• rob_4ucz0g4c
• | May 30, 2015
• | Races 2015
• | No Comments

Brands Hatch Indy – 2015

Following the issues at Silverstone further changes were made to the rear suspension as it was found that the team needed to increase the stiffness to compensate for the car moving too much at the front, so different springs have now been fitted and a much bigger front anti roll bar too. A new set of tyres had to be purchased as the fronts had gone off due to the amount of spinning up the car was doing at Silverstone.

Arriving at Brands on the Saturday, the weather was dry and the team were looking forward to the following days race, but then over night the heavens opened and there was no choice but to use the wets for qualifying.

First out on the track that day, 37 cars were out and it was a case of Rob just driving sensibly and smoothly. Many cars were spinning of with the amount of water on the track and Robs confidence in the car and its new suspension set up, meant that on each lap he was getting faster and faster and on lap 17 out of 18 he managed his fastest time of 1.09.414 pulling in to the pits just after a car blew oil all the way up the back straight making it even more slippery with 2 of the Ferraris sliding of in front of him and Rob calling it the end not wishing to damage the car in any way. Overall he qualified 18^th actually beating 2 of the Ferraris, BMW M3’s etc, being very happy with the position and even more confident in the car and set up.

Come the race, the track was still wet and there was a slight drizzle and so it was decided to keep the wets on rather than risking it. A rolling start and by the time Rob got to Druids, he had already taken a couple of cars and was driving really well, until the Safety Car was sent out on the track for a car running into the gravel at Paddock on the first lap. Overall the Safety car was deployed 3 times during the race and Rob got into a really good pace improving on his lap times from qualifying earlier. The statutory pit stop went well and Rob was back out on the track now in a battle with a Porsche 968 of John Boults where Rob managed to keep ahead of him until the very last lap, where a mistake going into Druids, John Managed to get past and Rob had to finish in 14^th overall with a fastest lap of 1.06.225, only 4 seconds a lap slower than the fastest cars on the track and the team was even happier with the results.

In his class Rob was second to Kyle Ward in his Starlet which being he was down on power by approx 70 BHP and 200 Kilos heavier (he needs to go on a diet), was still a very good result overall.

The car is now being prepped for Spa at the end of this month which is Robs favourite Circuit with further suspension modifications being done and the spare engine being put in which has had a few internal modifications done to it, he is confident on being able to beat his lap times of last year.