Snetterton 300 CSCC Modern Classics Race Report - 924S

[Andy97]

I actually had 2 races at Snetterton this weekend as the Porsche guys in Modern Classics (MC) were offered a second 30 min Sprint race with the Dunlop Porsche Cup series and in return they would race with us later in the 40 min race pit stop race.

It was my first time in the car since the October 2013 race on the Snetterton 200 circuit so I was a little rusty and more than a little nervous before the day started. The car had been changed over the winter (Augment Automotive engine work and some modified suspension settings) and all my plans to get some track days, testing and instruction in to check the car over and improve my own performance all came to nothing due to work deadlines. Oh well, in for a penny......

Entering the Porsche only race was a great idea for the first 400-500 yards of the race from the rolling start until I realised I was heading for the first corner with 6 cars close in front of me with the Throttle stuck open!!!! Somehow I managed to brake hard enough and use the clutch to slow down and then had to switch off via the master switch and find a safe place to park. A bit of a concern!!!! And I was a spectator for the remainder of the race.

My trusty helper, Dermot, got to work and discovered that the throttle linkage had bent and "over centered" causing the problem. He adjusted and fitted a new throttle stop and was happy for me to get out in the 40 min race.

The first Modern Classics race of the CSCC season saw 32 cars practice (there were a couple of withdrawals due to tech issues too) and 30 cars take the start. A very encouraging start to the season. Several newcomers joined us, including a couple of people who were having their first ever race of any sort. Fantastic to see them out with us.

I lined up 28th on the grid and 4th in class "" about where I'd expect to be to be honest, and not that far behind a couple of Porsche 968s. The rolling start was negotiated successfully and for the first few laps I managed to keep most of my fellow class mates reasonably in view as we seemed to have similar cornering speeds but they would gradually leave me on the straights. I had an OK pit stop and the second half of the race was a bit lonely but good to concentrate on my own driving and the car after its winter work.

The car behaved very well and I really enjoyed driving it. The changes over the winter have made a noticeable improvement. There is noticeably more power from the Augment Automotive ECU and cam, and more torque but still not enough!!!! The JMG short shift gear change is fantastic and the handling feels very secure, predictable and controllable. Really good fun and when it starts to move you can feel it and react. No moments but a few drifts!!

The car felt good under braking too, particularly at Brundles going under the bridge. I finished 25th out of 28 finishers. Again, probably where that car should be in comparison to the others in the race.

The car now has the same power to weight ratio as the sole MX5 Mk3 that was in our race and I was hoping to be up with him but the MX5s have more grip and bigger brakes and crucially, this driver is racing in several series, testing and getting instruction all the time - I haven't even sat in the car since last October. Racing driver excuses number 27 and 42! Probably he is just better than me!

More realistically I was quicker than the 944 2.5 and the 2.5 BMW 323 that raced in Future Classics on Saturday (they really should come and race in Modern Classics so that we can all have a class battle "" they'd enjoy it more than being in the 2 litre to 3 litre class in FC) and I was only 2 secs slower than the BRSCC Porsche 924 Lap record holder from their race at Snett 300 last year (a bit better than being 5 secs of his pace at Oulton Park last year). I think we have about the same power to weight as them now, and the same tyres. I did seem to be able to corner reasonably well, and when the 968s lapped me I could stay with them in the corners but they would leave me on the corner exit and straights. Same with the BMW 325 Compact in my class. We handle as well but they have more power. Realistically I have done what I can with the car at my budget so we will just have to accept that.


Before the race I was talking with Alex Eacock of EMC Motorsport as they know front four race cars like the back of their hand and asked what sort of lap time did he think I should be doing. He reckoned a 2 min 29 would be pretty respectable for a car in my spec. My fastest lap in the race was a 2 min 28 - 1.1 sec quicker than practice so pretty happy with that I suppose.


All in all a good day, and I am glad that I entered the Dunlop Porsche race or else I would not have discovered my throttle problem and would have spend 39 mins as a spectator or worse, within a very much bigger grid.

http://www.davidstallardphotography.com/ClassicSportsCarClubCSCC/CSCC-2014/CSCC-Snetterton-13-Apr-14/i-KC2KxQF

 

[Cater_Racer]

Well done Andy!

We raced against the same Mazda in Future Classics on Saturday, and beat him, just.

We had a few problems though, in qualification Tom went out first and did a 2m23s but on my out lap the gear selector linkage moved, and I was stuck with 1st 3rd and 5th only.

So I struggled round to get my 3 laps in, but not really at race pace. We fixed the linkage in the rest period, before the race. It had not been lined up with the hole on the shaft coming out of the gear-box and just moved round the shaft, so all the 2nd,4th and reverse were unavailable.

So we started 24th, but there was horrible c*ck-up at the start, on the first pace car lap someone broke down on the Montreal Hairpin, so they decided to have a second pace car lap. All was ok at the front, but with a 40 car grid the chaps at the back did not realize the pace car had not gone into the pit lane. The lights were out, so the back of the grid thought the race had started!!! So there was mayhem with loads of cars racing each other on the formation lap!!!! So we went from 24th to about 28th before the race started.

This c*ck-up was made worse by the Pace car who was driving too quickly for the rear of the grid to realize he was still there until three quarters of the lap had been done, they were still blocking and racing down the back straight on the formation lap! However the COC just let it all go and the race started in whatever order they were in.

Tom drove well and clambered back up the pack, when I went out after the pits stop, I did about 5 laps familiarizing myself with the car with all the gears working, (having not driven it properly since Oulton Park Qualifying last September, when once again I didn't race due to a Red Flag stoppage). I started to speed up when the Mazda caught me up, and by this time we were being lapped so had blue flags to contend with.

However I did manage to hold him off, and we finished 15th behind another S2 and in front of the Mazda and there was another S2 further back.

 

[Andy97]

Shame about the gear selection issues - I really do recommend the JMG front and rear shift mechanisms -an excellent quality bit of kit and a very good gear change.

I think the Mazda in your race was a modified Mk1 (throttle bodies etc), although I think the same Mk1 appeared in our race too, but was way quicker than me! I was actually referring to a Mk3.

Its a shame that Future Classics was not on the same day as Modern Classics as then a few of the FC racers could have had the second race with the Dunlop Porsche series as well, or may be even a second 40 min race.