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FPA Oulton Park – 24th July

Saturday’s practice in Formula Palmer Audi went very well as we had the car set up for the track. The pace of the other drivers was very close but i was very confident with my lap’s and was in the top 6 in both practices.

Qualifying wasn’t so smooth as traffic became a big problem and as it was only 20 minutes for Qualifying it would be difficult to do a pit stop to do tyre pressures and to make a gap within traffic. We were lying close to last on the grid but a few laps to the end i had a bit of clear air and put in three fast laps – good enough for 8th spot for both races.

Race 1 went underway! A good start made me jump two places but lost one under braking into the first corner. The field was very close and any mistake would cost you the race. Still on the first lap heading up to Druids a late move on the inside of me dropped me back to 8th but I quickly used my first boost to try and retake 7th but the driver in front was pushing me off the circuit whilst I was on the inside. This resulted me taking a trip along the very bumpy grass on the inside and high speed. Amazingly heading up to Lodge i didn’t lose any positions due to lose of speed and momentum. I did however lose another spot due to dirty tyres and lack of traction. Throughout the race I made up 2 positions! A great move round the outside of the chicane and a late move on the inside of Lodge put me back to 7th. I was then 3 seconds down on the driver ahead but by the checked flag it came down to 0.6 of a second with just 3 seconds seperating me from 2nd place.

Race 2 started wet and the clark of the course made it the drivers decision to ether go onto wet or slick tyres. We had 20mins to decide and everyone went to wet tyres but it didn’t seem wet enough and clear sky was looming in the ackground so i was the only driver to go out on the slick tyres! Driving up the grid it just about stop raining but i knew it was going to be very slippery for the first few laps.

Red lights went out and despite it being very wet i got a flying start and got up to 6th by the first corner and was fighting to car for grip but the advantage of the wet tyres soon took over coming out of the slower corner the other drivers just drove past. Defending and trying to get heat into the tyres was very difficult but i was maintaining my postion until it started to rain again! The tyres weren’t getting any heat and the grip level was at the minimum, best i could do was try and finish. A few laps to the end a dry line appeard and i was getting much fast but by this time i was in 12th spot and no hope on improving as the cars in front where much further down the road. By the end we got home in 12th with an damage free weekend and experience of driving the car in the wet on slick tyres.

Volkswagen Cup (Silverstone GP 2010) – 14/15th August

Our second outing in the VW cup was set to be at Silverstone as our confidence from my first win in racing was to carry me to Silverstone GP.

Practice on the Friday was going to be a wet one and not doing a single lap of Silverstone sence FPA last year but even then i got taken out in the first race and not being able to start the second race i was going in blind. Having never driving the Golf mk5 in the wet i wasn’t to shore what to expect but i soon found my feet and got in the top 8 in Practice.

Qualifying the next day was cold but dry so i could finally do some quick laps – traffic was a big problem again just like it was at Oulton Park for FPA. There was 28 other drivers and i couldn’t get the gap i needed so i was mid pack close to the end of Quailfying and i knew i had one more lap and it had to be fast. So far it was going well but on the last few corners i court up and a slower driver who was unaware that i was right behind him blow my lap. But luckly enough it was good enough for 8th on the grid.

Race 1 from 8th came underway very well. Jumping two drivers to the first corner but the faster 4 wheel drive machine alongside got away better. I was 6th leading up the Hanger straight but just before it i got a tap from the rear sending the car a bit sideways making me loose speed and mometiom down the straight and causing me to lose 1 spot. But more bad luck was on its way when i lost 4th gear on the first lap and then 3rd on the four lap, it was set to be a very difficult and frustrating race. 6 laps down and i was forced to retire due to gearbox problems.

Havung got a DNF in race 1 meant that for Race 2 I was starting near the back of the grid in 24th. I got off to a flying start and had made up 6 places by the end of lap one. I then set about making steady progress and only being slightly hampered by a road gear box made up a further 6 spots by the end of the racing coming home in 12th

Next outing is FPA at Rockingham on 28th August – see you there.

A hot dry weather forecast , two qualifying sessions and four races on one set of tyres this was likely to be a tough weekend.

First and second practice at Snetterton seemed to go very well and I acheived  6th and 7th fastest as I tried out different set ups for the car for this very fast track.  After looking though data I knew where to make up the last few tenths of a second to get a good qualifying position for the first two races.

Q1 – didn’t seem to start too well as I couldn’t get the space I needed to get a fast lap. So an early pit-stop for tyre pressures and straight back out proved helpful as I missed the pit lane rush.  I was in P11 for a while but in the last 10 minutes  I managed a string of fast laps and achieved my best ever FPA grid spot of 4th  for race one and my second fastest lap got me 5th for race two.

Race one from 4th on the grid got under way and a poor start lost a position but despite that we managed to pull a gap from the other drivers behind.  Unfortunately  I  braked too late for Riches on lap 2 and was off onto the grass causing me to drop back to 9th .   I went off again at Sear and when returning onto the track a car didn’t give me space and I spun while taking avoiding action, consequently putting me last -  a fast recovery got me back up to 14th.

Race two from 5th went slightly smoother with a good start keeping my position off the line.  Saving my boosts for the latter part of the race paid off as I managed to retake a few positions for my best ever FPA finish of 6th.

Q2 – was set to be very tense as I was struggling with the car and seemed to be having problems stopping the car under heavy braking.  I was sitting in P9 until the very last lap when it all came together and i managed a very creditable 4th position for race three, and 9th for race four.

Race three from 4th didn’t start off too well with too much wheel  spin  off the line. I lost two spots before the first corner, but managed to keep 6th for most of the race but after using all my boosts defending I had no reply on the last lap and lost another spot  finishing 7th.

Race Four I knew I needed to work hard to get an improvement on my 9th grid position.  After some contact from one of the recovering front runners I ended up on the grass at Riches.  As in race one I got my head down and pulled back a few places to finish up 14th.

All in all a positive weekend which saw some high qualifying positions and then some hard fought finishes adding valuable championship points.

See you all at Oulton Park 24th July for rounds  8 and 9

Howard Fuller

www.howardfullerracing.co.uk

At Brands Hatch Indy this weekend I was very confident in being in the top ten. Practice Started on Friday – things didn’t go as to plan as I was 15th and 14th in the practice sessions. After looking though data and comparing with the fastest lap I then knew what I had to do. Qualifying on the Saturday was mixed between wet and damp conditions.

My goal was top ten and after changing tyre pressures halfway through the session managed 10th in the closing stages of Q1. Q2 went underway in the wet, lack of visibility was a big problem due to the spray, but secured 11th on the grid.

Sunday: I started the day early with a walk around Paddock, Druids and Graham Hill to check line and grip. Race One got underway and I got a flying start but got pushed onto the grass on the inside of Paddock and lost a few places pushing me back to 13th place. I battled throughout the race and with good use of the over boost button, that gives an extra 60 bhp for 6 seconds, made some great over takes into Paddock and made back three spots. Due to a few accidents on the track I gained another 2 places and finished in my best FPA finished 8th.

Race Two started from 11th position and got another great start, but heading up towards Druids got squeezed to the outside and lost some spots. After the first lap I was laying in 13th. However with some more great over takes into Paddock and being involved in the best and closest racing in the field I stormed into 10th.

The grid for Race Three was decided by the fastest lap times from races one and two but despite taking out 0.3 sec off my lap time it still wasn’t enough to get a top ten start but made 11th place again. A good start off the line and a good move for 10th place at the first corner and then another great move into Paddock for 9th got me into the top ten. Data for Race Three shows me with the third fastest lap time for race.

Overall a great weekend at Brands Hatch – with three top ten’s my objective I did it with some style and hard work. Our next meeting is at Snetterton, a circuit I know well, on 26/27 June – see you there.

Howard http://www.hkfracing.co.uk/

Hi all

 The sun was shining for a change at Snetterton last Tuesday 20th March as the Formula Palmer Audi official test day got underway. With my exciting new livery glinting in the sunshine I posted a third fastest time of the morning just being pipped by experienced racer Maxime Jousse and A1GP’s Aaron Steele. The day progressed really well with me experimenting different set ups in preparation for the season opener at Brands Hatch on 8/9 May. Without using the overboost button in the final session I still managed to stay in the top six.

My plan now is to take this pace into Brands Hatch Indy were I have raced a number of times in both FPA and T Cars – top tens and podiums are well within sight with a top six finish in the championshiop a real possibility that comes with a FIA F2 test. However I will be keeping one eye on the championship lead at this also comes with a £100,000 FIA F2 scholarship – that’s a whacking third of the budget!

Howard

www.howardfullerracing.co.uk

Hello everyone,

After a difficult first weekend at Brands Hatch, I took the road to Silverstone in order to participate in the Formula Palmer Audi’s 4th, 5th and 6th rounds.

For once, it was easier to learn the track thanks to the hours spent on the video games. Also, having been rocked during my childhood by watching the fights between Prost, Senna and Mansell – which often took place at this track – I had some reference points about the overtaking opportunities!

Behind the scenes, Brazilian friend and fellow competitor Thiago Calvet and I decided to use the fantastic communication product that is motorsport to send a message of support to the families of the Air France flight Rio-Paris. We hope this message can reach them and can give them some comfort.

On track, we didn’t have any major surprises. Faithfull to its reputation, Silverstone served up its typical weather, rocked by wind and rain interrupted by rare sunny times. A very difficult situation for choosing the car set-up, because of track conditions changing very quickly. The decision between setting the car for the rain, for the dry or for an intermediate situation was quite difficult.

During free practice on a dry track, my car responded excellently. After a few reconnaissance laps, I could start to push a bit. I quickly jumped to the top part of the classification, only two tenths of a second from the fastest time. A real relief after Brands Hatch, and above all a performance that boded well for the rest of the weekend. Silverstone is quite a fast track though, and I immediately felt comfortable into the fast corners. My team and I worked on the balance of the car in these parts, while maintaining a good set-up for the slow curves.

But on Saturday morning and the last free practice, our efforts were ruined by a rainstorm. With so little experience in these conditions at the wheel of a car with a turbocharger and 360bhp, I must confess that I was a little apprehensive about the idea of challenging this wet track!

But after a few laps, when my mechanic Chris Roberts showed me the P1 board – moreover with an advantage of half a second over my nearest competitor – I realized we were on to something good. I decided to use this free session in order to try to exceed the limits of my car in these conditions. “Brake later, accelerate earlier, more violent with the gas pedal without being surprised by the sudden power from the turbo”. With this driving style, my times improved considerably, until I made a tiny mistake and finished in the gravel trap only three minutes from the end of the session, while I was still at the top of the ranking. Nevertheless, I had no regrets because there was no damage done to the car, and I had been able to find the limits.

Unfortunately, faced with the weather changing, we then made bad choices with the set-up for qualifying. A challenge that did not work and which did not allow me to do better than 9th and 12th on the starting grid.

The races would be tough, but nothing was lost. About the races, there is much to tell. F2 driver Jolyon Palmer’s scary accident, who lost control of his car on the brakes at over 230kmh, and who then hit the two cars preceding me. Or the long battles that I had with Paul Rees, Ash Babbra and Adam Foster, with wheels touching and overtaking on the grass! The races were very exciting, and I eventually was able to bring my car No. 14 of the Team Biotech International in the top 10 twice.

A positive weekend then, even if my practice results have proven that I can place higher. Snetterton will be a good chance to confirm these performances!