ON TRACK WITH RICK PEARSON #41
By Rick Pearson
Hello once again! As I announced last week, we have signed to once again race the mighty Clio V6 in the European Trophy. So this week, I'd like to talk you through the preparations to get prepared.
Firstly, as we shall be part of a two-car team this year, we have another Clio V6 to prepare. Many of you will know that the car I raced last year was loaned to me, my own car having lost a small altercation with a concrete wall at Donington last year. (Albeit with a different driver at the wheel!) So this has been sitting around providing spares for the other car and awaiting a new shell. The Clio V6 shells are hand built in France, starting with a standard Clio RS body, a significant amount of cutting and welding of structural reinforcement goes on before the shell resplendent in a shoddy yellow primer was finally delivered last week.
I popped in at the Mark Fish raceshop on my way to the airport on Friday to see how the build was going and I must admit to expecting to find Mark or my new race engineer, Carl, bent over the shell talking to it gently in the manner of Robert Duval in Days of Thunder. Instead, I found two oiks with a crowbar trying to knock out the dents where the quality French workmanship had fallen down a bit... To be fair, the team had been over the shell with much love and attention to detail to ensure it was as close to the specification as possible and as stiff as possible.
When sprayed up to match the other car with the Mark Fish Blue bottom half and white top, (in a brave attempt to reflect a bit of the heat) and also a white interior (to again try and lower some of the in car temperatures) the team should look pretty awesome. So the build is scheduled to be finished in time for a shakedown at Snetterton in early March and then we are off to Valencia for 3 days warm weather testing in the middle of the month.
Yes I know this sounds incredibly good fun, and not a little flash, but the value is incredible with 7 hours of track time each day and with the Clios newly equipped with data logging, we should be able to learn an awful lot. We will also be running with one of the German teams who are organising the whole thing.
We thought booking Donington for a whole day later in the year might be a bit cocky, but they've booked Valencia for their private use for 3 days which kind of leaves us looking a bit out done!
The difficulties of racing in Europe last year were primarily that we didn't have the budget to go testing so on arrival at each circuit, we had just one hour to set up the car and learn which corner was next. So this year, we are aiming to try and see most of the circuits we aim to race on. Particularly the first 2 rounds which will be key if we are to qualify for Monaco. However, firstly Magny Cours doesn't offer general testing, so we will have to find someone with the financial clout to book out the whole circuit to share with which might not be easy.
And secondly, there is no testing on the Silverstone GP circuit between now and May. So despite our home advantage, this will count for nothing unless we can blag our way on to a track day for the Ferrari owners club. Thanks for nothing Octagon! So preparations continue, another update shortly.
In the meantime, only one calendar change this month... Clio V6 Trophy 2002 20th April Magny-Cours (F) 4th May Silverstone (GB) 26th May Monaco (MC) 1st June Jarama (E) 29th June Anderstorp (S) 13th July Oschersleben (D) 3rd August Spa (B) 31st August Imola (I) 5th October Donington (GB) 19th October Estoril (P)
Have a good week one and all!