Written by Motorsport Tutor, Ed Sarling
Sometimes an opportunity drops in front of you and there are two ways of looking at it, either ‘that could be cool, but why would I need that’, or ‘that could be cool, I’ll work out the rest later’. I went with the latter!
There’s always an amount of analytic decision making that goes on in my head when these possibilities arise, and I do way up all the variables I have available in that moment, I’m not a compulsive buyer running solely on ‘YOLO’, nor do I buy for the sake of it. There have been times when I have turned down an offer; has this always been the right decision with the power of hindsight, no, but we can only go off what we know at that time.
To backstory for a moment, last year I worked with Team Brit through their season in BritCar, this has been mentioned in a previous blog so I wont go over it all again, but suffice to say, I feel like I have come out the other end of it with a whole new group of great people I am pleased to call friends. This year they have once again upped their game with a new car, more series’ added to their calendar and I am proud to say, another NMA graduate starting with them. I, unfortunately, could not help this year due to personal commitments, but I will definitely be attending any races I can to cheer them on and catch up with all the drivers and crew. If you don’t know about the amazing work they do then please check them out and give them a follow on the socials.
So, back to the story. At the (slightly belated) end of season meal for Team Brit, where I won the coveted trophy “DAF award for not crashing the truck” – and what a pretty truck it is (apart from the camera mirrors, never did get used to them!) – I happened to ask about their old C1 race car which has been quietly sat in the corner all season. With its big bulgy eyes and now slightly wonky smile on its bumper, it was looking out longingly to all the other cars going racing not knowing if it would ever get the chance to put its Pro Race LT boots to track tarmac again (am I making you feel sorry for it yet?). The car is an automatic due to the nature of the team – again, if you don’t know why then go check them out 😉 – and it has an issue with this that would need addressing, but otherwise it is ready to go, with all the necessary kit like fire extinguisher, roll cage, seat, suspension, wheels, etc.
We’ve spoken a lot throughout the year, and they are aware of what we do at the academy, which was set up with the intention of helping those that cant, or didn’t go to university, or didn’t quite make the necessary grades at school, to get a second chance at gaining their qualifications, learning about motorsport, and getting into the industry. Because after all, it’s not the type of job you just get because you have bills to pay, it’s a passion, a full time way of life. I mean, I know people that could get jobs that pay more, but they love what they do and that counts for more than money, providing they have enough to pay their bills each month.
‘Proper’ race cars are amazing and really are a thrill to be up close to, but many times I’ve seen people come to the pits for the first time and get overwhelmed by the sheer size and complexity of some of these incredible machines. For quite a while I’ve thought about a smaller, more accessible vehicle for people to cut their teeth on. Something that would allow mistakes without costing tens of thousands of pounds. Something that could have development work done to optimise what was never really meant for anything more than scooting around town, popping to the shops, and being cheap to own. Sure, throwing a huge wing and massive aero kit which adds downforce for better mechanical grip is great, providing you have the required power from the engine to overcome the additional drag created – what’s the point of being able to go around a corner at 200mph if the car will only actually reach 90mph.
So by now you’ve probable worked out where my mind was going with all this. The conversations were had and a deal was struck.
Did I have an actual plan on how I’d move forward with everything? No. Did I know who else would be on board with this idea? No. But did I know that this could be, if nothing else, a good opportunity to try something different and say ‘I own an actual race car’? Yes. And no sooner had I posted a teaser picture on my socials with a silhouette of definitely not a C1 on my trailer, and a comment of “So I bought a race car!”, than I got a call from (NMA Deputy Director) Wayne Gater saying I don’t care what it is, I’m in.
The great thing is, that these cars are much like Wayne’s favourite car of all time, the 2CV, and they actually all compete in the same 24hr race in different classes – think Le Mans, WEC, think Hypercar and LMGT3 – So I bought a Hypercar equivalent of the series! (Stop laughing, it’s my analogy and I’m running with it, haha).
So what now?
Some time now needs to be taken to decide what happens with it and how to move forwards? What are the goals and how will we reach them? One thing I do know though, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I want to keep it documented and take you along for the ride.
Written by Ed Sarling
NMA Engineering Tutor & Race Engineer
