As we enter July it’s time for the now annual trip to the Ferrari Club Competizione event, bringing together racing, road-car track time and an elegant tour of the region, which has proven very popular with club members from all sections of the club.

Now in its third year, the club ventured across the border into Scotland and the ‘no rest for the wicked’ corners of Knockhill.   This is the first visit in 6 years and for added excitement the club have secured the opportunity to run the circuit in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Knockhill is the only circuit in the UK that offers this challenge, and only on a few days per year, so a real coup for the club.

Thankfully we have some free practice time Friday afternoon.  The clockwise circuit feels familiar if a little harsh on the bumps even along the straight.  However, when we get the opportunity to drive anticlockwise the circuit feels totally different.  The braking into the first corner, a downhill hairpin, has limited run-off and plenty of evidence where cars have ended in the barrier, and most corners are blind, off camber and limited space at the exit.  A real challenge.

Jim Cartwright decided to chill in the garage, rather than run the car, saving himself for the weekend ahead he ‘didn’t want to peak too early’, and Chris Butler didn’t arrive in time for the start of practice but managed to join later.  The consensus was that the track was challenging but fun.

After a relatively chilled Friday night, everybody was up early and ready to go for the first practice on the clockwise circuit.  I found the grip inconsistent and struggled to get comfortable on the track in the free practice session.

As we line up for qualy the car doesn’t start.  Jumping it off with a booster pack I finally manage to get going and do 1 flying lap before coming in.  I can feel the car is low on power, and suspecting the alternator I enter the pits.  Dave confirms the alternator isn’t working, but should last the session but no such luck.

Now the good news is that I’ve had alternator issues before, and have a spare. Unfortunately my spares package appears to be at Brands Hatch with a Mr Mogridge who couldn’t be arsed to drive to Knockhill and is racing with the Bernie’s V8 series.   Not to worry as I know Nicky Paul-Barron is always well prepared and will have a spare, however he’s been invited to Brands Hatch with Bell Classics series so hasn’t made the trip to Knockhill either.

Hmm, not to worry, thankfully we can always rely on the RNR team who always have plenty of spares and are happy to help out when in a jam, but yes you guessed it they are also at Brands Hatch.  You won’t get a nose bleed if you venture north boys.

A special nod to Robin Biesbroek who couldn’t book a spot on the ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle for his trailer, so drove his racecar onto the Ferry and up to Knockhill from Newcastle for the weekend.

Thankfully Colin does have a spare 348 alternator so maybe we can find a way to patch something together for the race.  It transpires that although the alternator is on its way out, it’s actually a poor earth that caused the problem in practice.  We are good to go but give the battery a good boost whilst we wait for the race.

Race 1

As the lights go out, I get a solid start and manage to make my way passed Colin Sowter and Chris Butler after a couple of laps.  I can see Jim and Gary ahead, battling hard, switching position corner after corner. What a great view of the race. Their battling is impacting their lap times, but not by as much as I’d like.

Gradually I see them falling towards me as they battle between themselves.  After what feels like an age, I’m finally up with them, and manage to get Jim into the first corner.  Only a couple of laps to go to try and catch Gary.  A late breaking move into the final corner fails to work, and I decide my best approach is to take the last corner as normal, but close to Gary and try to power through the corner and carry the speed into the first corner.  First time I’m on the outside and can’t turn in.  Second time, it works, and as we get the final lap board, I’m edging ahead of Gary on the inside for the first corner.  Once through, Gary is climbing all over the back of me, but I just keep it tidy and thankfully keep ahead for the Line.  5th to 1st is a great start to the weekend.

The rest of the field remained in grid order, with Sowter within a couple of seconds of Butler, and Riddoch kept comfortably ahead of an improving Biesbroek as he gained confidence on the track.  Keen showing a great turn of speed keeping his 308 ahead of Shearman, building confidence in his 328.  Moorwood really enjoyed the track keeping a solid pace throughout the race.

Anticlockwise

Qualifying

Waking to a dry morning was a surprise on Sunday, and we were ready for the delights of the anticlockwise circuit.  I do hope the brakes and alternator hold up.  In qualifying, we complete the challenging circuit in the exact same order we finished race 1.  I’m in pole on a 59.5, identical to my fastest lap in the clockwise direction, which is a surprise.

After qualifying Culver investigates an issue with his clutch, and discovers an issue which will keep him out of race 2.   However, never deterred Tom Tandy jumped at the task of finding the issue.

Race 2

With Gary out of the picture I have a gap between myself and Jim on the grid for the start of the race.  Not my greatest start, with Jim coming up the outside, but I take a defensive line and keep ahead.  For Lap after lap Jim is on my tail as we climb up the final chicane to the start-finish line, where I can pull a gap on the power, into and out of the first hairpin, just for Jim to reel me in through the undulating curves at the end of the lap.

This cat and mouse continued for the race, but without a true challenge.  I enjoy watching Jim jumping the kerbs, and on the grass out of the final corner, with the end of the pit wall in ever increasing focus.  Sowter and Butler have a similar race long battle with Sowter finally taking Butler before mis-judging the final left-hander and spinning off into the gravel, where he remained.  Biesbroek continued to improve, but could not catch Riddoch, and the smooth driving of Keen keeping him ahead of Shearman.

Race 3

All Tom’s hard work on Culver’s clutch has not been in vain. With the help of a delay to the start of the race he has managed to fix the clutch in nick of time. Gary lines up beside for the race.  Not my greatest start, but I lead into the first corner with Gary and Jim on my tail.

Gary powers out of the hairpin and around the outside of me, but I just manage to keep ahead, until the chicane, where I have to defend the inside line to the point that I can’t actually make the corner and have to take to the grass, allowing Culver, Cartwright and Butler through. Sowter thinks about a pass into the final left hander, but thankfully decides to hold back.

Here we go again, best get on it.  Thankfully I get Butler quickly, and another two laps to get Cartwright on the straight and I’m on Culver’s tail.  With Culver missing Race 2 he isn’t fully up to speed on the circuit, and is lifting/braking into a few corners I know he won’t in a few laps time, so I manage to get a run through the final chicane onto the start-finish straight, and manage to go around the outside of the hairpin to take the lead.  Culver quickly sorts out the areas he was losing pace, and is glued to my bumper, showing real pace around the whole track.  No chance of a gap on the straight, he’s all over me.  This continues for the remainder of the race until we cross the line with Culver gaining all the way, to cross just 0.1 seconds behind.

There was plenty of action across the field, with Sowter finally getting ahead of Butler, Biesbroek passed Riddoch after 10 mins and Shearman got Keen on lap one, before Keen returned the favour to resume his usual position.

What an excellent weekend of racing, and that’s not just because I won, the track was fantastic, and the Knockhill 10,as we are now officially called had a blast (Moorwood is designing the patches).