Hello again,
Today has made quite a difference to how I am looking at the future of my driving career. I visited the London Motorsport show incorporating Race Car Live with the intention of sampling a single seater for the first time around Brands Hatch. Unfortunately this did not materialise, but in its place came the opportunity to drive two very interesting sports cars.
As I am looking at progressing out of the Locost Championship in the next couple of seasons I was keen to drive a car that would be considered a step up in terms of performance and stature. The 750 Motor Club are currently looking at launching a new championship based around the highly successful Raw Striker kit car chassis, powered by a sealed 2 litre Zetec engine. Thanks to the generosity of the Raw people, I was allowed out for a short session in the factory demonstrator car. My immediate impressions were very good, with the car being direct and predictable, and the combination of 160bhp and lightweight chassis providing plenty of acceleration which seemed to carry the length of the straights. Unfortunately my time in the car was limited to a few laps as the session soon ended, but it generated another idea for the future, and I will certainly be keeping a close eye on the progression of the new championship.
Following this I was due to drive a Sports 2000 Duratec car built and prepared by MCR Racecars Ltd. Despite several years experience I have never sampled the effects of slick tyres and aerodynamics, so that would be a first, as would the sequential gearbox.
Immediately the car felt familiar and comfortable and although I was well within its capabilities, it gave a sense of confidence that I would not be caught out if I pushed on a little harder. After a couple of laps I was able to pick the points where the aerodynamics were most effective, and therefore carry more speed to maximise the effect. Initially an odd concept, I soon warmed to the idea of going faster to achieve more grip, however always remaining mindful that I was driving someone else’s race car!
Unfortunately the track time was quite limited and after 6 laps I returned to the pits with a whole new idea of where to take my career!
The next stage is to research the championship further and perhaps organise a longer, more formal test when I can explore the capabilities of the car and assess my performance against the established competitors.
In the meantime my days are going to be spent researching methods of generating the funding needed to make Sports 2000 a serious consideration for the future.
With this in mind I shall be looking for sponsors and backing, so if anyone reading this would like to discuss how we can be of mutual assistance, please get in touch!
Finally, I would just like to publicly thank the people from Raw and MCR Racecars for the opportunities to drive the cars today. More information on the two companies can be found by visiting the sites below.
http://www.rawengineering.co.uk
http://www.mcrracecars.co.uk
My next post will be more about the 2009 season, and the preparation of the Locost, as well as my personal preparation over the winter.
Until then…
Matt
