Mar
4
Rob Hedley: A new chapter with Chevron
I have to say I very excited and honoured to be writing this column for the Motors TV website. 2010 looks set to be a very exciting year for me as not only will I be having a proper go at the British GT Championship but the opportunity to drive the new Chevron GR8. Chevron has a fantastic history in making sports cars and single seaters back in the 60s and 70s and to be a part of the next chapter is a dream come true.
The Chevron deal came about quite late as it all happened at the Autosport Show in January after a chance meeting with Ray Grimes, Chevron’s Sporting Director. I was very impressed with the rolling Chassis they had on display especially as the whole concept was only 5 months old. The speed at which they had turned this around and the quality of the work would put a lot of larger manufacturers to shame. Ray and I spoke several times over the weekend and the initial idea was put in place. Following the Autosport Show I then had the pleasure of visiting the Chevron factory in Cheshire, wow what a place, it was like motorsport heaven. There I was surrounded by B16s and B8s in total awe, everywhere you looked there was history including the original B1 built by the Chevron founder Derek Bennett. It seemed a very fitting place to take the next steps in Chevron’s history.
We have a fantastic team behind us this year with several of the engineers and designers having worked for Chevron under Derek Bennett’s leadership, but also the enthusiasm and commitment of Cosworth to supply their engines and electronics really strengthens the package. I really feel as long as we can get on top of the set up of the car early we could have some fantastic results. It is going to be a steep learning curve at the first few rounds as it looks like we will only have a few test days before Oulton Park. However, with the race winning experience of ABG Motorsport, the backing of Cosworth and the outstanding car that Chevron have produced we should be in a good position when the season starts. The only problem I can see is that most Chevron Cars were famous for winning races right out of the box, so no pressure at all then….
