17th-Nov-24, 08:09 AM
Race Report: Group A Team Race
Seventeen of us gathered at the Barn for our November Tin Top Saturday. Ryan sat out the early stages, feeling a bit under-par but hoping to perk up as the morning went on. That left us with 16 racers getting to know the circuit and preparing for the team race...
As expected, the Meadowdale-inspired track was wonderful to drive, with two very equal lanes...
Practice over, we had six Pro-Am teams (four threes and two pairs), three Sierras, two BMWs and our first Commodore...
The usual two-minute super-pole shoot-out saw qualifying specialist Ollie put the AST One BMW on pole with the only sub-11 second lap...
Our WHO Random Weather Predictor gave us a maximum 4 weather changes for the 30-minute - starting damp, but probably clearing up. With the drivers who qualified the cars taking the first stint, we were ready to go...
It was Isaac who jumped up from fourth on the grid to challenge Ollie in the early laps - the Sierra passing the BMW and controlling the race until the first pit stop. Sadly, Isaac stopped a fraction too late, running out of fuel and losing a lap. The Écurie Escargot Sierra sat second to the AST One BMW after that first pit stop cycle. The two youngsters battled well for the remainder of the 10-minute stint, Isaac handing over to Frankie still just one lap adrift of Ollie's leading BMW...
Behind the leading pair of cars, Simon handed the Ardingly Aces Sierra to Kev in third place, the WHAM! Racing BMW sat in fourth, the Commodore was in fifth and Fundamentally Barley's Sierra was in six - the whole field separated by just four laps.
Out front, Alex took over at the half way stage - the team's score 64 laps and having a one lap lead over Écurie Escargot, for whom Frankie was driving brilliantly for only his second WHO Digital event. WHAM! and Ardingly Aces were three laps off the lead on 61 laps. Fundamentally Barley had overtaken Gearzilla's Commodore, their halfway scores 59 and 57 laps respectively. Then came a brief rain shower, soaking the track and making the Intermediate tyres a bit of a struggle. The track soon started to dry and no-one went for Wets.
The final driver change at 20 minutes saw Alex firmly in the lead, having a three lap lead over WHAM! Racing in second and four laps over Écurie Escargot and Ardingly Aces. Fundamentally Barley remained five laps off the lead, with Gearzilla another two laps back.
Alex was firmly in control of the race, Andy moving the Écurie Escargot Sierra back to second spot ahead of Ash in the WHAM! BMW. As the race clock moved towards the half hour mark, it looked like the podium places were sorted. However, late drama saw the Sierra wiped out entering the pits for a splash & dash by the Fundamentally Barley car. The Sierra hit the deck and that was game over. Ash took full advantage, claiming second spot, five laps behind the winners. Fundamentally Barley finished third, ahead of the disappointed Écurie Escargot who'd run in the top two for much of the race thanks to superb drives by junior racers Isaac and Frankie. Ardingly Aces just failed to overtake the stricken Sierra and finished fifth, comfortably ahead of the Commodore.
Bravo to Alex and Ollie for a great win to start the day...
And here are the stint stats...
Next up is the start of the day's BTCC action!
Seventeen of us gathered at the Barn for our November Tin Top Saturday. Ryan sat out the early stages, feeling a bit under-par but hoping to perk up as the morning went on. That left us with 16 racers getting to know the circuit and preparing for the team race...
As expected, the Meadowdale-inspired track was wonderful to drive, with two very equal lanes...
Practice over, we had six Pro-Am teams (four threes and two pairs), three Sierras, two BMWs and our first Commodore...
The usual two-minute super-pole shoot-out saw qualifying specialist Ollie put the AST One BMW on pole with the only sub-11 second lap...
Our WHO Random Weather Predictor gave us a maximum 4 weather changes for the 30-minute - starting damp, but probably clearing up. With the drivers who qualified the cars taking the first stint, we were ready to go...
It was Isaac who jumped up from fourth on the grid to challenge Ollie in the early laps - the Sierra passing the BMW and controlling the race until the first pit stop. Sadly, Isaac stopped a fraction too late, running out of fuel and losing a lap. The Écurie Escargot Sierra sat second to the AST One BMW after that first pit stop cycle. The two youngsters battled well for the remainder of the 10-minute stint, Isaac handing over to Frankie still just one lap adrift of Ollie's leading BMW...
Behind the leading pair of cars, Simon handed the Ardingly Aces Sierra to Kev in third place, the WHAM! Racing BMW sat in fourth, the Commodore was in fifth and Fundamentally Barley's Sierra was in six - the whole field separated by just four laps.
Out front, Alex took over at the half way stage - the team's score 64 laps and having a one lap lead over Écurie Escargot, for whom Frankie was driving brilliantly for only his second WHO Digital event. WHAM! and Ardingly Aces were three laps off the lead on 61 laps. Fundamentally Barley had overtaken Gearzilla's Commodore, their halfway scores 59 and 57 laps respectively. Then came a brief rain shower, soaking the track and making the Intermediate tyres a bit of a struggle. The track soon started to dry and no-one went for Wets.
The final driver change at 20 minutes saw Alex firmly in the lead, having a three lap lead over WHAM! Racing in second and four laps over Écurie Escargot and Ardingly Aces. Fundamentally Barley remained five laps off the lead, with Gearzilla another two laps back.
Alex was firmly in control of the race, Andy moving the Écurie Escargot Sierra back to second spot ahead of Ash in the WHAM! BMW. As the race clock moved towards the half hour mark, it looked like the podium places were sorted. However, late drama saw the Sierra wiped out entering the pits for a splash & dash by the Fundamentally Barley car. The Sierra hit the deck and that was game over. Ash took full advantage, claiming second spot, five laps behind the winners. Fundamentally Barley finished third, ahead of the disappointed Écurie Escargot who'd run in the top two for much of the race thanks to superb drives by junior racers Isaac and Frankie. Ardingly Aces just failed to overtake the stricken Sierra and finished fifth, comfortably ahead of the Commodore.
Bravo to Alex and Ollie for a great win to start the day...
And here are the stint stats...
Next up is the start of the day's BTCC action!
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