Category: Motorsport Events

Motorsport related activities

  • FIA GT1 World Championship round eight – Preview

    Location: Navarra, Spain: 23 & 24 October 2010

    The Sumo Power GT team heads back to Iberia this weekend, where its two Nissan GT-Rs are in action once again for round eight of the 2010 FA GT1 World Championship at Navarra in Northern Spain. The race takes place five weeks after its successful visit to Portugal for round seven, where drivers Michael Krumm and Peter Dumbreck in car number 23 claimed their first victory of the season.
    After winning the first of two races at the undulating Algrave circuit in September, the Sumo Power GT team is pleased with the progress it is making in its inaugural season of competition. However, the characteristics of Spanish circuit, with its series of slow corners and flat topography, are quite different to that of the Portuguese track and therefore, it is not a forgone conclusion that either of its Nissans will be able to repeat car 23’s Algarve performance this time round.

    Warren Hughes and Jamie Campbell Walter in car 22 will definitely be looking for better fortunes in Spain. Although their car showed good pace in Portugal during race one, their qualifying performance was hampered by a power steering problem and their second race was brought to an early end having been hit by another car at the first corner.

    This incident was a graphic example of the issues that can occur when starting from a mid-field position and therefore, the whole team is focussed on making sure that its Nissans qualify well. It then hopes this will transfer into good results for both cars, as the season has regularly seen one of them running towards the front of the field, but so far not two.

    This is a particularly significant point at this stage of the season, as Sumo Power GT currently lies third in the teams’ championship and has an opportunity of claiming second place if things go well. As far as the drivers’ standings are concerned, Krumm and Dumbreck are seventh, with Hughes and Campbell-Walter 14th, both crews looking for good points hauls this weekend in order to improve on their positions before the end of the year.

    With the Navarra circuit officially opened in June 2010, this weekend’s event will be a new experience for nearly all drivers on the grid. Therefore, to help the Sumo Power GT team hit the ground running when it arrives in Portugal, the team will be stopping on the way down for a test at the Circuit Paul Armagnac, near Nagaro in Southern France, on Monday (18th October).

    Another event for the team in advance of this weekend will be the presenting of the Tourist Trophy to Hughes and Campbell-Walter, who won the race designated for this award at Silverstone in May. After crossing the line in third place, the two Aston Martins ahead of them were later penalised, which meant that the Sumo Power GT drivers now receive the longest-standing trophy in motorsport. The presentation will be made at the Royal Automobile Club in London’s Pall Mall on Thursday (21st October).

    This weekend’s timetable at Navarra sees the Sumo Power GT Nissans first take to the track on Saturday at 10.00 for Free Practice, followed by Pre-Qualifying at 12.20 and Qualifying at 16.45. The first hour-long race gets the green light at 10.00 on Sunday, with the main Championship race, also one-hour long, scheduled for 16.00.

    Follow the team’s progress and watch both races live at www.sumopowergt.com

    Team quotes

    Michael Krumm – Driver Car 23
    “I’m looking forward to the challenge of Navarra. It’s always exciting to run on a circuit for the first time. However, it looks like it has quite a lot of slow corners, which will probably not suit us that well, but we are working hard on improving our performance in those areas. ”

    Peter Dumbreck – Driver Car 23
    “I know very little about Navarra. The one thing I have heard is that most corners are 2nd gear, which is not ideal. We have a few things to try on the car to improve things and, as we have been running in top six at most circuits, I hope we can be there in Spain as well and come away from a weekend with a good points haul.”

    Warren Hughes – Driver Car 22
    “I’ve been watching some in-car footage of Navarra and it looks like a good venue. Until we get running, it’s hard to predict how the car will suit the circuit, so choosing the right set-up will be important. Initially our focus has to be getting through to Q3 as this sets you up so well for the races and I really want to take some strong results from the last three events of the season.”

    Jamie Campbell-Walter – Driver Car 22
    “Our initial objective will be qualifying. We’ve had some disappointing sessions recently and it would be great to get both cars through to Q3. As far as knowledge of the circuit is concerned: well I’ve seen it on a map! Therefore, it’s very difficult to say what our car will be like, but we seem to go better at circuits that have flowing, high-speed corners, so this one may not be so good for us.”

    Nigel Stepney – Team Manager
    “With this being our first season, our cars are driving on circuits for the first time when we arrive for the race weekend. The same applies for us at Navarra, but because the circuit is so new at least it’s the same for all the teams this time round. The layout of the track looks like it won’t favour our cars, so a good result this weekend would be a real bonus.”

    James Rumsey – Team Principal
    “It’s going to be hard to predict the outcome this weekend as, like many of the teams, we have never been to Navarra before. Our job will be to take good, solid points-scoring finishes in each of the two races, as second place in the teams’ championship is there for the taking.”

    

  • EDC Round 5 at Snetterton

    It was the second win in as many events for Paul Conlan this weekend, when he took his Sumo Power Nissan S15 to victory in the fifth and final round of the Pirelli European Drift Championship at Snetterton. However, the biggest accolade of the weekend was reserved for Mark Luney who, after achieving a podium finish in every round this season, became 2010 Champion.

    Utilising the last sector of the circuit through the long right-hander of Coram Curve and the Russell Chicane, which leads onto the start and finish straight, the EDC drivers had a different challenge to that of round four.

    Where as the track at Cadwell Park was narrow and undulating, with Armco barriers each side, the Snetterton layout provided a flat and open course, with far more room to run-off if things got out of shape.

    As usual, eight cars were entered and would run in pairs, with the lead car alternating for each run, through a series of heats, a semi-final and a final. The outcome is decided by judges who base their assessments on lines, angles, speed and how much of a gap existed between the two cars by the end of the run.

    Heats

    The dramas started even before the competition began, when only seven cars arrived at the circuit. This elevated the eventual winner Conlan straight into the semi-finals, a bonus that also applied to Andy Cooper, when the HEL sponsored Toyota Cresta of Declan Hicks consumed two of its spark plugs and was unable to take any further part in proceedings. Therefore, there would be three pairs battling it out for the four places in the semi finals.

    First out of blocks were the Cosworth/SVA Imports Nissan 350 of Luney, together with Brett Castle, in his all-chrome Apex Racing V8 Nissan. With almost identical moments of ‘straightening’ from both drivers in both runs, the judges ordered a re-run. The first saw Luney slightly ahead as Castle had to back off entering the chicane. But if there was any doubt, the second was to decide things, when an impressive start by Castle was spoilt when he ended up spinning onto the grass, his exit forwarding Luney to a place in the semis.

    The second pairing of Peter Barber in his Swinton Insurance/Hayward Rotary Mazda RX7 against Kieran Cameron in a borrowed Nissan S13 was always destined to go one way. Although Cameron produced a worthy performance as he became more acquainted with his unfamiliar machinery, he could not match the pace and angles of Barber, who subsequently went through to the next round.

    Semi-finals

    The first of the semis saw Barber face Cooper in his Really Mean Sounds Nissan S14, who took the advantage in the first run after the Mazda driver had to straighten momentarily. However, better control whilst he was chasing in the second run was enough for the judges to award Barber a place in the finals.

    The next semi was between Luney and Conlan, which turned out to be one of the most exciting performances of the season by both drivers. Conlan led first, with the commitment from each being clearly demonstrated by the levels of smoke and amount of throttle used. They mirrored each other perfectly and, with the judges unable to decide who came out on top, the last place in the final was all down to the second run.

    At first it looked like it was going to be another epic dual between the two leading exponents of the sport, but with Luney perhaps concentrating too hard on what his rival was doing behind him, he suddenly found himself off the track and on the grass. Although clearly annoyed with himself, Luney could now only aim for third place, but was still in line for the title.

    Fifth and Third place Drift-offs

    The battle for fifth and sixth places was between Castle and Cameron, with Castle holding the edge following the first run. Although the judges could see that Cameron was doing as much as he could to stay in contention in his unfamiliar car, it was Castle that was awarded with fifth place.

    This left the battle for third and fourth, with Luney and Cooper going head-to-head – and both a reason to win: Luney wanting to achieve a podium finish in every round this season and Cooper looking to claim his first ever top-three place. A cautious approach in the first run saw both drivers straighten and the judges declared it a draw. So, when Cooper failed to initiate a drift in the second run, Luney achieved his goal of scoring his fifth podium finish of the season and, more importantly had just become 2010 Pirelli EDC Champion.

    The final

    Conlan led for the first run and, right from the start, it was clear to see that both drivers were giving it their full commitment with good speed and great angles. But as they approached the chicane, Barber got a little too sideways and suddenly, he was heading towards the Armco. Although managing to avoid the barriers, he would now have his work cut out if he was to going to pull back the deficit in the second pass.

    Leading for run number two, Barber delivered a faultless performance However, Conlan did the same and therefore the Sumo Power driver took his well-deserved second win of the season.

    The outcome of the final round confirmed Luney as Champion, Barber second and Conlan third in what had been another fiercely fought EDC season. Organisers and teams now start planning for next year’s series, details of which are expected to be announced by the end of October.

    The Pirelli European Drift Championship is sponsored by: Pirelli, Sumo Power, Kleers, Cosworth, K-Sport, SuperPro, Toyo Tires, BC Suspension, Speedhunters.com, HKS, HEL Performance, Samco Sport, Blitz and Santa Pod Raceway.

    Round Five Results
    1  Paul Conlan – Nissan S15 Silvia
    2  Pete Barber – Mazda RX7
    3  Mark Luney – Nissan 350Z
    4  Andrew Cooper – Nissan S14 200SX
    5  Brett Castle – Nissan R33 Skyline
    6  Kieran Cameron – Nissan S13 200SX

    DNS Declan Hicks  – Toyota Cresta
    DNS James Russell – Nissan Skyline R32

    To see photos from this event click here

    2010 Pirelli European Drift Championship Calendar
    24 April: Oulton Park
    16 May: Knockhill
    27 June: Brands Hatch
    1 August: Cadwell Park
    10 October: Snetterton

    www.europeandriftchampionship.eu

  • Time Attack Round Five

    In a neck-and-neck battle to the last, Gareth Lloyd recorded his third victory of the season in this weekend’s fifth and final round of the 2010 Time Attack series at Snetterton and, in doing so, became this year’s Pro-Class Champion. He was pushed all the way by Steve Guglielmi, who could did all he could to take the title, ending his day – and his season – in second place.

    After the twists, turns, rises and falls of round four at Cadwell Park, the season’s finale at Snetterton provided teams and drivers with yet another challenge to get their car’s set-up right for the Norfolk circuit, with it’s long straights, fast, flowing corners and flat topography. Therefore, out-and-out speed was likely to provide a distinct advantage to those competitors who had it on tap.

    As has been the case throughout the year, the Time Attack series shares its weekends with two other major events: the Pirelli European Drift Championship and the Modified Live show, with its static displays, trade stands and ‘Show ‘n’ Shine’ competition. Added to this are the ‘Live Action’ demonstrations that provide even more entertainment to what is already a packed timetable.

    Pro-Class

    With two wins a-piece from the four previous rounds, the battle for the Pro-Class title could not have been closer and it was always going to be a winner takes all scenario at Snetterton between Lloyd and Guglielmi. With the title at stake, the tension mounted as the day progressed and inevitably, it all came down to the final.

    The two protagonists proceeded to swap times: first it was the Mitsubishi Evolution of Lloyd, then the Lotus Exige of Guglielmi who held the advantage. Then, on his sixth lap Guglielmi put in a flyer, stopping the clocks at 1:09.032, but a lap later Lloyd replied by posting a Time Attack circuit record of 1:08.299, which was enough to secure the win and the 2010 title.

    For the second time in succession, Gavin Renshaw in the Lateral Performance Subaru Impreza finished third. His time of 1:11.163 putting him ahead of the 1:12.010 set by Jamie Nicholls who was fourth, the second CPR Evo driver claiming enough points to clinch third place in the championship.

    Club-Pro Challenge

    Even though cars in the Club-Pro Class are less modified than those running in the Pro Class, it’s not unusual to see them mixing it with their more powerful rivals – and the outcome at Snetterton was no exception. Paul Doyle in his Green Subaru Racing Impreza scored his second victory in a row with a 1:11.581, a lap time that was impressively the fourth fastest of the day.

    Kevin Horsley claimed second place with a 1:13.905, his performance good enough to see the Scooby Clinic Impreza driver become the first ever Club-Pro Challenge Champion. Third in the four-wheel-drive category on this occasion was Simon Deaton, posting a 1:18.787 in his bright-pink japdna.com Mitsubishi Evo.

    In an exciting finale to the Club-Pro rear-wheel-drive category, the Lotus Exige of Cadwell Park winner Jamie Wilson was this time surrounded by the Wifbitz Toyota Supras of Steve Linton and Paul Wiffen. By the end of the event it was only 0.37 seconds that separated the top two drivers, with the clocks for the leading trio stopping at: 1:14.787, 1:14:824, 1:15.833 respectively, Wilson’s second place finish securing him the title in this highly-competitive category.

    Club Challenge

    In the classes for cars that are near-to-standard specification, although Rob Cowling was quickest in his Evo VII. But, as a ‘one-hit-wonder’ guest-driver and therefore un-registered for points, it was the Escort Cosworth of Warren Kelly who took the honours in the 4WD category, recording a best of 1:16.040.

    However, it was Fiona Kindness’ day. Setting a lap of 1:17.425, her excellent second place meant that she had done what she needed to do to claim the Club Challenge 4WD title.

    The rear-wheel-drive class saw Matthew Webb take his Dragon Motorsport Mazda RX7 to another convincing victory with a time of 1:18.285, nearly two-seconds ahead of Gordon Wright in his Nissan R33 Skyline. This result confirms Webb as the Club-Challenge RWD Champion and puts him sixth overall in the overall category standings.

    In the NA (normally aspirated – non-turbo) class, it was Jeff Mileham in his Lotus Elise that set the fastest lap this time round. An impressive performance saw him a slender 0.113 seconds ahead of Mark Pollard’s always spectacular Metro 6R4, Pollard more than happy with his day’s work, as he had done enough to claim the NA title.

    It was a nail-biting finish in Club Challenge front-wheel-drive class for the season’s front-runner Bo Nielson, when his Astra VXR’s engine expired in one of the early sessions. Suddenly, his comfortable 100-point lead did not look so safe, as Dave Ward was poised to snatch the crown in his Mini Cooper S.

    However, a blistering performance of 1:18.936 by Honda CRX driver Romain Levesque meant that Ward had to concede the win by almost two seconds. Therefore, Nielson’s emergency measure to score points by borrowing a friend’s near-standard Astra for the final runs was not required and he deservedly lifted the 2010 FWD title.

    “2010 has been a superb year for the series and I’m delighted that the battle for the classes came down to the wire”, said Time Attack organiser Andy Barnes. “This season has seen a record number of entrants, with more than 75 teams at every round and a record number of spectactors. Therefore, with figures showing over 6000 at each meeting, we will continue to push Time Attack onwards and upwards in 2011.”

    Organisers are aiming to announce details of the 2011 Time Attack series by the end of October and have a number of new ideas up their sleeves, one of which is a class for manufacturer-supported teams, based on standard, two-wheel-drive, production models.

    Time Attack is sponsored by: Sumo Power, Kleers, Cosworth, K-Sport, SuperPro, Toyo Tires, BC Suspension, Speedhunters.com, HKS, HEL Performance, Samco Sport, Blitz and Santa Pod Raceway.

    For a full set of results click here

    2010 Time Attack Calendar
    24 April: Oulton Park
    16 May: Knockhill
    27 June: Brands Hatch
    1 August: Cadwell Park
    10 October:  Snetterton

    www.timeattack.co.uk