159 replies to this topic

[Mangham54]

Just watched the video and the Porsche owner deserves to be strung up for that... Wreckless endangerment to life.

[fiveoclock]

This weekend sees the last races of the season for Trackday Trophy and Team Trophy. At Brands on Saturday we will be racing in class B of Trackday Trophy (quali 9.55am / race 1.05pm). On Sunday we will be taking all of the ballast out (80kg) and for the first time we will race in class A in Team Trophy (quali 10.55am / race 1.55pm) and try to become the first car in the series to win a trophy in three different classes. We're going to need a bit of luck to do this as we can only get the car half way up the class and there will be faster cars in our class. 

 

We will be in the outer paddock on the left hand fence as you come in. Would be good to see anyone who comes along.

 

The race on Sunday could possibly be my last race in the VX as I am thinking of competing in V-Tec Challenge next season in a DC2 or DC5 so it may be up for sale soon. Its 50/50 at present.

[Goosenka]

See you Saturday Marky

[fiveoclock]

See you Saturday Marky

Excellent. You eating with us Saturday evening? I'll show you the sights of Dartford!!!

[Goosenka]

Doubtful for saturday evening. Maybe Guildford bound.

[Pidgeon]

V-Tec Challenge next season in a DC2 or DC5

 

FWD?

 

The shame...

[fiveoclock]

 

V-Tec Challenge next season in a DC2 or DC5

 

FWD?

 

The shame...

 

They dont make them in RWD!!

[Kieran McC]

 

V-Tec Challenge next season in a DC2 or DC5

  FWD?   The shame...  

They dont make them in RWD!!

Have you nicked Jezs Honda 😃

Edited by kieranmcc, 19 November 2014 - 06:25 PM.

[siztenboots]

there another Honda is

[siztenboots]

Ben Jewell

[color=rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;]NO other car has done it class A B C wins but we just have woop woop[/color]

 

[color=rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;][/color]

[Captain Vimes]

Great result! Well done! Look forward to the write up.

[scw02102]

Excellent work!

[rob999]

Well done Mark, Jez and team. Lovely weather for it 😉

[fiveoclock]

Well what a very wet end to a season.The weather at Brands on Saturday Trackday Trophy was damp with showers making for a very greasy track. Qualifying saw the VX going sideways quite a few times. Jez went out first for 20 minutes and I did the last ten minutes before doing a very elegant spin on Clearways taking me right down the pit lane. We qualified third in race, second in class. An equally greasy race saw us finish 9th in race and second in class with the front wheel drive cars having the advantage.

 

Sunday for Team Trophy presented us with heavy rain for most of the day. We had decided to take all of our ballast out and run in class A for the first time. There are some fast cars in class A including an E46 M3 and a Ginetta G20 both of which have had many race wins not just class wins so we decided if we could get a third in class then we would be happy. Come qualifying it was still pouring with rain. The M3 in our class crashed heavily and was out of the race. We kept the car safe and qualified 7th out of 20 and 3rd in class. Repeat that in the race and it would be happy days. I started and by the first corner I had moved into third place. There was a lot of contact which I managed to keep away from however at the end of the first lap I was back to 7th and concentrating on just keeping the car out of trouble. Come the pit stop I came in 10th in race and second in class to a Seat Supercopa. Jez then goes out for the final half increasing our lead over the third placed car in our class from 2 laps to 3 laps. Being safely in second in class the decision was made to to take no risks at all, if necc concede race position to keep away from contact and hold onto the 2nd in class, something the Seat didnt do!!! Around 20 minutes from the end of the race the Seat driver was in 6th place in race with the leaders well ahead so no chance of a podium however instead of taking it easy and taking his first in class he decided to push a bit too hard with the result being a trip into the gravel at Druids with the wheels locked up, he didnt come out. We were now first in class with the second place car nearly 4 laps behind. An uneventful 15 minutes passed and we came home first in class A. Absolutely unbelievable!!!! 

 

We were not the fastest car in class A by a long way but we prepared the car well (others didnt), we qualified safely (others didnt) and we kept the car safe in the race (others didnt). The race win at Rockingham was overwhelming but that was in Trackday Trophy and at a circuit that dint mean much to us. To win class A in Team Trophy and stand on the winners balcony at Brands Hatch was, not to put too fine a point on it, a dream come true.

 

Its been some season, from the disappointment of losing a big lead at Snetterton in April when the gear cable popped off and being taken out by a back marker the next day to the race win at Rockingham in May then to my crash off the line at Cadwell, the biblical rain we had at Silverstone and then this weekends successes at Brands.

 

Only one car has won its class in class A, B and C in Trackday Trophy/Team Trophy, its not a Clio, its not an M3, its not an MX5, its not a Mini and its not a Lotus Elise. ITS A VX220. The car has been epic this season and I really dont think we could have done it in another car.

 

My biggest thanks must go to Jez and Benny at Back on Track who have looked after the car through the season, each race meeting the car has been bang on and ready to go, also to Jez for sharing the driving with me this season, his first season racing. Thanks to people who have come along and supported us, you know who you are. Thanks to Lee and Vocky for helping out with the replacement engine mid season and thanks to Alan Collins at Webcon who mapped the car for us so well. 

 

I think I might do it all again in another 4 months!!

Edited by fiveoclock, 23 November 2014 - 10:26 PM.

[CocoPops]

Well done Mark and BoT Team! The humble VX strikes again.

[Sticky]

ITBs rule!

[Goosenka]

Wonderful. Well deserved and well fought for. Bursting with pride and so happy it ended on such a great win.

[Duncan_F]

Well done Mark, that's a great result.

[Acidpopstar]

Awesome result, very happy for you and all the team

[cnrandall]

Well done, great effort