Time Attack 2023 Round 5 – Oulton Park
Recap
Since Brands Hatch, there have been quite a few bits to get sorted to ensure the car is in top condition ready for my favourite track of the season, Oulton Park. First up was the clutch issue which almost cost us a decent result at Brands Hatch. We decided to replace everything resulting in a new master cylinder, slave cylinder and a new reservoir, this was the only way I could be certain the issue would be resolved.
While the engine and gearbox was out, we took the opportunity to replace all the fluids in the car. Lastly, we added a harness bar so the car still met regulations. With everything completed it was time to load the car on to the trailer and head over the Pennines, stopping off at Direnza HQ in Manchester on the way to Oulton Park.
Warm Up
The day was looking set to be a wet one, something the forecasters had predicted leading up to the event. It was now a question of how wet would it be? It would also mark the first time I have driven the car in the wet since October 2022. It was also the first time we would run the Uniroyal Rainsport 5 Tyres. As a result the plan for the first session was to complete as many laps as possible building confidence and my feeling for the car and conditions. Surprisingly, the car was feeling very good, plenty of grip despite the very wet conditions.
Practice
I decided to leave the car unchanged for practice, although the weather was also improving which meant the track was beginning to dry out in places. Once out, it was clear the track had more grip. Improving lap after lap. By the end of the session, I had knocked my fastest lap down to a 1:47.373 which felt like the most the car & tyres had to offer given the conditions. It turned out to be a fantastic lap, putting me 1st in class by over 5 seconds and 2nd overall!
Qualifying
After practice we left the car with it’s wet setup for as long as possible, allowing us to make the best judgement call on weather before qualifying started. With around 30 minutes until the start of the session we decided to switch over to the dry setup. This involved re-connecting the rear anti roll bar, stiffening the suspension and switching back to my AR1 wheel & tyre setup. With the session underway it was straight down to business as there was still a clear threat of rain in the air. Within 1 lap or so I had a clear track in front of me to push. After the first set of flying laps, I came in to see where I was sitting on the timing sheet. I had done enough to be leading my class by just over 0.200 of a second but I didn’t feel that was enough so I went back out for another push, recording a 1:33.277 placing me 2nd overall and 1st in class. It was also a new PB for myself around Oulton Park.
Final
With time on our side after qualifying, we took the opportunity to check the car before the most important session of the day, thankfully it all looked good. However, while waiting a short burst of heavy rain drenched the track, creating a tyre dilemma. Do we go for wets or semi slicks. To help us decide, we carefully watched the lap times of the other class currently out on track, tracking their lap times and tyre choices. With that knowledge I went for the dry, semi slick (AR1s). Although during the first few laps I wasn’t 100% sure the correct decision was made, with the track quite treacherous in places. But as the laps passed the times tumbled and I clocked a 1:48.480. A massive 5 seconds quicker than P2 in my class! It was another clean sheet with maximum points for this round.
