The CALM all Porsche Trophy returned to Thruxton as part of the 750 Motor Club's first event there for a long time.
We had torrential rain on the journey to the circuit the day before, but it had mostly dried out so we did some familiarisation laps by bike before heading to our hotel that evening.
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The event drew several thousand spectators as part of a 'free entry' experiment, aided by good weather and a distinct absence of rain, which was appreciated by everyone!
With just one driver racing this weekend, Garry entered the open practice session at 9am, and sitting in assembly we saw steam coming from the front bumper.
First thoughts were a coolant leak from the radiator, so we broke out of the queue to investigate. It was smoking from both sides, but he water residue was clear. Our coolant is pink. So we got back in the queue and ignored it! It turned out to be rain water puddling in the scuttle tray which drained into the front bumper and under tray - right next to the radiators. Panic over.
The session was busy so no representative lap times were set. We set tyre pressures too high - the sun was out now and it was hot - so I struggled with rear grip. It was a pleasant suprise to see the 'optimal lap' (best individual sectors from different laps) was really fast compared to our best times from 2yrs ago.
Qualifying:
Despite lowering our tyre pressures for qualifying I could feel the rear sliding after only a couple of push laps (1m30s & 1m29.5s)). After a cool down lap I went again and was faster, but couldn't maintain the improvement to the line. I had to pit to reduce the pressures. It worked and I improved to 1m28.6, then 1m28.5s as I crossed the chequered flag.
Given all the work on the car we've done since Spa last September our best time was a massive 3.5 seconds a lap faster than 2022! That's some improvement.
Race:
Starting P5 on the grid, I got a mega start jumping briefly to 3rd. I was a bit too tentative into the first chicane and our low tyre pressures (trying to protect longevity) didn't help me in the opening few corners.
I held 5th place for the opening few laps and had several attempts into the final corner to reclaim P4. I was car length ahead but just a bit too hesitant to close the door and claim the position. I was driving at my absolute limit to stay in the battle. My third attempt left me vulnerable on the chicane exit and I slipped back to P6. So often the case that going for a position ends up costing you one. That's racing!
With the pit stop window open my first mistake was not pitting before catching a gaggle of lapped cars ahead. My second was running wide out of church, when the tyres gave me a massive moment, dropping another 5s and a further place. I had to pit!
Out pit timing (and speed in the pit lane) was spot on, recovering some of my lost time Vs others. We took more pressure out of the tyres, and it helped, but I couldn't match my earlier pace and was physically and mentally tiring now. My lap times deteriorated to 1m31s and 32s I finished P6 overall and P4 in class.
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Mildly disappointing to not get a class podium. But the step forwards in car performance will set us up nicely for tracks I'm more familiar with.
Onboard Video:
Full Results & Timing:
https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=750MC/2024/241835pot.pdf
