Ice and Flu doesn't stop first Ginetta run in 2016

Tuesday 16th February

Having suffered from Flu on Monday which spread into the early hours of Tuesday. I did not wake up with a bundle of joy with the through of jumping into a race car. I actually wanted to go back to bed. Having not eaten anything for 24 hours that was probably the sensible option after looking out of the window to ice and fog. But in the true motorsport spirit, when do you go for the sensible option!!

Luckily Ian had packed my race bag the night before, so I gingerly got myself into the car with a blanket and lemsip and started the journey to Snetterton. It was typical, the morning that we actually wanted to do something and it was icy with clearing fog! When we got to the circuit it was frozen, so we had to wait for the marshals to work their magic and get the circuit ready for action. (To be honest this suited me down to the ground and gave me extra time to recover!) It was of course Ian's and my first outting with the new 2016 'Jazzy' livery. Which looked truly amazing.

The track was wet all day so there was only wet tyre running. However it enabled the car to have a proper pre-season shakedown to ensure everything was running well and ready for the season. Amazing to think that we hadn't run the car since last June, so to blow of the cobwebs was just great.

During lunchtime and the afternoon we managed to get some great photo's of the car in its new livery. (To be unveiled soon!) but to give you a hint it looks a bit like this ....

64 days and counting until the first round on 23rd April at Donington Park. Can't wait.

2016 Race Season

2016 Calendar

23rd & 24th April              Donington Park (National)

7th & 8th May                   Brands Hatch (GP)

28th & 29th May               Silverstone (National)

18th & 19th June                Rockingham (ISSC)

23rd July                             Oulton Park (International)

13th & 14th August            Donington Park (GP)

10th & 11th September       Silverstone (GP)

8th & 9th October              Snetterton (300)

7th March. 1st Ginetta G55 outing

Saturday 7th March. First outing in the Ginetta G55 at Snetterton. The sun isn't quite out yet but the forecast is good. Just got to remember that you get in it on the left hand side and there is no gear lever! Shakedown test to run the new car in ready for the start of the MSA British Endurance Championship which start on Saturday 28th March. Exciting. 

Testing Time at Silverstone

Testing time in the Ginetta G50 at Silverstone International circuit in preparation for Britcar tomorrow with Ian Anderson and Lifetime Racing. Plenty of areas to work on. Cant wait. We will also be revealing our new helmet designs.

F1 Graphics support

Just want to thank F1 Graphics for their support yesterday helping Dan get the car prepared for this weekends Britcar campaign. The car is now ready for racing.

www.formula1graphics.co.uk

Lifetime Racing team up with Caterham Champions for the 2014 Britcar Championship

Lifetime Racing team up with Caterham Champions for the 2014 Britcar Championship.

Multiple Caterham Graduate Sigma Champion Ian Anderson and 2013 Caterham Graduate Sigma Champion and 2014 BWRDC Goldstars winner Amanda Black will drive a Ginetta G50 prepared by Lifetime Racing in the 2014 Britcar Endurance Championship.

Lifetime Racing have experience of running the Ginetta G50 in endurance racing events having finished third in the British GT4 Championship in 2013 preparing a similar machine to the one they will field for Ian and Amanda.

Ian Anderson said “After 4 years of Caterham racing a whole new chapter begins, starting this weekend with a Ginetta G50 in the Britcar Endurance Championship. I am looking forward to working with Dan Eagling of Lifetime Racing and hope that with the combination of experience, enthusiasm and commitment we can work towards meeting the challenges that will no doubt lie ahead.

For our first outing we are aiming for both consistency and to be within site of the pace in Class 4. I am commencing on a very steep learning curve that will highlight the differences between Endurance racing and the 20 min non-stop wheel to wheel racing that I have known in the Caterham Graduates Racing Club. I am looking forward to seeing how Britcar & Lifetime Racing will help me develop as a driver and as a member within a team through the coming season.”

Amanda Black said “I’m looking forward to the amazing opportunity to experience the first step on the GT ladder at this weekend’s Silverstone Britcar round. We have had great support from lifetime racing learning the difference between Caterham racing and driving a Ginetta.”

Dan Eagling said “Following a successful campaign in British GT last season with a Ginetta G50 myself and the team are excited to be working with Ian and Amanda. They are proven Champions who both have a hunger to develop and hone their racing skills. Endurance racing is a new discipline to the pair but I believe we have a package that will allow them to progress and I have no doubt that Ian and Amanda will be challenging for wins this year.”

This season’s Britcar Endurance Championship starts on April 12 at Silverstone International.

www.lifetimeracing.co.uk     @lifetimeracing

Britcar

We have a Britcar entry.

Silverstone 12th April

Number 50 in class 4.

Ginetta G50

Silverstone Ginetta Test

 What a great day testing a Ginetta G50 at Silverstone with Lifetime racing.

Still learning a lot about the car and driving on slicks. After a tough Caterham round last weekend it was really nice and refreshing to drive something different. I felt like I could drive again! I really enjoyed sitting down with Dan and going through the data on how I can improve my driving. Learning so much from lines on a computer screen! Just need to wait and see if we a have a Britcar entry for a coupe of weeks time? Fingers crossed!

www.lifetimeracing.co.uk

Ginetta Preparations

Having realised that the Ginetta was down on power because it didn't have a stage 1 engine. Ian has managed to source a new stage 1 engine and also new diff gear ratios. After installation the car was off to the rolling road to see if we had the desired bhp.

Unfortunately the car was still down on power and tomorrows Silverstone test was looking doubtful. However many thanks to Dan's hard work and problem solving skills he managed to solve the problem at 10 'o'clock at night. Now that is dedication and the Silverstone test is still on! Hurray. Cant wait. Thanks Dan and Lifetime racing. 

Tough start to the Sigmax Championship 2014

With limited testing this year I always knew that the step up in class this year to the Sigmax Championship was going to be a difficult one. With no Graduate races in the school holidays and therefore no Friday testing the challenge was on. Having managed to get away from school at lunch time to sprint over to Donington to get out in the final test session I was disappointed to only get about 4 laps in the 20 min session. 2 red flags pretty much meant that the effort unfortunately wasn't worth it.

 

Qualifying was interesting. Cars appeared to be packed and grouped together. I was disappointed to qualify 12th and 10th with no clear lap completed. My fastest lap didn't even had a tow. Disappointed as I know I can drive the car faster. So Qual was hard. I didn't play it right. Didn't get a clean lap. Got boxed in. People playing weird games. My fastest lap I didn't even get a tow down the dunlop straight! Came off knowing I could drive faster which was frustrating. Poor qualifying then had an impact on my whole weekend.

Race 1 ended up wet. However I did achieve the 4th fastest lap time as the track was drying. Then the safety car came out then it rained. Then I became a pansy and just wanted to bring the car home in one piece to race on Sunday. But did managed 9th.

Race 2. I lost 4 positions at the start. Had a good battle with people around me. Until going into the final chicane the car in front braked very very hard, I in turn braked very very hard, locked up the rear and that made the car stall through the chicane! (Which apparently is caused by the lighten flywheel?!) By the time I had restarted I had lost 4 places and was battling for 11, 12, 13, 14. I was all over them but couldn't shift them with the slip stream. I then spun at the exit of the old hairpin. Typical because I had the Motors TV camera onboard! However all is not lost. 10th in championship!

The weekend was very challenging. However I have reflected very well on it over the last 24 hours and all is not lost. The biggest issue is that no one looks at a results sheet and says 'Who did testing and who didn't! Unfortunately I can not test and Im going to pay the price very heavily. If there wasn't a value in testing on a Friday - no one would do it!  The aim is to have fun and enjoy racing. A step in class means I'm learning. Learning is good.