in trying to steal 2nd. Still, 3rd was far from safe as I had to defend from a late onslaught from behind. To my relief I managed to hold on and grab that final podium position, but more importantly I'd secured a healthy sum of 124 points.
No wins, but 2 podium finishes, Rye House was good to me that day. To top it off I was the highest points scorer of the day, so even though the silverware didn't display it, I felt good as I had come home as the number 1 driver for the day.
I now find myself leading the Championship as we head into Round 4 at Ellough Park. I won't be racing then however, due to getting an exciting chance to drive the Spa Francorchamps F1 circuit in Belgium that weekend (a very valid reason to miss a round I'm sure most will agree). Thankfully though, the Club 100 Championship allows you to drop rounds, so through default that missed round will be one of my dropped days. My Championship hopes are therefore very much alive.
Check out my onboard footage from Race 2 at Rye House:
Unfortunately due to a lack of funds, I had to withdraw from the 2013 Championship despite being the leader at the time. I hope to race in a Club100 kart soon.
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