Rounds 5/6

Donington Park 15 July

"Tom Stewart Memorial Race"

Dave Stewart

As many of you will know, Tom Stewart (my Dad) died 22 November 2010 after a valiant battle with cancer. Despite surprising many doctors and consultants by his strength and sheer determination, the cancer - a sarcoma and very rare - unfortunatley became untreatable after spreading so far. He'd asked me before he died, amongst other things, if I'd like to race the Griff and continue our tradition of racing V8's and we, as a family, decided that it would be fitting to hold a memorial race in his name at one of this year's race meetings, with the car that he and I built at the centre of it all. When the calendar was released and Donington was listed it was immediately clear this had to be the one. His second favourite (Cadwell Park his all time favourite in the UK), and the track where back in 1991 he took his ARDS licence test, Donington has many good memories of Dad in a race car. Indeed he still holds several lap records from racing MG's, one of which is here at Donington.

With the dates moved a week early due to problems Donington Park is facing at the moment, we ended up as part of the support package for the World Touring Car Championhsip - a major FIA series - and so this would hopefully be a fantastic day ! Unfortunately many family and friends couldn't make the Friday race meeting, but thankfully many racers could - with several of the GT spec TVR's returning for this race in Dad's memory it was a really special day before a wheel had turned!

The week leading up to the race was a rather frantic affair - while checking the engine and adjusting the tappets the weekend before, we found damage to a rocker arm, pushrod, several valve springs and several valve retainers. A trip to Leicester and a couple of late nights later (Thanks Andy C.!!) and the car was running again just in time to load onto the trailer! Practice, and with new brake pads to bed in, I took it gently for the first few laps (apart from a lap 1 spin - hot head cold tyres maybe??). Prior to race day, I'd been told that a good time to aim for would be a 1.48 on the GP circuit, and after practice this is the exact time that I managed. I was gutted however to find I was some 4 seconds off class polesitter Andy Race's times... (This is a little bit of a role reversal from 2009 when Andy spent most of his time trying to catch Dad!). Never mind, the race is another matter entirely...

Onto the grid for race 1, and with the GT spec cars starting from the pit lane (their cars set up for rolling starts, better safe than sorry!) everyone on track knew they'd be catching us quick. As the lights went out, I got a cracking start and think I made a place or 2 on the run down to Redgate. Everyone safely through and bunched together down the Craner Curves. Onto the back straight and already in my mirrors I could see the first of the GT cars approaching from the distance, but I was busy battling with Dean Cook driving Perry Waddams' Chevy powered Tuscan, amongst others. I managed to squeeze past Dean and grab a place, but those invitation GT cars were now right behind me! I let them through where I could but through the Craner Curves I saw an opportunity to pass Jason Clegg and took it into the Old Hairpin, with Andy Holden's GT car just behind. Another couple of laps in and the car started to smoke round right hand bends. A quick
look at the gauges saw everything OK, so I put it down to tyres rubbing somewhere and carried on, though the car was squirming around somewhat... I did begin to wonder how long the tyres would last and if one did let go, would I control the inevitable spin? All was OK however, and I got the car home to a respectable third in class. I was hoping for better given that the first race of the day was the main memorial trophy race, but at least the car was back, hopefully all ok! On inspection in the paddock, it appeared that the near side rocker cover had come loose, allowing oil to spill onto the exhausts on right hand bends! A couple of spectators also pointed out that the near side front wheel had been on fire the last couple of laps around the hairpin, but luckily extinguished itself on the straights! An easy fix though, and on further inspection no other damage was found, so onto race 2...


On the grid and yet more clutch problems!! The car not engaging first gear at a standstill and so needing a little push out of the collecting area. No option but to leave it in gear the whole time sat on the grid then! As the lights went out I ended up wheelspinning too much and lost ground, but regained this as the pack bunched up for Redgate. Around the rest of the lap and the racing was close but fair around me - Jason a little behind but I had a feeling he wouldn't let me get away. From about lap 4 or 5 Jason and I were at it hammer and tong - he tried to use the extra power to pass down the back straight lap after lap but couldn't get far enough ahead to cover the chicane and had to yield each time to me. The car on two wheels as I thundered the curbs through the left right chicane, my foot flat to the floor and the back end sliding out (much to the marshalls' delight!). We battled hard but very fair, Jason trying to pass at most corners meaning I had to defend pretty much the whole time. With a couple of laps to go, Jason got a beter run onto the start/finish straight and used the extra power to maintain the inside line into Redgate. I tried to cut back but he had that covered and as we battled round the lap I made a slight mistake, went into a corner a little deep and lost some ground giving Jason the gap he needed to maintain the position. More drama ahead too as Keith Vaughan Williams spun at Redgate corner while battling for class B honours, leaving Andy Race to take a comfortable class win with me getting second. Keith finished third and took the fastest lap and lap record by a tiny margin from myself, both of us in low 1.43.

On looking through the sector and lap times after the race, I've found that the reason I'm not battling for the class win is lap 1! I need to build the confidence to drive the car hard on cold tyres and brakes - something only experience will teach. Hopefully at my next outing, Oulton Park, I'll be able to keep up througout lap 1 and maybe jump a little higher up the podium! - that would be nice.