RLR1 at the National Final 2011

We have returned after an long and incredibly tiring weekend and once again the team has done superbly.
A nice, leisurely 9am start on Saturday began our journey to West Sussex for the Formula 24 National Final at its regular home of Glorious Goodwood. With our trusty trailer, on free loan from Tyrone Snell, we were on our way. We had been given permission to sign write the trailer so we had spent all day Friday pimping her up and we were pretty proud of how we would roll.

This would be our third trip to the historic circuit, the second with the current car, and we were determined to right the disappointment of the previous year where an hour out of the race with electrical problems put us near the back of the field. We were also once again up against our local rivals and fellow Truronians, Penair School with their car, Blue Raptor, and after the 'racing incident' between us earlier in the season we were determined to finish ahead of them this time.

Before race day on Sunday we had a treat planned for the team. Andy Clarke, husband of our own TA, Emma Clarke, had got us permission to tour the composites factory where he works, Global Technologies Racing. A fantastic opportunity for the team, they got to see first hand the sort of technologies that go into Formula 1 and Le Mans cars as well as getting their hands on a few beautifully crafted carbon and glass fibre components due to be on the track in the near future.

For the first time we had forsaken the camping for the luxury of a Travelodge and the extra comfort, as well as the Olympic breakfast from the little chef next door, meant the team were ready to perform at their best on race day. With the team fed and watered we got cracking on to Goodwood. With the well practiced efficiency we have come to expect from the team we were setup and ready for practice in no time, even after some time out for team photos.

We decided to go to practice with the highest gearing we could theoretically achieve to see if it was practical but the lap times proved to be on the slow side so the team pulled the car in and changed the gear by a single tooth on the lay-shaft and sent the car out for another run but with time enough for only a single flying lap, results were inconclusive. We decided to play safe and change the gearing again before the race but without testing, would it get us to the end of the race? We sent the team out for the parade and to line up on the grid.

With Jacca behind the wheel in for the first stint we were confident of a good start  and after all the cars had settled into a groove we were cruising along in 23rd position. Our rivals from Penair School unfortunately pulled out after only four laps with technical problems, a sad way to end a race and not the way we wanted to beat them, but with that goal resolved we focused on our own race.Our pace was consistent and the team were in control but an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration meant that the pit board was missed and the car stayed out for an extra lap before the changeover. Calculations were made, plans rewritten and Ben was put in for the second stint. Driving with the consistency he is known for, Ben crept past a car or two, clocking up the miles and pushing us up to 20th at the end of his run.

With Harrison in for stint three, we were looking for some places to fall but despite some great driving and a few on track incidents to avoid we ended the long stint having only taken one place but he lap times remained consistent and the race was still going to plan. Going into the last third of the race, Gareth took over the driving duties, keen to get the laps he missed out on after the technical problems of the previous year. The counter ticked away and eventually so did the lap times, passably as a result of the missed pit earlier in the day so the team decided to pull him in but a second missed pit board lead to an awfully slow lap as the batteries began to fail. Gareth did well to nurse the car home and it was then time for Becky to finish the race and chase down a few more cars before the chequered flag.

In typical fashion for a Formula 24 race, positions changed and cars swapped places frequently in the last half hour as strategy and consistency begin to pay off for those teams that manage their cars well. Our earlier control of the cars speed was now paying off and we kept the pace consistent as other cars began to run out of juice. As the flag fell at the end of the race, we had fought our way up to 17th place in a field of 75 cars and another PB of 93.6 miles. The team had also impressed the judges with their professional demeanour and knowledge of the car and were presented with the IOM3 'Innovative Use of Materials' Award.

With a fantastic final race completed, the season has now come to a close and we will be saying goodbye to some legendary year 11s from the team. It has been an epic journey and they can all be proud of what they have achieved during their time in the team. The remaining members of the team have some big shoes to fill and with the addition of some new face in the next few months we are keen to get started on some modifications for next year and maybe even start work on a new car...

Live Timing for the Final

With manic, last-minute preparations going on at RLR HQ there is just enough time for a quick post to mention the live timing for the final this weekend:

http://www.bbk-online.net/gpt/race56.htm

We are now car number 16, which makes us the highest seeded Cornish team, so keep an eye on us online if you can't make the trip to Goodwood with us.

The Final 2011

This is it. After 9 regional heats and 179 entries the final lineup has been decided. The top 75 cars can now advance to the National Final, at Glorious Goodwood as always, ready to fight for the chequered flag. For a full list click HERE.

This will be our third final and things have never looked better for us. We are now car 16, sitting on the third row of the grid, shoulder to shoulder with such illustrious competition as last year's champions, Zebedee, and our perennial nemesis, Megazord.  Our target for the race will be Corporate Challenge qualification which requires us to finish in the top 15 but being so close to the front of the pack makes us think we can do even better, maybe even break the 100 mile barrier, a feat managed by only 4 cars this year.

The arrangements for the day will be the same as for Castle Combe but for those of you who need it, here is the schedule:


0730 - Teams arrive and sign on

0815 - Scrutineering opens

0900 - Team briefing 1

0930 to 1030 - Practice

1040 - Team briefing 2

1100 to 1230 - F24+ race

1300 to 1700 - F24 race

1730 - Prize giving

We will be travelling up to West Sussex on Saturday, taking advantage of early scrutineering at the Greenpower Centre so we can crack on with practice and get the car up to speed as soon as possible. We have also been working on sprucing up the aesthetics of the team, we won the award for 'Best Presented Team' at last years final and we are determined to take it again. Time to get the vinyl cutter out I think. And the spray paint. and the texiprint. and the... ok, this may take some time!

RLR1 at the Western Heat 2011

Sunday saw another early start for Richard Lander Racing as we made the journey up to Castle Combe for the Formula 24 Western Regional Heat. These early starts and long journeys have been surprisingly good for morale, nothing bonds a team better than shared adversity! A great appreciation goes to Mr. Beech who is doing all the minibus driving, but is it worth the singing?!

With several races done now the team are running like clockwork, flying through scrutineering and getting out to practice nice and early, myself and the other adults just setup our seating and let the team crack on. After a few pace laps from Harrison it was time to debut one of our new drivers, Jack, to take the wheel. As one of the two kids to have attended every race we have done, Jack is finally old enough to get out on the track.

With practice over it was time for the race to begin, Jacca lining up the car for RLR. The starting grid for regionals is a first come first served affair but with the team working so smoothly we managed to get ourselves right on the front row of the grid with such esteemed competitors as Rotary Racer and BY-Pod. The sun was beating down and track temperature rising, this would be a tough race for the drivers.

An swollen field of 49 competitors with a few former champions thrown in for good measure would make this a difficult race, even getting into the top fifteen would be a challenge but that's the target we set ourselves

Our strategy for this race was to increase our gearing to try and find our limit before the final so Jacca knew that he had to pace the car for the long race ahead keeping consistent laps (but still managing to sneak in our fastest lap of the race). by the end of Jacca's stint we were sitting in 18th place.

Next up was Ben to chase down some of those cars who had edged ahead of us and get into that top 15 bracket. With the determination and consistency Ben has shown all season those last few cars were picked off one by one and by the end of his run we were comfortably inside our target in 13th position, but with two thirds of the race to go, could we hold on? Could we do even better?

Time for the long stint, this time it was Harrison. Battling hard for those extra places and holding off the cars chasing us down, at the halfway point Harrison had taken us up to 10th, revealing a frustratingly familiar sight, the back of Megazord! The team from Bristol has finished one place ahead of us at both our previous heats and the team were determined to not let it happen again. As teams rose up and fell away, positions changed regularly but we still couldn't pass Megazord, although we were slowly gaining lap after lap. With ourselves in 9th, Megazord in 8th and Piranha in 7th it was time to start changing batteries. Megazord and Piranha came in first, allowing us to take both positions but we still had to pit ourselves on the next lap. When our time came, the team pulled off annother great pit stop, getting Gareth in and an exhausted Harrison out, and we were out and we settled around the timing board to see if we could beat Megazord and Piranha out, but it was mixed results, ahead of Piranha but still behind Megazord, leaving us in 8th place.

Gareth spent a few laps eating away at 'zords lead, but it wasn't to last, lap times were dropping off, the batteries were failing! Euan made the decision to bring him in a lap earlier than schedule, getting Becky in with the last set of batteries to run for the flag, but with an extra few minutes to run, would she make it?

Becky put in some great laps, tailing 'zord the whole way, putting the pressure on the whole time when completely out of the blue Superformance overtook us both, pushing Megazord and ourselves down to 8th and 9th. With only 12 minutes of the four hour race to go we got our chance, Meagazord's early pace had left them short on juice and they needed a battery change, and we finally overtook with just 8 minutes left on the clock, all we had to do was finish our last lap. As they disappeared up the Avon Rise, RLR1 was ahead with Megazord perilously close behind, the team took up a position on the pit wall to see the cars cross the line. For us the race was down to two cars, the other forty something competitors didn't matter now, only the red of RLR1 and the blue of Megazord, which one would come around first and claim 8th place?

It was blue.

Becky's batteries just couldn't keep up the pace for that extra lap. They had pipped us again!

9th place was our final position, well within our top 15 target and with mileage of 92.5, we continue to improve race after race. We are now 15th on the grid for the final, looking on target for a good result at Goodwood in a fortnights time, we may even beat Megazord one day!