This is why we have test days!
A test day is exactly what it says on the tin, we test the car to see what is or is not working from both a mechanical and geometrical point of view. Geometry is the cars balance between the wheel angles and suspension settings to produce greater grip and more speed through making small adjustments from driver feedback.
Our last test day at Donington Park was good but eventful, firstly it was dry and secondly, the team had hired a professional driver, Brian Saunders. He had raced at a high level and is also an ARDS instructor. Brian’s job was to get a feel for the car and to complete some reference laps recorded on the VBOX and then it was my job to emulate his driving and gain more pace around the circuit. He would also offer the team feedback on how the geometry set up felt and how it could be adjusted.
I kicked the day off with a few nice laps with good lines. Brian then took over and did a few startlingly fast laps, so we definitely knew that the car had the pace even if I didn’t at that point!
After studying the data with Brian from his laps I was back out in the car again. My job was to push the infamous Craner Curves harder and faster on full throttle, which trust me takes big balls and mine, it would seem, still weren’t big enough! Around the Curves, you reach over 100mph while fighting cambers and downhill sections. Your accuracy must be pinpoint and it is essential that you make small steering and throttle movements to keep the car on the track.
The famous Craner Curves
After daring myself to push the Craner Curves I unbalanced the car and had a full 360 degrees spin, I managed to save it and carried on (skid pan training paid off!) I really need to stop doing that. I executed the spin so efficiently that the team struggled to find the lap time on the VBOX data as I had only lost 3 seconds, not something to be proud of….apparently!
By now there were some serious teams on track, the majority were Formula cars including a Lotus F1, the same as driven by Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. It was the coolest feeling seeing an F1 closing in from behind and then pass me so fast I felt like I was parked. It was so incredibly loud it vibrated through the whole car, totally awesome! The other Formula cars were often all over the back of my car going into corners and overtaking you on all sides, pretty unnerving for any driver but surreal all the same.
After a short pit stop to adjust my seat position and tighten my five-point belts even further, I headed down the pit lane I could hardly breathe, but it definitely helped my driving and feeling at one with the car. It’s these small things that a test day is all about.
After a few laps I was heading into the chicane breaking down from 120mph I changed from 4th to 3rd gear and nothing! Strange, I must have missed the gear, which I never do, it revved but no gear engagement, so I tried again and again and nothing. I limped my car back to the pits and my worst fears were confirmed by the team that the gearbox had gone pop. So, an early end to the day and we had only just got started.
Although the day was cut short, we took away a major positive, we tested the car and found the gearbox was weak before we got into the race season. I also got my seat position improved and some great data laps from Brian to take home to study and both the team and Brian were really happy with my racing lines. Team Parr are mending the gearbox and we will all be back out to go again at Donington Park but this time even faster!
