Behind the wheel with a Kiwi

Back in the hot seat again. It?s a sensation that is impossible to explain to someone who has never driven a racing car.

When I exited the pit lane for my first lap around? Monza; my first lap as a Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup driver and my first lap in a Porsche GT3 Cup Car in over seven months, my heart skipped a beat.

For starters, I didn?t remember it being that bloody quick! But, as the legendary Jackie Stewart is quoted as saying, once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget. It?s just the finer details that change.

But if I can rewind for a minute, the Supercup is far more than bigger fields; harder, closer racing and noisier cars. My first impression of the pit complex was a perfect example of Porsche?s commitment to the king of its one-make cups.

As a kiwi embarking on my first event out of NZ, I didn?t really know what to expect, but one thing I didn?t anticipate was a full transporter, Porsche?s top race engineer, three mechanics, a beautifully presented race car with two in car cameras, a brand new custom race suit and all the latest set up equipment and gizmos…all for me.

This was the perfect introduction into the big time of Porsche racing, and I was going to savour every moment of it.

The free practice session went pretty well. Of a massive 32 car field (the biggest in over five seasons for the Supercup) I finished up in 23rd place, 1.4 seconds off the leading car. The position was irrelevant to me, but the time difference was, and we weren?t all that far away!

Rusty was my summary of the session. But hey, it had been a while. There were a couple of occasions where I was exiting a corner and said to myself ?shit, I missed that bloody apex again!?

But now that I was back on the bike, it all came back to me pretty quickly. Qualifying went pretty well and I finished up in 20th spot, shaving some time off the gap to the quickest cars, but not by as much as I would have liked. At least my competitive nature hadn’t waned in my time off!

Setup wise, we?d only made a couple of minor changes for qualifying, but we felt that to have a good race car, we should revert back to our original configuration for the race.

Lining up on the Formula One grid was incredible. Even though we weren?t the draw card of the event, the number of fans filling the stands around Monza took me by surprise. And it was made even more special by the passion and enthusiasm of the Italian fans. The atmosphere was electric.

Once the race got underway though, this was the last thing on my mind. Right from the instant the five red lights went out, the race was so intense that I hardly had time to think about breathing.

It didn?t settle down until about the mid-way point of the race, where I found myself on the back of the leading train that stretched from first place back to me, but with cars passing each other at every corner the field spread and compressed regularly.

The five-car bunch I was in including some big names of Porsche racing – former Supercup champions and Factory Drivers for instance – and I learnt a lot just by mixing it with these guys.

They didn’t give and inch and were happy to bump and grind on one another, and yet I still felt safe around them. They still seemed to have a relative amount of respect for one-another.

Thankfully I placed myself and the car in the right position nine times out of ten, and when I crossed the line in 13th place there wasn?t a mark on the car, which was more than could be said for a lot of the competition out there!

As my debut in the world?s most competitive one-makes cup, I was over the moon with the result. My laptime was within 4/10ths of a second of the quickest lap, and I finished only nine seconds shy of race winner Nick Tandy. Given the fact that this was my first race in 18 months, I couldn?t have asked for much more.

Mentally and physically I felt terrific. I was switched on up top, and well up to scratch fitness-wise too ? much more so than in the past. Racing drivers are elite athletes and many people forget that. We are constantly improving our bodies and minds and I can certainly vouch for that on a personal level.

So, my preparations and efforts in the quieter months have had an immediate effect for me, which is really positive for the future!

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has my two thumbs up, and for my development as a racing driver it?s now my championship of choice for 2011!

It?s a nice way to end the year; driving a racing car.

In 2009, I haven?t really done it all that much. My last official ?race? was in April when I won the Hamilton 400 Trophy, and since I?ve been itching to drive whatever I can.

I?ve spent a good portion of this time as a test driver for Juno Racing New Zealand with their new Synergy V8-powered sports car, but insofar as Porsche racing goes, there?s been very little.

That very little however, has meant a hell of a lot.

I?ve aligned myself with the very successful Lechner Racing Team and in July had a two-day test at the Hungaroring, which put me in line for the 2010 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup after setting some really competitive times and working well with the team?s experienced engineers.

Again, this past fortnight, I?ve been up in Bahrain for some more testing with the team; this time developing the new 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup car which will be used in the Supercup next season.

As from the last 997 upgrade in 2008, this car is a cut above any Cup Car ever made. The response of the steering and engine; the noticeable increases in torque and power; the more docile yet more refined rear end with the giant rear wing ? all of this has contributed to a very special race car.

To be one of the first in the world to steer one was a genuine pleasure for me.

My entry for the 2010 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has been lodged and I?m proud to be a part of the Lechner Racing Team with its passionate and hard-working mechanics and engineers, and a really positive and focussed team environment.

There?s still a budget to find, but isn?t that always the case with motorsport? I couldn?t have really picked a worse time to be money-hunting given the economic climate, however that won?t curb my enthusiasm and drive to make this happen.

I can see this being my one shot at making a career out of professional motorsport in Europe. I?ve gotta take it with both hands!

The weather?s great back here in NZ ? believe it or not it rained more in Bahrain that it has here in the last two or three months! I?m really looking forward to heading up to the beach with my girlfriend, family and friends over the Xmas break for some brief R&R before heading full-steam into an exciting 2010.

See you all there!

Jono

I?ve just completed my best race event ever.

Now, if you look at the results then you may struggle to see how exactly this can be, but the reasoning is simple.

The final round of the 2008/09 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge at Pukekohe was a breath of fresh air. I went into the event with a purpose – to secure third place in the championship – and even when this wasn?t achieved, I still left the circuit on Sunday night 100% satisfied with what had taken place.

I got through Friday practice without a hitch and confident of what the car would bring on new tyres. I quickly found in qualifying on Saturday morning that we were on the right track, and I put the car in third on the grid behind Baird and Reynolds who, to be perfectly honest, put in some magnificent driving to break into the 56-second barrier and put themselves just a little out of reach.

Even so, we had a great race car to work with.

In race one I made a strong getaway off the line and latched onto the front pairing for the duration of the race. Only when I made one small error at the hairpin did the gap increase, and I crossed the line within two seconds of the leaders – the chasing pack some way back in the distance.

The way I was able to attack the bumpy Pukekohe track with absolutely no fear was a tremendous rush, and I spent all of Saturday night contemplating how to go even quicker the next day.

This is where it may seem a little weird that I was still pleased with my weekend, as the second race ended at the first corner. I was hit in the rear by my closest rival for the final championship podium position, and sent spinning off the circuit at high speed. I limped back to the pits with a broken wheel and was forced to retire soon after.

Now, the chances of finishing in third in the championship were gone, yet strangely I was still buoyant. The bigger picture was still much more important. While I didn?t condone what happened, nor was I the least bit impressed about it, I still knew we had struck a ?sweet spot? in the car this weekend that would remain with us from that point onward.

It was this knowledge that excited me so much about the 16-lap final race, which I was to start from the rear of the grid. I chipped away at the field as the race went on, using the strengths of the car to attack corners where the opposition were struggling, and made it up to fifth by the chequered flag. The pace was evident on the time sheets – only 3/1000ths of a second separated the race winner Baird and I. And so without a podium once again, I left the race track in a curious state.

Even I was surprised by it – the pressure; the focus; the hunger to win still dominated this weekend like any other, but the big picture was more important, and I?m waiting with baited breath for the Hamilton 400 in a few weeks time. I think we?re really onto something here. More so than ever before.

I must apologise for being a little vague in my summary. Of course finishing fourth overall wasn?t what I expected after such a strong start to the season, but those who have followed it will know that things have gone the ?other way? on one too many occasions. I?m not interested in dwelling on them anymore – the future as it stands is looking much too bright and exciting. We have some potentially very fruitful opportunities over the horizon and my support base are all behind me more so now than they have ever been, despite the tough times we all know are upon us.

And at Pukekohe, everything that was within our control went like clockwork. The preparation couldn?t be faulted, and as a driver I felt so at one with that car and with myself that I could have lapped around that circuit all day and night.

This won?t be my last blog for a while – Hamilton is still to come as are a whole lot of other bits and pieces before November rolls around again for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge round four.

So keep an eye out, and take good care!

Jono