• rob_4ucz0g4c
• | May 9, 2015
• | Races 2015
• | No Comments

Silverstone National – 2015

Happy with the results from Snetterton and just a couple of changes to the car with some altered rear dampers from Bilstein and the usual oil and filter change the car was loaded and of to Silverstone so we can set up the truck and awning and get a good night’s sleep before the following days race.

The weather held up and qualifying was late in the morning so it was just a waiting game prior to going out on the track. 32 cars were entered and Rob pulled out onto the track following a Ferrari F355 which was an experience in itself, but within 2 laps had passed it and got on with putting as fast a times in as possible. Silverstone’s National circuit is a fast circuit with effectively 3 straights and 3 corners and at the end of qualifying Rob was at first disappointed in only qualifying 28^th with a 1.10.943, but when realising there was only 6 seconds separating the top 30 and the fastest being a 1.04.106, and considering the cars that were before him including the Ferrari (only 3 seconds a lap faster), Rob was happy and so were the team.

Come the race, which was last of the day, and the weather still being fine, albeit windy Rob was looking forward to a few good battles again as per Snetterton. A standing start and Rob knew Rich in the Scooby was gonna go for it from behind him and so tried to keep up with him as he gained various places through the pack. Lap after lap went by and the car was running really well as Rob battled and overtook various cars in the first half of the race including the Ferrari again as per qualifying. After the compulsory pit stop and learning his lesson from last year where he got black flagged for speeding in the pit lane, Rob came back out on the track and got into a really good battle with John in a Porsche 944 where Rob seemed to always get him on the brakes but was obvious that he was losing traction out of the corners, especially Luffield onto the start finish straight with the front wheels spinning up terribly. At the end of the 40 minutes Rob crossed the line in 26^th when there was a terrific bang and he lost traction completely.  Cruising to a halt on the slowing down lap and being bought back into the paddock on the back of a truck was not really the ending the team were looking to, but at least Rob finished. Upon inspection it was found out the Nearside Driveshaft had snapped at the joint and this could have attributed to the car spinning up so much as the grease from the CV joint was all over the tyre and brakes. Rob did manage to finish second in his class only 6 seconds behind the MR2 and with new strengthened drive shafts ready to go in and some further changes to the suspension, the team and Rob are looking forward to Brands on the 31^st.