For financial reasons I have decided to run a condensed season so I will only run 3 races and hopefully manage on one set of tyres. I will be racing at Castle Combe in June, then Mallory Park in August and then of course, Cadwell Park in September.
I have replaced the worn out shock absorbers along with some custom made springs I found cheap on a forum. I've also carried out a complete service and tracking as I usually do at the beginning of the season. I decided to replace the exhaust as the old one was damaged and seemed to be restricting the flow of gases. Thats it, it still has all its battle scars from the years before and won't look quite as sparkly as some of the other cars on the grid but its a solid car and I think its set up as good as it can be.
Here's hoping for a good season and lots of rain on race days!
Friday, 15 June 2012
Mallory Park Race September 2011
Qualifying
I wasn't expecting much from this race day due to my shot shock absorbers and now quite worn tyres; I was just going out for a bit of fun.
Managed to find some clean space and got a few quick laps in and qualified 17th out of 25 which wasn't great but at least i'd have lots of people to race!
Race 1
Had similar problems trying to get grip and the poor handling of the car was very apparent. Didn't make much of an impression finishing 15th but had a couple of good scraps and no major damage, just a rear end shunt from Jonny White.
Race 2
I was a lot more confident for this race as there had just been a huge thunderstorm and the circuit was still very wet. I seem to be doing a lot better in the wet so I was hoping it wouldn't dry out too quickly. I made a really good start and the exhaust note sudenly changed and I felt like I had more power. Turned out my back box had fallen off! Off the line I managed to get on the outside going into Gerrads and was able to overtake several cars. Over the next couple of laps I seemed to be overtaking a car every corner, then coming out of Gerrads I could see 4 cars ahead of me and realised they were the leaders and I was in 5th. Ten places made up in 3 laps I really must be a wet weather driver! I was catching the top 4 but then a dry line started to appear and I could only just keep the gap to them. The race finished early due to the curfue which was good for me as a very fast Aaron Pullen finished right on my tail.
This was a really good finish to my season.
I wasn't expecting much from this race day due to my shot shock absorbers and now quite worn tyres; I was just going out for a bit of fun.
Managed to find some clean space and got a few quick laps in and qualified 17th out of 25 which wasn't great but at least i'd have lots of people to race!
Race 1
Had similar problems trying to get grip and the poor handling of the car was very apparent. Didn't make much of an impression finishing 15th but had a couple of good scraps and no major damage, just a rear end shunt from Jonny White.
Race 2
I was a lot more confident for this race as there had just been a huge thunderstorm and the circuit was still very wet. I seem to be doing a lot better in the wet so I was hoping it wouldn't dry out too quickly. I made a really good start and the exhaust note sudenly changed and I felt like I had more power. Turned out my back box had fallen off! Off the line I managed to get on the outside going into Gerrads and was able to overtake several cars. Over the next couple of laps I seemed to be overtaking a car every corner, then coming out of Gerrads I could see 4 cars ahead of me and realised they were the leaders and I was in 5th. Ten places made up in 3 laps I really must be a wet weather driver! I was catching the top 4 but then a dry line started to appear and I could only just keep the gap to them. The race finished early due to the curfue which was good for me as a very fast Aaron Pullen finished right on my tail.
This was a really good finish to my season.
Rockingham Race August 2011
This would be the first time back on a circuit after the engine blow up at Castle Combe and although I was hopeful of a good run with the new engine I was a bit apprehensive as we hadn't managed to give it a good run in.
Qualifying
This didn't go well! Firstly we hadn't set the timing up right and it was lagging far too much so it started to overheat on lap 4. I had also managed to forget to tighten up some wheel nuts properly so it was a good job I stopped when I did. Only managed 17th out of 20 which wasn't good but then I never really got in a quick lap.
Race 1
Didn't make a huge impression in the first race, did manage to get past a few people and finished 9th but this was mainly due to retirements. I just couldn't find any grip and just seemed to slide around all the corners.
Race 2
Similar problems to the first race, no pace and no grip. Wasn't sure whether it was just the circuit I didn't like or if we had further things to work on with the car. finished 13th, just couldn't seem to keep up with the pace and got passed fairly quickly by those who had retired from the first race. Here's hoping for a better day at Mallory.
After investigation we found the shock absorbers where pretty much wrecked which is why the handling felt so bad. don't have the funds to change them before the next race so we'll just have to see how it goes.
Qualifying
This didn't go well! Firstly we hadn't set the timing up right and it was lagging far too much so it started to overheat on lap 4. I had also managed to forget to tighten up some wheel nuts properly so it was a good job I stopped when I did. Only managed 17th out of 20 which wasn't good but then I never really got in a quick lap.
Race 1
Didn't make a huge impression in the first race, did manage to get past a few people and finished 9th but this was mainly due to retirements. I just couldn't find any grip and just seemed to slide around all the corners.
Race 2
Similar problems to the first race, no pace and no grip. Wasn't sure whether it was just the circuit I didn't like or if we had further things to work on with the car. finished 13th, just couldn't seem to keep up with the pace and got passed fairly quickly by those who had retired from the first race. Here's hoping for a better day at Mallory.
After investigation we found the shock absorbers where pretty much wrecked which is why the handling felt so bad. don't have the funds to change them before the next race so we'll just have to see how it goes.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Snetterton 300 Race June 2011
(by Chris Shackle)
The Snetterton weekend would be interesting for a number reasons. I class it as my home track so all my family, friends and marshalling chums would be there. Also, it would be the first time I would turn a wheel on the new 300 layout, and as such, would also be taking part in my very first Nippon race to get a few extra minutes of track time. I had previously qualified with the Nippons but this was the first time I was officially entering as a
So Saturday morning, and typically for Snetteron, the weather wouldn’t make its mind up. On the way to the circuit in the morning it was damp and spitting in places. But by the time we got on track for quail, it was begining to dry, or at least, stopped raining. I decided to put new boots on the car to help scrub them in for the rest of the weekend. I was treating the
Nippon Qualifying
Quail went well up until about lap 2 when a miss fire had made itself apparent. Although it was hurting my performance down the straight (I was down to 2, even 1 cylinder at one point!) I decided to stay to get some track knowledge. In the end, I qualified 7th in class and was by no means the last on the grid. Back in the paddock we whipped the spark plugs out, gave them a good clean and she was running sweet again!
Not much of note here. Kept it clean, out of trouble and managed to finish 4th in class.
I got a great start down the outside of everyone and by the end of the first lap I was leading GT150! I was chasing a Celica, using it to try and keep pace as I had An MGF and a few MR2’s chasing me down. By the end of the 3rd lap, I had cooked my tyres and they were spent. This meant 2 things - 1, I had to tip toe round the long corners to stop the rear stepping out and 2, lots of drifting fun round
MR2 Qualifying
The next day was for MR2’s. Feeling confident from yesterdays action I went out in quail in high hopes and managed to qualify 5th, beating my personal best from the previous day. I started on the inside and everything looked set for a cracking race!
MR2 Race 1
As the race started, I got a great start down the inside and was third by the second corner and hunting down Simon Lockey in Second. After that it all went to pot really! Everyone else seemed to have more straight line speed then me (the reason why has since become clear!). Trying hard to make up for this, I was giving it all round the corners. Until, the inevitable happened. As I rounded Montreal for the 5th time, the back end stepped out and, instead of lifting, I kept my foot nailed to the throttle and she went into a half spin, right in front of where my marshal gang were! I was now back in 7th place and desperate to make places up. In traffic, I went round Hamilton, where the car in front span; I panicked, and followed him off! To cut a long story short, after the race had finished, we had a look and the inside rear tyre was literally shredded to pieces!! OOPPSSS!! Still, remembered to bring a scrubbed spare with me so we swapped the tyres over.
MR2 Race 2
From 10th, I was keen to make amends for my crap performance in race 1. All was going OK, I managed to get up to 9th until the 5th lap. I was chasing Avery and Hemingway into Murrays when Avery went wide onto the grass. Trying to avoid him, DH lost momentum and I got a run at him down the outside along the start/finish straight. As we approached Ritches, we were still neck-and-neck. We both gave each other room but Neil Hurren, went inside of DH, jumping over the curb bumping into him, which in turn sent him into me. This caused me to get a huge tank-slapper and sent me towards the tyre wall. Nothing I could do except wait for the inevitable! Thankful the car hit the tyre wall side on so the impact was spread. Hopefully to be back better at Brands!!
Castle Combe Race May 2011
Qualifying
This would be my first race of the 2011 season due to finances not allowing me to get out sooner, it was good to catch up with the guys again and meet some new faces. I was confident of putting in a decent performance as I felt I had really improved in my last race at Mallory and had put some good runs in at trackdays over the winter. The morning was wet and it was raining during qualifying so it wasn't getting any drier, it was lucky that I needed new tyres as these definitely helped with grip on the wet track.
Started off slowly to get myself used to the car again and the track which I have only done 40 minutes on before; then I started to increase the pace and found a good level of grip. I then started catching and passing everyone on track quite easily. I finished the session feeling like I had done a solid job but with room for improvement. I was amazed to find myself in second place, occupying the front row of the grid, by far my best qualifying ever! Although I was about 0.8 seconds off pole I was 0.9 seconds faster than 3rd place so this gave me some confidence going into the race to be able to maintain my position.
Race 1
After a long agonising wait we eventually got around to starting the first race at 4pm, I was getting concerned that the rain was easing off as the set up of the car and style of my driving obviously favoured wet weather. I didn't make a good start loosing several places going into the first corner but then one of those who got past me spun and I narrowly missed his front end as it came in front of me. This left a reasonable gap behind me and I was in 3rd place; I then lost a place going into the last corner putting me in 4th as we completed the first lap. Coming back into the first corner 2nd place spun off the circuit which left me in 3rd place right behind 2nd place and I had noticed he seemed to be really lacking grip going into the corners. A couple of corners later he went very wide and I was easily able to pass up the inside. I then pulled out a bit of a gap and noticed a few laps later that a different car was now catching me so I increased my pace and managed to maintain a gap all the way to the finish despite delays behind back markers. After what seemed like forever I came home in 2nd place! Mine and the Sakari Racing teams best result ever! Such a great feeling to finish so well although I was a bit disappointed at the total lack of any kind of podium or award ceremony after the race especially this was my first time in this position.
Race 2
Unfortunately the track had dried up for the 2nd race as we were the last race out on the circuit, this wasn't going to be good for my set up but I was still going to give everything I had to finish as high as possible. Again didn't get a good start and got passed by several cars on the first lap, eventually coming around in 5th place to start the second lap. I then managed to get past one car into 4th and maintained this position for 3 more laps until I was caught up by Jonny White. Coming into the 2nd chicane I could see him closing behind me but a couple of car lengths back and knowing that you can't fit 2 cars around that corner took my usual line. However he came up the inside of me and barged me completely off the circuit. I had to take to the grass and just managed to keep it in a straight line to rejoin in 7th place. I wasn't particularly happy at this point and managed to catch up to the back of 6th place but then as I was about to enter the chicane again the engine spectacularly blew up! All I could see where large flames coming from the engine bay so I pulled off the circuit and stopped at a marshals point. This video (http://vimeo.com/24473674) shows just how bad it did go. The engine is a write off and I am having to miss the next race in order to pay for a new one but I still left the circuit in a good mood with the days earlier results.
My first podium achieved and the teams second in only its second season, now Chris just has to get pole position and a race win to go one better!
This would be my first race of the 2011 season due to finances not allowing me to get out sooner, it was good to catch up with the guys again and meet some new faces. I was confident of putting in a decent performance as I felt I had really improved in my last race at Mallory and had put some good runs in at trackdays over the winter. The morning was wet and it was raining during qualifying so it wasn't getting any drier, it was lucky that I needed new tyres as these definitely helped with grip on the wet track.
Started off slowly to get myself used to the car again and the track which I have only done 40 minutes on before; then I started to increase the pace and found a good level of grip. I then started catching and passing everyone on track quite easily. I finished the session feeling like I had done a solid job but with room for improvement. I was amazed to find myself in second place, occupying the front row of the grid, by far my best qualifying ever! Although I was about 0.8 seconds off pole I was 0.9 seconds faster than 3rd place so this gave me some confidence going into the race to be able to maintain my position.
Race 1
After a long agonising wait we eventually got around to starting the first race at 4pm, I was getting concerned that the rain was easing off as the set up of the car and style of my driving obviously favoured wet weather. I didn't make a good start loosing several places going into the first corner but then one of those who got past me spun and I narrowly missed his front end as it came in front of me. This left a reasonable gap behind me and I was in 3rd place; I then lost a place going into the last corner putting me in 4th as we completed the first lap. Coming back into the first corner 2nd place spun off the circuit which left me in 3rd place right behind 2nd place and I had noticed he seemed to be really lacking grip going into the corners. A couple of corners later he went very wide and I was easily able to pass up the inside. I then pulled out a bit of a gap and noticed a few laps later that a different car was now catching me so I increased my pace and managed to maintain a gap all the way to the finish despite delays behind back markers. After what seemed like forever I came home in 2nd place! Mine and the Sakari Racing teams best result ever! Such a great feeling to finish so well although I was a bit disappointed at the total lack of any kind of podium or award ceremony after the race especially this was my first time in this position.
Race 2
Unfortunately the track had dried up for the 2nd race as we were the last race out on the circuit, this wasn't going to be good for my set up but I was still going to give everything I had to finish as high as possible. Again didn't get a good start and got passed by several cars on the first lap, eventually coming around in 5th place to start the second lap. I then managed to get past one car into 4th and maintained this position for 3 more laps until I was caught up by Jonny White. Coming into the 2nd chicane I could see him closing behind me but a couple of car lengths back and knowing that you can't fit 2 cars around that corner took my usual line. However he came up the inside of me and barged me completely off the circuit. I had to take to the grass and just managed to keep it in a straight line to rejoin in 7th place. I wasn't particularly happy at this point and managed to catch up to the back of 6th place but then as I was about to enter the chicane again the engine spectacularly blew up! All I could see where large flames coming from the engine bay so I pulled off the circuit and stopped at a marshals point. This video (http://vimeo.com/24473674) shows just how bad it did go. The engine is a write off and I am having to miss the next race in order to pay for a new one but I still left the circuit in a good mood with the days earlier results.
My first podium achieved and the teams second in only its second season, now Chris just has to get pole position and a race win to go one better!
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Brands Hatch Indy Race May 2011
Chris started his season off at Brands Hatch with a fine top ten qualifying run getting 9th place only a second off pole position. He had a consistent run maintaining his 9th place to line but finished only half a second behind 8th place. For the second race Chris had a good start gaining a place on the first lap but then had an excursion and dropped down to 15th place. He then battled his way back up the grid to 12th by lap 10 but was then left with too much of a gap to the next driver to improve any further.
A solid start to the season and, with Chris missing out on Castle Combe, he'll be looking forward to his next race At Snetterton his home circuit.
Chris Shackle 3rd Placed Driver of the Season 2010
I've been a bit slow keeping this page up to date so here's the first of several updates seeing as we are half way through the 2011 season!
The end of season awards took place in November 2010 and I need to give a big congratulations to my team mate Chris Shackle for achieving 3rd placed driver of the season. This was given to him based on his consistency throughout the season of obtaining top ten qualifying positions and race results including Chris's and the teams first podium at Mallory Park.
The pressures now on Chris (mainly from me) to improve on this next year and lets see some more podiums for both of us.
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