Jonathan F
Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2010
- Messages
- 58
Rockingham: August 10th/11th 2013 (Rounds 9 and 10 of BARCâs VTEC Challenge)
For rounds 9 and 10 of the VTEC Challenge and the series âAll-Comersâ event, everyone headed to the âRockingham Speedwayâ in Northamptonshire.
The racing would be held on the circuits popular âInternational Super Sports Car Circuitâ and as ever the action promised to be thick and fast.
The most commonly used configuration combines long straights, sweeping high-speed bends and a lower speed, highly technical infield section that would see everyone battling for position.
Entrants:
01 â Andy Smith â Invitational - Accord Type R
03 â Tim Blowers â Production - Integra (DC5)
04 â Mark Bennett â Invitational - S2000
14 â Matthew Le â Production â Integra (DC2)
15 â Rob Butler â Tuner â Civic (EG6)
24 â Simon Cribley â Super Tuner â Integra (DC2)
26 â Rob Williams/Jason Holyhead â Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
31 â Phil Wright â Tuner â Accord Type R
39 â Rob Burkinshaw â Tuner â Integra (DC5)
64 - Richard Chilton â Production - Integra (DC2)
66 â Paula Webb â Invitational - Civic Type R (EP3)
67 â Peter Dixon â Tuner â Civic (EF)
73 - Stuart King â Production â Integra (DC2)
With a great turn out of drivers there was an air of nervous excitement as everyone prepared for the weekend ahead.
There were a couple of new drivers out for this event, plus the return of some old favourites who had been sorely missed.
Rob Butler had made the long journey over from Ireland for the event in his EG Civic and would be one to watch judging by his previous performances in the ITCC.
Rookie Paula Webb was making her racing debut at Rockingham in her EP3 Civic. A relative new comer to Hondaâs and not having driven a manual transmission car for nearly 25 years, Paula was certainly going all in for her first race.
Making a welcome return to the series for 2013 were Andy Smith from âVTEC Directâ in his Accord Type R, Peter Dixon in his EF Civic, and Simon Cribley from âPerformance Autoworksâ who was running the DC2 Integra usually piloted by Richard Voaden.
Also after sitting out Croft, Rob Williams was back out in his Production class EP3 Civic and would be sharing driving duties with Jason Holyhead of âHRD Developmentsâ.
Qualifying:
With the call to the assembly area played out over the loud speaker, all of drivers fired up their engines and travelled the short distance in readiness to hit the track.
Whilst sat waiting for the session to start, the engine temperature in Andyâs Accord began to creep up and reached a pre-set safety limit, which the ECU saw as an overheating engine.
On track this translated to an engine unable to rev over 6000rpm, which hampered his lap times considerably. Thankfully when hooked up to the laptop after qualifying the limit was adjusted.
Tim Blowers found the rear tyres on his DC5 had not got the required amount of heat in them and promptly spun coming into âBrook Chicane. However putting this behind him he regained his composure and promptly went on to set the 4th fastest lap time.
Another casualty in qualifying was Rob Butlerâs Civic, who fell foul of the noise police and so had to end his session after 3 laps.
Running a different driver (Jason Holyhead) in race 2, Rob Williams pitted half way through the session to allow Jason the necessary time to complete his mandatory 3 laps to set his qualifying time.
The remaining laps counted down with thankfully no further incidents.
With the times announced, it was the new guy Butler who had taken pole at the first time of asking, but if the noise issue couldnât be overcome he wouldnât be allowed back out to compete.
Pole: Rob Butler
2nd: Rob Burkinshaw
3rd: Peter Dixon
Back in the paddock and Robâs team got stuck into getting the car fit to race. A local company came to the rescue by making up an extra silencer which when clamped to the exhaust had the desired effect. Although now down slightly on power, the Civic was back in the game and at the head of the pack.
Race 1:
Following the green flag lap, all of the drivers lined up in their respective grid position on the Rockingham banking.
With lights out the charge to âturn 1â was underway and holding onto his pole slot was Rob Butler, who was coming under attack from Rob Burkinshaw in his DC5 and Peter Dixon in the rapid EF Civic.
Rob Williams and Matt Le got the better of Blowers off the line and the Production class trio were soon chasing the lead cars with Wright and Bennett in close contention.
Into âDeeneâ and Burkinshaw ran wide which dropped him back a couple of places and allowed Dixon through to take 2nd behind Butler. Back on the offensive after his mishap and Burkinshaw was back up to 2nd after a couple more laps.
From 8th on the grid, Cribley dropped back when hampered by a missed 2nd gear. This left him with a huge fight on his hands to claw back up the field but a fight that would see him rewarded with a 4th place finish when he crossed the line.
Making a great start, Smith slotted himself in between those ahead to jump up to 10th place, however his return to the circuit was short lived as the Accords engine cried enough and exited in spectacular fashion just 3 laps in.
Matt Le was showing improved pace sitting in 5th place even after a close call with the tyre wall coming onto the banking. All was well placed for his highest finish, when disaster struck. On lap 10 the engine went tight causing a dramatic exit into the pit lane. A spun bearing was later diagnosed as the culprit, putting an end to the local mans weekend.
Rob Butlerâs new silencer began to cause him a few issues as he found his carâs breathing severely restricted which dropped him down the field at around half race distance.
With Butler dropping back through the pack, Burkinshaw pulled out a comfortable lead over Dixon (now in 2nd) which the pair held until the chequered flag was dropped.
Fighting wheel to wheel, Wright, Bennett and Blowers (separated only by a recovering Butler) could be covered by a blanket at any point throughout the race, with Wright emerging the victor to take 5th overall.
Stu King and Rich Chilton raced consistently with Rich losing his clutch during the closing laps which prevented any last minute attacks to snatch the position away.
Paula crossed the line to finish her first race with a smile big enough to match any race winner!
1st: Rob Burkinshaw
2nd Peter Dixon
3rd Rob Williams
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Simon Cribley
(INV) â Mark Bennett
Fastest lap: Rob Burkinshaw â 1.32.823 on lap 4 of 13
With the engines barely silenced after the race, Andy was already on his way back to âVTEC Directâ in Cheshire to pick up another engine for the Accord, along with various other bits and bobs for other drivers.
In the meantime, an empty garage was commandeered and the stricken Accord was pushed into place to allow the swap to take place.
Starting at around half past 8, Andy and âVTEC Directâ mechanic Ben, accompanied by Simon and Carl of âPerformance Autoworksâ as well as various helpers started removing the old engine and gearbox. With a few bits to swap over by 11:45 the replacement unit was back up and running! A fantastic achievement by all those involved and a testament to the dedication of those who race within the âVTEC Challengeâ.
To try and rectify his clutch issue, Rich Chilton loaded up his Integra and headed back to his workshop to see if a fix could be implemented.
Race 2:
With a couple of carâs not making it back for the start of race 2, the grid was closed up.
Start of race 2 saw Butler in an improved Civic swathe through the grid from 6th to 2nd place and onto the boot lid of Burkinshaw before âDeeneâ.
Wright and Blowers both hooked up off the line and from 5th and 7th respectively were soon up to 3rd and 4th.
Another driver to make a great start was Stu King who showed true commitment through turn one, even though being hounded by Andy Smith who had shot through from the back row of the grid with his Accord to surprise many. Putting some distance between himself and Andy, Stu proceeded to hunt down Wright, but was unable to catch the black Accord before the end of the race.
Struggling off the line, Mark Bennett soon found himself dropping back until the S2000 found itâs way and began making up lost ground to fight with Andy Smith and Jason Holyhead, but a sideways moment on the exit of âTarzanâ undid all his hard work.
Rich Chilton soon found out his repaired Integra was not 100% and still suffering from clutch/gear issues. Not wanting to incur any more damage it was an early bath for the driver from Cambridge.
Out in front, Burkinshaw began to come under pressure from Butler as both Tuner class cars opened the taps. A couple of laps in and the Irishman had fought his way past the driver from Sheffield, only to come unstuck a couple of laps later when a drive shaft joint failed, sidelining the Civic that had just set a new VTEC lap record for the circuit.
Burkinshaw (now unchallenged) was able to drive his own race to take the second win comfortably from Simon Cribley who had fought his way through the grid after dropping down the order at the start.
Driving like a demon, Tim Blowers hustled his DC5 around Rockingham with gusto and chased down the leaders to finish in 3rd place and 1st in Production class. A fantastic effort that saw the Derbyshire driver take his first podium position of his racing career.
Showing he had not lost any of his skills during his sabbatical, Andy was driving the doors off his Accord and played to its strengths. Unable to keep pace on the straights, the Accord was able to close up through the corners and kept in contention with King and the #26 car now driven by Jason Holyhead (who had started alongside Andy). However any further progress was curtailed when a cv joint failed which resulted in the final laps being taken at a heavily reduced pace in order to finish.
Paula was again elated to finish and is now a true convert to the ways of the VTEC!
1st Rob Burkinshaw
2nd Simon Cribley
3rd Tim Blowers
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Tim Blowers
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Simon Cribley
(INV) â Mark Bennett
Fastest lap: Rob Butler â 1.32.388 on lap 4 of 4
The âApex Trackdaysâ award was presented to Tim Blowers in recognition of his hard work and ânever give upâ attitude which saw him take his first podium after 2 and a half years.
Summary:
Yet again a fantastic weekend of racing with true camaraderie. The on track action was thick and fast, with something to see at every corner and drivers having the time of their lives. This is what this series is about!
Thanks go out to the series sponsors: Dunlop Tyres, Performance Autoworks, Banzai, Honda Tuner, Apex Track Days and R-Motion for their continuing support.
Separately a massive thanks goes out to the drivers and their supporters who came out on the day.
The VTEC Challenge now head to Brands Hatch on the 21st and 22nd of September.
Hope to see you all there.
Words: Jonathan Fletcher
Pictures: Lindsey Fletcher & Jonathan Fletcher
For rounds 9 and 10 of the VTEC Challenge and the series âAll-Comersâ event, everyone headed to the âRockingham Speedwayâ in Northamptonshire.
The racing would be held on the circuits popular âInternational Super Sports Car Circuitâ and as ever the action promised to be thick and fast.
The most commonly used configuration combines long straights, sweeping high-speed bends and a lower speed, highly technical infield section that would see everyone battling for position.
Entrants:
01 â Andy Smith â Invitational - Accord Type R
03 â Tim Blowers â Production - Integra (DC5)
04 â Mark Bennett â Invitational - S2000
14 â Matthew Le â Production â Integra (DC2)
15 â Rob Butler â Tuner â Civic (EG6)
24 â Simon Cribley â Super Tuner â Integra (DC2)
26 â Rob Williams/Jason Holyhead â Production - Civic Type R (EP3)
31 â Phil Wright â Tuner â Accord Type R
39 â Rob Burkinshaw â Tuner â Integra (DC5)
64 - Richard Chilton â Production - Integra (DC2)
66 â Paula Webb â Invitational - Civic Type R (EP3)
67 â Peter Dixon â Tuner â Civic (EF)
73 - Stuart King â Production â Integra (DC2)
With a great turn out of drivers there was an air of nervous excitement as everyone prepared for the weekend ahead.
There were a couple of new drivers out for this event, plus the return of some old favourites who had been sorely missed.
Rob Butler had made the long journey over from Ireland for the event in his EG Civic and would be one to watch judging by his previous performances in the ITCC.
Rookie Paula Webb was making her racing debut at Rockingham in her EP3 Civic. A relative new comer to Hondaâs and not having driven a manual transmission car for nearly 25 years, Paula was certainly going all in for her first race.
Making a welcome return to the series for 2013 were Andy Smith from âVTEC Directâ in his Accord Type R, Peter Dixon in his EF Civic, and Simon Cribley from âPerformance Autoworksâ who was running the DC2 Integra usually piloted by Richard Voaden.
Also after sitting out Croft, Rob Williams was back out in his Production class EP3 Civic and would be sharing driving duties with Jason Holyhead of âHRD Developmentsâ.
Qualifying:
With the call to the assembly area played out over the loud speaker, all of drivers fired up their engines and travelled the short distance in readiness to hit the track.
Whilst sat waiting for the session to start, the engine temperature in Andyâs Accord began to creep up and reached a pre-set safety limit, which the ECU saw as an overheating engine.
On track this translated to an engine unable to rev over 6000rpm, which hampered his lap times considerably. Thankfully when hooked up to the laptop after qualifying the limit was adjusted.
Tim Blowers found the rear tyres on his DC5 had not got the required amount of heat in them and promptly spun coming into âBrook Chicane. However putting this behind him he regained his composure and promptly went on to set the 4th fastest lap time.
Another casualty in qualifying was Rob Butlerâs Civic, who fell foul of the noise police and so had to end his session after 3 laps.
Running a different driver (Jason Holyhead) in race 2, Rob Williams pitted half way through the session to allow Jason the necessary time to complete his mandatory 3 laps to set his qualifying time.
The remaining laps counted down with thankfully no further incidents.
With the times announced, it was the new guy Butler who had taken pole at the first time of asking, but if the noise issue couldnât be overcome he wouldnât be allowed back out to compete.
Pole: Rob Butler
2nd: Rob Burkinshaw
3rd: Peter Dixon
Back in the paddock and Robâs team got stuck into getting the car fit to race. A local company came to the rescue by making up an extra silencer which when clamped to the exhaust had the desired effect. Although now down slightly on power, the Civic was back in the game and at the head of the pack.
Race 1:
Following the green flag lap, all of the drivers lined up in their respective grid position on the Rockingham banking.
With lights out the charge to âturn 1â was underway and holding onto his pole slot was Rob Butler, who was coming under attack from Rob Burkinshaw in his DC5 and Peter Dixon in the rapid EF Civic.
Rob Williams and Matt Le got the better of Blowers off the line and the Production class trio were soon chasing the lead cars with Wright and Bennett in close contention.
Into âDeeneâ and Burkinshaw ran wide which dropped him back a couple of places and allowed Dixon through to take 2nd behind Butler. Back on the offensive after his mishap and Burkinshaw was back up to 2nd after a couple more laps.
From 8th on the grid, Cribley dropped back when hampered by a missed 2nd gear. This left him with a huge fight on his hands to claw back up the field but a fight that would see him rewarded with a 4th place finish when he crossed the line.
Making a great start, Smith slotted himself in between those ahead to jump up to 10th place, however his return to the circuit was short lived as the Accords engine cried enough and exited in spectacular fashion just 3 laps in.
Matt Le was showing improved pace sitting in 5th place even after a close call with the tyre wall coming onto the banking. All was well placed for his highest finish, when disaster struck. On lap 10 the engine went tight causing a dramatic exit into the pit lane. A spun bearing was later diagnosed as the culprit, putting an end to the local mans weekend.
Rob Butlerâs new silencer began to cause him a few issues as he found his carâs breathing severely restricted which dropped him down the field at around half race distance.
With Butler dropping back through the pack, Burkinshaw pulled out a comfortable lead over Dixon (now in 2nd) which the pair held until the chequered flag was dropped.
Fighting wheel to wheel, Wright, Bennett and Blowers (separated only by a recovering Butler) could be covered by a blanket at any point throughout the race, with Wright emerging the victor to take 5th overall.
Stu King and Rich Chilton raced consistently with Rich losing his clutch during the closing laps which prevented any last minute attacks to snatch the position away.
Paula crossed the line to finish her first race with a smile big enough to match any race winner!
1st: Rob Burkinshaw
2nd Peter Dixon
3rd Rob Williams
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Rob Williams
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Simon Cribley
(INV) â Mark Bennett
Fastest lap: Rob Burkinshaw â 1.32.823 on lap 4 of 13
With the engines barely silenced after the race, Andy was already on his way back to âVTEC Directâ in Cheshire to pick up another engine for the Accord, along with various other bits and bobs for other drivers.
In the meantime, an empty garage was commandeered and the stricken Accord was pushed into place to allow the swap to take place.
Starting at around half past 8, Andy and âVTEC Directâ mechanic Ben, accompanied by Simon and Carl of âPerformance Autoworksâ as well as various helpers started removing the old engine and gearbox. With a few bits to swap over by 11:45 the replacement unit was back up and running! A fantastic achievement by all those involved and a testament to the dedication of those who race within the âVTEC Challengeâ.
To try and rectify his clutch issue, Rich Chilton loaded up his Integra and headed back to his workshop to see if a fix could be implemented.
Race 2:
With a couple of carâs not making it back for the start of race 2, the grid was closed up.
Start of race 2 saw Butler in an improved Civic swathe through the grid from 6th to 2nd place and onto the boot lid of Burkinshaw before âDeeneâ.
Wright and Blowers both hooked up off the line and from 5th and 7th respectively were soon up to 3rd and 4th.
Another driver to make a great start was Stu King who showed true commitment through turn one, even though being hounded by Andy Smith who had shot through from the back row of the grid with his Accord to surprise many. Putting some distance between himself and Andy, Stu proceeded to hunt down Wright, but was unable to catch the black Accord before the end of the race.
Struggling off the line, Mark Bennett soon found himself dropping back until the S2000 found itâs way and began making up lost ground to fight with Andy Smith and Jason Holyhead, but a sideways moment on the exit of âTarzanâ undid all his hard work.
Rich Chilton soon found out his repaired Integra was not 100% and still suffering from clutch/gear issues. Not wanting to incur any more damage it was an early bath for the driver from Cambridge.
Out in front, Burkinshaw began to come under pressure from Butler as both Tuner class cars opened the taps. A couple of laps in and the Irishman had fought his way past the driver from Sheffield, only to come unstuck a couple of laps later when a drive shaft joint failed, sidelining the Civic that had just set a new VTEC lap record for the circuit.
Burkinshaw (now unchallenged) was able to drive his own race to take the second win comfortably from Simon Cribley who had fought his way through the grid after dropping down the order at the start.
Driving like a demon, Tim Blowers hustled his DC5 around Rockingham with gusto and chased down the leaders to finish in 3rd place and 1st in Production class. A fantastic effort that saw the Derbyshire driver take his first podium position of his racing career.
Showing he had not lost any of his skills during his sabbatical, Andy was driving the doors off his Accord and played to its strengths. Unable to keep pace on the straights, the Accord was able to close up through the corners and kept in contention with King and the #26 car now driven by Jason Holyhead (who had started alongside Andy). However any further progress was curtailed when a cv joint failed which resulted in the final laps being taken at a heavily reduced pace in order to finish.
Paula was again elated to finish and is now a true convert to the ways of the VTEC!
1st Rob Burkinshaw
2nd Simon Cribley
3rd Tim Blowers
Class wins were awarded to:
(P) â Tim Blowers
(T) â Rob Burkinshaw
(ST) â Simon Cribley
(INV) â Mark Bennett
Fastest lap: Rob Butler â 1.32.388 on lap 4 of 4
The âApex Trackdaysâ award was presented to Tim Blowers in recognition of his hard work and ânever give upâ attitude which saw him take his first podium after 2 and a half years.
Summary:
Yet again a fantastic weekend of racing with true camaraderie. The on track action was thick and fast, with something to see at every corner and drivers having the time of their lives. This is what this series is about!
Thanks go out to the series sponsors: Dunlop Tyres, Performance Autoworks, Banzai, Honda Tuner, Apex Track Days and R-Motion for their continuing support.
Separately a massive thanks goes out to the drivers and their supporters who came out on the day.
The VTEC Challenge now head to Brands Hatch on the 21st and 22nd of September.
Hope to see you all there.
Words: Jonathan Fletcher
Pictures: Lindsey Fletcher & Jonathan Fletcher
