KUTUKA MOTORSPORT NORTH!
HELEN, FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT
The worst race weekend of Kutuka's brief life to date. Championship contender to also-ran in 2 seconds...
HELEN FTDS 16th September 2009
Didn’t really go according to plan. Could find the speed, in the dry on the track day, and even on the test day, playing the game of chase the Bear, we were really cracking on, but as soon as we got to race day I calmed down too much, which ultimately would cost me everything.
The trackday was great fun. Started very wet, and I had as much grip as a greased weasel, but we still went to play, and as it started to dry the worn Toyos came into their own. By lunchtime it was dry, and we pushed harder and harder until the squeal of tyres at turn 2 could be heard from the cafe. Got the lines hooked up, and it was really only turn 4 that I was struggling with. I could hold 4th gear if I got it spot on and carried enough speed, the magic number was 3000rpm as I finished abusing the exit kerb, below that it needed 3rd gear, above it and 4th was the right choice.
By this point that dastardly Bear had followed me round for enough laps that he’d picked up all my hard-found lines and was now faster. Not much in it, maybe half a second, but he was now too fast for me. It’s very frustrating when you’re driving the wheels off the car and someone’s getting away, and in desperation I span at the foot of the Mountain trying to carry too much speed. No damage, but a little red of face.
First set of tyres completely destroyed, they were previously-experienced on Roger’s car, but a full afternoon here and there was nothing left, slicks.
To the test, and dry start was another furious game of chase the Bear, still tight, but he was now taking turn 1 flat out, and I couldn’t find the balls to do it. More importantly I was starting to have cooling issues, and we couldn’t work out why, the header tank was throwing its guts up after every run.
Rain in the afternoon allowed a gentle bedding in of the new scrubbed tyres for race day, and as it dried in the last session the superiority of the T1R in those in-between conditions was remarkable, she just tore round the outside of any other car out there, even the Bear couldn’t stay with the softer D car. It is something we have seen time and again though, on a greasy or drying track I’ll weigh class D machinery against any other XJS class, the weight and compliance are spot on.
Sadly on race day it was dry.
The plan in quail was simple. Bear chases me down to set his hot lap, then we swap over and I set mine. First bit of the plan worked, but I let him past and in his eagerness to show me what a big girl I am he spins it gracefully and I’m out on my own. I know damned well that on race day with nothing to chase I turn into an over-cautious cretin.
Solitary session then, aside from lapping Taylor and Seath it was a tad boring, and I knew I wasn’t selling this a proper go, but couldn’t seem to activate my brain to really set a good time. 3rd on the grid the result, a good 2 seconds off what I know the car is capable of here.
1,2 and 3 for the team though, it’s a real whitewash. Palmer 4th and a good second too slow, it’s on for that perfect day. And the points gap in the championship is now down to 5, if Bear gets clean sweep it could be down to 2 at the end of this race.
Lights out and I tend to get the jump the first few yards and so it is here, I move to the centre to aim between Stew and Bear. A second later and the screen is full of green and white as Palmer cuts my start off. He moves from pitlane to grass in one hard chop across the circuit, and in the process tears off my front end. Got off the power to avoid tipping him into a spin, I could have kept my foot in and buried him in the wall, but that’s not how we play, I don’t want to win so badly as to deliberately damage anyone or anything.
My bumper is immediately taken off and dragging on the floor, and it’s already game over. Down the back straight and V12 power takes Russell past, and 888 tyres throw Doyle up the inside in a late dive. Down to 6th then and with damage, not exactly the plan.
The bumper is making progressively worse noises as it chatters along the tarmac and pieces are periodically flying off in the mirror, must be a black flag soon. With hindsight I should have backed right off and cruised to class win because there’s nothing in the mirrors at all, but even in this state the car’s fast enough to catch and kill a couple in front, so with my brain failing to operate I’m still attacking kerbs, which is my downfall.
The bumper finally falls all the way off coming into Hall Bends and goes through the radiator, and with it under the front tyres like a sledge I go off the road. Not giving up I go down the grass, hoping to rip off whatever it is, because I don’t know how bad it is and only Comer has so far come past. Back on track and the noise is bad, so into the pits, hoping the marshalls will just rip it off. They tell me the rad’s gone, game over.
Distressed to sit and watch the race go on without me. Angry at the move off the line that killed the car, and at myself for not nursing her to the flag. Chris has the grace to apologise for the move after the race, which is a fair cop, it was a hard move and it was also a cock-up.
The Bear has done his job, it’s a clean sweep for him, it’s me that’s let the side down. Car strapped together, a bodge has a new alloy radiator fitted and a new old spare bumper tie-wrapped on the car.
Race 2 and qualifying is interrupted by the Comer roll, which is a new one for me, but he’s uninjured and play resumes. One half-decent lap in after that, but my session was over as I encountered Ray Hill, who I was far faster than but who declined to obey the blue flags, and I didn’t have the power to pass him. Lifted off and cruised to create a gap, and about to nail it when the damned flag comes out. Frustrating.
Kutuka 1,3 and 4 this time, I’m faster than yesterday and top 4 are covered by little time, but I’ve got 2 V12s ahead, 3 class Es alongside and astern, so I’m boned again. Lost 2 places off the line, Palmer slams the door at 2 and I grab 3rd to regain some speed, which is when Ray Hill slams my o/s/r quarter, but no serious damage done. Well, a big dent, but nothing structural.
Merrett lets Palmer through, defends about as well as a French army, and Chris is chasing the Bear. I need to pass Merrett to take the pressure off him, but before I can get through Bear drops it big time at turn 1 and spears off into the tyres at over 100mph. Fortunately I know we build a really strong shell, so he’ll be fine, but it’s still a hell of a shock.
Merrett passes Palmer back, then spins down the gooseneck, so it’s me vs Chris for p3 and a red hat. We’ve been here before. I do like a red hat.
Harassed him through Hall Bends, but he steals 30 yards down the back straight on power, but is then slow as a disabled tortoise at turn 1 and I go steaming up the inside into 2. I don’t think he can have seen me, because I’m at least ¾ alongside when he turns in on me, my front wheel is alongside his door if not the front wing, it’s enough that I know he has to let me go. Turns in and contact became inevitable, hit the brakes but we have a lovely accident, I take to the grass to avoid spinning him, and guess what, the front bumper goes under the car.
I’m in third then, but dragging the bumper along with me, leaving a long fibreglass stripe around the circuit, you can track my line round the track by the trail I'm leaving. I know I’m going to get the black and orange flag, and sure enough 2 laps later it’s out. By now I’m already watching the temperature gauge, it’s high, and as soon as I stop it’s going to brew up, going in the pits will retire me.
I have to go in, but by now we’ve shed the bumper anyway, it’s gone. I’m cleared to go back out, and class D leader is only a dozen seconds up the road, we can chase that down easily, but too late, there’s steam coming from under the bonnet and the power is way down, I tour in to retire. 2 DNFs, heavy body damage, championship ruined, my worst ever meeting. Red car damaged, but brother OK, fortunately. A weekend to forget.
Went to see Chris, who thought I’d torpedo-ed him as retaliation for Saturday, but a quick look at both cars and it’s clear that it’s a crash caused by an overtake that never entered his head was coming. Video playback shows a huge speed difference at turn 1, we eat that 30yards up in about a second, but it would never have entered his head that a car he last saw trailing in the mirrors would be alongside so suddenly. Chris himself seemed happy that it was a racing incident, but there are big-mouthed opinionated pricks in the paddock much happier to point the finger at me for deliberately ramming him.
These people should really keep their ill-informed opinions to themselves, you weren’t there, you didn’t see it, and what the hell do you know about it anyway. In fact to one of you in particular I’d note that you’re so slow you wouldn’t recognise an overtaking move if it bit you on the arse.
And finally, you, yes you, Brian George. I don’t know what’s different about the rubber bellows you wanted for your car that you were willing to steal off mine, but mine’s stock standard XJS gear. The reason you don’t think it fits your car is not, as you stated, that I’m a cheating bastard with a big throttle body. 2 points of note: 1. I could in fact, according to the regulations, have a big throttle, if I wanted one, and 2. That was a stock Jaguar part you were looking at. Take a better look next time. You're meant to be driver's rep and to be setting an example.
It is sad that we get this sort of crap. I don’t think any one of team Kutuka have ever accused anyone of cheating, ever, even when we know how bent a car is we don’t care because we’re still going to beat it, but there are often accusations levelled against my blue beastie from a slower driver slinging mud, perhaps to ease the pain of his own pathetic existence, or maybe to fit in with the popular children.
Let me be clear. It weighs 1510 kg without fuel. It has a stock engine. The suspension, other than tweaks to spring ratings and dampers, and new bushes on the front lower wishbones, is the same as when it left Dave Ball, he actually had the settings pretty much spot on, we’ve not changed castor or camber. It has the same brakes, and as Mr Ingham will tell you because he keeps checking, it’s on the right tyres. Where do you think this car is illegal? What have I done? Is it as light, as widely-tyred and as powerful as Chris Palmer, or Paul Merrett? Well, is it? So why is it faster here? Tell me what I'm doing that's wrong, just tell me!