Will & Harry @ Ellough Park F6 Rd 4

After looking at the maps and realising that we were off to Beccles for the day it would have been a fair assumption that flying would have been a good option, however the team shipped out in the early hours and despite being stuck in the closure of the M11 near Newmarket and the diverted team member (Harry) nearly running out of fuel we arrived at the Suffolk circuit in glorious sunshine, After a night in a room with no aircon and a window with a 2 inch gap Will and mechanic dad Simon (now 5lb’s lighter) found the Bed and breakfast staff had enjoyed a few light ales till dawn so were stood waiting for bacon and eggs as the hangovers caused a sleep-in! yup the team turned out to race at the F6 meet in East Anglia and for many reasons it felt like the day had ended before it begun, we’ve all had them at some time of course but having them 300 miles away is a touch unfair.

The boys went out for the track walk and had a great feel for it straightaway, having been to many different tracks around the UK both lads are able to adjust reasonably quickly and thoughts turned to the adverse camber switch near the pits, with a marker placed discreetly near the brake point at eyeline (A Pepsi Can on the tyre!) we set off for practice and with Simon and Nigel into their 3rd coffee by now we were hopeful of a straightforward test session.

One thing we never considered that the test sessions would come round so quickly! To help everyone maximise test time they had created three groups for the morning test so no sooner than we had made a change did we have to be back at the dummy grid so significant changes were now a challenge but we pulled together in the sun to get sprockets changed in minutes and drivers refreshed with water etc. On the plus side both boys got an amazing amount of track time which helped them zero in on the local S1 entry.

The heats were a normal affair with the boys grabbing a 2nd for Harry and a 3rd for Will, a small grid overall but with S1 experience in the mix the boys looked good against some strong looking Clubman motors and despite the obvious fatigue and both being fired out after a jump start they were placed 3rd and 4th for the final which all things considered was a decent result especially with Harry having a DNF in H2 and the most unusual cog and chain issue I think we have ever seen.

The Final was a long affair but with the boys driving steady we grabbed a 3rd for Harry and 5th for Will and all the F6 lads racing finished within 50 meters of each other, times were strong overall but a technical track demands constant attention and the boys did well taking all factors into account, the cars were loaded and the team returned home happy but totally exhausted, next time we set camp!

Another Open Cadet Win for Harry and more silverware to add to his collection and a worthy Cadet 2nd place for Will - it was a successful if long trip. However, it all adds valuable experience for both boys and the team have found that its these experiences, combined with the friendly atmosphere between the drivers that really makes a difference.