7th & 8th June - Snetterton

Partnering the British Formula 3 and British GT championships for what was a weekend of all weathers. Testing and Qualifying was not without its dramas, leading to some interesting grid positions for race 1 and 2 on Sunday.

Race 1, and it started well with little drama but a loose engine cover compromised the end result. Race 2 and hot weather meant a hugh capacity crowd had turned out on what was one of the hottest days of the year in Norfolk. From the start it was clear not all was well under the bonnet, lap eight saw a forced retirement from a strong position due to a fuel supply issue.

An uncharateristic weekend for Peter due to mechanical gremlins, normal service to be resumed at the next meeting!

25th & 26th May - Rockingham (rounds 12, 13 and 14)

A weekend of all seasons but mainly wet and windy, with the sun shiny somewhere else, i.e. back up north!

Rockingham is a new venue and is an oval circuit (like the American Nascar Series) with a flat infield circuit. We drove a combination of the two circuits, not the most exciting of tracks but all the same a good venue with large grand stands overlooking 100% of the circuit, which is rare in the UK. Fortunately the wet weather proved to be a leveller and made the racing more even and exciting for the fans and spectators.

Qualifying proved to be our best of the year 16th out of 25, and even better was my second fastest lap time which gave me a race 2 start position of 15th! A noted improvement by the Ford reps and helped by the wet weather.

Race 1
The spray of 25 cars saw a near blind turn point for corner one, two and three due solely to the weather conditions. Lots to avoid during the first few laps as drivers did battle, I concentrated on moving up the order and found myself in 11th by lap 4 when the safety car came out to allow a few stranded cars to be removed. Once the safety car came in I was about to reassess and push hard, the offices had decided that the race distance would be shortened and we only completed 8 laps of a very very wet track. All the drivers were publicly praised for a high standard of driving in such bad conditions. I finished 13th overall after a long 8 laps!

Race 2
was dry with rain clouds passing very close and the wind had also picked up pace. I lined up fifteenth and waited for the start lights to go out, I held the correct engine rev’s and dropped the clutch as the lights went out, unfortunately the only thing to happen was a loud Bang! The left rear drive shaft sheared, not uncommon but without warning. I could only watch from the pit wall as my rivals diced for position, I did manage to talk to the photographers and had a few still photos taken, not really what I was after. On closer inspection it was a material failure and fortunately a spare was at hand.

Race 3
The weather played its final hand and went from dry to cats and dogs faster than my race starts, therefore a mad dash to the paddock to collect wets and a F1 style wheel change saw me get out for the race start just in time. A big thanks to my mechanics for their hard work and the good few other pit crews standing ready with lifting jacks and wheel nut guns.

The race was long and hard with cars sliding off on all the corners, almost immediately the safety car was on track to allow the recovery of six cars all interlocked, only two did not continue. This moved me into the top twenty and above three scholarship rivals. I pushed hard for the remains of the race finishing 19th overall and third in class.

The next meeting is 6th/7th June at Snetterton (Norfolk) if you would like to attend or entertain please get feel free to contact.

2nd , 3rd & 4th May - Brands Hatch (rounds 10 and 11)

I very sunny and hot weekend where the British Formula Ford championship was a guest for the British round of the A1GP televised live to the rest of the world and is equally as high profile as Formula 1. A very exclusive meeting for the rich and famous. All cars, drivers, team members and alike had to be well presented, trucks and vans washed and driver wearing their racesuits for the autograph session. I had photographs printed of myself next to the car ready to sign, as well as signing spectators programmes. A great experience for all.

This was the first double race meeting of the year which saw testing on Friday and qualifying later Friday afternoon. We were very lucky to be driving the full GP track which is usually reserved for a few race meetings a year and puts me in the minority of drivers who have driven it. It adds to the original Indy loop circuit usually used at Brands for most meetings, a further 1.2 miles of track including the very fast and undulating out field sections reaching speeds of +140mph. Qualifying went well as I adjusted the suspension so I could get more front end grid in the high speed corners. I pushed hard and made good progress.

Race 1
Saturday afternoon and the A1GP teams all came out to watch our race, my pit crew (Dad, as I call him) had been allocated the Great Britian’s pit wall area for operating during our race. Which was a big bonus for me as the GB team were all watching me! I made a blinding start deliberately pointing my car down the slope of the grid (theres not much flat at Brands Hatch) which helped to build good momentum and allowed me to go around six cars before the first corner but a problem occur with the gearbox early in to the race which proved a greater problem during the course of the race. I found it very difficult to deselect and select third and fourth gears. This proved my undoing exiting Graham hill bend as I couldn’t deselect quick enough and allowed three cars to pass. I continued to push but was hampered, I finished 6th in class, and continued to score good points.

Race 2
Again very hot and sunny, we had an earlier start and managed to examine the gearbox but did not have the parts to fully repair the issue. Due to the heat it proved difficult to make my usual quick start so I held my position into corner one and pushed my rivals all the way but had little ammunition with continued transmission issues. I finish 5th in class to build on my championship score.

26 & 27 Apr - Croft (rounds 7, 8 and 9)

Croft saw an early return to home soil, this time with big improvements from Knockhill two weeks prior. The aim was to build on a great points score and continuous improvement with car set up. We were also joined by the Works RaySport Team who were on hand to guide me through the correct set up of the car and race preparation.

The weather for Friday testing was dry for the morning and very wet in the afternoon, this was the first time that I had driver this car in the wet and it proved to be successful with no spins and only a few minor moments. Saturday would see qualifying in the morning and race 1 in the afternoon and thankfully the rain clouds had moved away. Qualify was good and a distinct improvement from knockhill. The times were all very close throughout the field.

Race 1
I made my usual excellent start and maintained my position on the rear of the chasing pack. Around five laps from the end three cars came together after a recovery driver rejoined the track. This sent three cars off line and opened the door for me to overtake and a lap later a fellow Scholarship driver who had to take avoiding action was lining up to overtake heading into tower corner. He misjudged his braking driving straight into the rear of my car bending the track arm like a banana and sending me into a high speed spin which was all the more difficult with a rear wheel pointing out over at 45 degrees, I had to retire due to the damage. Fortunately the other driver had to retire due to collapsed front suspension. Upon inspection back in the paddock area the damage was repairable and we quickly set about doing so.

Race 2
Sunday morning and the heavens had opened for what was going to be a fully wet race. Friday practise turned out to be a warm up for this race. I lined up near the rear of the grid and could only just see the lines change as the weather closed in. I got lots of traction and launched myself forward three positions. The race was slowed at the halfway stage to recover a few cars from the gravel traps and neighbouring farmers fields! I had little time to observe as the race pace was fast and the rear of the car was quick to remind me to concentrate very hard in the high speed sections. Throughout the sole aim was to score points and keep the wheels on the corners of the car. I came home 17th out of a field of 20 plus. Not a bad attempt at my first full wet race.

Race 3
By the afternoon the sun had come out and the track had dried. I lined up towards the rear with a lot of front runners for company due to there explorations in the wet race 2. The lights changed and I made a good start with little wheel spin and followed the fast charging neighbours who had little time to make headway through to the front. I however managed to keep out of trouble as there were a few first lap spinners in the middle of the track on the approach to the Complex. This time I had managed to keep two scholarship drivers behind me who pushed me hard towards the end of the 20 minute race and take 4th in class as the chequered flag dropped. A good continued improvement with the car in all weathers and most importantly all four wheels were in their correct places as Brands Hatch was the following weekend!

26th & 27th April - Croft (rounds 7, 8 & 9)

Peter is competing in the British Formula Ford championship (rounds 7,8 and 9) at Croft Circuit this weekend in the Formula 3 Championship. Peter currently lies 3rd in the Scholarship championship, with his Ray Chassis and Premier Power 1.6 litre Duratec Formula Ford.

This is only Peters second outing ever in a formula ford, he raced at Knockhill two weeks ago, with 3 finishes including two 2nd placed finishes in the Scholarship class.

Peter understands that this season is going to be a steep learning curve as it is a big step up from Sports Cars to single Seaters but he is looking forward to the challenge, with a development program in place it is going to be an exciting year!