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!

Midseason Update

With the summer break fast approaching, I thought i would give an update of how things stand and what we will be expecting from the rest of the season. With seven of the eleven regional heats complete the qualification ladder is starting to show which cars are the ones to beat. 150 cars have competed so far and leading the table is Rotary Racer from Chipping Sodbury, 2009 champions and one of only four cars to break the 100 mile threshold so far this season. Last years most dominant car, Zebedee, has had a slow start, struggling with the new batteries perhaps, but have since shown their colours and put in a big mileage at Rockingham to put them comfortably back in the top ten.

As for us, we are guaranteed our place at this years final after our podium finish but with only the relatively slow circuit of RAF St Mawgan under our belts we are languishing down in 50th position at the moment. However, with RNAS Merryfield and Castle Combe yet to come, we hope to improve upon this massively. RLR 1 still has a lot more to give, there was plenty left in the batteries after the Newquay heat so we will give it a bit more welly at the next race in September.

Our goal for this season, as determined by team captain, Euan, is Corporate Challenge qualification. To achieve this we will have to finish in the top 15 at the National Final @ Goodwood, an ambitious target but one we think the team can really pull out of the bag. The current team is working magnificently and the recent modifications to the car have released so much of her previously unused potential, the future looks bright, the future is Richard Lander Racing!

2011 Race Calender

The dates of the coming season's races have been published over at www.greenpower.co.uk. We really want to focus on racing this year so as well as the Season Opener we will be entered for 3 regional heats. The dates for our races this season will be:

• Season Opener @Silverstone - 1st May 2011
• Southwest Regional Heat @RAF St Mawgan - 23rd June 2011
• Somerset Regional Heat @RNAS Merryfield - 17th September 2011
• Western Regional Heat @Castle Combe - 2nd October 2011

 A top three place at any of the regional heats will guarantee a place at the National Final @Goodwood on the 16th October 2011. If we fail to win a podium at these events we will have to hope that our race milage puts us in the 'fastest losers' bracket, but hopfully it wont come to that!

The Goodwood Final

What a weekend! What a dramatic race!

We arrived at Goodwood yesterday with a clean scrutineering check and a car which the organisers had tipped to do well. We had no idea of the dramatic race we had ahead of us!

After some admin delays which cut short our practice session it was decided to alter the gearing to its previous settings. With 2 hours until the parade lap a large part of the car was dismantled, altered and reassembled in record time.

 

With the car ready to go, it was time for the parade. The boys really looked the part, the retro helmet and wired scarf (kindly provided by Ben's Mum) completing the look. 

 

It was now time for the race. We were starting at the back of the grid, a consequence of our relatively poor mileage at the Southwest Heat, but we got off to a great start, gaining six positions in the first lap. The second lap however was not as great, some extremely reckless driving from another team lead to us being rear-ended by a rival car, The driver was OK but pretty shaken up, the car was fine with only superficial damage.
The car continued at a reasonable pace for the rest of the first half of the race with the next driver taking lap after lap. It was soon after the battery change at the halfway point that disaster struck. The car had stopped on the far side of the track and a backlog of other recoveries meant that we had a long wait to get it back in to diagnose the problem. It turned out to be the seed controller, it had completely burnt out! There was no other option but to do an epic repair job, substituting in a relay box for the controller. This would give us a simple but effective electronic system, but leave us vulnerable to an even more catastrophic motor burnout.

With the best part of an hour spent out of the race, our hopes for a good position were dashed, but we could still see the end of the race on our wheels so we loaded up another driver and got back out there for the final leg. With the car stationary for so long there was still plenty of juice left in the batteries and we put in some flying laps and our final position of 72nd really didn't reflect the skill and ability of the drivers and engineers, but that's motor sport for you.

Despite the disappointing finishing position, the boys can be really proud of their performance. When the chips were down and all seemed lost they pulled together as a team in a way they hadn't before and didn't give up the fight until the very end. With the addition of picking up the best presented team award, it was back to the campsite for some well deserved rest.

Open Evening

Thursday 29th September is the school's open evening from 5 til 8. It will be the perfect chance to see the car, especially the new modifications, and chat to some of the team before the Goodwood Final in few weeks. Hopefully all the graphics and decals will be finished by then!