Running Your Own Race Car...How Hard Can It Be!

To some, the idea of running your own race car may seem daunting.  There are obviously different approaches available from doing everything yourself, through to getting someone to do everything for you, plus plenty of options in-between.  

We built our Race Porsche Boxster ourselves with the intent of running it ourselves.  The building was part of the fun and experience.  Never having done anything like this before was a challenge, took more time than anticipated, but it's the only way we can afford to compete. 

If the car is reliable, well put together and you are well prepared, then running yourself over a race weekend is very achievable and also rewarding.  

The work isn't complex, even for people less mechanically minded.  If you can jack up a car and change a wheel or your own brake pads, it's well within the capability of a driver and an extra pair of hands to help.

In order to make a race weekend manageable, the car needs to be prepared as much as possible before each event.  There is enough to do with registration, scrutineering and sorting yourself as a driver out when you arrive at the circuit.

The car needs to be ready; good enough to qualify, straight after unloading from the trailer. This typically means fueled for qualifying, battery charged, brakes cleaned, belts adjusted and roll bars/suspension setup to the baseline for the track or the outcome of any practice days. Just tyre pressures to set and go! 

Car fully prepared and ready to qualify

To make things easier the car setup and ambient conditions for every session on every track are logged in a spreadsheet we keep.  This is for use as a reference between sessions and also for the future.  This has been invaluable in saving time and giving a good baseline to work from when turning up somewhere new or when the conditions change unexpectedly.

With the car ready, it's just a case of having my race suit and boots on and gloves, balaclava and helmet in the car.  Typically this is around one hour before the race time (30-40 mins before we are called to the holding area.)  This is in case it rains or conditions change, leaving plenty of time to sort anything out on the car. Trying to get the car and yourself ready at the last minute just isn't possible unless you have a team of people supporting you. 

Tyre pressures are set higher than needed beforehand so it's just a case of releasing air down to the desired pressure at the last minute.

I drive myself to the holding area, and tend to wait in the car, engine running/warming up. There is an order to putting balaclava, helmet, safety belts on.  Then setting my lap-timer and finally putting my gloves on, since I can’t reach the dashboard once belted in.  This year I have an automatic car camera which records all the time the ignition is on, which means one less thing to worry about too. 

Once we come off the track, if onsite fuel is open the car can be driven there and refueled straight away to save time and effort.  Otherwise jerrycans are used, but this is still typically the first job to do.  You also need to give the car some time to cool down!

The pit garage for the weekend - Driver and Chief Mechanic

Before and during each race weekend the following work is typically needed:

Battery: The race battery needs to be trickle charged overnight before each event.  We also make sure the engine is running when using the 12v tyre compressor as it doesn't take much to deplete the battery.

Race Harnesses:  Harnesses need to be checked and adjusted before each event.  To check for wear and tear and to re-adjust as needed.

Anti-roll Bars: We set these per circuit before each event, and typically don't then change them unless is rains heavily or I have time to experiment with a different setup.  Takes 5 mins per side with an allen key and spanner with the wheels on.

Brakes:  The drilled discs get clogged up with brake dust and need to be cleaned out after every two track sessions. Takes 10 mins per corner.   We typically replace the brake discs at the same time as the pads get to 3/4 worn.  Brake pads are lasting at least 3-4 events on the front, but twice that on the back.
    
Wheels:  While the brakes are being cleaned its a good time to clean the rubber marbles off each wheel. Wheel bolts have been changed to studs and a cheap 12v impact gun helps to speed up removal and refitting. Then tighten with the torque wrench.

Suspension Stiffness: This is set before each event to a baseline for the circuit. A decision is made after each session on track as to stick or change, based on the weather or to address over or under-steer issues. Takes 1 min per corner to twist the adjuster knob and can be done with wheels on.

I have even adjusted this in the holding area minutes before the race when it has unexpectedly poured with rain.

Tyres:  Tyre pressures are critical.  Too low and you have no grip until they warm up.  Too high and they overheat, get greasy and loose grip into the race.  Pressures change with the ambient temperature and conditions, hence our historical log is used as a guide. Usually the last thing to be set before going out onto track and takes 30 secs per wheel.

Oil/Brake Fluid/Servicing: As we only typically do 4-5 event per year this is limited to the off-season. No point in changing oil every event / 150 miles. If we did a full season then a service mid way would be sensible.

On axle stands during cleaning of front brake discs and wheels

Most changes or minor problems can be tackled with a decent home mechanic tool set. The bulkiest items travel in the race car and the rest in the car boot.

• A decent low entry jack
• Axel stands
• Tyre pressure gauge
• 12v Tyre compressor
• Set of screwdrivers, socket set and ring spanners
• Set of hex/torx bits (Porsche put them everywhere)
• Brake caliper hex socket bit
• Hose clip tool
• Hand wipes, bucket and car cleaning kit
• 12v impact gun
• Torque wrench
• 2x Jerry cans plus funnel
• Cable tie, Duct tape / Electrical tape
• Spare fuses and a spare 9v fire extinguisher controller battery
• Mat to lay on and an Umbrella to keep some rain off!

Car boot used to store tools over the weekend.

If you need anything else then you have a bigger problem to solve.  Once or twice we have needed help from other people in the paddock to fix a problem and keep us racing.  Generally people are always willing to assist.  The presence of a championship parts supplier means we don't need to carry any specific spare parts. 

Of course if you end up in the gravel, having a mechanical failure or getting damaged (all of which have happened) you will need more time to sort the car out. This is when being organised and having an extra pair of hands is the difference between getting out for the next race or going home.  

The methodical approach to preparation and maintenance has contributed to the fact we have only suffered two DNF's in three seasons.

1. The last lap of a race, when the gear selector broke.  In hindsight I could have limped home in 4th gear!
2. When the exhaust broke off, causing fumes in the cab due to being knocked over the kerb coming out of a gravel trap after going off on an oil spill.

We have never had to go home early or miss a race we wanted to enter. 

 

So it's not that difficult if you are well prepared, and is extremely rewarding, especially when you out-perform those who have bigger budgets and professional support.

 

Donington Park Finals

Donington Park in the East Midlands was the final event of the season.  A triple race schedule with the added twist of a reversed grid for the final race.  

Having not done any changes to the car since Brands Hatch, we arrived early Saturday and set about changing the car setup (roll-bar stiffness and damper settings) to suit the fast and flowing Donington track. We also swapped our worn wheels/tyres for the spare ones which we bedded in at Brands.  

Qualifying wasn't until 12pm, so the track had dried from the early morning rain by the time we went out.  I needed a few laps to re-aquaint myself with the circuit and then stopped in the pits to check tyre pressures.  It was warm, and they were already getting too hot, so a few PSI was let out of each corner.

I'd already gone faster than ever previously and my lap timer twice showed another half second improvement in the session, but a mistake and a slower car late in the lap meant I qualified 9th.  Back in the paddock, I decided the car was still over-steering a little too much, so before the race we sorted this by adjusting the ride height before the first race.

Race 1

Paranoid about my recent bad starts, I was really cautious getting away.  I lost a couple of places and was overtaken by a production spec Boxster.  Handily I blasted straight back past on the next corner, and set out following the main pack of cars.  A mid race safety car for two 924's in the gravel setup a 10min blast to the finish. Two cars I was battling with skidded off under pressure.  I avoided t-boning one by centimeters!  I finished 9th, not an amazing place, but the car was handling really well and I was confident overtaking cars for position. 

 Race 2

I maintained position from the start, and whilst not quite able to keep up with the front 6 or 7 cars, they were only a few seconds ahead and not getting away. Mid way through the race I came across two 924's rejoining in the middle of the track after a spin.  I had to take avoiding action at over 90mph to prevent hitting them.  

Breathing a sigh of relief, I descended Craner curves to a Boxster rejoining from the grass, and then my car went sideways.  I only just managed to control it and didn't loose a place either.  Only then did I see the trail of fluid which had been the cause of all the issues, coming from the rear of a Boxster ahead.   

I now found myself in 6th place, but in the remaining laps I noticed my lap times slowing and a gaggle of cars behind definitely closing in. The last lap board finally came out but I lost a position into Redgate. Determined to get it back, I stayed wide and slingshot back past into the Old Hairpin, where I knew I could out brake.

However up the hill I stayed too far on the inside which ultimately compromised my exit speed onto the next straight and I lost the position on the penultimate corner to finish 7th.  My best race result since the start of the year at Silverstone.

After the race I found the demanding braking had worn the front brake pads to almost nothing.  A quick chat with the series parts suppliers Jasmine Porcha-link and I was ready for race 3 which some improved braking. 

Race 3

Reverse grid is always fun.  The aim is to stay at the front for as long as possible before the leaders ultimately overtake you.  Starting on the 3rd row would give the that opportunity.

I worked hard on the green flag warmup lap to get my tyres warm and bed the new front brake pads in.  A few might stops from 100mph plus does the trick.  

I had a minor panic on the grid as the car had popped out of first gear.  The rule is to get into first on the approach to your grid slot and leave it alone!  But your mind plays tricks and you can't help messing with the gear stick whilst stationary.

I got away well enough though, but was boxed in behind the slower cars in front as I approached Redgate corner.  At the last second a gap to the inside appeared and I darted though and into 3rd place.  

I could see I was faster than the 2nd place car and keeping ahead of the faster runners behind me.  On lap two I lined up a block pass into the Coppice corner to take 2nd, but this compromised my speed down the straight and a car got on the inside.  

As we approached  the braking zone I braked late as usual....the pedal went solid and I careered on towards the gravel!  I managed to slew the car sideways across the gravel and out the other side in a big arc to get back onto the track.  Another car was left in the gravel as I rejoined and I had no idea what had happened. 

It wasn't until the lap after that I saw oil flags and thick streak of oil exactly where I braked.  The vibration of gravel stuck on the wheels made it impossible drive at normal pace, but I continued for a while, dropping from 6th to 10th.  With 5 minutes of the race remaining, I noticed something else was wrong, the engine was now running rough and down on power. Then I had smoke coming into the cab, so hastily parked it on the unused Melbourne loop. 

Despite only our second ever DNF out of 30+ races, I had a fantastic weekend on a track where I really found confidence to push the car and my driving.   The car I left in the gravel finished 5th in the end which meant had I stayed on track I should have got a best ever result. 

The highlights of the weekend being  lots of overtakes and a few hairy moments, which cement Donington Park as my favourite track.

Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche

Last weekend we attended the Festival of Porsche at Brands Hatch.   

Whilst the event was primarily a Porsche Club GB event for their members, it was well advertised and open to the public.  We were invited to race as part of the on-track action in addition to a lot of static Porsche displays. 

We arrived on Saturday and did some testing as I hadn't driven the car for several months.  We also changed the setup to suit the slower corners of the Brands Indy circuit.  A more over-steer prone approach was tried to help the acute under-steer out of the last corner.  This comes with a greater risk of spinning and took a reasonable amount of time to get used, and is a not the normal way I set the car up. 

Sunday AM Qualifying:

As the several thousand spectators started to arrive we headed out for qualifying.  Some crazy antics were the talk initially with several cars holding up the pack to create an area of empty track in front.  It came to nothing other than a great photo opportunity (below) and in end there was plenty of room for 26 cars on track in the 20 minute session.

Photo Chris Valentine - 88Racing.com

Right at the end of the session I managed to string my fastest lap together, over 1 sec faster than last year.  This bettered my testing time from the day before and we less than 1 second off the front row.  However the series is close, and that's only good enough for 9th on the grid.  

Race 1

Unfortunately my fuel gauge had stuck on zero leading up to the race I somehow convinced myself I was marginal on fuel.  I then messed up my start, reacting to the red lights coming on instead of going off, and having to jump on the brakes to avoid a jump-start.  The lights then went out immediately and I was left stranded with no revs.  I lost five places, including to slower Class-B cars.

Once I had gathered by thoughts and set about passing them back the main pack of Boxsters were 10 seconds up the track.  My fuel garage came back to life and I had plenty so needn't have worried.  

In my mirrors I had a fast approaching race spec Boxster which started from the pit lane. With 5 laps remaining he was on me and we swapped places four times in the space of two laps, until sadly for me, on the last lap I over cooked it into paddock hill, sliding wide gifting the place.  

Race 2

I got a much better start, but didn't gain any places.  Three laps of safety car, then ensued to clear two Class-B Boxsters who tangled right behind me on the first lap and ended up in the gravel.

Once racing resumed, the three cars in front (8th to 10th places) were battling and holding each other up, but I wasn't able to overtake.  I also didn't want to get involved with what looked like some robust defending of position. One car eventually overshot into the gravel at Druids and I was closing in fast on 9th place as the chequered flag came out. 

On retuning to the paddock my family and friends told me I was classified in 20th place and the commentators were announcing me as last and a lap down!  After a long walk back to race control and a discussion with the tsl-timing reps they agreed my transponder had missed a lap at the end of the safety car period and they hadn't noticed. 

Once the laps were corrected and the car in front disqualified for some over zealous defending of position, the race result was re-issued with me 9th.  

Not the results that I wanted over the weekend, my target was 7th position. ( I actually get points for 7th due to guest drivers finishing in grant of me.)

It was the first time we have setup the car to have much more over-steer as opposed to my usual safer under-steer style. I managed to avoid any damage or spins and improved my best lap by over 1 second from last year. 

Plenty of positives and only a few weeks until the final triple race meeting at Donington Park.   

Rockingham Race Event

Arriving early Saturday morning we setup in the vast outer paddock. We had high hopes for the weekend, as its the first track of 2014 that I know.  I qualified very well here last year despite not having success in the races.

Qualifying: I waited in the pits until last to find some empty track. It's debatable whether best to follow other cars, and maybe be held up or go it alone. I chose the latter. 

After a lap to warm the tyres I found that the PSM stability control system wouldn't switch off! This this seemed to be severely limiting power out of the corners and felt like it was holding me back.  I was 4 seconds off my expected pace, so pitted to see if we could quickly solve the problem.  However everything we tried disabled ABS too - which would make things worse. 

I went back out for the last 5 minutes of the session and improved my lap time by over a second, but still 3 seconds slower than last year. 

Photograph http://www.dwmotorsportphotography.com/

When the timing sheets were issued, it turned out everyone was significantly slower due to track conditions, with it being very slippy (despite being dry) and whilst 10th I wasn't far off 7th in terms of time. 

Back in the paddock the guys from TF Motorsport and Jasmine showed us how to simply disable the PSM without affecting the ABS and we were confident of improving in the race. 

Race 1: The temperature was in the high 20's as the lights went out. I got a reasonable start, holding position through the first corner.  Half way round the lap, the two cars in front were side by and I nipped up the inside of one into the next. hairpin.  As we got to the fast left hander Gracelands the two cars in front of me went in too fast, too wide, onto the marbles and started to spin.   One went into the gravel but the closest rotated back across he track directly into my path.  I had lifted off immediately I saw the spin which bought me a second to react and dodge right.

The old adage is that you aim for the spinning car, and it won't be there when you get there!  

Unfortunately the cars behind me went left. I heard the collision, all three cars were out of the race with significant damage and the race red flagged.  

On the restart I maintained position, but was always  a second or two behind the cars in front. The heat was extreme and the harder I pushed the more mistakes I made, so came home 7th. 

http://www.dwmotorsportphotography.com/

Race 2: Due to the general lack of grip and the twisty infield section we softened the rear roll-bar and the suspension for Sunday to find more grip and reduce the likelihood of under steer. 

This turned out to be a good move when it started to rain just before the race.  I try to treat light rain as nothing and race it as dry - but in the holding area it got worse, so I hastily got out and softened the suspension a little more. 

With two warm-up laps permitted to get used to conditions I sought different lines through the corners searching for grip. It was very very slippery.

Off the line I got another great wet start, taking two places and holding on, despite a few moments over the first lap or two.  A spinner in front put me 4th, a way back from the top 3 through. The next lap I started to consolidate my highest position ever and build a gap over 5th place. It all looked very promising! 

Then the heavens opened, and a huge downpour ensued.  Coming into the banked turn 1, I very nearly hit the wall; aquaplaning at 90mph, before recovering.  My worn tyres unable to clear the depth of standing water. 

Race control deployed the safety car (A Kia Rio) immediately.  There was so much water I couldn't even keep up with it.  My lap times had gone from 2:10 to 3:40 it was so bad.  Once it pulled in 2 laps later I still couldn't get up to speed and was picked off one by one by the cars behind. I finally finished 9th on track and 7th in class. 

Some good progress, but still not on the pace with the front runners.  We are definitely being hampered by our low budget which only allows a single set of wheels and tyres, a slightly under powered engine, being over the minimum weight by over 20kgs and not having all the performance  modifications permitted by the regulations. 

Brake Cooling

All the talk in the championship recently is about brake cooling. 

With our next round being at Rockingham (which is a big test for brakes)  and the English summer set to be a hot one, we've fitted the optional GT3 brake cooling ducts.  These are larger and sit lower under the car to direct more air onto the front brakes.  

We still expect I have to manage brakes during the races. Stopping from 125mph+ down to 45mph puts a strain on the brakes.   If the ABS is used to much it quickly overheats the brakes and you have to brake earlier and more gently into corners. 

I expect we will also put direct ducting from the front bumper into the brake discs or open up the inner wheel arch liners to allow even more cooling, and this allow us to brake more aggressively and for longer in races with less fade. 

Rolling Road Session

To date we've had no idea how much power our engine is outputting.  Interested to know how well it performs and if we are on a par with other cars in the championship we booked a session on a local rolling road.  Snetterton Speed Shop; based at the Snetterton Circuit, is a small unit who specialise in Mini race preparation, running several cars in the BRSCC Mighty Mini championship. Owner Jonathan Lewis won the championship recently so they clearly know what they are doing!

In the best case our engine would be producing over 250bhp. On the other hand if power was much lower this would indicate the need for a rebuild sooner rather than later.  

As the car was setup on the rolling road it became apparent there was an issue with ride height.  Although the Porsche Boxster isn't that low at 100mm, the chassis support arms underneath the engine hang lower and were scraping the rollers. 

The guys quickly removed the wheels and adjusted the Gaz shocks to raise the height by 10mm each side, carefully marking the original position so we could put it back easily afterwards. 

Once that was sorted the rolling road was fired up and they put the car through three separate power runs. Each time getting the car into 4th gear and then taking the revs up to the 7,000 rpm limit.

The output showed our engine producing around the factory spec 250bhp.  Although a little less that a perfect newly rebuilt engine, this is perfectly respectable for 13 years old and 80,000+ miles old. 

Croft Race Event

We traveled north; a 300 mile trip for me, to Darlington on the Friday morning.   The Croft circuit is pretty basic in terms of facilities. Portaloos, a stand-pipe and burger van.  What more could you need?  
 
Arriving at lunchtime we grabbed a section of tarmac as our base, next to the TF Motorsport truck, who'd transported the car ahead for us.  Not having an awning meant we'd work out of the boot of the Freelander and expect to get wet over the weekend.
 

We had to get a new left front tyre fitted in anticipation of wet weather, the others are half worn (3.5mm tread) and will do for a while yet.  Heading out for the first of two 30min practice sessions, the track is flat and fast with some 4th gear 100mph corners.  I managed several 5 lap stints, reducing tyre pressures as the temperatures increased.  I finished the day setting times a couple of seconds down on the front runners and pretty happy with how I ran given the limited time to learn the track and make setup changes to suit conditions.

A bonus in the evening was a Mexican food and drink night put on by some of the driver's families which went down really well with everyone.

Saturday Qualifying: 
We awoke to torrential race on Saturday morning, so arriving at the circuit we hastily changed the roll-bar and damper settings back for wet conditions.  Qualifying was very difficult with standing water in many corners and all the way down the start finish straight.  I qualified 13th as the slowest Boxster, 2 seconds off the next best.

Afterwards we found that in my haste I'd set the dampers wrong and the settings were all over the place. This married with the fact almost everyone else has a spare set of wheels with new tyres gave me some solace.

Race 1

The first race is before lunch. We guessed the track would be partially dry, but on the green flag lap it's fully dry.  On the grid I somehow missed the lights and got passed by all 3 production spec Boxsters down to turn 1.

I'm thinking I'll pick them off one by one, but coming into the last section of the lap mud got sprayed up across my windscreen.  In my efforts to get the wipers to clear it I managed over rev out of the hairpin, put two wheels on the wet grass and a 180 spin was inevitable.  Luckily following cars avoided me and and I got the car onto the grass out of thier way.
On rejoining I was dead last so spent the race picking off the slower Porsche 924's.
 
Race #1 Spin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HaxuQ0A9I8U#t=180
 
Race 2
The weather was again changeable, but I went with a full dry setup, determined to make the best of it.
 

I got a much better start gaining a position and keeping up with the battle for 7th place ahead and making it a four way fight down to 10th.  With stiffer suspension settings I found I could push harder through the faster corners to keep up and trail-brake into the slower ones to gain on the cars in front.  I felt confident of attacking for position towards the end of the race.

 

Unfortunately a car went off into the barriers and the safety car was inadvertently put out onto track and we all followed it round for the last 5 laps.  I finished 9th, much happier that I could run with the mid pack of cars.  

Silverstone Race Event

The first event of 2014 was at Silverstone using the International circuit layout and "The Wing" Grand Prix pits and garages.

Friday testing was initially a shakedown test for the work we had done over the winter.  In the second session the headlight unexpectedly flew off, bouncing off the top of the car and up into the sky as we braked into the first corner.  Lucky no major damage done. 

I got faster in the afternoon and tweaked the car setup for dryer and faster conditions ending the day pretty happy. 

Qualifying - Saturday AM  

I got an early banker lap in but after finding space on track oil went down at the first corner and nobody could set faster times. I qualified 8th a little disappointed especially since most people went faster than Friday. 

Race 1 - Saturday PM

I got a reasonable start but being on the outside got pushed wide and lost momentum leading up to and onto the long hanger straight.  

My manic first lap continued as I had to fend off a strong challenge from the leading Class-B boxster before going three abreast around the final turn.   It took a couple of laps to get back past, but by then a big gap had opened in front.  I was lapping very consistently for a 7th place finish. 

Photo AJB Photographic http://www.ajbphotographic.co.uk/

Race  2 - Sunday PM

Wet conditions made it a tricky last minute call on rollbar and damper settings.  It had stopped raining - the track was wet in places - but would it dry out?  

I got a flying start as others bogged down with wheelspin moving into 4th at the first turn.  The front runners were pulling away on the straights but I managed peg them back in the corners and under braking. The back section of the track was very slippy.  I got very sideways in the first two laps being to eager with my right foot. 

I got passed for 6th place but managed to keep pace and put the driver under a lot of pressure mid race.  We reeled in the battle for 4th & 5th but the car in front spun at the final hairpin. I had to take to the grass to get by and so settled for 6th. Very happy with an equal best ever finish. 

Only a short break 5 weeks until the next round at Croft which is also a new circuit for me. 

Race Ready for 2014

With our first race of 2014 less than than a week away the car needed some final checks, a good clean and the championship decals to be fitted.

The final setup included setting and checking the ride height using the adjustable spring perches on the GAZ Gold dampers and choosing our initial damper and roll-bar settings for the Silverstone International circuit.  Half a tank of fuel was also added so we can go straight out on track during testing.

We encountered a slight hitch initially when the car wouldn't start - despite a fully charged battery.  We traced this to a poor earth connection from the battery to the car chassis, and after cleaning the connection everything worked perfectly.

The mandatory in-car camera was checked.  We are using a BlackVue 12vpowered model which records constantly whilst the ignition is on.  Our LUKE safety harnesses were adjusted, before the car was given a thorough clean inside and out.  The amount of dirt and dust which accumulates inside is amazing.

The BRSCC Porsche Championship which we run in has a number of sponsors for 2014 (Toyo Tires / Jasmine PorschaLink / Fuchs Titan Race Fluids), whose logos must be displayed in the correct places.  In addition we need the race numbers on each door, windscreen and dashboard, plus the safety stickers for the towing loops, electrical cut-off and fire extinguisher.

Final Preparations for 2014

Finishing the Winter overhaul took a bit longer than planned.  

On replacing the leaking coolant hose, we found another leak, this time in a different hose. After this was replaced we were still dripping coolant, and this time we traced it to the water pump.

This is a time consuming job, since the front seat has to come out to get access through to the engine compartment.  The pump was replaced with an uprated OEM part as well as the thermostat (which you have to remove to get access) and new gaskets.  The thermostat is a low temperature version which is one way of limiting bore scoring in these Porsche engines.

In all we have refilled the coolant 3 times now - and hopefully that is the last time for a while.  We are far too familiar with the process of bleeding the system, which takes around 45mins each time!

Our front brakes were worn down to 2-3mm, so these have been changed along with new brake discs.  The pads are Mintex race pads, but the discs are OEM standard fit drilled and vented ones for a 3.2S Boxster.

  

A new sports exhaust has also been purchased and fitted, saving around 10KG's of weight.  This is significant, given the minimum weight limit is reduced this year by 20KG's.

The final servicing work was to replace the engine oil and filter.  We have used the last of our Mobil 1 15-50 Motorsport oil. This oil is no longer being produced so an alternative is needed for next time.  Whilst the oil was out we also changed a leaking seal on one of the camshaft chain tensioners.

The replacement front bumper has been resprayed and fitted, giving the front end of the car a nice shiny look, ready for the updated 2014 championship decals to be fitted.