The story starts with many a long conversation with a team re obtaining a Marcos Mantara for the whole season. The backer was in place, the team set up and so on. Unfortunately, as so often happens, some months down the line it came apart at the seams and having been off the driver market I was faced with something of a dilemma.
The phone lines were reaching white heat as the prospective deals moved around with the same team in the frame for running the car. We looked at a Viper, then a Lotus. Next up was a Mustang which although no one had made work too well in Britain it was felt that with appropriate work could be very quick. Straight line speed was certainly not in question.
Once all these options had been thoroughly digested we came to the end of the line and I was on my own. But not quite. Good and true people were working hard in the background and while options were being investigated I did the rounds of the known competing teams and had a few surprise offers come in.
However the bottom line was that the top teams had sorted their driver line ups and were not going to sling someone else out to get me in, unsurprisingly!
Finally, a couple of weeks ago my best option began to emerge. I had hoped to compete in the FIA Championship with Cor Euser in his wonderful Marcos Mantara that I had won in with him at Spa last year. Unfortunately the sponsor's marketing strategy did not include Europe for this year and with Cor fully involved there I thought I was out of luck.
However, after several calls to Holland chez Euser and a most enjoyable weekend with Cor and his wife Ellie a deal was done. There are compromises, such as starting the season with the 1996/8 car but it is still rapid and we are aiming for a top six result.
Due to the clashes between the FIA and the British Championships Cor will be unable to join me for four rounds, including this weekend at Thruxton. But Cor has retained the services of Bernard de Dryver who has not only competed in the British Formula One Championship but came second at Le Mans to boot.
So, two days before the first round, after an enormous amount of work everything is coming together. The new racewear is all ready (thank you David), I am flying out to Zolder to shake the car down with Bernard tomorrow (Thursday), Cor has sorted the team before he heads for Valencia for his first race and everything is in place for the sponsors and their guests to enjoy a great days racing action on Sunday.
All thanks are due to: Memec Valtra Valmet GT Logistics Genesis Graphics The Monogram Company Melindi
And of course the BRDC for putting together what I think is going to be the best season yet.
On Thursday 23rd March I flew out to Brussels to be met off the plane by Bernard de Dryver who kindly agreed to make a detour on the way to the Zolder test.
Zolder is situated in the pine forests about 50 km from Brussels and gives the impression of being very confined although it is a 2.6 mile circuit. I had never seen it before so was looking forward to learning a new circuit and having a few laps to get used to the 1996 Marcos LM600 before Thruxton. This was certainly achieved but not in quite the way I had envisaged!
Zolder runs a similar system to Mallory where every Wednesday a general test is run for cars in the morning and bikes in the afternoon. At Zolder it all happens on a Thursday with cars in the afternoon.
The team arrived and we readied the car only to find that the circuit staff had somehow booked 100 cars in for testing when the limit was 80. Unfortunately as we were a little late they refused to let us out until another car came off the circuit. This seemed a little unfair as we had booked the previous week. In the end we were out on track within a half hour with Bernard driving first.
Bernard went out for a few laps and in the meantime I noticed a few things which were quite a culture shock from the more safety conscious British circuits. Drivers were going out in short sleeved shirts while others had passengers. The mix of speeds was amazing with 2CV based cars mixing it with GTs and Touring Cars while single seaters and sports 2000 cars weaved in and out of the slower traffic. Not only that but the pit lane was like a country fair with 200 - 300 people enjoying the action!
I was next up and on the same hard year old tyres that Bernard had used, ventured out. The grip was diabolical and half way round the first lap a very slow car turned across in front of me and I was left with a "hit it or go in the gravel" choice. Much embarrassed but relieved there was no damage I continued after a pit stop check.
After 6 or 7 laps in conditions similar to the M25 we felt that we had achieved what we needed to and packed up before the team set off for Thruxton.
It was going to be one of those wet/dry weekends. I like racing in the wet but with the conditions changing so rapidly tyre choice was going to be critical.
However, first qualifying was wet and out I drove for my first competitive laps of Thruxton for 11 years. I had managed a few laps the week before in my road car courtesy of the Ian Taylor Motor Racing School when Pat Blakeney gave me some valuable pointers.
Bernard and I had agreed that I would drive for the whole of the first session to maximize our qualifying chances. I warmed myself and the car up over a few laps and then settled down to the business of grid position. I have always enjoyed sliding around in the wet and despite the old car managed to put it into 4th spot. I decided to go for another attempt when 5th gear broke. After investigation this turned out to be just one tooth broken off the cog but we were lucky that no other damage had been done.
However the circuit had been drying and during the remaining minutes we were bumped down to 6th. Still a good position to start from although plenty more could happen in the afternoon session.
Second qualifying came late at 5.00 p.m. and Bernard was going to use the whole session to reacquaint himself with the circuit and get used to the car. This he did keeping it smooth and reporting that the gearbox repair had been a success. Not fully up to speed and with the session being a little faster than the morning had been we slipped to 8th on the grid. We were not too bothered as the races are now 60 minutes long and with the weather looking to be wet we felt we could move up in due course. In any case the aim for the weekend was to score points and keep the car in one piece as Bernard is using it in 2 weeks time for a Belcar race. A top six placing was the aim.
As we had thought the weather was wet and dry but mostly wet with the odd shower of hail to spice things up! Our race was scheduled for 3.30p.m. but with various delays from previous races we were on at nearly 4.15p.m. The rain had stayed off for some time and the question was whether it would be dry enough to start with slick tyres. We questioned the previous race runners and learned that a dry line was appearing especially round the fast back part of the circuit. Looking at the sky it seemed no rain was due and so after much discussion and at the last possible moment we plumped for slicks.
After 2 laps we formed up on the grid ready for the start. The pace car set off and shortly after we were released from the grid. Our plan was that the first few laps would be slow but then as it dried the slicks would come into their own and when ever one else had to stop for a wheel change we would regain lost ground and more. The pace car pulled off and the grid tightened up as we approached the red lights. The water spray rose and the lights went green. At the first corner I was slipping and sliding unable to get the power on. Past went 3 cars but I was sticking to our plan. The complex negotiated in a series of slithers I headed out for Noble the fast left hander before Goodwood. The best laid plans they say… I hit some water and despite a valiant effort spun off coming to rest in the farmers finest! Fearing I was up to the neck in mud I engaged first gear and to my surprise and delight drove out of the field and took up the chase. Checking for damage I continued but soon after there was a pace car period to remove a Porsche which had been knocked off by the leading GTO car. This was great for me as I was able to catch up to the back of the field and then pop into the pits to make sure the car was safe. With the OK given I rejoined and again caught the field behind the pace car.
Next lap the course was clear and we were off again. It was still unbelievably slippery and I reckon I was in opposite lock more than not. But it was still early in the race so our plan was still on. I drove on, overtaking the only other car on slicks on the run up to the chicane. Meanwhile other cars had struck trouble so we were moving up the leader board slowly but surely. But the plan that should have paid dividends was not working. As time went by it became clear that the track would not dry enough for our hoped for advantage so when it came to the driver change after nearly 40 minutes we decided to go to wets for Bernard. This may have seemed a puzzling route but once Bernard got going he snatched 5th place in the closing stages of the race with a well measured and safe drive.
The end result of 5th place may not seem that great but it was our aim to finish in the top six. So aim achieved and we bagged 8 points and some prize money to boot.
Next round is at Croft and with Cor and the Mantara I feel better things are in store.
Many thanks for this report to Melindi and Calum - You can follow Calum's activities in 2000 on his website, but I hope to keep you up to date right here.