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One week before the CALM All Porsche Snetterton event we'd just finished re-fitting the gearbox and clutch and re-assembled the car for the second time!.
A quick 100m buzz up the road and back to ensure all the gears are working before we commit our entry. In the euphoria of success we forget to latch the bonnet pins & over it came smashing the front of the car.
So we were now 5 days from the event and needing a bonnet and replacement windscreen. 1 step forward and 2 steps back!
Fast forward to Friday 5pm, and we finished fitting the bonnet, pins and stickers having had the windscreen replaced the day before. Talk about cutting it fine. Off to he circuit we went.
Qualifying:
The CALM ALL Porsche Trophy is putting out some fantastic grids this year. Another 30+ entries for this weekend evenly distributed across the power to weight based classes. Despite the forecast hot sun, immediatley before qualifying we had a heavy rain shower pass over. We were confident it would dry out so stuck with our Nangkang tyres. However we were reminded just how bad these are on even a slightly damp track, even with a dry line appearing as we struggled 10s a lap down on what we are capable of. Through the session we improved and were several seconds up on the last lap only to be thwarted by a slower car overtaking an even slower car into the apex of the last corner.
The result was qualifying at the back of the SP2 boxsters (P15) instead of half a dozen places forward. Well discuss tyres later.
Race 1:
I think we had 4 laps racing, as the time was shortened due to a breakdown on the first green flag lap and then an extended delay after the second go around.
We eventually got going and the racing was brutally tight. Everyone was desperate to pass the car in front of them and we got stuck in a 4 car fight for 15th position. We weren't helped by two SP1 class Porsche Cayman's coming throught from starting at the back, and there was contact in-front if us around the infield section as a result. I had the pass done on the back straight only for yellow flags to appear - so had to back off. And was side by side over the line but we were out of time, finishing P13 and not really making any progress in the SP2 class of Boxster's.
The race result took a long time to be published with a queue of drivers in with the clerk of the course long after it finished.
Race 2:
Startting 11th after the penalties from Race 1 were handed out, Mike got a flying start. But then struggled getting up to speed and with gear shifts needing more clutch now we had a stock road clutch in place. We had to take evasive action onto the grass at one point to avoid some erratic braking lines in front. We were quite a few seconds down at the mid point - but came back strong closing several seconds per lap as times improved, Mike was lapping at the pace of cars several places ahead as we finished in P16.
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Race 3:
The longer 40 minute pit stop race gave us an opportunity to show our pace and Mike got a great start, holding onto the cars in front and maintaining position. About 10mins into the race the SC boards came out for the Safety Car due to a stranded car on the infield. It was a short SC period and racing luckily resumed quicky with cars all bunched back up and fighting for position again.
Time for our 'undercut' plan to play out. Mike pitted the next lap - first car in, just as the pit stop window opened at 15 minutes. We have a timer in the car, as otherwise we'd have wasted another lap going past the start/finish to confirm sight of the 'PIT OPEN' board. Our change over was done smoothly and effciently (we had a plan and practiced it this time) and out we went - into a completely empty track with clear air in front.
It took a lap to get tyres to temp and thereafter I set a string of laps in 2m14s. By the time the pitstop window was over we were up 5 places to P11.
I had a few seconds lead over the SP3 leader who can set comparable times. Feeling the pressure & we both set fastest laps on 3 of the last 4 laps, now into the 2m13s. Lapped traffic wasn't kind to me (one overtake was with 2 wheels on the grass) and my cushion had disappeared.
The race time was up - but we had another lap to complete and I was sideways into turn 1, offering half a chance at the pass. Somehow I braked late enough to the hairpin to hold position and see the lap out over the line. A really enjoyable race - all round.
Summary:
In reality any hopes of a class podium were scuppered from qualifying. This is at least the 3rd time we've come off worse by not having a tyre that can cope with a damp/drying track. The Nangkang AR-1 is a fantastic tyre in the dry and we've done over 20 heat cycles on this latest set, ao good VFM too. But perhaps it's time for change.
Results & Timing Link --> https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=750MC/2025/252435pot.pdf
