Time Attack 2023 Round 6 – Donington Park
Post-Quick60, my car seemed to be in pretty good shape with no noticeable issues from the event. However, on closer inspection, I noticed the brake pads were beginning to wear out. This meant it was time for a complete overhaul – the front pads were provided by Tarox and the rear ones were standard road pads. Along with the pad change, it seemed prudent to change the brake fluid – after all, why not make the most of the downtime? With these updates in place, the car was prepped and ready for the short journey down the M1 to Donington Park.
Warm Up
The warm-up session’s primary objective was to get the newly fitted pads bedded in. It’s a relatively straightforward process. Initially, a few light brake pedal presses, then progressively increasing the intensity, ensuring the pad material doesn’t overheat. Although I wasn’t paying much heed to the lap timings during the warm-up, an unexpected vibration caught my attention. On investigating, the track rod end was found to be slightly loose. After tightening it, I vowed to keep a vigilant eye on this issue in the future.
Practice
The practice session was about truly testing the car’s performance. Beginning slowly, I gradually ramped up the speed with each passing lap. By the session’s close, I had clocked ten laps, with the eighth one, timed at 1.16:724, being the fastest, earning me the 1st in class. The only hiccup? The car displayed a significant amount of understeer, which I attempted to address with a minor setup modification.
Qualifying
With the altered setup to counter the understeer, I was back on track. Despite the adjustments, the understeer remained a challenge. On the ninth lap, it caused an excursion into the gravel at McLeans. A subsequent check-up in the pits confirmed that everything was ok. With limited time for one last lap and sitting in second place, I clocked 1.16:367, securing P1 by a mere 0.03 seconds!
Final
A thorough post-qualifying check-up revealed that the trip through the gravel had compromised the passenger drive shaft outer CV boot. Though it was a minor issue, it did necessitate a front-end disassembly for access. On the track, aiming to notch up my score, I faced multiple challenges, not least of which was understeer, leading me off the track once again at McLeans. The resulting damage to the car’s underside meant an early retirement for the day, finishing in P2. While it wasn’t the dream result, it still added a significant number of points for the championship.
In light of the day’s events, there are repairs to be made before the next event, most notably a new floor section to replace the one damaged in the final. The unusual understeer has been attributed to tire wear – especially since the setup was identical to what worked flawlessly at Oulton Park. The game plan for the next race at Brands Hatch at September end? New tires and a comprehensive setup check to ensure optimal performance.