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Overall I’ve come away from my first Le Mans series race at the Hungaroring with a feeling of having achieved the team’s two principal objectives of proving to ourselves that we have reasonable pace and completing the six hour race. Having said that I’m also a little frustrated, as I feel that but for an incident early on in the race we could have had a telling result.

Free practice on Saturday went according to plan, with all three drivers putting in competitive times and getting comfortable with the car round the tight and twisty Hungaroring circuit without any untoward incidents in glorious sunshine with temperatures of around 26 degrees – it felt like the perfect weekend!

Come Sunday and our preparations continued without any hitches, with Warren Hughes putting the car a creditable 8th in class in qualifying despite failing to find a gap in the traffic when the tyres were at their best. I then had a few laps in the warm-up session in preparation to start the race and despite some nervousness about my ability to keep out of trouble on the first two corners, I was thinking ‘bring it on!’

The first two corners went ok and although I dropped a couple of places I’d recovered them by the end of lap two. The car felt good, I’d settled my nerves, and I was all set for my two hours at the wheel, when I made the mistake of overestimating the grip in the tyres (despite air temperature of a blistering 32 degrees I’d started on cold tyres and they need a good 3 laps to heat through – the surface of the tyres heats fairly rapidly giving the impression you have plenty of grip, but untill they’re heated right through they tend to be unpredictable) the result was a spin on turn 2 at the start of lap 3 and the frustration of having to watch the whole field pass before tthe track was clear for me to restart.

The race then settled down and I was making my way through the slower GT cars when the engine started to cut out due to an oil pressure problem, apparently due to the temperature. Unfortunately for me, when it cut out on the apex of the hairpin at turn 1 I was left momentarily stranded and was collected by one of the Ferarri’s I’d just passed. The result was an unscheduled pitstop of over twenty minutes to repair the minor damage and sort the oil pressure problem. So frustrating!

The rest of the race went without major incident with all 3 drivers putting in consistently competitive times and gradually hauling ourselves up to a creditable 8th in class and 18th overall, so I guess we feel it’s the one that got away.

Perhaps the consolation is that the Silverstone 6 hour race is only 3 weeks away, so we don’t have to wait too long to build on what we’ve achieved.

Barry

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Hi everyone,

I know it has been over a week since the race meeting at Silverstone, on the 14^th and 15^th of August, but this has been the first chance I have had to sit down and write up a blog.

My aim going into the weekend was to qualify in the top 10 for all 3 races and have 3 top 10 finishes.

Qualifying started very well with me running in the top 6 for the first 3 flying laps, but as the session progressed people started toeing each other around down hanger straight, this gave them around a 3 tenth of a second advantage. As this happened I dropped down to 9^th quickest by the end of the session, with 3 very consistent laps, this gave me 2 9^th place qualifications and 1 8^th. This was my highest qualification so far this year; with all being in the top 10 my first aim was complete.

Race 1 was perfect conditions for me, with a damp track that was to dry for wets. Due to my confidence in these condition, from practice in similar on the Thursday test sessions, I called slicks very early in the assembly area, leaving many other drivers panicking about tyre choice right up to the formation lap. This perhaps meant I was a lot calmer than the other drivers at the start and I capitalised on this by driving through from 9^th to 4^th on the 1^st lap. A few laps later and I had passed Josh Hill, at Abby for 3^rd and pulled an advantage. Unfortunately, just 2 laps from the end of the race, the conditions that gave me this opportunity for my first podium caught me out, at Vale I slid wide onto a damp patch causing me to go wide onto the wet astro turf at Club instantly diminishing my gap and I was swallowed up by the pack, dropping back down to 6^th.

Race 2 never really got going due to an early safety car that took up over half of the race. I had managed to get up to 7^th before the safety car period, but an error on the restart caused me to drop 3 places into 10^th.

Finally it was here Race 3, my highest ever grid position. I got a great start from the inside of the grid, the slippy side; this allowed me to gain 2 places straight away. At the end of the 1^st lap the safety car boards had been put out due to a first corner incident. The restart and straight away Emi Bernstorff, Silverstone lap record holder, made his way past me followed by Finish driver Anti Burri. The race for me was very much a case of follow the leader from then on for me until the last lap. On the last lap the pack was split by contact between the 2 championship leaders, I thought this was my time to strike but I was only able to re pass Burri into Bridge, however investigation into the last lap are still on going.

This meant that I had achieved my 2 goals, with 9,9,8 in Qualifying and 6^th, 7th, 10th in the races.

I would like to thank the team, JTR and also my sponsors; Superseal, BG Printers, Mobile Telephone Services and Sue-Sew for all their help and support.

Please feel free to visit my website, www.jamesjtucker.co.uk

It’s been a while since I last blogged on Motors TV.com and since then we’ve had a pretty good run in British F3.

The Thruxton event a couple of weeks ago was one of my best of the year, I really enjoyed it and we raced strongly against a lot of the A Class cars. Unfortunately I’ve lost quite a lot of points over the course of the season with a few non-finishes but on pace, we’ve definitely been very strong and we’ve still taken plenty of wins.

At Silverstone, last weekend, I was really pleased with my performance in the last race where I finished around half a minute ahead of my class points rival James Cole. It was a good way to finish the event as the other two races didn’t quite go as planned. Again though, we were fast all weekend.

We’ve only got six rounds left but I’m only nine points behind the National Class lead so we’ve still got a great chance to win the title. It’s going to be really important to make sure I finish all six of the rounds. If we do then I think we have a good opportunity to take the fight down to the wire.

Everything’s going brilliantly with the guys at T-Sport. I’m learning so much each time I’m in the car and I’m really enjoying the racing – my engineer, Nick, is doing a fantastic job for me and we’re working really well together. It’s definitely been my most enjoyable season since I started racing.

So it all comes down to Snetterton, over Bank Holiday weekend, and then Brands Hatch towards the end of September. I can’t wait for the last six races, whatever happens it’s going to be good fun!

 www.menashehidafar.com

 About Menasheh:

Menasheh Idafar is a 19-year-old racing driver with dual British and Bahraini nationality. After making his UK race debut in the club-level Formula Renault BARC Championship in 2007, Menasheh went on to finish fourth overall in the category during his second season, taking five podiums and four pole positions along the way. Stepping-up to the national Formula Renault UK series in 2009, he returned to the podium during the four-round Winter Championship. In 2010, Menasheh is competing in the National Class of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series with T-Sport at the wheel of a Mugen-Honda powered Dallara F307.

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.

Three weeks from now I’ll be doing a track walk in the late-summer heat of Milan, sampling the sights, sounds and smells of one of the world’s most famous racing circuits: Monza.

I haven’t taken the starter’s lights for a motor race in close to 18 months. That’s a long time for someone who’s used to being in a race car every other weekend, and the invitation from Porsche Motorsport to compete in the Mobil 1 Supercup in support of the Formula One, for their final round at Monza, came at the right time.

Without it, there was a good chance we would do as so many young drivers are forced to do, and ‘throw in the towel’. You can only slave away with no return for so long, and when I found myself without a sponsor after my Hamilton 400 win in April last year, we knew we were in a spot of bother. Since then, without a word of a lie, the efforts behind the scenes by myself, my family and my support team have been non-stop. It gets really hard to keep motivated when for every hundred proposals, meetings and contacts you come across, only two or three show any interest, and they end up faltering anyway. But we did.

It’s been an exciting year and a half though. There’s been lots of travel, networking in Europe and the Middle East, a bit of testing up there also, track time locally in the Juno sports car and a few Japanese tuners, and I’ve met some incredible people who have offered to help me through what has been a difficult dry patch.

The time out of the seat and the motorsport ‘spotlight’ has given me time to reflect. To reflect on myself, my attitude, my approach to my racing; to analyse my strengths and maintain them; to recognise my weaknesses and put the processes in place to fix them. I’ve experimented with all kinds of new fitness regimes and found a routine that I feel fits perfectly with GT racing in all its forms. More importantly, I’ve found the confidence within myself that I’ve always been lacking in my career to date.

That’s the clincher.

Monza will mean many things to me, but really it’s just a tremendous opportunity that I know I am privileged to receive. Winning the Porsche Motorsport Talent Scholarship in February has definitely helped my credibility, and this is my reward.

Between my father Richard and I we have a plan in our minds. We have a set of goals we want to achieve up there. They are optimistic but realistic – we’re under no illusions of the level of competition in the Supercup. We also know the racing style in Europe will be a shock to the system – it’s kill or be killed on that grid.

And if that’s the way it’s got to be, then that’s how we will have to adapt.

Just sitting here writing this is making my fingers quiver. It’s so damn exciting!

What comes next is still up in the air. I’m working hard on a deal for the New Zealand season with some key people whom I believe will help me get things over the line.

And if I do, expect a different Jono Lester to the one you’ve seen previously.

So, roll on Monza, and roll on the future!

Jono