• rob_4ucz0g4c
• | June 1, 2014
• | Races 2014
• | No Comments

Brands Hatch Indy – 2014

Two Cars Raced !

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After the way we were happy how the car ran at Silverstone, we did the usual pre race checks including oil and filter changes and drove to Brands on the Saturday, setting up and relaxing for the evening ready for Sundays Qualifying and Race.

Sunday, we had qualifying at 12.00 so was able to have a bit of a lie in. Qualifying went well with a qualifying time of 1.04.955 being over 6 seconds faster than I did last year and was extremely happy with how everything was running.

All we had to do was to top up the usual and sit and relax before the race later that day at 17.00.
Excited, but reminiscent of the over exuberance in the pit lane at Silverstone the race time came and there I was on the grid again.

The race started and the car ran really well as I came in for my compulsory pit stop on lap 12 anxious to stay below the pit lane speed. That done I was back out and enjoying immensely the way the car was going and the lap times I was putting in.

3 laps after being back out on the track and just as I was entering Paddock Hill bend, the two other cars in front started to spin off and before I knew it I too was spinning with the car going sideways down the hill until it caught and spat me on to the grass. Gaining control I managed to get back on to the track and back in the race, albeit the Safety Car was employed as other cars also spun and you could feel how slippy it was around other corners too.

The safety car was out for 5 laps as we formed an orderly queue behind it before it pulled in and the race was on again. Towards the end I had a great battle with a Jaguar whereby he would get me on the straights and then I would be up behind him through the corners and on the last lap was able to pass him going through Paddock and beat him to the chequered flag.

The next race at Spa I will be racing the ForFour which was also out at Brands with us.

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The Brabus ForFour debuted at Brands Hatch with Drivers Philip O’Halloran (who has been racing MR2’s for a few season) and Ben Monday, with Ben being a Novice and this being his third only ever race.

Qualifying went well with Philip putting in some respectable times considering he is used to a rear wheel drive car with a qualifying time of 1.01.143 being only a fraction of a second of Andy Yeoman in his Porsche. After 12 laps, it was the turn of Ben to take it out and as he got used to the car, he eventually put in a very respectable lap of 1.02.648 just towards the end of the session.

Again the car was checked over afterwards, with fuel added and a relaxing time had by everyone up to the race itself.

Philip was first to start and was able to take a few places on the first lap putting in his fastest lap on lap 2 with a 1.01.704 with consistent laps there after without incident until he pitted on lap 16 just as the Safety Car came out.
Ben took over the wheel and his first five laps were behind the safety car and then he got down to putting in consistent laps too with his fastest lap being 1.07.097. Tony, Jonathon, Chris and Nabil were doing the pits for both Rob and the guys in the ForFour and they heard the ForFour develop a misfire down the start finish straight and decided as a precautionary measure to pull Ben in to check it out. Ben came in and the car was okay up to 5000 RPM, thereafter developing a misfire. A decision was made to send Ben out again as it was close to the end of the 40 minutes so that he could get another signature on his license.

It was later found out a coil pack was the cause of the misfire and new ones have been fitted along with some other new exciting stuff ready for Rob to race at Spa at the end of the month