Abbie Eaton's blog

The last round of the Dunlop Sportmaxx championship was going to be a non-starter due to the ever present problem of lack of funding, which was really frustrating because I was still in contention to win the overall championship.

However, two people seem to keep rescuing my racing season, so for the third time this year Mike and Andy at WHF LTD (Race transporters) were my knights in shining armour!!

The last time I was at Snett was a year ago at the last round of Saxmax. So not being able to test on the Friday was a major setback but that’s life when you’re racing on a non existent budget!
So I went straight into qualifying on the Saturday morning and managed to qualify 3rd, but some way off the pace, so after a few changes to the car and a think about where I could improve on the track, I was ready to head out for race 16 of the championship.

I managed to win my class and improved my pace (which was the aim).

Race 17 was less than perfect. I made a very good start and got alongside Ryan Bensley in the Leon but Matt Pike in the Mini was on my outside, and inevitably I got squeezed between the two, resulting in the tyre valve of the front right being ripped out, so I had to pit and get the wheel changed. I still managed to score points but Simon Shaw in the Class A Seat Leon was still 7 points ahead of me in the race for the championship.

So, for me to win the championship, Simon Shaw was going to have to hit problems. This didn’t happen and even though I won the B class, I lost out on the championship by 4 points.

However, on reflection considering this was my first year in senior racing, added to all the trials and tribulations with regards to funding that was promised and never arrived, I am proud of the results I achieved.

I couldn’t have achieved what I have done this year without the help of these few individuals:

John Thorne of Thorney Motorsport, who was placed in a difficult position, due to hollow commitments by some people, but he still hung in there and let me race the Corsa.

WHF Ltd and John Everard with their timely funding interventions.

And most importantly, my Mum and Dad. They really have been amazing this year; I can’t express how much they’ve both given up for me to be where I am. I often joke that when I’m rich and famous I’ll pay them both back and buy them a mansion, I just hope that this becomes a reality, because they deserve nothing less.

Also a big thank you to many other people who have given me encouragement to follow my dream of driving professionally.

So what does 2010 hold?!
A number of people are working on my behalf to try and get some funding in place to allow me to race next year. The possibilities that are on the table at the moment look very exiting and promising! So fingers crossed!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blogs and I’ll speak to you all soon with some (hopefully) good news!!!

Abbie xx

3 Wins. 1 Fastest Lap

I was looking forward to racing at Croft, due to having driven the track earlier in the year when I tried to win the Mini Scholarship drive. The track was different to anything else I’d driven and I enjoyed the track layout.

However once again I couldn’t afford to test on the Friday, so it was straight into qualifying on the Saturday morning.

As soon as I hit the track I realised the car’s handling had changed from previous races. I was struggling with major under steer so the harder I tried to overcome the problem, the more it pushed on. My best lap time was miles off the class pole, so it was up to the team to try and understand what changes we needed to make. With changes made I had my fingers crossed for race 1.

I made an average start and found myself at the back of the field and I realised the car was better, but only slightly, and to be frank, I knew I was going to struggle to get anywhere near the front of the pack. So I just had to knuckle down and try to make the best of the car I had underneath me. The under steer was still there but I pulled the front three in and I could see that Ray, Luke and Keith were fighting amongst themselves. I had a gut feeling that there was going to be an incident in front of me at some time or other, it was just a case of being patient.

This happened on lap 6 when the Seat tried to overtake Ray Grimes in the Clio at the hairpin. It resulted in all three cars ahead making contact. This was the opportunity I was waiting for so I took full advantage, and gained the lead. Unfortunately Luke suffered some damage and had to retire from the race, but Keith and Ray set about chasing me down. Keith, in the BMW was going particularly well and was soon on my back bumper. Due to the Corsa not handling like I wanted, I had to defend on a number of occasions to keep Keith behind but I enjoyed the challenge of getting a hard fought class win!

In the team debrief it was decided to make some major suspension changes for the last 2 races of the weekend.

The track was dry and I was intrigued to see if the changes the team had made to the car would be beneficial. I made an average start which allowed Ray, Luke and Keith by into the first corner. But I was happy as I could feel the car was handling much better and I felt confident that I could press on and get another win. This was probably the best race I’ve had this year in Sportmaxx as it wasn’t easy and I definitely had to fight for it. There was plenty of overtaking and good close racing, which in my opinion makes a perfect race, which was even better topped off with a win!

Race 15 was boring by comparison, I made a good start and lead into the first corner. I had Ray Grimes on my back bumper for a couple of laps then pulled away and got a good lead of about 10 seconds. I set fastest lap and got another win!

All in all I was pleased with how this weekend went, even with the setup difficulties! (I suppose this made it more of an interesting weekend!) I was also happy that I managed to do this with an extra 72kg of success ballast in my car!!

Unfortunately the funds have run out and it’s looking very unlikely that we’re going to make the last round. We’re going to win the Class B Championship but won’t win the overall championship which is very disappointing as we’re 7 points behind the leader!

I’d like to thank John Thorne, Rich Abra and the guys at Thorney Motorsport for supporting me through this year. I couldn’t have got to where I am now without their help and I wish them the very best in the future!

Abbie! X

Rounds 10, 11, 12 were held at Castle Combe.

We managed to scrape the budget together for this meeting, but only just!

We turned up to Combe on the Friday night as I couldn’t test. I had a look at some track footage during the week as I was straight into qualifying at a track I’d not been to before and wanted as best chance as I could get to try and put the car on pole. At first the track was a bit daunting as it’s very quick and also quite technical.

The Thorney Motorsport Corsa was quite nervous and loose on all the quick corners, which could be due to its short wheelbase.

Matt Cherrington was driving the Dunlop Seat Leon as recognition of his efforts in the 750mc Locost formula. Matt had raced at the track before and also had the benefit of the test day on the Friday, so he put his knowledge to good use and got pole for Class B and I was second, which in the circumstances I was happy with as I knew I’d increase my pace quickly in the race.

Race 1 was dry and we were told that when five red lights went out the race was on, but the lights malfunctioned and only three came on and went out. This resulted in the whole field hesitating for half a second and then going. I made a good start and lead Class B from the get go. The distance to the other cars remained static for the first part of the race but I was starting to struggle with under steer and I could see the Leon catching me in my mirrors. Four laps from the end Matt was on my bumper and I knew it was only a matter of time before he would pass me. The Leon is definitely quicker in a straight line so I really had to concentrate to keep on his bumper. On the penultimate lap going into the first chicane I tried to distract him by jinking out form behind him, whether this worked or not I do not know, but he went into the corner too quickly and span out.

So I took the class win and set the fastest lap. But in fairness to Matt he would have won the race without that mistake.

Sunday dawned very wet and the forecast was for more rain. As we lined up for race 2 I was nervous due to the fact I hadn’t driven the Corsa in the wet before, but I enjoy a challenge and was looking forward to it.

I made a mistake at the start as I went on the third light as per Saturday’s race but the lights had been repaired and went to the full five. I had moved 2 feet and realised my error and deliberately let the other cars get the jump on me so I could not be accused of gaining an advantage.

What a fantastic race. I spent the first couple of laps getting used to the slippery conditions and then started passing people. By 60% of the race distance I was leading the Class B by around 10 seconds and had also passed a few of the Class A cars. The only problem was a car had gone off and the safety car had to be deployed. This bunched the cars up and decreased my lead to about 6 seconds to Matt in the Leon when the race finished – Unfortunately I had been judged as jumping the start (true) and was given a 10 second penalty which I thought was harsh given when happened in race 1 plus around 5 other cars also did the same. But rules are rules.

Matt was awarded the win, which offset his disappointment of Saturdays lost win. I still finished 2nd and got the fastest lap by over a second and thoroughly enjoyed driving in the difficult conditions so I wasn’t too upset.

Race 3 was similar to race 2 but I didn’t mess up the start this time, I took the win and also managed to knock 1.5 seconds off my previous fastest lap.

So that’s two wins, a second, and three fastest laps. Another satisfying weekend!

Also congrats to Matt on a good showing!

Abbie x

Sportmaxx rounds 7, 8 & 9

I was leading class B going into this meeting and was also positioned 3rd overall in the championship.
International GT’s were at the program so we were using the full track at Donington, which I’d never driven before. Also Paul O’Neil from BTCC was driving the Seat Leon in my class, so I know it was going to be an interesting weekend!
I qualified on pole for race 1, but I should point out that Paul O’Neil couldn’t qualify due to other commitments and was going to start from the back of the grid.
Race 1 was to be frank, a bit boring, I held the class B lead for the first lap but made a mistake which allowed Paul O’Neil to come past, he then pulled away for the rest of the race. The Thorny Motorsport Corsa was proving to be difficult to drive; alternating between over steer and under steer plus I had a lot of brake shudder; however I managed to get it to the finish. Due to the seat not being registered for the championship, I gained the class B win.
When we returned back to the pit garage, my mechanics found that the nearside front wheel was about ready to fall off, so that’s why the car had been handling strangely. We know all the wheels were tightened up before I went out so the conclusion was that because the rims were brand new and the nearside front wheel is the most heavily loaded that the pain and the lacquer around the wheel nuts had allowed them to slacken off.

So to race 2, because I had managed to win the class on a number of occasions, as well as the 45kg of success ballast, the organisers said I had to carry an additional 27kg, plus I had an extra camera in the car weighing 5kg so I had 77kg in total extra weight.
Anyway the race went okay, Paul O’Neil made the better start and got in front of a class A car, which I slotted in behind. It took about ¾ of a lap before I managed to pass the Class A car, then I set in pursuit of the Leon. I managed to get the gap down to about 4 seconds and my fastest lap was .6 of a second slower than Paul, which on reflection, I was reasonably pleased with because the fast sweeping corners at Donington suited the Leon more than the Corsa and also the fact that Paul is an acknowledged front running BTCC driver.

For race three the organisers put some ballast in the Leon and took some out of my Corsa. From the lights I was glued to the Leon’s back bumper which I managed to maintain for about 2 laps, then traffic intervened and allowed Paul to pull a gap of 3 car lengths.
On about lap 4 coming onto the start/finish straight the Leon slowed, whether Paul missed a gear or just wanted a bit of fun, I wasn’t going to refuse the opportunity of passing him. So for about 2 ½ laps he was making me work very hard to keep, his obviously faster car behind, but inevitably he made the move and took the lead again.
For the remaining laps I kept about 4 car lengths behind but as we approached the chequered flag Paul slowed and gave me the win, which was a nice gesture on his part.
After the race Paul gave me some tips as to where I could improve my driving, but also complimented me on my speed and positioning through the fast parts of the track.

So to the future, I’m currently leading the Class B championship and I’m in 2nd place overall with Simon Shaw 9 points in front. Unfortunately, similar to other drivers, my budget has now been exhausted, so unless our efforts pay off and we find a sponsor, that’s me finished for the year.

John Thorne and all the guys at Thorney Motorsport have been fantastic and very supportive to me in getting me this far in the championship, plus my mum and dad who’ve always been there with help and encouragement. Also another big thanks to Mike Oughtred, Mike & Andy at WHF, John Everard at Used Garage Equipment and many more who knows I can get the job done, given the opportunity.

Hi Everyone,

It was rounds 4,5 and 6 at Brands Hatch this weekend of the Dunlop Sports Maxx Championship. Unfortunately i was not in a position to test on Friday, so it was straight into qualifying on the Saturday morning.

John George who races in the BTCC was driving the Seat Leon celebrity car and another addition to class B was Ray Grimes driving EJM’s Clio Sport, Ray has raced and instructed for many years, there was also three other drivers out, so the class B numbers are on the up, plus class A also had more cars, which included my new team mates in John Allison and Stuart Clarke, both driving Thorney Motorsport Vauxhall Astra Turbo’s.

Anyway back to qualifying, which went pretty well, because I put the Thorney Motorsport Corsa on pole in class B, the car was really good to drive and gave me lots of confidence to try and get the maximum out of it.

The first race on Saturday afternoon was exciting, due to the fact that I made a cracking start and managed to pass a number of class A cars. So that was a challenge to keep in front of them for as long as possible, it took about 3 laps before there extra power allowed them to pass me. The main objective is to win class B, which I managed to do and set fastest lap, which gives me an extra point.

Sunday morning was dry after overnight rain and in the second race I again made a good start, but it got a bit hectic going into Druids for the first time, with the class A cars backing up. This allowed Ray Grimes and John George to get the drop on me, so I was 3rd in class B over the line at the end of lap 1. As we raced into Paddock, Ray who was leading got very out of shape and John George managed to overtake on the inside, but when I tried to follow him through, I got tagged by Ray who was still trying to control his Clio. We touched and both went spinning off, Ray got going again with his drivers door all stoved in and I managed to just avoid the armco, which was probably by luck, rather than my driving skills. The problem was that the marshals insisted that I retire, due to possible damage on the car, this proved not to be the case, because other than slightly deranged steering, the car would have been ok. When I got back to the paddock Ray came across and apologised, which was appreciated. But hey, that’s racing.

So for race 3, because I had not finished race 2, all the success ballast (45kg) was taken out, but I had to start from the back of the grid, so the car was lighter and the challenge was to make up the maximum places in the time available. I made a good start again and had the best Sport Maxx race ever, with lots of passing and good racing, set F.L and won class B and passed a class A car as well.

I know it sounds like an old record, but thanks again to John Thorne and his team for their help and encouragement, plus I saved them money by using old tyres all weekend. Not bad for a girl eh?

Abbie x

First time at Rockingham, first time in the Thorney Motorsport Vauxhall Corsa SRi, so it was a steep learning curve.

But with the help and advice of the team I managed to win Class B in all 3 races and set fastest Class B lap time in race 3.

Ok it’s still early days but I’m pleased with how the weekend went and the progress I made with the car. Also a big thank you to Thorney Motorsport for the hard work they did to get me out on track and racing.

I am going to be racing this weekend (18th/19th April) at round 1 of the Dunlop Sport Maxx Championship.

I will be driving the championship winning class B Vauxhall Corsa SRi for Thorney Motorsport.

A big big thankyou to John Thorne, Harry Miltner and Andy/Mike at WHF LTD for giving me the opportunity to show people what I am capable of achieving on the track. “I won’t let you down”.

I only finished 3rd overall in the Mini Scholarship, which on reflection is not bad out of 100+ men. But it will have a huge knock on effect for racing this year unless we win the lottery or find a sponsor.

But for anyone to follow their dream there are always up’s and down’s so I’ve just got to keep my goals in mind and try to find a sponsor.

Congratulations to Joey Powis and his family on winning the scholarship on the 3rd try. To finish 2nd last year to Rob Boston must have been heart breaking.

Also congratulations to Mantvydas Sileika for coming 2nd.

Marc and Lisa at Double 6 racing should be congratulated for running a well organised scholarship and also thanks to Micky, Phil and Colin for their instructing.

I guess things can only get better from now on.

Just a quick update to tell you that I’ve made it into the Double Six Racing Scholarship for the Mini Challenge.

Originally the final was supposed to be for the last 10 but the competitors in 10th, 11th and 12th place had the same scores so the organisers decided to increase the final to the last 12.

So I’m keeping everything crossed for tomorrow in the hope that I win the scholarship and race in the Mini Challenge!

Hi Racers,

Things have been pretty quiet on the racing front for 2009. The only interesting piece of information is that i have entered the competition to win a supported drive in the Clio Scholarship this year.

I’ve managed to get to the semi-finals (the last 24 from 100+ entered). The semi-final is on the 25th February and the final (the last 10 drivers) the following day.

Unfortunately due to the current economic climate a lower number of people have entered the scholarship, this has meant that the prize has been changed to a drive in the Mini Challenge.

So wish me luck and I’ll try my best to win!